The story continues …
Heartland – Where Life and Love Meet

Book 2 in the New Life in Love Trilogy!

After eight years together and seven years of marriage, Alison Clarke McKenna still could not believe that tall, dark and indescribably handsome Darien, born the same year she had graduated from college, was her husband.  The spark that ignited their passionate romance burns brighter each blissful day.  Ali and Darien have reached the summit of professional and financial success in New York City.  She invested her inheritance into a run-down building in Brooklyn and tapped years of experience at the New York Times to launch and pilot Clarke Media Consultants.  Darien’s stellar reputation and Michelin Star earned as executive chef at Chez Nous in Midtown Manhattan attracted high-profile career opportunities.  The couple had everything – except enough time for each other.  Tragedy on the eve of letting go shatters their happily-ever-after. Truth and consequences confronted along an uncharted path to a place in Iowa called Harmony leads to new life and love in Heartland.

PAPERBACK LOVERS! Wrap yourself in romance this winter!

“Heartland” on Paperback

Also available on Kindle!  

Readers Review

This is a terrific book with marvelous characters and just the right amount … I’m really not a reader of “romance” novels per se, so I was skeptical about “Heartland” at first. But oh, my, how quickly La Bella’s bright, entertaining writing hooked me! This is a terrific book with marvelous characters and just the right amount of steam and humor. It’s top-notch. and of course you MUST read “Reservations,” which is the first book with these memorable characters! – Linda C

A romance, yes. More remarkable, a story of loving in different ways, growing in maturity. What makes this book different from other romances is the uniquely insightful portrait of Darien, the main character. Once tragedy strikes his enviable marriage, Darien is so realistically lost, the reader feels it. Starting over In Iowa, far away from his life before, he girds his pain by saving a beautiful dog. But even her dedicated companionship isn’t quite enough. Nor is the lively and diverse cast of friends & family La Bella creates for Darien. Mid-book twists and turns lend an important sense of mystery and compel us to find out what Darien will ultimately decide about his life.
If you read La Bella’s first book, you’ll find once again the art of cooking and a chef in a central role. I love finding out what Poi is made from or what Opakapaka Pualoa is. More importantly, her dialogue is comfortable for the setting and her word craft evokes a more thought provoking protagonist as well as a more mature piece of writing. – Nancy S

Coming from the Heartland I can identify with the many of the characters and life in a small town….it is well worth reading! I read ” Reservations” the first in the series and really wanted to see where the story was going. The continued story is very believable. For those of us who have suffered a loss the author does a great job in helping the reader understand Darien’s state of mind. I like well written books, and this is a well written book. The language, characters, and development of the story make it a very comfortable read. I recommend both of the books in the series and look forward to number three “Belonging”. – Susan C