Sara’s fairytale lifestyle is falling apart at the hinges, first a miscarriage and then finding out her husband and best friend spent the night together is enough to push her over the edge. Deciding to check in on her elderly aunt while trying to see if she can find it within herself to forgive her husband, Sara is shocked to find an eclectic mix of boarders living there.  Each of the boarders have their own demons, and Sara is determined that she won’t leave until she gets to the bottom of why they are there. Of all the people there, Michael bothers her the most. She knows her reactions to him are volatile but he makes her want to forget about her life in Chicago for one filled with his dreamy smiles. Michael and Sara have a lot of hurdles to cross; one being her state of marriage and they are both aware that someone will wind up hurt if they ever decide to cross the line.

The beauty of Southern charm and family are only part of the appeal to Sara’s Reward. In a love story overflowing with the shared family connections based on deeds not genetics, Joan Early did a great job of creating a romance that tugs at your heart and connects you to everyone involved. One of the strongest parts to this story was how well I as a reader was able to connect not only to Michael and Sara but also Aunt Liv, Mr. Nash and Aria. They each had their own special journey filled with the pain of loss and renewal. Some readers may take issue with the adultery aspect to this story but for me it just added realism where it sometimes is lacking in romance. I tip my hat off to Ms. Early and I look forward to seeing what other great, albeit unconventional romances she will come up with.