At the Heart of It
Page 33
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
When Kate meets Jonah in Ashland, he bears little resemblance to the Average Joe she knows through Viv’s books. When he’s with Kate, how is Jonah different from how he is with Viv? With Jossy? Are there different traits you see in Kate when she’s with Viv versus Amy versus Jonah?
Being around his ex-wife brings out a side of Jonah he’s not always proud of, though he fights to rise above it. What is it about Viv that sparks that response in him? How does Kate’s presence affect him differently? Who brings out your best self?
Kate has a long history of fandom with Dr. Viv’s books. Is her reliance on the wisdom of self-help books a benefit or a hindrance in her life? Does that change over the course of the story?
Jonah tells Kate that the only thing opposites attract is heartache. Why do you think he says this? How do you feel about that theory?
At several points Kate wrestles between doing what she thinks is right versus doing what’s required of her for her job. Are there moments where you felt frustrated with her choices? When did you applaud her choices? Can you think of a time when your own job required you to do something you disagreed with?
What did you think about Jonah’s reaction to what he perceived as betrayal from Kate? Was he angrier about the lie itself, or about looking stupid?
There are a number of blindsides and secrets revealed throughout the story. Which one surprised you most? Has there been a time in your life when you’ve had to guard a secret you didn’t want to keep?
What do you think attracted Viv and Jonah to each other? What do you see as the chief reasons for their divorce? What makes either of them better suited to the partner they end up with at the book’s conclusion?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
photo © 2013 Craig Zagurski
When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at twenty-two, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.