Books like A Mother At Heart by Carolyne Aarsen

Claire, a single mother close to moving into her cherished childhood home, faces a looming threat when a new contractor, Nik, arrives with a bulldozer. Nik, a seasoned house flipper who fled a turbulent foster‑care past, has no intention of settling down. As Claire wrestles with her daughter’s future and the looming demolition, she must convince Nik to pull the power and preserve the home that holds her fondest memories. In the process, Nik confronts the painful echoes of his own foster‑home experiences, while Claire and Nik together grapple with the possibility that the house—and their lives—may finally be more than just a place to live. Set against contemporary challenges of foster care, single parenthood, and the housing market, the story explores resilience, the search for belonging, and the healing power of shared memories.

First publish date: 2000