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Review: Perfectly Placed - Hopeful Hearts #2

Perfectly Placed book cover on blue background

My final review for Asian Heritage Month is a book that takes place in China, with plenty of cultural and linguistic references that made me feel like I took a trip to Asia. Perfectly Placed by Liana George is the second book in the Hopeful Hearts series with a portion of the earnings from these books funding the Hopeful Hearts orphanage that seeks to help children with heart conditions, which is where the setting of the book is based off.

If you haven't yet read Perfectly Arranged, the first book in the series, I heartily recommend it if you love organizing and want to step into the shoes of a professional organizer!

Book Synopsis

Nicki’s tasked with making New Hope the perfect place for orphaned children. So why has everything gone wrong?

Six weeks after leaving China, Nicki Mayfield returns to complete two critical tasks: restore order at New Hope Orphanage and re-connect with Lei Ming, the little girl who stole her heart. However, a stonewalling supervisor, missing documents, and personal tragedy ensure Nicki faces challenges at every turn. Is she the best person to bring order – and longevity – to the place these children call home?

Then, with the help of an unexpected ally, Nicki makes a life-altering decision. One that has the potential to upend her well-planned life and the lives of those around her. Will she lose it all, or has she found a way to save what matters most?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This sequel to Perfectly Arranged sees professional organizer Nicki Mayfield back in Asia to sort out the operations of the New Hope orphanage in order to qualify for international funding. Along the way, Nicki battles disorganization, potential sabotage, and cross-cultural misunderstandings that threaten her work. This is likely one of the few series I’ve come across that tackles the issue of hoarding and its roots while exploring the emotions of how it feels to be out of control in life. I appreciate that the author treats this condition with empathy without minimizing its impact on others. As a result, Nicki ends up turning to God even more when she’s out of her depth in her professional life at the orphanage and her personal life with her family.

Anyone looking for a book that shows the realities of international adoption, especially for children with special needs, will find that Liana George brings this world to life. It's a world fraught with complications, desperation, and darkness as a result of the One Child Policy. Navigating an intercultural setting that challenges the characters' faith, this is a series that is not to be missed in terms of how Westerners can relate to Easterners. The more time I spent with the children of New Hope and the tremendous friends that Nicki made, the more I wanted to view this story as a movie. Readers looking for a little girl to fall in love with at the orphanage while getting to know a woman who earnestly seeks God in the midst of many trials will see how everything is perfectly placed and orchestrated in God’s way as mysteries are untangled and faith is exercised.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 🎧
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
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