Talkshow Thursday: Building Hearts with Julie Arduini

Building Hearts & Book Covers 

by Julie Arduini

Surrendering Hearts is my current small-town romance series, spotlighting the Hart siblings as they navigate identity, faith, and the pursuit of a love as enduring as their parents'. The journey begins with Anchored Hearts, Jordyn’s story, followed by Ryan’s in Repairing Hearts. Now, it’s Evan’s turn to take center stage in Building Hearts. Each installment explores a unique surrender, an emotional or spiritual struggle, ultimately resolved through Christian principles. In Building Hearts, Evan Hart, third of six siblings, has long watched his brothers and sisters shine. Determined to carve out his own success, he pitches a home improvement reality show that finally puts his family in the spotlight—and himself in charge.

But just as things begin to fall into place, the network throws him a curveball: a co-producer named Shea Madden, whose presence challenges Evan in ways he never expected. Building Hearts has been an absolute joy to write. It blends a compelling co-worker romance, a revenge-driven antagonist, and deeply realistic Hart family subplots that tug at the heart.

Evan longs to feel like he belongs, while Shea wrestles with forgiveness and finding her place. If you’ve ever known a middle child, you’ll recognize the quiet ache of wanting to be seen. Evan embodies that struggle in a way that’s both tender and true.

One of my favorite aspects of the Surrendering Hearts series is designing the covers. Each one features

a subtle spotlight effect in the background, symbolizing the Hart siblings’ celebrity status as the first six born full-term without selective reduction.

The character placement is never random. Jordyn, the eldest, commands the cover with a dominant presence. She’s not only the lead of the first book, but the emotional anchor of the entire family.

Evan’s cover tells a different story. As the middle sibling, he often feels overlooked. His image is intentionally cropped and smaller, reflecting his internal narrative of invisibility. It’s a quiet but powerful visual metaphor.

At the bottom of each cover, I include a scene or object that ties directly to the story. For Building Hearts, it’s a pile of rocks set against a woodsy backdrop overlooking a lake, and it’s exactly how I envisioned Ryan’s property. That setting plays a major role in the book, and I’m thrilled with how it came together.

The series is set in the breathtaking Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, with Ryan’s home perched above Seneca Lake. It’s a place of beauty, healing, and transformation, just like the series, including Building Hearts.

About Building Hearts:

Can one reality show rebuild a home and two hearts?

Evan Hart has always felt the odd one out in a family of thriving siblings. When his reality show pitch is greenlit and he's named co-producer, Evan sees a chance to finally belong within his family and the world watching them. Building with the Harts promises new beginnings and second chances until the network adds a wildcard: Shea Madden, a brooding co-producer with secrets of her own.

Shea Madden walked away from reality TV after a contestant's public humiliation led to tragedy, and she took the fall. The Renovation Channel offers her a shot at redemption with a show built on authenticity and hope. Working alongside insecure but earnest Evan Hart begins to heal old wounds until Shea's past resurfaces, threatening her future, the show's success, and the Hart family.

In this clean and wholesome small-town romance, Book 3 of 6 in the Surrendering Hearts series, featuring the Christian surrender issues of belonging, grief, and forgiveness, discover how faith, trust, and unexpected love can rise from the rubble.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/41KuXhr

About Julie:

Julie Arduini writes small-town romances featuring Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. She’s the author of the series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more). Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged). She also co-wrote a YA/Women’s Fiction series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant). Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. In 2025 she joins Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, and Dawn Kinzer with the small-town romance series Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. Julie maintains a blog at http://www.juliearduini.com and https://substack.com/@juliearduini1. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini.