"Sound of the Heart" Review

"Sound of the Heart"
by Genevieve Graham

Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: May 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher and author

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

From Genevieve Graham, author of Under the Same Sky, comes a sweeping romantic historical novel of one man’s strange gift and dangerous battles…
      Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love.

My Review:

Genevieve Graham's characters really go through the wringer to get to their happy ending!! How much more can these two endure? Yes, there was more violence than I would have liked to read about, but I knew that going into this book. Graham's characters are so strong in their convictions though, you can't help pulling for them through all of their un-ending struggles.

As for the 'big reveal' (no spoilers, you'll have to read it), just wow!! I was really not expecting that to happen. Looking back, there were so so many hints as to what was going on, but my mind was so fixated in another direction, I just did not see it. In a way I'm glad I didn't catch on though, because it made for a really great surprise.

I think I was doing ok with the struggles this time around until Dougal and Glenna were sent to America. I suppose it just didn't seem hopeless until then. At least they still had each other. I wasn't really a fan of the struggles they were still enduring by the end of the book though. I guess I thought they had been through enough and just wanted to read about more of their happiness together.

This book isn't for the faint of heart, but fans of really gritty and real historical fiction will really enjoy it I think. It does have a romance-y cover but I think of it more as historical fiction. The one thing that makes it stand out from (most) historical fiction is that the characters are always true to each other. I feel like in a lot of historical fiction, the woman (and the reader) have to put up with a lot of infidelity. Rest assured that this doesn't happen here, Dougal never strays from Glenna, even when she isn't physically with him. You can read the author's thoughts on historical romance vs historical fiction in her guest post here. I can see her novels appealing to fans of both genres, as long as romance fans know that it's not a typical romance.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: On one hand, it's a lovely romance about two characters who truly love and respect each other, and on the other hand it's gritty historical fiction with a lot of violence. It's interesting to see these two worlds meet.

If you think you would enjoy this book, you can also check out my review of the author's debut book:

"Under the Same Sky" Review

You also might be interested in:

Guest Post by Genevieve Graham and Blog Tour Giveaway

"Jackie After O" Review

"Jackie After O"
by Tina Cassidy

Publisher: It Books
Release Date: May 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

A former "Boston Globe" reporter delivers a remarkable account of one year in the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, America's favorite first lady and international icon, as she lost her second husband, saved a landmark, and found her true calling.

My Review:

I went into this book without too much prior knowledge of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' personal life. I'm glad to say that I learned a lot about this fascinating woman, both of her later life, and her life during her tumultuous years as First Lady.  Gladly, the book is never gossipy, the author relies on facts and first-hand accounts to tell the story. There are many footnotes on every page so that the reader can go to the original source. That being said, the author does a great job of writing the book in an almost novel-like way.  Her style made the story really exciting.

For most of the book, the author would start off by telling the reader the events happening in 1975, the year that Jackie faced a lot of big choices about where her life would lead after motherhood and wife-hood. Then, almost in a flashback style, we would see how Jackie faced similar issues during JFK's presidency.

I think the author was very sympathetic to Jackie and definitely respectful of her at all times. At the same time though, she doesn't leave out Jackie's faults. Her background might have made her spoiled, and she might have spent a lot on dresses. But that also shaped the way that she stood up to those in power, and quite often, got her way. I loved reading about her days working as an editor at Viking with her assistant/partner in crime, Rebecca Singleton. They were a no-nonsense team dealing with a lot of nonsense from fans and media concerned with Jackie's celebrity.

I had no idea that Jackie was such a great writer. Not only in speech-writing or writing articles for magazines, but also in writing personal letters. Persuasive, and always charming, personal letters from Jackie helped to restore much of the furniture in the White House that had been sold, auctioned off, or given way by previous Presidents. That's a pretty wonderful letter that influences a family to donate a priceless antique that had been owned by a US President, but that's exactly what many families did in response to Jackie's handwritten letters.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed learning more about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' life, both during JFK's presidency, and also about the life she made for herself as a single woman later in life.


Buy the book on Amazon:  Jackie After O
 

Waiting on Wednesday (112)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"The Debutantes"

by Cora Harrison
Pan Macmillan Childrens
Release Date: Aug 2, 2012

The following description is from goodreads.com:

It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.

Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.

But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

I love reading about this time period! And how gorgeous is that cover! I'm not 100% sure that this one will be available in the US, but I need to find a way to read it!

What are you waiting for this week???

Book Blogger Confessions (1)

Hi everyone! This week, I am going to be participating in a new bi-weekly event hosted by Karen at For What It's Worth and Tiger at Tiger's All-Consuming Media. Book Blogger Confessions is all about discussing topics that are relevant to book bloggers in a respectful way.

You can check out the other posts and link up your own here!

This week's topic is: 

Comments. The holy grail of blogging success! What type of posts do you leave comments on? How do you try to encourage more comments on your own blog? Do you respond to people who leave comments on your posts? How do you handle negative/spam comments? Do you use captcha?

My response:

I love comments!! Interacting with other bloggers is really the reason why I blog, I love to talk about books! And the best way to interact is to leave comments on other blogs, and read comments on your own posts!

If someone comments on my blog, I always try to go and check out their blog and leave a comment on one of their recent posts, as long as I can find their link in their blog profile. I make an effort to respond to every comment on my blog this way (unless I'm having a huge contest, I don't reply to every contest entry).

I don't leave a reply on my own blog post, because I feel like the reader is not going to come back to that post and read the reply. Instead I visit their blog and leave a reciprocal comment. If the commenter asks me a specific question I might reply by email or just leave them a comment that says "to answer your question about...."

I will delete spam comments, especially if they leave a link to a non-bookish or non-family oriented blog, and the comment is in no way related to the post. I don't use captcha because I don't like dealing with it when I visit other blogs. I don't think deleting a few spam messages a month is that bad. I haven't gotten very many negative comments, but I usually leave them there, but don't respond to them. I mean negative and disrespectful, not something along the lines of and "I disagree, and I enjoyed this book more than you" type of thing. If it's a polite disagreement, I totally welcome it! I love to hear other opinions on the books I've read.

Which brings me to what type of posts that I leave comments on. I love commenting on another's review of a book that I've read too. It's great to see the similar as well as different things they had to say about it. I also like to leave comments on memes that I'm participating in. Basically, if I've read a post, I might as well leave a comment just to let them know I was there and read it, why not?

To encourage readers to comment, I try to end my post with a question like....

 "What are your thoughts on blog commenting???"

Sunday Shout Out (2)

Last week, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.

Check out my first Sunday Shout Out post for even more info, here!

If you'd like to link up to YOUR Sunday Shout Out, please leave your link in the comments, link back to this post, and I'll stop by and say hi!

Books for Review

"Goddess Interrupted" by Aimee Carter

I love reading aobut mythology so I think this is going to be great!

"Ride of Her Life" by Lorna Seilstad

An amusement park setting, how fun!

"Skip Rock Shallows" by an Watson

I'm excited that this historical is set in Kentucky!

 "Lucky in Love" by Jill Shalvis

I finally have a chance to read a romance by an author I've heard so much about.

"Big Sky Country" by Linda Lael Miller

A contemporary western romance, along with an awesome blog tour press badge!

Contest Wins

"In the Shadow of the Titanic" by Andrew Wilson

Won from Sullivan at Pearls Cast Before a McPig!

"The Lady of the Rivers" by Philippa Gregory

Won from Christina at Confessions of a Book Addict!

Gotta Have It

Now for the book I just found this week, that I must have now!!!

"Yoga Cures" by Tara Styles

 

Another healthy living book! I'm so interested in some of her poses and routines that are said to help with common ailments. Her books have nothing but positive reviews, I'd love to give it a try and see what happens.

Book News

Entertainment Weekly gives us the first look at a production still from the upcoming movie, "Beautiful Creatures". Based on, of course, the novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. What do you think? Is it what you expected?

See original article at Entertainment Weekly

Now it's YOUR turn! Do you have any books, authors, or blogs that you would like to give a Shout Out to? If you make your own post, please link back to this post, and leave your link in the comments section this weekend so I can check it out, and so that other readers can stop by too!!

"Sixty Acres and a Bride" Review

"Sixty Acres and a Bride"
by Regina Jennings

Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: Feb 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to Texas and the family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have only three months to pay. Though facing eviction, Rosa can't keep herself from falling in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. Learning the American customs is not easy, however, and this beautiful young widow can't help but catch wandering eyes. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, to what lengths will Rosa go to save her future?

My Review:

I wanted to like this book because I had heard amazing things about it, but it seemed slow to me, and I felt like I had read this style of story many times before. I didn't feel like there was much romance between the two leads, I felt like it was more about both Rosa and Weston overcoming the aftermath their disastrous first marriages.

I thought there might be more about Rosa's Mexican heritage, but I felt like most of the book concentrated on the people of her new town trying to stomp out any reminders of her heritage, especially in the way she dressed and acted. I also didn't like the way the picture was painted that because she was from Mexico, she was the town harlot. This is just something that rubbed me the wrong way personally, I know that other readers didn't get this message from the book at all.

The two leads were lovely characters, I just felt like the romance between them wasn't developed enough. It didn't seem like enough was added to the typical historical story of life in a western town.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Overall, a nice story, but didn't have the extra oomph I was looking for.
 

Waiting on Wednesday (111)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"Transcendence"

by C.J. Omololu
Walker & Co.
Release Date: June 5, 2012

The following description is from goodreads.com:

Love isn’t the only emotion to survive death . . .

When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider.

As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet—an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.

Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

Past lives? Sounds so interesting, and I'd like to see the historical angle that it brings. And how pretty is the cover?!

What are you waiting for this week???