Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Read Love Reviews: Highland Sanctuary


Highland Sanctuary by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Pub. Date: October 1, 2011
Publisher: Abingdon Press Fiction
Format: egalley, 336pp
Age Range: Adult
Series: Highland #2
ISBN-13: 9781426714214 (for paperback edition)
Source: NetGalley



Synopsis from Amazon.com:
Gavin MacKenzie, a chieftain heir who is hired to restore the ancient Castle of Braigh, discovers a hidden village of outcasts who have created their own private sanctuary from the world. Among them is Serena Boyd, a mysterious and comely lass, who captures Gavin's heart in spite of harboring a deadly past that could destroy her future.

The villagers happen to be keeping an intriguing secret as well, and when a fierce enemy launches an attack against them, greed leads to bitter betrayal. Then, as Gavin prepares a defense, the villagers unite in a bold act of faith, showing how God's love is more powerful than any human force on earth.

My Review:


Where to start? I was intrigued at the idea of reading a historical novel set in the medieval Scottish highlands. I began with high hopes. In the early going, the novel had promise -- reading was gentle and easy, and there was a fairytale-like quality to the book. The setting and characters seemed almost enchanted. To her credit, Taylor created a village nestled into the highlands seemingly hidden from the world and all its evils. Its inhabitants were different, but kind and warm. This felt like a good place to live and, for the reader, a good place to visit.

We get a glimpse of Serena as a baby in a prelude to the story. This creates mystery and narrative tension. However, the manner in which her villainous father returns to the story is a little disappointing. Despite this shortcoming in the narrative, Serena is a sympathetic heroine and we want her to be happy. Her mother and the other secondary characters who love her are all well-drawn and endearing.

Serena is at the center of a love triangle. I quickly decided that I favored one suitor over the other, and Serena's heart chooses fairly quickly as well. However, this brings to mind another flaw in the novel -- one of the suitors vanishes from the book near the end. It's hard to believe that a man would promise marriage and so readily disappear without trying to win his desired bride.

I liked the hero, Gavin, very much. He is compassionate, chivalrous, and kind to the village of "misfits". I had emotional investment in the outcome of the novel for him. I was sorry to see that he was not given enough opportunity to be heroic. Usually the hero rescues the damsel-in-distress and saves the day, right? Not so here. He was rendered impotent by the choices the author made.

While I enjoyed the novel, it never blossomed into the book I had hoped it would be. The fairytale-like quality remained, but in a different sense. To some degree the book always felt like a tale rather than events happening to real people. There was never enough sense of immediacy or depth of emotion. One could find parallels between Highland Sanctuary and The Scarlet Letter. Each novel has a character who is judged by a "religious" and supposedly "pious" authority/culture. However, while the latter is thick with psychological and emotional tension, the former has little. Highland Sanctuary suffers for being a little too neat. Real life is messy, and the happenings of this book, messy as they were, could have been depicted with more depth and nuance.

All of the quibbles mentioned above don't hurt the overall reading experience much. For some time, this was en route to being a four-star book. As I said, it started off nicely and I hoped it would continue to build interest. It did for a time. The plot built slowly and at a certain point began to pick up speed and scope like a tumbling stone. In the end, though, the novel's end was its demise. The author, while not having made anything more than casual Christian references to God, prayer, and faith, suddenly presented a sermonette in the form of a letter from one of the characters. There was a comparison made connecting a sacrifice (which I felt was empty and unnecessary) to Christ's crucifixion. The connection felt heavy-handed, and the letter unauthentic and disconnected from the character's voice.

To sum up, what started with charm and grace lost its sparkle and hiccuped a bit coming to a close. Overall, though, the book was entertaining. Though it is part of a series, Highland Sanctuary stands alone and can easily be enjoyed without having read the first book in the series, Highland Blessings. The messages of this tale have merit: Love conquers all, home is where your loved ones are, and true sanctuary is only found in Christ. In short, while the ideas are good, the execution could have been improved.

Recommended with reluctance.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sunday Inspiration (17)



"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time."
Laura Ingalls Wilder




Sunday Inspiration is a weekly feature hosted here @ Read Love.
It began from my desire to share a nugget of encouragement or wisdom.
I didn't intend for it to be a community thing, but due to positive feedback,
I'm giving it a try! (Thanks, Kate)

Participation is welcome!
Your quote need not be faith-based, but it should be positive and uplifting.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sunday Inspiration (16)



"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night."
Edgar Allan Poe






Sunday Inspiration is a weekly feature hosted here @ Read Love.
It began from my desire to share a nugget of encouragement or wisdom.
I didn't intend for it to be a community thing, but due to positive feedback,
I'm giving it a try! (Thanks, Kate)

Participation is welcome!
Your quote need not be faith-based, but it should be positive and uplifting.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

CD Reviews: NewReleaseTuesday.com
Glory by Michael W. Smith

I'd like to share my newest CD review for NewReleaseTuesday.com:

Glory  by Michael W. Smith.

The newest release from Michael W. Smith, Glory, is an instrumental album, and serves as a kind of companion to his 2000 album Freedom.

Click through on the CD cover to hop over to NewReleaseTuesday.com to read my review.


Michael W. Smith - Glory
5 stars

NewReleaseTuesday.com is a terrific site, full of Christian music (and book) reviews and news.  Each week, you can stream an entire album!  If you're interested, click on the logo below to learn more! Right now, you can stream this record!




I have been asked to join the Album Review Staff at NewReleaseTuesday.com, the #1-ranked Christian music website.
Each month I'll be writing two or three reviews for them.
(Note: I will still be posting book reviews, etc., here on Read Love.)

*I receive no remuneration for my reviews at NewReleaseTuesday.com.*

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sunday Inspiration (15)


"He that lives in hope dances without music."
George Herbert







Sunday Inspiration is a weekly feature hosted here @ Read Love.
It began from my desire to share a nugget of encouragement or wisdom.
I didn't intend for it to be a community thing, but due to positive feedback,
I'm giving it a try! (Thanks, Kate)

Participation is welcome!
Your quote need not be faith-based, but it should be positive and uplifting.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Author Interview: Q & A with Nicole O'Dell

I'm so thrilled to be presenting the first Read Love Author Interview!

Joining us is Nicole O'Dell, author of The Wishing Pearl. If you missed my recent review it's here.  
I'm grateful that Nicole was willing to take time out of her busy schedule as an author, mother of six, and radio host to answer some questions. The Wishing Pearl is part of a new series called The Diamond Estates novels.  Each book will introduce readers to a different girl whose life circumstances drive her to Diamond Estates, a residential home for troubled teens.  Book Two, The Embittered Ruby, is scheduled for release in April 2012.

Q: Let's start with your newest release, The Wishing Pearl.  I really enjoyed reading about Olivia and watching her journey unfold.  In what ways is Olivia's story based on or inspired by your own experiences as a teen?
A: When I was a young teen, I started making some really bad choices in response to some things that happened to me. My life spiraled out of control, and I got to the point where I didn’t think I’d get it together unless I got out of my circumstances. I went to live at a residential home for girls called Teen Challenge. I lived there for about eight months, and so much of what you read about Diamond Estates is how it was at Teen Challenge.

Olivia’s story is not completely my own, but her life and the lives of the girls she meets at Diamond Estates (and the ones in books two (The Embittered Ruby) and three (The Shadowed Onyx) are sort of a conglomeration of all I saw and experienced. 

Q: I particularly enjoyed Olivia's relationship with her brother Jake, and later with Tammy.  How the deaf are perceived and treated is very important to Olivia, and her interactions are respectful, kind, and compassionate.  It's interesting that Olivia may be best heard by these deaf characters.  Is there a real-life inspiration for Jake or Tammy?
A: No, there's no specific real-life inspiration from my own life. But everyone who steps beyond physical limitations and other things that people might see as setbacks inspires me. The inner strength and resolve to overcome is a beautiful picture of human strength. Also, in Olivia's case, you're completely right in identifying the connection between Olivia only feeling truly heard by the two deaf characters. Being heard is a real struggle for Olivia, and we find out toward the end of the book that much of the pain from her past is rooted in misinterpretation of the facts.


Q:  Tell me about Teen Talk Radio and the work you do with and for teens.
A: Teen Talk Radio is a weekly talk show that airs live at www.choicesradio.com on Thursdays at 10PM EST. Listeners can also subscribe for free on iTunes and receive each show in their iTunes folder. You can do that right here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/teen-talk-radio/id372833535?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

On the show I deal with topics like peer pressure, sex, relationships, dating, friendships, loyalty, self image, etc. Anything that pops up of interest to teens. I also have guests on each week whom I believe will be an inspiration to my teenage listeners.



Rockome Gardens, photo copyright Outdoor.com
Q:  On your Facebook Page, you mentioned going to Rockome Gardens in Arcola, Illinois.  You said you planned to "hang out among the Amish...and do some research for a book."  Are you planning to write an Amish novel? Please share!
A: Ah! Very observant. lol Yes. I can't share the details just yet, but I will say that this won't be your typical Amish series. Definitely not what you'd expect from an Amish story.. :)





Q:  Okay, for our last question let's talk a bit about reading.  What was your favorite book as a teen? And what do you enjoy reading now?
A: The Hiding Place, anything by Bodie and Brock Thoene, Randy Alcorn's The Deadline.... Funny enough, I'd still pick any of those up for a re-read. Most of my reading now is to review books for the radio show, my blog, or for my friends. I love having access to so many books!! 




Nicole O'Dell on the Web: 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

CD Reviews: NewReleaseTuesday.com
Spoiler Alert by Rel Paul

I'd like to share my newest CD review for NewReleaseTuesday.com:

Spoiler Alert by Rel Paul.

I'm extra excited about this one! Spoiler Alert has become pretty special for me.  It was my first experience listening to a rap/hip hop album from start to finish.  And it's 20 songs deep so it clocks in at just under 80 minutes of music! I love it, and I can't wait until the physical copy I ordered arrives in the mail!

Click through on the CD cover to hip hop over to NewReleaseTuesday.com to read my review.  Thanks!


Rel Paul - Spoiler Alert
4.5 stars

By the way, you can buy this CD right now as an Amazon MP3 purchase for $8.99! Wanna try one track? I recommend my favorite, "Crescendo of the Heart."

NewReleaseTuesday.com is a terrific site, full of Christian music (and book) reviews and news.  Each week, you can stream an entire album!  If you're interested, click on the logo below to learn more!





I have been asked to join the Album Review Staff at NewReleaseTuesday.com, the #1-ranked Christian music website.
Each month I'll be writing two or three reviews for them.
(Note: I will still be posting book reviews, etc., here on Read Love.)

*I receive no remuneration for my reviews at NewReleaseTuesday.com.*