Sound of the Heart (MacDonnell)

by Genevieve Graham

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Sound of Heart by historical fiction romance author Genevieve Graham takes us from the sweeping hills of Scotland to the savage shores of America. When Graham approached me for this tour she had me at the words; Scotland and Highlander. I am delighted to say I wasn't disappointed. She delivered an epic tale of hardship, history, and a romance that will captivate readers.

The tale begins with Dougal MacDonnell, a swoon worthy warrior. He and his family are Highlanders in Scotland. They are trying to save their beloved home land from King Charles and his merciless men. Dougal sees his father fall and ends up being captured by the English. He and others are marched to prison. Along the way he befriends a Scot named John, and two young men. The journey is horrific and Dougal makes himself champion to the young men as he protects them. At the prison a chance for escape goes wrong and only Dougal and a young lad named Aidan make it. They journey together back to the highlands and live quietly for a while in an abandoned cabin. It is here that Dougal meets Glenna and the two fall in love. Things are blissful until a group of King Charles men show up, capture Glenna and leave Dougal for dead. The tale that unfolds is captivating and held me till the last page. Graham's tale takes us from prison cells to to the shores of colonial America.

I loved the characters. Glenna is a pistol. She is both witty and brave. Her love for Dougal helps her remain strong. I loved how she defended those weaker than her even when doing so could cause her to hang. Dougal is a warrior, he is opinionated, brave and has a strong moral compass. In my opinion he is completely swoon worthy martial. Like Glenna he defends those who are weak and hates the English with a passion. Aidan and John the Scot were interesting characters and I grew fond of them. Graham introduces many colorful secondary characters who add depth and make the story come alive.

Graham's use of historical events and descriptions of the country side were delightful. The tale had an even tempo and was beautifully written. The characters had depth, passion and they made the tale feel genuine. I loved moving from the POV of Dougal to the POV of Glenna. I will not go into details, but Graham delivers a twist that was quite shocking and had me laughing aloud. She painted images of Scotland, the prisons, the sea and America that were delightful to the historical lover in me. While this is a romance and there is sexual content, Graham did a splendid job of making it implied and sweet. I rooted for Glenna and Dougal and prayed for a happily ever-after. While the ending completed their story, Graham ended in such a way that additional novels regarding Dougal and his brothers are a possibility.

I want to thank the author and Penguin for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.