Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham Blog Tour

Today I am excited to be a part of the Sound of Heart Blog Tour.
So grab a cup of coffee and check out my review.
Be sure and enter the lovely giveaway ! 

Sound of the Heart
by Genevieve Graham
Publisher: Berkley Trade 
Publication date: May 1, 2012
Adult-Historical Fiction

Buy:Barnes and Noble /Amazon /Book Depository

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.(synopsis from Goodreads)

My review:
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 recommend the Sound of Heart to historical romance fans everywhere. Sound of Heart is available in both eBook and paper format. I have added Graham to my author to watch list and added her novel Under the Same Sky to my TBR pile.

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

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5.  

Genevieve Graham

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Genevieve Graham graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Musician Performance (playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her future husband in a chairlift lineup and subsequently moved to Calgary to be with him. They have recently settled in a small, peaceful town in Nova Scotia with their two beautiful daughters. Writing became an essential part of Genevieve’s life a few years ago, when she began to write her debut novel, Under the Same Sky. The companion novel, Sound of the Heart, will be in stores May 1, 2012.

Graham has a wonderful giveaway for you.

A signed copy of Sound of the Heart PLUS a four cd set of relaxation cds created by her incredibly talented musical friends,Cori Ashley and Ed Franks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway