Veronica's 'Views: My Review of Jeanne M. Dickson's 'Grounded Hearts,' Giveaway and Blog Tour

About the book:

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O'Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she's taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she'll face imprisonment.

Still, something compels Nan to take in "flyboy" Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection-and an unbreakable bond.

But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband's death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

My review:

I enjoyed this action-packed story with wonderful characters! I really felt for Nan and the guilt she carried. She was dealt some hard things in her still young life. I admired her bravery and determination to do the right thing. It was interesting to see the differences in her Catholic faith from a Protestant one, as she prayed for dead men and worried about burning in hell for sins she committed, even after she had asked for forgiveness. It saddened and bothered me that she still felt she had to do the penance the priest told her to do, as if that could fix her sins, when she'd already asked for God's forgiveness and it was taken care of. He'd removed it as far as the east was from the west. There was also a good conversation about the Devil condemning us and robbing us of peace and that we need to pray every time we have those thoughts and also ask for Jesus' forgiveness because he died to set us free and doesn't want us to live under condemnation anymore. I liked Dutch a lot and he seemed almost too perfect, except he did swear when he was frustrated. Dickson didn't put the actual swear words in the book, just mentioned he cursed. I think the only somewhat questionable word used was calling a man an "arse." I was also surprised at all of the sexual innuendo. It doesn't get graphic or anything, but it just seemed like a lot of men and women were making sexual comments and that the men were always leering at Nan. There's also a scene where she has to fight off an attacker, so I would say this book probably isn't appropriate for younger teens. I really liked some advice Dutch gave Nan, about being careful not to lead a man on. Though it's no excuse for a man attacking a woman, I think sometimes women don't behave correctly, either. I did like the dialogue, otherwise, as it was usually humorous. There were a lot of romantic moments, as Nan and Dutch were very attracted to each other and would be drawn to each other but kept resisting it. I also liked the strong sense of culture and history. I really felt like I was in Ireland in 1941! I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness, letting go of regret and risking ourselves for love. I would recommend this book if you like historical romance.

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the author:

Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family, the only girl surrounded by four brothers. She credits her mother, her aunts, and her grandmother with her love of storytelling. Perfecting her craft, she attends many writer's conferences and over the years, she has won and finaled in numerous RWA romance writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Maggie Award, The Molly, The Tara, and she was the overall contest winner of Launching A Star. Today she lives in Coastal San Diego with her fabulous husband, her two wonderful girls, and a dozen disobedient rose bushes.

Find out more about Jeanne M. at http://www.jeannemdickson.com.

What do you get when you mix World War II, a brave midwife, a wounded pilot, and a risky secret? Jeanne M. Dickson's new historical fiction novel, Grounded Hearts. When midwife Nan O'Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she's taking a huge risk by letting him in. Still, something compels Nan to take in "flyboy" Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection-and an unbreakable bond.

Join Jeanne in celebrating the release of her new book by entering to win the Celtic Knots Giveaway!