True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes, Book 1)
by Dee Henderson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dee HendersonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-06-01
ISBN: 1576736202
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Multnomah Books
Book Reviews of True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes, Book 1)
Book Review: True Devotion
Summary: 5 Stars
"They were going to drown," these first five words of Dee Henderson's novel, True Devotion, the reader is automatically interested and drawn to continue reading. Henderson moves the reader from the first page to the last with a combination of heroism, romance and page-turning anticipation. Lifeguard Kelly Jacobs watches the sun go down and knows time for her rescue was running out as she anxiously looked for Ryan Raines, a teenage boy who had been in a surfing accident and was stranded in the Pacific waters off the coast of San Diego. As the situation unfolds, the reader's emotions are running wild. Will they be rescued? Will someone find them before it is too late? Throughout the first chapter, Henderson makes readers feel as though they are in the middle of what is happening by tying emotions in with anticipation.
Henderson's writing techniques are best recognized by the emotion expressed to the readers. The next scene takes the reader through a new spectrum of feelings. When Kelly and Ryan are finally found, the reader is able to experience relief and thankfulness that everything will be resolved. As the reader is experiencing relief, Henderson focuses on the relationship between Kelly and Joe. Joe is not only the one who rescued them but also the one for whom Kelly has deep feelings. With the somewhat complicated relationship between Kelly and Joe, Henderson starts to tie in the romance aspect of the novel, which interests the reader to continue reading on. Henderson brings in a key issue that will continue on throughout the book, the mention of the word love. Joe and Kelly's relationship is taken to a new level at the mention of this word. This makes the reader very hopeful about what will come out of the relationship.
Another emotion that Henderson uses continually throughout the novel is anticipation. She gives the reader the exact amount of information that hooks them into continuing to read. She ties this technique in with many situations that occur in the book. Henderson combines anticipation with adventure. For example, Joe is an active Navy SEAL. Throughout the book he is sent on specific missions, Henderson uses the description of the mission to further the anticipation technique. In many of the missions, as a reader, you are at a point where you don't know if Joe is going to make it back alive this is where the anticipation is at its peak.
For security reasons SEALS are to be completely silent about any specifics involving their mission. Although we, as readers, know the inside SEAL information, Kelly does not. This puts the reader in a feeling of sympathy for Kelly. Not only does she not know where Joe is going when he leaves on missions she also does not know serious and dangerous each mission is. Another example of sympathy is, as a reader you know the deep secret behind Nick's death, Kelly's husband, and because of the secrecy required in the job Kelly does not know how her husband was killed, so this tends to make the readers feel sympathy for Kelly, not only because of her not knowing but because she is a young widow.
All the emotions that Henderson expresses are not only the feelings of the characters, but also those of the readers. In this novel, not only did you read the story of Joe and Kelly, it felt as though you were there and you were involved in the story. I think that Dee Henderson did a wonderful job by using emotion as a writing technique. She made the story come alive to the reader by making them feel as though the events were happening to them. Henderson wrote the story in third person, which is an excellent choice because not only do you feel and understand Kelly's position; you feel and understand Joe's as well. True Devotion was well written and well organized. The novel made a lasting impression on me because it felt like I was involved in everything that happened. I would refer it to anyone who loves romance, adventure and action in a novel.
Summary of True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes, Book 1)
Kelly Jacobs watched with pride as her husband, Nick, triumphed in his demanding SEALs military training. When he dies on a mission three years later, she is wounded to the soul -- yet copes with the determination of a SEAL's wife; bracing herself to keep going despite the loss. In return, Nick's comrades watch over Kelly as part of their family. Joe Baker had been leading the team when Nick was killed. He takes the loss especially hard: Nick had led him to Christ and was his best friend. When Nick dies, Joe suffers survivor's guilt. He takes care of Kelly and plans to find her a new husband. He figures he owes her that -- he just hadn't counted on falling in love with her. As Kelly struggles to move on and Joe is torn between loyalty to Nick and love for Kelly, God provides surprising answers to their dilemmas and reveals the beauty of the truth that "a friend loves at all times."In True Devotion, which kicks off bestselling author Dee Henderson's Uncommon Heroes series, lifeguard Kelly Jacobs mechanically goes through the motions of living while seeking to alleviate her grief over the death of her beloved spouse. When Kelly saves the life of young teen Ryan Raines in a daring rescue at sea, his father Charles showers her with attention--and draws Kelly into a sinister plot that may endanger her best friend and new romantic interest, Navy SEAL lieutenant Joe "Bear" Baker. Henderson's strong women characters have an appealing combination of toughness and vulnerability, and she's not afraid of exploring their spiritual side as well as spotlighting their heroics. The sprinkling of military terminology throughout the book might initially seem daunting, but a glossary at the beginning of the novel will help readers who are unfamiliar with the lingo. Henderson excels in concocting just the right blend of romance and edge-of-your-seat action to keep the pages turning. --Cindy Crosby
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