Speak To My Heart: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: I personally know the author of this book, and i'm glad that i could read it. I get so into it, and it's hard to put down. You've got to read this! It is really good.

Rating:
Summary: Stacy Adams Speak to my Heart
Review: Ms. Adams has made a great debut in her first inspirational fiction novel. It's clear that this author has received a gift and delivers a soul stirring message. Don't worry it is not "preachy", but reminds us of God's love and His promise. I anxiously await the sequel.


Rating:
Summary: Finding Faith in One's Darkest Hour with Speak to My Heart
Review: Serena Jasper's life is going great. On the fast track to a superb career in advertising, her future is bright and promising. Then her mother drops a bombshell that threatens Serena's identity and her faith in God.

Speak to my Heart is the premier novel of Stacy Hawkins Adams. Adams, an inspirational columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia, delves into the psychological destructiveness of secrets and blinding faith. The central character, Serena Jasper, is a character to remember in that she is full of anger, doubt, confliction, and perseverance. This story is written in her voice, and although at times, I found her to be a little redundant in expressing her feelings of pain and anger, once the story got moving, she developed more fully and became more real for me.

What hits me the most with this story is the spiritual force behind it. The quoting of scriptures and the words from God to Serena seemed like they were very much for me also. This book had me re-evaluating my position with God and what I felt he has called me to do. But it also brought forth my own disappointment with the church and the hypocrisy that reigns within it at times.

What is also intriguing about this book is the additional story within the main story. I found the storyline of Erika all too real. An obvious victim of domestic violence, it was sad that Erika didn't come around and see that her abusive boyfriend was not going to be changed by marriage. But what really bothered me was that Adams, as the writer, did not save Erika from years of abuse. I guess having had a friend who was abused by her boyfriend like Erika, I wanted to see her come to her senses before it was too late. I wanted Serena's "spiritualness" to bring her through.

I also felt a slight irritation with the character, Micah. In the beginning, I felt that he was too preachy, but eventually, he became the voice of reason. He tells Serena like it is spiritually and realistically. Still, I wanted to know if the relationship between the two of them would go further than Adams allowed it. I personally didn't see nor feel the intimacy between them: just hints from the dialogue of other characters.
As such, I felt the ending was incomplete. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Erika and if Serena and Micah would take their relationship further, among other things. But that's the mark of a true writer: they leave you hungry for more information and angry with them for not having saved a fictional character.

What also makes this a good book, however, is that Adams did a wonderful job of tying in spirituality to reality. None of her characters are so fictional that you could not believe they existed somewhere in this world or felt sincere pain. But even more so, if you are looking for something to believe in or to confirm what you already suspect/know about the power of God and faith, then this is the book for you. It will have you running to your Bible looking for inspiration and validation. I know I did.

In the end, this book isn't just about pain, betrayal, and even romance; it's about finding faith and forgiveness in one's darkest hour. Enjoy the reading!


Rating:
Summary: Excellent Novel
Review: Speak to My Heart will definitely be among my gifts to friends and family this Holiday season! The novel is a page-turner that many readers can enjoy and use to reflect upon life experiences.

The author is blessed with a superb talent to inspire and minister to others. Speak to My Heart helps convey God's unconditional love for us; the inner-peace and happiness we must find within ourselves; and the real value of family.
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Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story about forgiveness...........
Review: STACY HAWKINS ADAMS TRULY TOUCHED FEELINGS, FORGIVENESS, THE ACT OF NOT JUDGING PEOPLE IN THIS NOVEL. SERENA JASPER WAS RAISED AS A CHRISTIAN BUT FELT SHE HAD TO TAKE A BREAK FROM HER MOTHER AND GOD BECAUSE SHE LIVED THINKING THE MAN WHO RAISED HER WAS HER FATHER. SHE WAS TOLD BY HER MOTHER WHEN SHE WAS FULL GROWN THAT A DEACON WITHIN HER CHURCH WAS HER BIRTH FATHER. SHE COULDN'T BELIEVE HER FAITHFUL MOTHER HAD AN AFFAIR. YEARS PASSED AND SHE WOULDN'T CALL HER MOTHER OR ATTEND HER CHURCH BECAUSE SHE FELT EVERYTHING ABOUT HER LIFE WAS IN QUESTION BECAUSE OF THE LIE SHE FELT SHE HAD BEEN MADE TO LIVE. GOD WORKED AND SHOWED HER THAT LIFE IS ABOUT LOVE, FAITH, AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN NO MATTER WHO EVERY PERSON IS CAPABLE OF SIN.

JMRC REVIEWER- VESTINA BAILEY

Rating:
Summary: The Struggle That Often Comes Our Way
Review: This is one of those novels that takes real life situations and examines how they challenge our faith and our hope. If you have ever had a sudden shock in your life, one that seemed to turn everything upside down - you will be able to relate to this story.

Stacy Hawkins Adams does a great job with this well-written piece of fiction. It keeps you interested the whole way through.
Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it!

See ya next review!
Dan Blankenship - author of THE RUNNING GIRL


Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Read!
Review: This was a great book by Stacy Hawkins Adams. She is a master at characterization. Serena and Micah leapt off the pages and became real people to me. I particularly felt the love and friendship from Micah. What a fabulous job she did in developing him. I also appreciated the honesty with which she showed us Serena's challenges to forgive her parents and her inability to balance career and her devotion to God. I think we all experience that at some point in our lives.

You will not be disappointed if you purchase this book. Thanks to the author for a refreshing read.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Wonderful Book
Review: What a refreshing read. Every page not only offers inspiration but entertainment. After I read my copy, I ordered several more for gifts. I DEFINITELY recommend "Speak to My Heart." The story isn't traditional or hackneyed. I don't want to ruin the story for you, but I promise, you'll alternate between, laughing, crying and nodding in agreement.

Rating:
Summary: Let go and let God...
Review: Why is it that when life seems to be perfect and everything is going well, out of the blue something happens to knock you for a loop? This is exactly what happens to Serena Jasper. The night she learns she has been accepted into a prestigious university, her mother delivers some devastating news which drastically changes everything Serena has believed about her life. This news affects Serena so much, she no longer has faith in anyone, including God and especially her mother. Up until this point, the relationship between Serena and her mother was ideal, her faith was strong and her spiritual compass set on the straight and narrow.

Talk about a spiritual wake up call! As I read SPEAK TO MY HEART, I wondered if the author had access to my life that I didn't know about. While Serena's situation is not the same as mine, the feelings of doubt, insecurity, and a faltering spiritual life are the same things I am presently experiencing. Mrs. Adams debut novel is not "preachy", nor is it filled with holier than thou characters who snub others for not being a "perfect" Christian. Instead, her characters are normal, everyday people who strive to do God's will, but find themselves swayed by trials and tribulations and the cunning craftiness of the evil one. Kudos to the author for a wonderful read which definitely spoke to my heart.

Reviewed by Renee Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers