| Title | : | True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1414310625 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781414310626 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2000 |
| Awards | : | RITA Award by Romance Writers of America Inspirational Romance (2001), Christy Award Romance (2001) |
Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love.
True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes, #1) Reviews
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I guess I was a little naive when I started this book but I am certainly glad that I was. I had not read anything from this author before and was unaware that she wrote Christian books. Not that I have anything against them, I just did not know.
Having lost my own husband just recently this book struck a cord with me and I am the better for it. I did not realize that I needed it but I needed this book desperately! I too was angry for my loss and had turned my anger towards God. NOT ANY MORE!
Kelly Jacobs has lost her husband, SEALS Nick Jacobs. Nick gave up his life to save his best friend Joe and at the end asked Joe to take care of Kelly. Joe took his commitment seriously and in doing so fell hopelessly in love with her.
Along came Charles and Ryan, Kelly being a lifeguard had saved Ryan after a surfing mishap. Unknown to Joe and Kelly, Charles was using Kelly! In the end, well you will have to read this book to find out.
The author made this book real with the way that she brought God into play as we do in real life. Only with this book it really answered alot of questions for me personally, thank you Dee.
I highly recommend this book, it is a page turner and will capture you right from the beginning.
5/28/12 -
He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. Let's get married. Okay....THE END
The first romance I've read in a while. I did finish it but it was pretty unrealistic. The main character is falling in love with the best friend of her dead husband...or is she? Neither of them can make up their minds and then suddenly they do. Bam!
There is a third wheel that the main character sometimes goes on dates with even though she is meant to be besotted with her man. Of course, this has to happen to fit with the back story about the Navy SEALs and a plot to kill them all.
The object of the main character's desire is one such SEAL and constantly bemoans the fact that he can't reveal any details of his assignments. In fact, he says this so often and thinks about it so much that it feels like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. Then....he ignores everything he has said before and tells the main character everything...not just minimal details to pacify her. EVERYTHING! She accepts this as if all those years of waiting and not knowing to ensure they abide by protocol were irrelevant. Really??
The SEAL also has a dog despite being out day and night and on call at all hours. He has to have a dog because it's an integral part of the story and it provides those cute moments that make a romance. The female character doesn't seem to work much, she just sits around waiting for the SEAL to return from assignments or goes on dates with the third wheel.
Why oh why have so many people given this 4 and 5 stars? -
This one got off to a rapid start with the MC lost in an open sea after her rescue gets sidelined by a riptide. Her best friend, Joe, searches for her frantically. I had a hard time getting through this because this scene literally lasts the first 20% of the book: there are such heavy flashbacks that the action becomes lethargic; it’s too spread apart. I can only imagine how hard it would be to get through if one didn’t have much time to read.
Then we have the ultra-cliché “mad at God” trope. I’m sorry, but where does God say the universe is supposed to revolve around this life and how well we enjoy things on earth? I’m getting really tired of this overworked plot device, and this one wasn’t one of the better done versions of that. A little church attendance, a few prayers, and a bit of panic when facing death is supposed to fully fix deep theological issues with one’s faith? Hm.
Added to that the author tries to sidetrack us with a forced love triangle. I found Charles super creepy and saw through him from the start. I though Kelly was really a jerk to string him along and that a woman worth her salt would have been honest to him up-front and sent back his gifts firmly. Definitely wouldn’t have let him show up on her doorstep unannounced and come in alone. But of course it was a plot device to force a relationship at the end between the leads and that just left it feeling even cheaper.
Though it was moderately entertaining, and the ending was really sweet, the plot was very surface and 100% predictable. -
Chapter 1- I love you
Chapter 2- Nevermind no I dont
Chapter 3- No, actually i do
Chapter 4- My bad i really dont
Chapter 5- Totally kidding i do
Chapter 6- Seriously, no. No i dont
Chapter 7- Will you marry me
Chapter 8- Yes
Chapter 9- The end
Congratulations, you just read the whole book. -
Seriously suprised at all the four and five star reviews. Being a military wife I find this story a little silly. For one thing, and yes I know the author addresses this in the forward, but its crazy that the main character and her dead husband both grew up right outside of San Diego, then get stationed in San Diego, then continue to stay stationed there until she is 29! Oh, and it is crazy that as a life guard she manages to hold onto her house after her husband dies (In CA of all places). How is she paying the bills???
Also, I find it funny how the media portrays military spouses (like Army Wives), where all the spouses are just the bestest friends, always there for each other...no. Girls are girls, and though there is some good support in the military, people are still people and the wives will dislike each other and judge each other and fight or just plain old have nothing in common with each other a decent amount of the time.
Third, there is just no way that Joe had a dog as a single sailor. He himself talks about how much he deploys and how late he works all the time. No sorry, that dog really bothered me.
Maybe I am being too hard on the book, but it wasn't just those things that made me not like this book. The romance was also silly, I love you, no I can't do this right now, no I do love you, no wait I don't. Shoot me. -
Men in uniform and Navy SEALs to boot, I couldn't help myself. This was an enjoyable read, and a surprise to find out, by friends that Dee Henderson is a Christian romance writer. Which explained the bible references and prayers throughout the book. That being said, for anyone who enjoys heat in their books, you will not find any in this. It's clean in all ways in regards to language and intimate relations between the H/h.
The story is not as faced pace as most of the romantic suspense in this genre, I have read. But it has me intrigued to want to continue with this series. -
3.5 stars
This is the 2nd book I have read by Dee Henderson, and I have to say I didn't enjoy it near as much as "The Negotiator". For one, the romance aspect seemed a little much. The one thing I appreciated about "The Negotiator" was the fact that the romance was light, where in this one is was exactly the opposite. Some of it made me uncomfortable, and there were more then a few parts where I would just skim the page and not even read it.
However, I did enjoy the story and all the mystery. I never could quite decide how it would turn out until I got the the end. ;) And learning about the SEAL's was really interesting!
I'll probably read the 2nd book in the series, but I'm hoping it has a little less of the romance aspect. -
This was awesome. I was in need of some Dee Henderson. This book was a bit more romance filled then the O'Malley series, but I still loved it. <3
2022>> Just as good the second time. I love Kelly. -
I LOVED IT! This was my fourth time re-reading it and it was just as good as the first time I read it!! I immediately fell in love with Kelly and Joe. They are perfect for each other. Joe especially is really swoon worthy! The plot developed really well and Henderson wove in the faith elements really realistically. I felt that the faith aspects weren't as strong and convincing as the O'Malley series, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't too 'preachy' and it made me think, which is always good :)
My favourite part of the book was the Navy SEALs!! Henderson has done a excellent job of making it believable and I could tell that she had done her research! Navy SEALs and other special op. teams have always fascinated me and it was really interesting to see some of the story from the perspective of the person waiting for a SEAL to come home (Kelly). I cried alongside her as Nick died and cried happy tears for her and Joe.
I have re-read the whole series multiple times (that's how much I enjoyed it!), and I have to admit that Joe and Kelly's story is my favourite!
I would very highly recommend this novel!! -
Dee Henderson introduced me to Romantic Suspense, which became my favourite genre to read and this book did not disappoint.
There was a good balance between the suspense and romance between Kelly and Joe. The bad guy was introduced in the beginning, which is not the norm for suspense books, but made for an interesting read, as you the reader knows something the main characters don't and adds to the suspense of what will happen.
The struggles Kelly and Joe faced, felt true and real. Kelly being a military widow had to learn to trust God with Joe's safety and Joe had to learn that he should also trust God and Kelly and not make decisions for someone else.
Great plot, loved the characters especially Kelly and her love for teddy bears and loved Micha's adventurers as well :-)
Recommended for Romantic suspense lovers. -
This series has me intrigued with book one. I appreciate the spiritual messages Dee Henderson weaves into her stories, and this one is no exception. The characters grew as they faced challenges. The romance was a core thread in the story and the suspense wasn’t too intense from my perspective.
-
I honestly don't understand the bad reviews...
Yes the H and h battled over whether they loved each other, but isn't that like, you know, EVERY RELATIONSHIP EVER??
Every relationship is fraught with doubts, and considering everything that Kelly and Joe went through, I think it's very reasonable that they would've struggled with their feelings.
I found so many parts of it relatable, like the drifting away from the faith. It really challenged me to look at my own prayer life and connection with God. It's so easy to slip into routine and familiarity, but this novel helped me to reflect.
The SEAL moments were great. Not that I know that much, but I found it really interesting to read.
Simply put, a novel worth reading if you want something of substance. -
They were going to drown.
3.5 stars. From the first sentence I was drawn in by yet another read by Dee Henderson. Navy SEAL Joe Baker job isn't easy, especially after having his good friend, Nick, die during a mission. Now Nick's wife, Kelly, is out in the ocean saving a boy from drowning and may not live long in the cold water.
I really liked how Dee Henderson put Christian truths into her story. Kelly struggles with understanding Nick's death, and Joe wants to bring the notorious terrorist, Raider, to justice for causing the death of his friend. The story is a LITTLE cliche.
At first I very much disliked Charles, but at the end I changed my mind. He and Ryan are a great asset to the story. Kelly's love of teddy bears made her an endearing character.
It bothered me a bit how much little touches there were at the beginning of the book. I kept wanting to tell Bear to keep his hands off her! The main reason why I lowered my rating is because there were two detailed kisses that I did not feel comfortable reading. Also, nothing is ever said about Kelly's family which I thought a bit strange.
I considered not writing a full review of this book, but I couldn't help it. I like the mix of suspense and normal life. -
I read True Devotion for the first time soon after it’s publication, many years ago. I vaguely remembered liking it at that time but as I now read it again, I discovered that it had held up very well with the passing of time - it was a real joy to read. :)
True Devotion is about a platoon of navy SEALS training and working out of Coronado, CA but in particular one man, Nick, his good friend & SEAL buddy, Joe, and Nick’s wife, Kelly. Tragedy hits early during a mission and due to military secrecy Kelly must deal with many unknowns, work through her grief, and somehow regain perspective. Joe simultaneously is dealing with his own questions about what happened on that mission, especially as history seems to be repeating itself.
This is a contemporary suspense novel with a sweet and clean romance. The author writes from a Christian perspective treating her material with a gentle hand. I found True Devotion a wonderful military suspense novel and will be marking it in my library as a novel I will want to read again. I was happily surprised with True Devotion, which is very suitable for YA as well as adults. -
I don’t know how I missed reading this series early on. I really enjoy Dee Henderson’s books. This book dealt with a SEAL team widow and the emotions she dealt with after her husband didn’t come back from a mission and her plight to learn how to navigate the day to day again. I have high respect for military and family members of those in the military and I think she held their jobs in the highest regard.
-
Dee Henderson never disappoints. The way she writes her characters are just *chefs kiss* I love them all so much. She combines romance and God and it is so perfect. Also I am in LOVE how she ends her books they are always so good and action packed and fulfilling just I love them so much
-
This book helped me understand some of the physical and emotional cost entailed in serving as a SEAL in the US Navy. SEAL spouses also pay a high emotional cost. The book is well written and suspenseful. The first few chapters are exceptionally well written.
-
I’ve decided to read some of my own books that I have just sitting around waiting for me to read them. True Devotion is book one in the Uncommon Heroes stories. Dee Henderson has always been a favorite author of mine and True Devotion is another fine example of her great writing.
Kelly is a widow. Her loving husband was a Navy SEAL and she was told he got killed in a practice exercise, but she knew better. Joe was her husbands best friend in the SEALs. So he now is her great protector and they are best friends.
The book starts off making your sit on the edge of your seat. A rescue right off has to happen. The whole book is full of action and adventure with lots of very good romance involved.
The characters are so life like it seems like you are reading an actual account and Dee describes the places and setting so well you can believe you are there. Really a fantastic book that you will love to read. Highly recommended. -
The O'Malley series introduced me to Dee Henderson and made me love her. The Uncommon Heroes series deepened that love. Kelly has to be one of my favorite characters in any of the novels I've read by Dee Henderson. Kate (The Negotiator) and Kelly are amazing. They are definitely some of my favorite characters from any of her novels.
-
One thing I thought that was interesting in this book was that there was a lot from the villain's point of view. You know usually it's like "He sat in the car watching his next victim act chummy with some guy". Lots in third person and usually don't find out who it is until the end of the book. This way, showing who he was and his point of view, was very good and I really enjoyed it.
-
August 2022 reread.
April 2013 reread.
I forgot how compelling Dee Henderson is, even in a re-read. -
This book was fantastic. A great love story and a great story about finding God. I actually cried in some spots.
-
Slow start and a little predictable in some chapters, but still a good book. I'll continue with the series.
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A nice romance combined with suspense.
-
I’ve recently become a Dee Henderson fan because of her book, True Devotion published in 2002 by Multnomah Publishers. I was intrigued from the get go and that’s always a good sign when starting a new book!
True Devotion starts out with an intense scene of survival out in the open Pacific off of San Diego, where Kelly Jacobs treads below freezing waters, holding on to not only her own dear life, but onto a 15 year old boy who gets pulled out to sea while surfing by rip tides. They barely make it. Talk about stressful and terrifying. She doesn't give up, even when her mind and body tell her to give up.
Kelly is widowed to a Navy Seal, Nick, who has passed away, she’s told during a “training” accident. This story tells about her life after his death and how it just may have been more than a training accident that killed Nick. Kelly is wounded and trying to heal from the pain of losing a loved one, she's fragile but courageous. She's smart, her husband Nick taught her to be in the years before his death. She shows how moving on is possible after horrible events and seasons of life, and even how falling in love again is not completely absurd.
Navy Seal Lieutenant Joe Baker, "Bear" was Nick's best friend and partner, who swears to take care of Kelly, possibly because he partially feels responsible for his partners death. What could he have done differently on the mission, "training accident", to change how things went? Joe is always there for Kelly, keeping her safe from the evil that follows her after Nick's death and she finds comfort in that. Someone she can trust with everything in her, someone who will do anything and everything to keep her safe and alive. Joe has to figure out what the right thing to do is, while still an active duty navy seal and his dedication to serve, his spending more time with Kelly he is realizing his feelings are more than just friendship. Can he risk putting Kelly through that life again?
This was not my first Dee Henderson book I've read, but it is by far my favorite one so far. Something I love about Dee Henderson is her ability to balance romance along side suspense, keeping it interesting but not over dramatic. To be honest, some of her books can be too slow for me or have too much detail that I lose a little interest, but that wasn’t the case with this one. I definitely recommend True Devotion, and if you love a good and clean romance/suspense you won't be disappointed with this one.
-Phoebe -
In this book Kelly is a military widow who lost her husband, Nick during a "SEAL training exercise" and is still trying to cope with the loss. She married her late husband at the young age of 19 where her main ambition was just to be a wife and mother. Even after losing her husband she is still working at her job as a lifeguard with no additional way to obtain income other than with her survivor benefits. She is not even going back to school to get training in a career that she could do but instead seems to be waiting for another husband that she could marry and have kids with so that she could quit her job and become financially dependent on her husband since she still just wants to be a housewife. She has already lost one husband and she knows that even if she married a civilian that she could lose her husband as well and even her marriage with Nick may not have even worked out since she married him at the young age of 19. She does not even try to train or start a small business that could support herself. It is strange that she is able to continue to live in the home that lived in with her late husband with reduced income in California and she is not even trying to make more money just so that she could live comfortably. She is also waiting to be "rescued" from her single status and is just marking time when she could quit her job to become financially dependent on a man, housewife.
Joe is a likable character who was Nick's best friend and is still friends with Kelly. He is still grieving his friend's death and is still a SEAL even after his loss. There are a couple of places in the book where he sets out to rescue Kelly which makes her a damsel in distress. The missions that the author writes in the book seem to be realistic even the relationship among the team but it is unrealistic that he would be in one place for a long time with the military but that was put in there as a plot point.
The villain in the book is likable and even the reason for his criminal activities are reasonable. He is also stuck between a rock and a hard place with the bad guys due to his past activities. The book also tells about how he deals with the grief of losing a spouse, even a civilian one. -
I'm reading this for the first time and hadn't read any Dee Henderson books before.
The story starts with reference to a wonderful verse - one of my favorites ~
Psalms Chapter 46 תְּהִלִּים
ב אֱלֹהִים לָנוּ, מַחֲסֶה וָעֹז; עֶזְרָה בְצָרוֹת, נִמְצָא מְאֹד.
2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
What I loved most about the book is reading it with my supercool dad (who's reading it for the second time) and reading it with the great Goodreads group Faith-Based Reading.
I like how it's noted in the story about how a person can tell much about a someone from the eyes; I believe that, too. Joe's eyes are described great - blue, calm, brave, kind. Serious intense action right away with the in-progress rescue. First part of the book was best.
Happy to see that Dee Henderson obviously recognizes the accuracy to capitalize the branches of the military and didn't make that grammatical error. Good job!
Love the good romance. It's powerful and truly romantic. Joe and Kelly are very attracted to each other and they let God help them wait until marriage.
Weird name for the restaurant they went to on their first date. Didn't fit.
Love Israeli mention ~ "The training mission had gone well otherwise, re-creating a hostage rescue mission the Israelis had executed a year before."
Most of the spiritual aspects in the story are good and real. The characters respect God and want to be closer to Him. The prayers and seeking Him felt natural and real.
There were some aggravating times when they needed to talk. And listen to each other and just be honest with themselves and one another. And not second guess each other.
It was odd when Kelly tells God to find the guy who killed Nick, God doesn't have to find someone - He knows exactly where every person is - He's the only One able to do that.
I agree wholeheartedly with Dee Henderson's statement "Those who serve this country in the military are special heroes." So true. I'm very thankful for the good, brave military and pray for them.
My Rating System:
5*****=Love It 4****=Like It 3***=Ok 2**=Don't Like It 1*=Hate It -
I was waiting for some of my friends to finish this book before I wrote a review on it. We did it for our group's book of the month last November.
I'm going to be honest. I'm not a fan of Dee Henderson. Again, as a fellow author, I hate to leave a negative review for any author so this pains me to do so.
The first few chapters of this book were wonderful! I rated the book three stars because there was one thing about it that I greatly appreciated, respected and loved. That was the Christian faith of her characters!
When Kelly is meditating on Scripture, I loved that the author actually spent some time writing out what she was meditating on rather than the fact that she was meditating. The characters were strong Christians who actually demonstrated a faith in God. I've read a few Christian fiction books that were nothing but "She prayed" and that was the extent of their faith in God. So kudos to the author for creating such strong, authentic Christian characters!
That being said, the Christian faith of said characters was the only thing I liked about them.
I would never, ever, ever date Joe. I don't even think I could ever be friends with him. He is far too abrasive for me. And **spoiler alert, read no further if you intend to read the book!!** I honestly thought that he forced and rushed Kelly into something she wasn't ready for without even giving her an option - and then he broke up with her just as fast. No talking about it, just "we made a mistake dating." I would seriously never see him again if I were Kelly. That's it. I would have reacted the same way Kelly did only I wouldn't magically realize that I did, in fact, love him like I felt she did.
My last negative point is the fact that I felt like the ending was super rushed. I felt there were more details in the dating of Joe and Kelly than there were the suspense. I didn't even feel anything as I read towards the ending because it was so rushed. So, yeah, I'm not a huge fan of this series so far.
Again, I hate leaving a negative review for any author! It's nothing personal, it's just my opinion and lots of people enjoy reading this series, so I'm just one voice that is dissatisfied.
