Title: Destiny
Series: Destiny Trilogy #1
Author: Cindy Ray Hale
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 5 November 2013
Release Date: 5 November 2013
As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their religious differences and the fact that he has a girlfriend.
But will they be able to find their place amongst the backbiters of their ultra-conservative world?
Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.
My Thoughts:
bigotry:
noun
1. intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself.
Destiny Clark is a Mormon who attends a Baptist high school. She doesn't preach her beliefs to anyone. She doesn't try to convert people to her way. She just goes about her life quietly and gracefully. Destiny has had a crush on the school heartthrob Isaac Robinson for quite a while now, but she knows nothing will ever come of it. He is dating someone else. And then there are their religious differences. But then they are cast together in the school production of Les Misérables, and as they spend time together rehearsing, they both come to realise that Isaac has developed very strong feelings for Destiny. But Destiny and Isaac will have to face so many hurdles and roadblocks if they are to have any sort of relationship.
I have a whole host of people in my life who have very different religious beliefs. Some are Catholic. Some are Mormons. Some are Anglican, and some have no faith at all. It makes not one iota of difference to me. What matters is how you treat me. What matters is the love in your heart. What matters is the goodness in your soul. So reading Destiny had me dealing with a whole range of thoughts based around peoples beliefs when it came to religion.
One emotion I felt a lot of while I was reading this book was anger. Anger towards the adults for sticking so solidly to their positions on Baptists versus Mormons. There were times when their opinions were quite hateful and incredibly judgemental. And what was sad was that they had passed those beliefs onto their children, who could be even more hurtful in the things they said and did.
"You Mormons are all the same. You suck our people into your web of lies." I opened my mouth to defend myself, but before I could speak, he bellowed, "I will not have my son involved with you people."
Religion plays a big part in this book. It's not just an occasional mention. The whole storyline is based around the religion and beliefs of the characters. But when I got to the end of the book, it wasn't the religion that stood out for me. It was the growth of the characters, and in particular Isaac. Him and Destiny could teach the adults in this book a few things about acceptance. Isaac doesn't start out as the guy we get at the end of the book. In fact I didn't warm to him straight away. He was his fathers son and held onto his beliefs quite firmly and I couldn't see him changing as the story went on. But he proved to be a much stronger character than I originally gave him credit for and by the end of the book I loved him.
I'd been seeing him all this time as a drool-worthy, celebrity-type guy to fangirl over. I had no idea who he truly was, and I was beginning to wonder if he was more beautiful on the inside than on the outside.
Destiny and Isaac's romance is forbidden, but these two characters know their feelings and fight hard for what they have found with each other. I loved Destiny from the start. I just got a feeling of calmness from her. She has her doubts and insecurities about her, just like any other teenage girl, but it took a lot to rattle her.
Cindy Ray Hale's writing style was very easy to read. There were a few times when the characters felt a little bit younger than what they were supposed to be, but other than that, Destiny was an incredibly enjoyable read. I can always tell if a books done it's job by how invested in the characters I am, and I was rooting for Destiny and Isaac till the very end.
4/5 Forbidden Love Stars.
About the Author:
Wife.
Mother. Writer. Cindy Ray Hale lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with her
husband and four children. In addition to being a writer, she’s an avid reader
and a social media junkie. She starts her morning by writing with a
freshly-blended berry spinach smoothie next to her. She’s obsessed with Les
Misérables, playing the piano, and stalking up-and-coming musicians on YouTube.
Destiny is her first book and will be available for purchase November 2013.
Author Links:
Wow! I'm speechless! This is one of the best reviews I've gotten so far. Thanks so much for your thoughts. It's so fun for me to read these reviews. I'll definitely be sharing this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the opportunity to read and review it. :)
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