Review of “The Pulse of My Heart” (Taken Series #3) by E.C. Roderick

91/100 (9.1 out of 10)

The Pulse of My Heart is a beautiful and compelling romance novel that crosses times, eras, socio-cultural norms, boundaries, and possibly dimensions! It is the third book in the Taken series with the first book being a previous Outstanding Creator Awards winner!

While the first book focused a bit more on the action, adventure, and perils of time-traveling, this book is much more focused on the romantic and dramatic side of things, placing a heavier emphasis on the relationship between Sylvie and Leif (formerly known as Seamus) than ever before!

That's right, this is a romance novel as well as a time-travel/dimension-hopping epic!

The book also places a heavy emphasis on the experiences of a pregnant and expecting mother, particularly in tense or uncertain circumstances. We glimpsed a similar scenario when we read When the Stars Align by Carolyn Summer Quinn earlier in the year, which cut back and forth between a Jewish woman who found herself unexpectedly pregnant in the middle of the Holocaust. While probably not as severe as the circumstances in When the Stars Align, Sylvie's experiences and feelings in The Pulse of My Heart are no less poignant. Sylvie is haunted by the proposition of potentially losing her unborn baby either due to health complications caused by the sporadic, unpredictable time phenomenon or due to a potential change in the timeless altogether (i.e. a Butterfly Effect), erasing the baby from reality.

Likewise, she is constantly at risk of losing or being separated from her lover, Leif, as well since the time phenomenon seems to affect them differently and separately. This, however, forces both characters (though particularly Sylvie) to be resourceful and to test their metal in the midst of challenges and unfamiliar environments. It also allows them to meet new people, for better or for worse.

For example, Sylvie receives aid from good Samaritans and a nurse named Jessica who show her that good, caring people exist no matter the time or the place.

However, on the negative side, there's Jasmine, a flirtatious woman who seems to be trying to drive a wedge between Leif and Sylvie, attempting to take Leif for herself. Now, to be perfectly honest, it really seemed like Jasmine got way too much attention in this book—far too much screen time. There is kinda a reason for her being here though. She serves to prove that the main couple in this book is not perfect and not a fairy-tale couple—not a Mary Sue and a Gary Stu, in other words. This adds some believability to their pairing. After all, couples in real life are far from perfect. They argue. They get jealous. They have disputes and disagreements.

Furthermore, Jasmine serves to highlight Sylvie's insecurities and trust issues which linger from the previous books. This gives Sylvie an opportunity to grow and mature as she tries to overcome these negative feelings that hold her back from enjoying true happiness.

Now, all of this drama, fear, and conflict might make this book sound gloomy and depressing, however, that's really not the case. Beside from this book being very romantic and full of high moments for the characters (like two pregnancies), it is also full of humor and funny moments, especially considering the fact that Leif—a man from the mid-17th century—is a fish out of water in the modern (21st) century! He actually kinda reminded us of Captain America in that he's clearly out of touch and unfamiliar with the many changes that have happened. It's a huge culture shock for him!

And this is a perfect ironic twist considering that, in previous books, Sylvie was the fish out of water caught in Leif's time period and having to adapt. This is the girl who had to get used to colonial church services that were pretty much all-day events, after all.

In this book, the situation is reversed. We loved and appreciated that!

These ironic twists give characters who were high, mighty, and/or sure of themselves a chance to be vulnerable, which helps them to be relatable to the audience. And, let's face it, they're funny, amusing, and entertaining.

Leif's shock upon learning that people go shirtless and in bikinis on the beach is priceless. Keep in mind, this guy pretty much grew up a Puritan. There are also scenes in which Leif struggles to comprehend technology like lights and airplanes. Could you imagine being in his shoes? You've lived your whole like thinking your musket and sailboats were the most advanced technologies in your life, now you've got vehicles without horses to pull them, magic boxes you talk into, and flying metal things in the sky.

Reversals like these also allow previously-vulnerable characters (like Sylvie) an opportunity to be a guide, a protector, and a nurturer—qualities that Sylvie certainly makes use of as a parent.

Speaking of being a protector, Sylvie experiences a fear that a surprising number of us can empathize with: the fear of miscarrying a pregnancy. Mothers AND fathers have these fears, believe it or not. No, most of us aren't afraid of the effects of time-travel on our kids, but we do worry about other things like the radiation from the sun on a hot summer day (causing sunburn or skin cancer), extreme cold in the winter, X-rays from the TSA machines, and a number of other somewhat-irrational, perceived threats to our children. So, Sylvie's concerns are understandable and relatable.

This book had a lot going for it and a lot of potential. There were few opportunities that we feel were sorely missed. The first book featured very tense, thrilling, action-packed scenes related to soldiers in conflict. This book seems all but barren of action. Yes, there's adventure, but it's a bit more neutered compared to the first book. However, perhaps our chief complaint is that this book had no villain or antagonist.

Yes, you could argue that the “sonic boom” time phenomenon and the threatening/concerning circumstances were the de facto conflicts. Yes, you could argue that Jasmine, for example, is an unlikable and antagonistic character. However, are these really distinct antagonists or villains? It always seems like what Sylvie and Leif are fighting against are abstract concepts and things that haven't happened yet. They're fighting for their relationships and their relationships with Sylvie's family. They're fighting to ensure that their children can be born and brought up in a stable environment. And, you know what? We can understand that.

But, gosh, we better start getting to the bottom of who or what is causing all these sonic boom/boom-tube stuff.

Check it out on Amazon!