Inspirational Romance

Felicia Mason

Harlequin/Love Inspired

0-37387-204-6

January 2003

(3+) Debra Ross

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

Matt Brandon arrives in a small Oregon town to start over as choir director for a local church. Haley Cartwright is willing to do anything to prevent Matt from making changes to their choir. Though Haley protests, Matt can see how his music touches her. Can he use his music to work through her fears and show her blessings of love?

REVIEW: 

Matt Brandon and Halley Cartwright are about as different as two people can be.  Halley’s life is imbedded deeply in tradition, and she staunchly resists any form of change.  Matt Brandon, the new choir director at the church where Halley teaches Sunday school – who rides a motorcycle and has a pierced ear, wants to bring new life into the church.  However bringing his contemporary music along with instruments into Halley’s safe, quiet world is quite upsetting to her.  Along with the changes in the church she must also deal with her attraction to the town’s new rebel.

SWEET ACCORD is a story that shows how compromise and trust can make the difference between existing and actually living life.  Due to an early hurt in love, Halley has given up on her dreams and is content to live in the cocoon of her small community.  Matt, having lived a more “worldly” life is drawn to the simple lifestyle of the town.  As they are forced to work together, they both learn to open their worlds and hearts to new experiences.

Their attraction to each other is predictably unwanted and rejected by both.  We are allowed to watch their relationship go from dislike, to reluctant tolerance, to fondness, and finally to love.  While Matt is forced to make some concessions throughout the story, it is Halley emergence from her shell that is the most profound.  She is the one who must learn to trust and accept life outside of the walls she has erected around her life.

Halley must learn that no particular way is completely right or wrong.  Both Halley and Matt have a place in the community and each other’s hearts.  This is a point that Halley must have repeatedly drummed into her by Matt, her friend, her students, other community members, and her Reverend.  Most of the good citizens of this Oregon community are opened minded.  However, there is enough resistance in the town to add drama to the already existing conflict between the hero and heroine.

SWEET ACCORD is from the Harlequin “Love Inspired” Line, so there are no love scenes to be found.  The love expressed between the hero and heroine is purely spiritual.  The small town Oregon church setting is bland, and the characters are somewhat lackluster.  However, SWEET ACCORD ends on a positive note, as all romances do.  It is a sweet story about people faced with change in their lives.  It is definitely a change from Ms. Mason’s other romance novels, but considering the type of romance it is, it is no less satisfying than her other work. 

There has been much controversy about Ms. Mason writing about characters that are not African American.  I too admit to being somewhat surprised and a little disappointed by her choice of ethnic group.  But SWEET ACCORD is a well-written romance about trust and acceptance.  It may not appeal to all of her fans, but it is still a good story.  If anything, Ms. Mason proves that she is a talented and versatile writer in the very competitive romance market.  It’s definitely worth a look.

debra@romanceincolor.net (28th April 2003)