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A Seal Upon Your Heart
Jane used to have a different name, a different life—but that was before she was rescued from the refugee camp after the Rwandan genocide and brought to the convent to be raised. Now she is being dismissed, told to go out into the world. But how does she do that when all she knows is the convent?
Sometimes she wants to scream, I am a child of Africa! And sometimes she wants to dream about a love that will save her from her loneliness…but mostly she wants to fit in.
Tim Singleton lost his wife to breast cancer less than a year ago and yet the pain and anger is still fresh in his mind. He hates the sympathetic looks from his colleagues and tolerates the invitations from friends with their good intentions. When Corrine died, so did Tim’s faith…so when he received the call from the convent that his wife had focused her charitable endeavors, Tim isn’t quite sure why he agreed to help the young African girl with a job.
Sometimes she wants to scream, I am a child of Africa! And sometimes she wants to dream about a love that will save her from her loneliness…but mostly she wants to fit in.
Tim Singleton lost his wife to breast cancer less than a year ago and yet the pain and anger is still fresh in his mind. He hates the sympathetic looks from his colleagues and tolerates the invitations from friends with their good intentions. When Corrine died, so did Tim’s faith…so when he received the call from the convent that his wife had focused her charitable endeavors, Tim isn’t quite sure why he agreed to help the young African girl with a job.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2013
56 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Pepper Pace
67 books844 followersWho is Pepper Pace?
Pepper Pace is the pen name used by the author. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she has always enjoyed creativity. At a very young age, Pepper had a gift for art and would spend most of her spare time drawing images that she later began adding stories behind. Soon writing became more important than the illustrations and though she still loved art, it took a back seat to her real love.
Pepper wrote her first novel when she was 12 years old and had written 2 more by the age of 18. Too shy to share her work with anyone, Pepper stock piled her many stories into notebooks until she came upon Literotica.com and was compelled to share her craft.
Pepper became instantly popular and won several awards each year in which she submitted a story to the site. After receiving popular feedback, she grew in confidence and created a popular blog entitled Writing Feedback where she encourages her readers to interact with her on topics concerning, music, writing, art and pop culture, and can be contacted at her blog:
pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
Pepper lives in Cincinnati where many of her characters also reside.
Other Websites:
http://pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
http://pepperpace.tumblr.com/
Pepper Pace is the pen name used by the author. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she has always enjoyed creativity. At a very young age, Pepper had a gift for art and would spend most of her spare time drawing images that she later began adding stories behind. Soon writing became more important than the illustrations and though she still loved art, it took a back seat to her real love.
Pepper wrote her first novel when she was 12 years old and had written 2 more by the age of 18. Too shy to share her work with anyone, Pepper stock piled her many stories into notebooks until she came upon Literotica.com and was compelled to share her craft.
Pepper became instantly popular and won several awards each year in which she submitted a story to the site. After receiving popular feedback, she grew in confidence and created a popular blog entitled Writing Feedback where she encourages her readers to interact with her on topics concerning, music, writing, art and pop culture, and can be contacted at her blog:
pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
Pepper lives in Cincinnati where many of her characters also reside.
Other Websites:
http://pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/
http://pepperpace.tumblr.com/
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 30, 2017
4.5 Stars.
This is the kind of book that lingers with you long after you have put it down.
It starts with seemingly trite themes that one might find in an old Mills and Boon: a much older man (a grieving widower) and a his new personal assistant (naive and convent raised).
Then, the layers build. We are in Ohio. She is black and he is white. She is a Catholic and devote and he is non religious He drinks from grief. She has PTSD. She survived the Rwandan genocide as a young child and witnessed its horrors.
It is a powerful book and a powerful romance where they don't heal each other but themselves.
The heroine isn't perfect. She is young and struggles to find her full and complex self. She resilient and kind.
The hero too falters and errs and then becomes more.
There are no cookie cutter characters here and nothing is simple. Its glorious.
Racism and sexism are a large part of this tale.
I wish the sexism of the law firm and the hero's privilege in it (he is never the issue but while he takes on a role protector and punisher, he doesn't attack the issue at the systematic level that would be much more satisfying) had been more closely examined.
This romance is moving and a wonderful piece of writing as usual from Pepper Pace.
This is the kind of book that lingers with you long after you have put it down.
It starts with seemingly trite themes that one might find in an old Mills and Boon: a much older man (a grieving widower) and a his new personal assistant (naive and convent raised).
Then, the layers build. We are in Ohio. She is black and he is white. She is a Catholic and devote and he is non religious He drinks from grief. She has PTSD. She survived the Rwandan genocide as a young child and witnessed its horrors.
It is a powerful book and a powerful romance where they don't heal each other but themselves.
The heroine isn't perfect. She is young and struggles to find her full and complex self. She resilient and kind.
The hero too falters and errs and then becomes more.
There are no cookie cutter characters here and nothing is simple. Its glorious.
Racism and sexism are a large part of this tale.
I wish the sexism of the law firm and the hero's privilege in it (he is never the issue but while he takes on a role protector and punisher, he doesn't attack the issue at the systematic level that would be much more satisfying) had been more closely examined.
This romance is moving and a wonderful piece of writing as usual from Pepper Pace.
February 6, 2014
What can I say? To date, this is the longest book that I've read by Ms. Pace It's also the one that has the most realistic & gripping plot and journey. And that's saying a lot because a lot of Ms. Pace's stories are based on very realistic characters & circumstances. What makes this one even more heart wrenching is that it is based on true events. Events to this day, that I still can't believe actually happened in the early to mid 90's. So this is what immediately drew me into this story & the lead heroine's voice, Martier. A beautiful young woman with a spirit & mind & determination, to match that beauty.
Our Hero, Tim is a force in his own right. And his circumstances & journey isn't any less heartbreaking or beautiful.
As individuals, I love these two. They kept me engaged and beyond curious for most of this story. And of course the colorful secondary characters, and their lives make for a well rounded, interesting & sometimes shocking story. And I love how this one ends. I love how things come full circle for both of the main characters. Concerning their growth & self discovery with & without one another.
What I didn't like about this one, was around the 60% mark, things started to move a bit slowly. And this was mainly due to the fact that the story had started to become something more of a materialistic & shallow read. There was way too much talk about money & what this or that cost. And how many expensive shops they were going to. It just became saturated with this type of vibe. And this is what lost a bit of my interest & began to bore me a bit. Cos it shifted into a completely different domain than what you had gotten in the story up to this point. You're already set clear on the fact early on, that Martier is in a world now where there is money, prestige, privilege of any kind available. So this point didn't need to be driven home the way that it was, once you are well past the half way mark. And I felt because it was, it lost out on a bit of that tangible, organic vibe, between the two main characters. And the intensity that you witnessed early on, was missed because of it.
Also, I'm getting bored & mildly irritated with seeing this trend with authors, in any book/genre, when they are writing about a female who swears up & down that she doesn't want to spend her man's money. *rolls eyes* I mean to me, more often than not, this type of tactic in a book to show or try to endear the female to you, just comes off as unrealistic & often times even more contrived than anything. Especially when the female tries to make a huge deal about her man wanting to treat her to nice things and spend money on her. And this usually comes when you are already shown in the story that's she's not about the money. When we are shown that their connection is deeper than that. When you know that her man knows this, and all he wants to do is treat her like the Queen that she is. And you see and know this, just as she does, that he's treating her like a Queen not just with his wallet, but where it matters most; his heart. His mind & emotions. So I think this tactic is a waste of ink, a waste of paper & a waste of real story telling time, when they make a big deal about the female trying to be difficult about the fact that her man is spending money on her, or giving her money to spend to treat herself. It's just pointless to go there because we ALL know that although all of us are not hung up on the money factor, it still feels more than great to not only have a great guy to treat you the way you deserve, but to also be able to give you nice things as well.
But gladly once you get to the 85% mark, things get back on track and the intensity, purpose, questions, all of it, is brought to light. And brought to a more than remarkable close. Concerning the story, plot, MC's & even the secondary plots. Nothing is left in the wayside. And nothing feels rushed. So I love that.
This one definitely brings on the tears a bit. It brings on a little bit of the sexy as well. But mostly it gives you a great sense of completeness & understanding. Very fulfilling.
I would HIGHLY recommend this read.
Our Hero, Tim is a force in his own right. And his circumstances & journey isn't any less heartbreaking or beautiful.
As individuals, I love these two. They kept me engaged and beyond curious for most of this story. And of course the colorful secondary characters, and their lives make for a well rounded, interesting & sometimes shocking story. And I love how this one ends. I love how things come full circle for both of the main characters. Concerning their growth & self discovery with & without one another.
What I didn't like about this one, was around the 60% mark, things started to move a bit slowly. And this was mainly due to the fact that the story had started to become something more of a materialistic & shallow read. There was way too much talk about money & what this or that cost. And how many expensive shops they were going to. It just became saturated with this type of vibe. And this is what lost a bit of my interest & began to bore me a bit. Cos it shifted into a completely different domain than what you had gotten in the story up to this point. You're already set clear on the fact early on, that Martier is in a world now where there is money, prestige, privilege of any kind available. So this point didn't need to be driven home the way that it was, once you are well past the half way mark. And I felt because it was, it lost out on a bit of that tangible, organic vibe, between the two main characters. And the intensity that you witnessed early on, was missed because of it.
Also, I'm getting bored & mildly irritated with seeing this trend with authors, in any book/genre, when they are writing about a female who swears up & down that she doesn't want to spend her man's money. *rolls eyes* I mean to me, more often than not, this type of tactic in a book to show or try to endear the female to you, just comes off as unrealistic & often times even more contrived than anything. Especially when the female tries to make a huge deal about her man wanting to treat her to nice things and spend money on her. And this usually comes when you are already shown in the story that's she's not about the money. When we are shown that their connection is deeper than that. When you know that her man knows this, and all he wants to do is treat her like the Queen that she is. And you see and know this, just as she does, that he's treating her like a Queen not just with his wallet, but where it matters most; his heart. His mind & emotions. So I think this tactic is a waste of ink, a waste of paper & a waste of real story telling time, when they make a big deal about the female trying to be difficult about the fact that her man is spending money on her, or giving her money to spend to treat herself. It's just pointless to go there because we ALL know that although all of us are not hung up on the money factor, it still feels more than great to not only have a great guy to treat you the way you deserve, but to also be able to give you nice things as well.
But gladly once you get to the 85% mark, things get back on track and the intensity, purpose, questions, all of it, is brought to light. And brought to a more than remarkable close. Concerning the story, plot, MC's & even the secondary plots. Nothing is left in the wayside. And nothing feels rushed. So I love that.
This one definitely brings on the tears a bit. It brings on a little bit of the sexy as well. But mostly it gives you a great sense of completeness & understanding. Very fulfilling.
I would HIGHLY recommend this read.
February 2, 2013
Pepper Pace is a wonderful author every time I think why would she choose that subject to make a love story? She shows me that there is love out for everyone and yes you will love to read about it. This was a very emotional story Martier went through so much as a young girl and when she remembers what happens it will make you cry. The love story between Martier and Tim is beautiful it is a story about nothing but love and patience, love of self , love of God and love of each other. Oh and this is Literotcia so this is a sexy story also .
February 15, 2013
I can't put into words how AWESOMELY CONNECTED I was to this book. The characters drew me so I found myself lost in her words. Rwanda and the genocide is heartbreaking anytime I hear or read about it. Well told even when she went back. To have a character like Martier come from such EVIL and have her turn out the way she did....inspiring is all I have to say. Tim what a understanding changed man. Even the office gossip was fun. I liked when Martier would be in a sad place then something at work would shake you out of it. I liked the transition. Every chapter was well detailed. I'm serious when I say I didn't want this book to end. Pepper Pace has quickly become one of favorite storytellers. I miss these characters already. Thanks Pepper!
February 7, 2013
I just finish the latest from Ms. Pace and I'm not surprised that I loved it. She always make you think of a situation that you would normally stay away from. Martier had skeletons that she had to straighten out but once she did the love took a full turn around. Ms. Pace always give good background info on the back drop story. The Rowanda massacares I remember very well ( the horrible images I will never forget) so to really get the grit of it through this book kept me interested. Tim was a patient man yes he was. He loved him some Martier with the age difference I thought that would impose more of an issue but it wasn't as big as it could have been. This is a really good read I enjoyed....
October 10, 2013
A 23 year old innocent girl who raised in the convent fell in love with a 47 year old widower who seemed couldn't move on from his deceased wife.
I know I know that the age gap was soooo huge. But I don't care. Tim and Martier were just...meant to be. I loved them. What I really wanted for the ending that they would have lots of children. But well, happy ending is happy ending. I guess I was quite satisfied with them being married.
I know I know that the age gap was soooo huge. But I don't care. Tim and Martier were just...meant to be. I loved them. What I really wanted for the ending that they would have lots of children. But well, happy ending is happy ending. I guess I was quite satisfied with them being married.
August 14, 2021
Mssss. Pepper Pacccceeeee....
This is one of those books that is so genuine and real... one where you get to take a break and escape; with all kinds of emotional bombs exploding the more you read.... All kinds of bombs went off with this one for me; sad bombs, anticipatory bombs, tear duct bombs, can't stop smiling bombs, jealousy bombs, I wish I was Martier bombs..... I was in an emotionally torrential downpour and I enjoyed being wet....
You really took your time here, you stoked and fanned your plot, you never rushed yet the plot was fast paced; knowingly sweet yet unpredictable. It was a slow burner that didn't burn the romance out in to boredom....Bravo!
Talk about character development that ensured that the changes/growth were notable and not simply a failure on the part of the author that forgot and broke character; you were considerate to your audience in fleshing out the evolvement of your characters... Bravo!
The romance wasn't deep and intense, but I get that, that was not your intent; it felt more like a sweet, open, honest, enduring kind of love that makes one feel fulfilled just to be in the other's presence - and you can't purchase that web, no, an author has to take their time and spin and weave it - and boy O' boy did you spin and weave....I felt it, I believed it, I desired it... Bravo!
Your secondary characters were very well developed and fleshed out, with a good balance despite the age disparity of the cast. I liked that they added depth to the story without overshadowing the protagonists... Bravo!
Additional highlights
1. You did not need to full the book with sex to tell a good story
2. You did not punctuate the story with non-stop cursing
3. There was no grand exaggeration on the beauty of the protagonists... I for one can do without that
4. Race relations were handle very well - sometimes authors under/over handle it
5. The care and respect the H showed the h felt genuine - not sappy or 'roll my eyes and stueps'
6. I was reminded of the singular joy in the simplicity of hugs and kisses
7. Great handle on the transition of time
I always say that a great hero, makes a great story (even an anti-hero) and boy was Tim a great hero - excellent even!!!!
Poignant and beautiful... Well done, well done, well done!!!
Ps. I hereby recommend that you do longer stories, than those short ones your reknown for; I know I'm 8 years too late seeing that this book was written in 2013 and we're now in 2021....
Thank you for this...xoxo (I wish I could wife Timothy Singleton...Geesh!)
This is one of those books that is so genuine and real... one where you get to take a break and escape; with all kinds of emotional bombs exploding the more you read.... All kinds of bombs went off with this one for me; sad bombs, anticipatory bombs, tear duct bombs, can't stop smiling bombs, jealousy bombs, I wish I was Martier bombs..... I was in an emotionally torrential downpour and I enjoyed being wet....
You really took your time here, you stoked and fanned your plot, you never rushed yet the plot was fast paced; knowingly sweet yet unpredictable. It was a slow burner that didn't burn the romance out in to boredom....Bravo!
Talk about character development that ensured that the changes/growth were notable and not simply a failure on the part of the author that forgot and broke character; you were considerate to your audience in fleshing out the evolvement of your characters... Bravo!
The romance wasn't deep and intense, but I get that, that was not your intent; it felt more like a sweet, open, honest, enduring kind of love that makes one feel fulfilled just to be in the other's presence - and you can't purchase that web, no, an author has to take their time and spin and weave it - and boy O' boy did you spin and weave....I felt it, I believed it, I desired it... Bravo!
Your secondary characters were very well developed and fleshed out, with a good balance despite the age disparity of the cast. I liked that they added depth to the story without overshadowing the protagonists... Bravo!
Additional highlights
1. You did not need to full the book with sex to tell a good story
2. You did not punctuate the story with non-stop cursing
3. There was no grand exaggeration on the beauty of the protagonists... I for one can do without that
4. Race relations were handle very well - sometimes authors under/over handle it
5. The care and respect the H showed the h felt genuine - not sappy or 'roll my eyes and stueps'
6. I was reminded of the singular joy in the simplicity of hugs and kisses
7. Great handle on the transition of time
I always say that a great hero, makes a great story (even an anti-hero) and boy was Tim a great hero - excellent even!!!!
Poignant and beautiful... Well done, well done, well done!!!
Ps. I hereby recommend that you do longer stories, than those short ones your reknown for; I know I'm 8 years too late seeing that this book was written in 2013 and we're now in 2021....
Thank you for this...xoxo (I wish I could wife Timothy Singleton...Geesh!)
November 30, 2017
it was good
February 20, 2015
How amazing, In this book the author seems to be saying it's okay for
these no good wealthy men to cheat on their wives with their
secretaries, in fact they are treated more like wives and the wives
more like secretaries.
Oh, and let a wife decide she wants to go on a certain trip with him
instead of his mistress, she is treated like she is in the way, as
though she is the one having an affair with her own husband.
The amount of money these men spent on their so called secretaries is
ridiculous.
But this author writes as if it's all fine, it's the wives that are
doing wrong,not the no good,std walking jerks.
Anther thing that confused me. When the heroine moved in a guest house
on her bosses property,a friend of hers was so worried about her but
not for the reason anyone else would,she was concerned because she
hadn't touched herself yet, that's right,not that she was living so
close to a man she barely knows and what might happen to her, but that she isn't masturbating.That is very backwards to me.
And according to this author,your heart is in between your legs,so if
someone turns you on you must be in love,so I guess every time a man or woman sleeps with a prostitute they're in love.
And if a person haven't had a human touch in a while and miss human
contact,it's not enough to hold their hands or give a comforting hug,
you have to dry hump them into orgasm to show human kindness.
I'm sorry but I find nothing romantic or any true love happening, sex
is just,sex, it can be bought anywhere,love,true love is free,harder to find but can't be bought. I wish this author would use her talents to write an actual romance book.
I guess to be fair she isn't trying to write about love, just sex,and
trying to make it into love.
All this authors works seem similar, they are basically depressing and
sex is the basis of all relationships.
these no good wealthy men to cheat on their wives with their
secretaries, in fact they are treated more like wives and the wives
more like secretaries.
Oh, and let a wife decide she wants to go on a certain trip with him
instead of his mistress, she is treated like she is in the way, as
though she is the one having an affair with her own husband.
The amount of money these men spent on their so called secretaries is
ridiculous.
But this author writes as if it's all fine, it's the wives that are
doing wrong,not the no good,std walking jerks.
Anther thing that confused me. When the heroine moved in a guest house
on her bosses property,a friend of hers was so worried about her but
not for the reason anyone else would,she was concerned because she
hadn't touched herself yet, that's right,not that she was living so
close to a man she barely knows and what might happen to her, but that she isn't masturbating.That is very backwards to me.
And according to this author,your heart is in between your legs,so if
someone turns you on you must be in love,so I guess every time a man or woman sleeps with a prostitute they're in love.
And if a person haven't had a human touch in a while and miss human
contact,it's not enough to hold their hands or give a comforting hug,
you have to dry hump them into orgasm to show human kindness.
I'm sorry but I find nothing romantic or any true love happening, sex
is just,sex, it can be bought anywhere,love,true love is free,harder to find but can't be bought. I wish this author would use her talents to write an actual romance book.
I guess to be fair she isn't trying to write about love, just sex,and
trying to make it into love.
All this authors works seem similar, they are basically depressing and
sex is the basis of all relationships.
February 3, 2013
The subject matter was enlightening and the love story was complex, sweet and interesting. Definitely a worthwhile read!
February 13, 2013
A story about healing from inside out. Not my favorite Pepper Pace story but it was ok.
April 9, 2014
Liked this book a lot, the only thing I didn't like about it was the age difference, 23 - 47 was a bit to much for me but otherwise it was a terrific read.
September 21, 2014
Not my favorite book by this author. I like her stories but I was a little whigged out by the 25 year difference between the characters.
November 3, 2020
There's a lot I can say about this book.
I'm not an overly religious person. And this book tells a story that is highly related to one's journey in relation to their faith. But it's not something that bothers me in fiction.
I must confess that at first I wasn't necessarily feeling Tim and Martier's relationship. It wasn't about their age gap, necessarily, but because I felt like they were in totally different levels of maturity, which had a lot to do with Martier's personal journey.
She's 23 years old, I'm 23 years old, and while I definitely didn't grow up in an environment as sheltered as hers, I don't think I'd ever be able to date someone over twenty years my senior because it isn't necessarily about the number, but about what it represents in terms of responsibility/expectations/experiences.
I wondered if Martier was feeling what she was feeling because Tim was the first man she properly interacted with. I wondered if Tim would ever truly get over his deceased wife. I wondered if in real life those issues wouldn't pile up, because they didn't actually have anything in common, didn't they?
But man, I found that that's the magic of this book.
Pepper Pace won me over with the way she handled all of that. She didn't shy away from those differences, she didn't romanticize the fact that they had started a relationship when Martier didn't even know herself all that much. She acknowledged it, she made Martier recognize this, and she made Martier take a much-needed step back.
It was this process where the good parts of their relationship were appreciated, but the bad parts took the toll it would in real life. That's how this book shone above all the mess inherent to a trope like this. She didn't brush it off, and man, Pace deserves a prize for that, because it's not common.
Martier's history was well-done and interesting, the side characters are fleshed out, and they are imperfect like we all are. I appreciate that.
Something I will say is that I wish Pace had done more to address the sexism and toxic masculinity in the law firm. I mean, she made it obvious, but it could've been changed, considering Tim was a partner.
There were editing and grammar mistakes throughout the book, but it wasn't enough to mess with my enjoyment. A solid 4 stars.
I'm not an overly religious person. And this book tells a story that is highly related to one's journey in relation to their faith. But it's not something that bothers me in fiction.
I must confess that at first I wasn't necessarily feeling Tim and Martier's relationship. It wasn't about their age gap, necessarily, but because I felt like they were in totally different levels of maturity, which had a lot to do with Martier's personal journey.
She's 23 years old, I'm 23 years old, and while I definitely didn't grow up in an environment as sheltered as hers, I don't think I'd ever be able to date someone over twenty years my senior because it isn't necessarily about the number, but about what it represents in terms of responsibility/expectations/experiences.
I wondered if Martier was feeling what she was feeling because Tim was the first man she properly interacted with. I wondered if Tim would ever truly get over his deceased wife. I wondered if in real life those issues wouldn't pile up, because they didn't actually have anything in common, didn't they?
But man, I found that that's the magic of this book.
Pepper Pace won me over with the way she handled all of that. She didn't shy away from those differences, she didn't romanticize the fact that they had started a relationship when Martier didn't even know herself all that much. She acknowledged it, she made Martier recognize this, and she made Martier take a much-needed step back.
It was this process where the good parts of their relationship were appreciated, but the bad parts took the toll it would in real life. That's how this book shone above all the mess inherent to a trope like this. She didn't brush it off, and man, Pace deserves a prize for that, because it's not common.
Martier's history was well-done and interesting, the side characters are fleshed out, and they are imperfect like we all are. I appreciate that.
Something I will say is that I wish Pace had done more to address the sexism and toxic masculinity in the law firm. I mean, she made it obvious, but it could've been changed, considering Tim was a partner.
There were editing and grammar mistakes throughout the book, but it wasn't enough to mess with my enjoyment. A solid 4 stars.
January 1, 2019
Nicely done...
An unlikely pairing of which I am not totally sold on because of the age gap. However, the depth of the characters with their different backgrounds, how they came into their own...growing into themselves and together allowed me to look past that. That paired with the backstory of the Rwandan genocide makes for a heartbreaking yet inspiring tale. It also made me go back to researching America's own Holocaust in So. & No. America carried out by Europeans & White Americans. Historians estimate that the population of the Western Hemisphere was depleted by upwards of 100 million. Not by natural selection but by design.
It never ceases to amaze me how cruel humans are..how enamoured of hating & killing each other we are. Pace injects some human decency here and spirituality without being too preachy. It's a bit long winded especially those sex scenes which again I had to skip over, but Tim and Martier with all of the supporting characters grab your attention and hold on tightly.
It took me awhile to finish this one which is rare for me & a Pace novel.
But I'm glad I kept coming back.
Can't get enough of this author's attention to detail, delightful characters and overall talent. Bloody Well Done! Bravo!👏
An unlikely pairing of which I am not totally sold on because of the age gap. However, the depth of the characters with their different backgrounds, how they came into their own...growing into themselves and together allowed me to look past that. That paired with the backstory of the Rwandan genocide makes for a heartbreaking yet inspiring tale. It also made me go back to researching America's own Holocaust in So. & No. America carried out by Europeans & White Americans. Historians estimate that the population of the Western Hemisphere was depleted by upwards of 100 million. Not by natural selection but by design.
It never ceases to amaze me how cruel humans are..how enamoured of hating & killing each other we are. Pace injects some human decency here and spirituality without being too preachy. It's a bit long winded especially those sex scenes which again I had to skip over, but Tim and Martier with all of the supporting characters grab your attention and hold on tightly.
It took me awhile to finish this one which is rare for me & a Pace novel.
But I'm glad I kept coming back.
Can't get enough of this author's attention to detail, delightful characters and overall talent. Bloody Well Done! Bravo!👏
December 14, 2016
Beautiful and Powerful Love Story
This author continues to exceed all of my expectations. This book was total perfection for me. I really connected with the characters and the love story. This story caused me to weep for humanity and gave me hope at the same time. The reason this author is so successful is because her characters are multidimensional and she doesn't shy away from real world complications. Sure, there are some predictable romance novel tropes but they are cleverly presented and the story doesn't revolve around some silly manufactured misunderstanding. This is an accomplished, thoughtful story, with rich characters under the care of a very talented author.
This author continues to exceed all of my expectations. This book was total perfection for me. I really connected with the characters and the love story. This story caused me to weep for humanity and gave me hope at the same time. The reason this author is so successful is because her characters are multidimensional and she doesn't shy away from real world complications. Sure, there are some predictable romance novel tropes but they are cleverly presented and the story doesn't revolve around some silly manufactured misunderstanding. This is an accomplished, thoughtful story, with rich characters under the care of a very talented author.
December 6, 2020
I enjoyed the read, but the relationship between the two leads felt a little too much like that between a father and daughter at times. The notion of men being attracted to innocence feels wrong to me, it feels like attraction to a child or adolescent, hence the read occasionally felt uncomfortable.
Oh! And (KINDA) SPOILER BELOW
Never have I hated a character as much as I hated Jakob - and I've read a lot of disgusting characters. He takes the cake! The author either has immense skill to make me feel this way or this outcome for the reader was unintentional, seeing as Jakob was not blatantly written to be a person disliked.
Oh! And (KINDA) SPOILER BELOW
Never have I hated a character as much as I hated Jakob - and I've read a lot of disgusting characters. He takes the cake! The author either has immense skill to make me feel this way or this outcome for the reader was unintentional, seeing as Jakob was not blatantly written to be a person disliked.
March 30, 2018
A Very Good and Sensual Interracial Romance
A Seal Upon Your Heart is very good and sensual interracial romance novel that earned a rating of five stars. I found Martier's and Tim's romance sweet and inspirational as Martier had to overcome the genocide of her family and lost memories. Tim was overcoming the death of his wife. Together they found their happy ever after. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading very good interracial romance novels.
A Seal Upon Your Heart is very good and sensual interracial romance novel that earned a rating of five stars. I found Martier's and Tim's romance sweet and inspirational as Martier had to overcome the genocide of her family and lost memories. Tim was overcoming the death of his wife. Together they found their happy ever after. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading very good interracial romance novels.
July 4, 2021
Wonderful story!
I loved Tim and Martier's love story! In certain parts, I cried for both Tim and Martier's loss and was extremely happy they found each other! The parts about Rwanda and the genocide was heartbreaking even after all these years! I wanted Tim to have better friends, since he was such an honorable man, but that didn't happen! Elaina deserved better and I wished that she had a happy ending, but regardless, I loved this book!
I loved Tim and Martier's love story! In certain parts, I cried for both Tim and Martier's loss and was extremely happy they found each other! The parts about Rwanda and the genocide was heartbreaking even after all these years! I wanted Tim to have better friends, since he was such an honorable man, but that didn't happen! Elaina deserved better and I wished that she had a happy ending, but regardless, I loved this book!
December 11, 2018
Masterpiece
This is one of Ms Pace best books. So far, I've loved all of her books but this is my favorite. And I felt it was a gift from God since I'm struggling in my faith with what is going on politically as well as personal storms. This was not preachy but it ministered to me the importance of my relationship with God.
This is one of Ms Pace best books. So far, I've loved all of her books but this is my favorite. And I felt it was a gift from God since I'm struggling in my faith with what is going on politically as well as personal storms. This was not preachy but it ministered to me the importance of my relationship with God.
January 4, 2024
Perfect Tender Romance-Vintage Pepper Pace
A Seal Upon Your Heart is vintage ✍🏼Pepper Pace, gifting us with a perfect , sweet tender , age - gap romance, set against the backdrop of the young main FC Martier, surviving the Rwanda genocide. She meets and fall in ❤️with wealthy widower Tim Singleton; who makes her the seal upon his loving, repaired heart😍Enjoy reading 🍷
A Seal Upon Your Heart is vintage ✍🏼Pepper Pace, gifting us with a perfect , sweet tender , age - gap romance, set against the backdrop of the young main FC Martier, surviving the Rwanda genocide. She meets and fall in ❤️with wealthy widower Tim Singleton; who makes her the seal upon his loving, repaired heart😍Enjoy reading 🍷
September 15, 2017
Wonderful
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a very thought provoking and satisfying read. The writing was excellent and well crafted. I shall be re-reading this in the future, definitely.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a very thought provoking and satisfying read. The writing was excellent and well crafted. I shall be re-reading this in the future, definitely.
August 25, 2018
This book blew me away I loved everything about it and I loved how Martier and Tim loved each other and I loved how they grew as characters together and separate. I loved the supporting characters as well they had great stories as well
July 13, 2019
3 1/2 Stars - Great characters and good character development.
July 15, 2020
This book brought back so many memories of when I was 23 and an intern at a law firm LOL fun times. Anyway, I liked this book but the religion drama at the end i could've done wthout.
August 9, 2021
Sweet and well written!
This author is amazing everything she writes the character she develops are fantastic I love reading her books this was another beautiful story
This author is amazing everything she writes the character she develops are fantastic I love reading her books this was another beautiful story
September 22, 2025
I LOVED IT!
March 17, 2016
2.5 stars. It was better than ok but not a read I could settle into.
Overall it wasn't a bad book. I am surprised it still had so many editing issues though since Pepper mentions in her Foreword that some bigwigs had selected this one for commentary but anywho...
I'm hesitant to call this one a romance. Without much warning @ the 85% just when you think everything's in the bag it went from a typical romance to a story of self-discovery and healing.
It gave the book some depth but it wasn't a comfortable read. Let's face it though, there's nothing comfortable about recovering from genocide.
My aunt and uncle served with the UN during the trials so it's a bit realer to me but at the same time I'm shying away from trying to empathize with that experience because it's not something I actually know anything about. What I can say is that it was definitely hard to relate to Martier of that.
Added to all this was the Catholicism, direct quotes from the Bible in/after sex scenes and some pretty serious issues of cultural erasure and fideltiy.
Jeez Louise. At one point I kid you not, the hero had just finished giving her a hand job and then quoted Romans.
I'm sorry but...
This was just a confusing read for me.
Overall it wasn't a bad book. I am surprised it still had so many editing issues though since Pepper mentions in her Foreword that some bigwigs had selected this one for commentary but anywho...
I'm hesitant to call this one a romance. Without much warning @ the 85% just when you think everything's in the bag it went from a typical romance to a story of self-discovery and healing.
It gave the book some depth but it wasn't a comfortable read. Let's face it though, there's nothing comfortable about recovering from genocide.
My aunt and uncle served with the UN during the trials so it's a bit realer to me but at the same time I'm shying away from trying to empathize with that experience because it's not something I actually know anything about. What I can say is that it was definitely hard to relate to Martier of that.
Added to all this was the Catholicism, direct quotes from the Bible in/after sex scenes and some pretty serious issues of cultural erasure and fideltiy.
Jeez Louise. At one point I kid you not, the hero had just finished giving her a hand job and then quoted Romans.
I'm sorry but...
This was just a confusing read for me.
December 2, 2013
I read somewhere that Pepper Pace thinks this may be the best book she's written. Maybe...but one thing I know for sure is that it's one of the best books I've read this year and it's likely to stay at the top of my list well after the year is over. I read my first Pepper Pace book back in December and wow, I am just a fan. Her character development and storytelling skills are captivating and nuanced. This book touched on so much: love, death, romance, racism, religion, poetry, classism, genocide, loneliness, abandonment, independence, adultery,...and all that happens in between. Yet it's never TOO much. The book never seemed overwrought or overwhelmed by its story. As with most of Ms. Pace's books I loved the main heroine and her hero for their conflicts and differences. Best of all neither character ever comes close to being cut from the same one dimensional cloth that most romance novels are. Truth is Ms. Pace it's hard to see how you might improve on your skills as an author in another book but I sure wouldn't bet against you.
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