After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720's French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.
The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green was an interesting and thought provoking read about a subject and time period I knew very little about. It involves the prison/exile French colony in Louisiana, and it delves into the conditions faced by the prisoners, locals, and soldier in ramshackle town of New Orleans. The plot line was well written and moved at the perfect pace, allowing me to dig deeper into the story and really connect with the characters. The descriptions of the settings, environment, and situations were outstanding, and I felt like I could actually picture what was happening. The characters were well developed and realistic, and I felt as if I could actually feel the emotions that Julianne experienced as she found herself first unfairly imprisoned, then married, and finally across the seas in the wilderness of Louisiana. I was drawn into her conflicts and the decisions she had to make, and I appreciated the other, more minor characters and the depth they added to the story. Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to reading more of Jocelyn Green's excellent books.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
Five decades before the birth of Christ, Chava, daughter of the royal tutor, grows up with Urbi, a princess in Alexandria's royal palace. When Urbi becomes Queen Cleopatra, Chava vows to be a faithful friend no matter what--but after she and Cleopatra have an argument, she finds herself imprisoned and sold into slavery. Torn from her family, her community, and her elevated place in Alexandrian society, Chava finds herself cast off and alone in Rome. Forced to learn difficult lessons, she struggles to trust a promise HaShem has given her. After experiencing the best and worst of Roman society, Chava must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God's will for her life.
Egypt's Sister is the first novel in Angela Hunt's new series, the Silent Years, which follows the Jewish people during the time period between the Old and New Testament when they have no communication with God via prophets. I recently wrote a review on the second novel in this series, Judah's Wife, which covers Israel during the Maccabean era. Egypt's Sister is about the Jews living in Egypt during Cleopatra's reign as Egypt begins to fall under the control of Rome. The story centers around Chava and her childhood friendship with Urbi (aka Cleopatra) and what happens to both girls as they age. It was very interesting to see the backstory behind Cleopatra, to see the tragedy and betrayal that existed in her own family, and to watch as the decisions she made led her further and further into uncertainly, lies, and deceit. I also was intrigued to follow the fictional story of Chava as she suffered under the slavery conditions in Rome and had to learn to persevere and to forgive even in the midst of great pain. I was pulled into the story from the first page, and I could not put it down until the end. I was moved to tears at times by the realistic narration and the hardship that both girls experienced for different reasons. Overall, I highly enjoyed diving into this novel, and I look forward to reading more of Angela Hunt's new series.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can't seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.
Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she'll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.
Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?
An Inconvenient Beauty is the fourth and final novel in Kristi Ann Hunter's Hawthorne series, and it was a fitting finale to the series. This novel is about the oldest Hawthorne sibling, the Duke of Riverton. He is the gruff, aloof, and almost cold member of the family, and he has decided it is time for him to take a wife. The story follows the oftentimes entertaining, other times truly moving, adventure as he finds his well made plans are thrown awry by the beautiful Isabella Breckenridge. The plot is well written and moves at an excellent pace, allowing the reader to get settled into the story and setting. The themes are flawlessly interwoven and are thought provoking as the characters deal with their inner issues. The characters are well developed and realistic, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed watching Griffith and Isabella butt heads and learn from their differences and their mistakes. Overall, I have truly enjoyed reading this series, and I look forward to reading more of Kristi Ann Hunter's new books.
I received this novel from Bethany House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Louisa Bell never wanted to be a dance-hall singer, but dire circumstances force her hand. With a little help from her brother in the cavalry, she's able to make ends meet, but lately he's run afoul of his commanding officer, so she undertakes a visit to straighten him out.
Major Daniel Adams has his hands full at Fort Reno. He can barely control his rowdy troops, much less his two adolescent daughters. If Daniel doesn't find someone respectable to guide his children, his mother-in-law insists she'll take them.
When Louisa arrives with some reading materials, she's mistaken for the governess who never appeared. Major Adams is skeptical. She bears little resemblance to his idea of a governess--they're not supposed to be so blamed pretty--but he's left without recourse. His mother-in-law must be satisfied, which leaves him turning a blind eye to his unconventional governess's methods. Louisa's never faced so important a performance. Can she keep her act together long enough?
Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings was an entertaining and well written novel that kept me glued to the pages. The plot moved along at a quick pace, and it alternated in point of view between Louisa and Daniel. The story was filled with moments of suspense, danger, romance, and hilarity. I enjoyed seeing the scrapes that Lousia got herself into and seeing how she managed to worm her way back out of them. It was fun to watch her try to figure out how to be a governess while simultaneously try not to fall for Daniel. The characters in this novel were interesting and entertaining, with the girls and Lousia's brother adding extra depth and comedic effect. It was also nice to see both Louisa and Daniel work through their differences and to see Louisa finally begin to grasp what it means to be saved by God and to rest on His forgiveness for past and future sins. Overall, I thought this book was an entertaining and even thought-provoking read.
I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train.
Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.
Together Forever is the second novel in Jody Hedlund's new series, Orphan Train, and it focuses on the second sister, Marianne. I enjoyed this novel and learning more about the placement of young children throughout the west in the 1850's. It was sad to think about children that did not end up with good placements, as well as the lack of background checks or any other type of screening that occurred prior to children being left with new families. On the other hand, the question still remains were the children worse off than being left to wander the streets of New York alone? I thought the author did a good job discussing the morality of the issue, both with her characters' thoughts on the matter as well as in her Afterword. I enjoyed the plot of the novel, I thought it was well developed and captivating at times. The characters were interesting, though I did think that the romance between Marianne and Brady was rushed, which did make it a little less believable. However, overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to the next book, which will hopefully give us some clues about Sophie.
I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
