Egypt's Sister: A novel of Cleopatra by Angela Hunt

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. 

An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

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. 

Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings

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. 

Together Forever by Jody Hedlund

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. 

Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar

Auschwitz Lullaby brings to life the story of Helene Hannemann—a woman who sacrificed everything for family and fought furiously for the children she hoped to save.

On an otherwise ordinary morning in 1943, Helene Hannemann is preparing her five children for the day when the German police arrive at her home. Helene’s worst fears come true when the police, under strict orders from the SS, demand that her children and husband, all of Romani heritage, be taken into custody. Though Helene is German and safe from the forces invading her home, she refuses to leave her family—sealing her fate in a way she never could have imagined. 

Through sheer force of will, Helene provides a haven for the children of Auschwitz—an act of kindness and selflessness so great that it illuminates the darkest night of human history. Based on a true story, Mario Escobar’s Auschwitz Lullaby demonstrates the power of sacrifice and the strength of human dignity—even when all hope seems lost.

Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar was a truly remarkable read. When I first began the journey into this story, I had no idea of the magnitude of human emotion that lay within the pages, especially as I reflected on the truth of the story. This book tells the story of the Romani gypsies that are so often forgotten in the sheer horror of the atrocities that went on at Auschwitz. The Romani people were persecuted as the Jews were, forced into "little Auschwitz" where they too suffered terribly, including entire barracks being massacred to avoid typhoid outbreaks, medical experimentation, and genetic tortures. Of the over 23,000 Romani sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, 19,000 perished in the gas chambers at Birkenau before World War 2 ended. 

All of these facts were new to me, as I had never read anything about the Romani's plight during this time period. As I absorbed the horrors that Helene faced, I was overwhelmed by her faith, her persistence, and her courage. She chose life in a death camp to be with her family when she could have walked away free. She demonstrated what it means to love so much that you will sacrifice your life for others. I was so inspired by her choice to use her gifts and her heritage to bring a little joy and love into seemingly hopeless situation. At the end of this novel, I was left in tears as I reflected on the bravery of this real-life woman, especially as I looked further into the real actions and cruelty of the doctor she worked for and the female guards. Overall, this book was an extremely emotional read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to know more about what went on at Auschwitz. 

I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano

Miss Temperance Flowerdew is on her way to work when a stranger suddenly grabs her off the street and sends her on a Chicago-bound train before she can figure out what happened.

When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind the abduction, they're seen alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.

Gilbert is willing to propose marriage--except Temperance will have none of it. She's finally stepped out of the shadow of her relations and won't give up her independence. But when it becomes clear the misunderstanding in Chicago has escalated into a threat on her life and followed her to New York, accepting Gilbert's help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.

Caught by Surprise is the third novel and final novel in Jen Turano's Apart from the Crowd series, aka the Wallflower girls as I like to think of them. All of the novels in this series can be read separately, but you certainly will have the most understanding about the backgrounds of the supporting characters in this novel if you read them in order. Caught by Surprise was an entertaining read, with secret villains, incompetent criminals, lip-reading spinsters, and lots of almost-lists. The plot moved at an appropriate pace and held unexpected twists and turns that took me a little while to figure out. 

I enjoyed the dialogue between characters, particularly between Mercy and her brother at the beginning, as well as the verbal sparring between Temperance and Gilbert throughout the novel. It was fun to see how characters from the previous novels were interspersed as well, which allowed the reader to see how their lives had progressed from the other books. I also liked watching both Gilbert and Temperance work to discover both their similarities and differences and learn to embrace change the habits they had adopted in the decade or so before. One thing I would have liked to see more of was a better weaving of having faith and trust in God into the story. I think the characters' faith could have been expressed more clearly, especially as they began to return to their trust in God throughout the story. Overall, however, I thought this novel was a light and enjoyable summer read, and it was amusing to get to know the characters over the course of the three novels. 

I received this novel from Jen Turano and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. 

Behind the Scenes is only 99 cents -LIMITED TIME

Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano is 99 cents on Amazon for a limited time. So if you have not begun Jen's Apart from the Crowd series yet, this is a great time to begin as this is the first novel in that series. I will be posted a review of the third novel in the series, Caught By Surprise, this weekend. In the meantime, head over to Amazon and check out this great deal!


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