Honor Redeemed Book Review

Keys of Promise Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Her future - and her heart - hang in the balance.

     Two year ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West.  Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future:  make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

     But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion.  In fact, he is married to someone else.  Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship - and the affection - of a kind doctor.  Could he be the answer to her loneliness?  Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

     With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

REVIEW:  Prosperity is at a crossroads. Her parents are dead and she has nowhere to live.  For the last two years, her fiance David has been stationed in Key West with the Army and has at least another six years before he can return home.  So she makes the only decision she could, which goes against convention of the day: she must join David in Key West. 
     Even though she doesn't necessary believe it, Prosperity is a strong person.  After the death of her father, she supports and nurses her sick mother until her death.  Prosperity knows the trip to get to David is long and dangerous but she takes it anyway.  After learning of David's marriage to someone else, she does what she can to stand on her own two feet, finding a job and a place to live in a strange place where she knows no one.  Not many people I know nowadays could do what she does. 
     David's sense of honor is one to be admired.  After some horrible truths come to light about his wife, he is determined to still honor her, in spite of his hurt.  He faces many tribulations and trials because of it but does not give in.  In the end, his efforts do not go unnoticed and helps him overcome many problems.
     This is an interesting book which I enjoyed reading.  It is the second in the series but the author does a good job of briefly describing key characters and their relationships.  But, to fully understand how they relate to David's situation and final solution, you should read the first book, Love's Rescue. 

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Christine Johnson is the author of Love's Rescue, as well as several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired.  She was twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award.  When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God's majestic creation.  These days, she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

Love's Rescue Book Review

Keys of Promise Series

Book One

SUMMARY:  Can a girl enamored with the adventurous seas ever be content with the tame life of a Southern belle?

     When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be.  But nothing goes according to plan.  Her brother resents her, the servants do no obey her, and Rourke O'Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart.  Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the man he appears to be.

     As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to perform her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.

     From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws you into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy South.

REVIEW:  There are a few things that this author does in this story that I found interesting.  The main love interests admit to being attracted and in love right from the beginning.  Now, it takes a little longer for them to tell each other but they do not deny their feelings.  Elizabeth's maid, Annabelle, is a lot more of a risk taker than others I've read about. I like her relationship with John and how she would risk anything to spend time with him.  Charlie is not your typical supporting character and I found him to be refreshing.  I would love for the author to use him as a hero in a future novel.

     There were also a lot more that could have been done with the story, in my opinion.  The relationship between Elizabeth and Annabelle was mercurial.  Elizabeth wanted Annabelle to be her close friend one minute and then, the next, would treat her like a slave.  Elizabeth's aunt went from being a tyrant throughout most of the book to being loving and understanding at the end.  The story was anti-climatic for me.  I like how the story ended with Elizabeth's father but I guessed it pretty quickly.
     All in all, this was a good book.  I look forward to reading others in this series and by this author.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Christine Johnson is the author of several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired and has been twice named a finalist forRomance Writers of America's Golden Heart award. When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God's majestic creation.  She and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.  Learn more at www.christineelizabethjohnson.com.