A Refuge Assured Book Review

SUMMARY:  Fleeing One Revolution to the Aftermath of Another, She Seeks and Dreams of Peace
     Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life.  Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine.  Vivienne flees to Philadelphia, but danger lurks in the French Quarater, as revolutionary sympathizers begin to suspect a young boy left in her care might be the Dauphin.  Can the French settlement Asylum offer permanent refuge?
     Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for.  He wants only to cultivate his hard-won farm near Asylum, but he soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion.  When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they are drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

REVIEW:  Jocelyn Green's latest novel does not disappoint.  As I read, I was caught up in the Vivienne's struggles.  As she fights to stay alive, she desperately desires peace and safety.  I like how she doesn't try to hide and mull over everything lost in France after she arrives in America but, after not being able to make it as a lacemaker, she finds a new trade making breads, pastries and pies for a local pub.  Her tenacity to hang on when the going gets tough helps her and the young boy placed in her care survive when things look bleak.
     Liam Delaney is a strong man who doesn't back down from a challenge.  He stands firm on what he believes is right, even when it is not the popular thing to do.  I like that he is a hard worker and, when faced with losing his farm, does what is necessary to help Vivienne when it's needed.
     If you like reading historical novels, especially ones written around the time of the American Revolution, this is a novel you should check out.  The author does a wonderful job with her storytelling and adventures.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was provided by Bethany House and the author for review without any compensation.

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Mark of the King and Wedded to War, both Christy Award finalists, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman.  Jocelyn lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.  Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.

Keturah Book Review

The Sugar Baron's Daughters

Book One

SUMMARY:  In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father's estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

     Although it flies against all the conventions, they're determined to make their own way in the world.  But, once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns.  On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined - and that's just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world. 

     Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation.  She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

     To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

REVIEW:  The summary of this book caught my eye: a young English lady and her sisters attempting to manage a sugar plantation all by themselves without any outside help thousands of miles from their home in the late 1700's.  The author does a wonderful job describing life on the island, the impressions of the women and the island itself.  The characters' reactions to the slave market, the ocean front near their home and working hard beside their staff make me feel like I was there experiencing everything first hand.  I like how Keturah fights for her sisters and tells them they do not have to marry for the sake of money, land or anything else, but only marry for love.  I also like how she stands up for her slaves, treating them like humans.  Even though she detests the slave markets, Keturah sees it is a necessary evil on Nevis but does what she can to make them feel like part of a family instead of cattle. 
     This book does not wrap everything about the Banning daughters lives or about trouble they have faced on the plantation.  The rest of the series should take care of this.  I can see how the next two stories will continue their progress as sugar baronesses and their lives on the island.
     This is a great book.  I am very interested in reading the other books in this series when they come out.  I'm sure they will be just as good if not better. 

This book was provided by Bethany House for review without compensation.

Lisa T. Bergren has published more than fifty books with combined sales exceeding three million copies.  A bestselling and award-winning author, she's also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award.  Lisa lives in Colorado with her husband and three teen-and-older children.  To learn more, visit www.lisatawnbergren.com.

Many Sparrows Book Review

SUMMARY:  Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would ........
     In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories.  The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife, Clare, and their four-year-old son, Jacob, on a remote mountain trail.
     When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare finds herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can recover her son ... especially when her second child is moments away from being born.
 
REVIEW:  This book was amazing, as all of Lori Benton's books are.  She delves into emotions, situations and events that make you think long and hard about the characters and how you might act if you were put in the same position.
     This story is not an easy one.  I can't even being to imagine how I would have reacted if I was in Clare's position: pregnant, and in labor, with only her small son to keep her company.  Then, at the apex of her precarious situation, her son disappears into the wilderness.  After Jeremiah and Clare locate Jacob, they cannot simply walk into the Shawnee camp and take him home.  The time it takes and the way Jeremiah and Clare maneuver around the obstacles they face is mind boggling.  It is a development of patience, love, endurance, and understanding.  I love how the author weaves Clare's faith and the struggles she has with God into the story.
     This is a wonderful novel that everyone should read.

This book was provided by the author for review without any compensation.

Lori Benton was raised eat of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years.  Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history.  When she isn't writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband.  She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, Christy nominee The Wood's Edge, and A Flight of Arrows.

A Moonbow Night Book Review

SUMMARY:  In an uncertain time, she faces a choice that will change her life forever.
     After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River.  It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke . . . men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew, looking for an experienced guide.
     Though he balks when Tempe is appointed to lead his team through the wilderness, it isn't long before Sion must admit that her abilities may outmatch his own.  But can the tenuous tie they are forming survive the dangers waiting just around the bend?
     With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons you to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

REVIEW:  Set during the Revolutionary War, this story takes place on the western side of the Cumberland Mountains, away from the fighting British and Patriot troops .  The danger that faces the settlers of this area are Indians determined to keep these newcomers off their land and out of their territories.  Ms. Frantz brings to life a part of American history most people have forgotten about: the gradual move west, across the mountains into areas only occupied by Native Americans and the major hardships they faced.
     Having read all but one of this author's novels, I kind of knew what to expect.  As I went through this book, though, I found myself having a more difficult time following the conversations between the characters.  Quite often I had to reread passages because I didn't understand what was being said, or pick up on the subtle nuances that were being communicated.  Also, she uses a lot of terms and names of items that are no longer in use.  To get a better understanding of the scene or circumstances, I would pulled out my dictionary, but some of the terms weren't there.
     All that said, this story was an attention grabber.  I kept wondering what would happen next, how Sion and Tempe would get out of difficult situations, and how things were going to end.  Temperance, or Tempe as she is often referred to, is one strong girl who doesn't know when to give up.  She kept up with the men without complaint and kept her wits about her during difficult times.
     Laura Frantz does not disappoint with this novel.

This book was provided by Revell for review without any compensation.

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Mistress of Tall Acre, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

A Flight of Arrows Book Review

Pathfinders Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Hearts are divided.  Loyalties will be tested.  The fates of two families hang in the balance.
     Twenty years ago, during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry in 1757, a young Redcoat named Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy - the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins - and raised him as his own.
      No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime.  Not his adopted daughter Anna.  Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back.  Not Two Hawks, William's twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna.  Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God's forgiveness - and her love.
     Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army.  The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York, and the Continentals, aided by Two Hawks and the Oneida warriors, rally to defend it.  As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture but united by love and faith must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.

REVIEW:  Lori Benton does it again and knocks the ball out of the park with this novel.  Having read all her other novels except for Book One in this series, The Wood's Edge, she carries on her distinct style and, with it, her readers.  The research she puts into each one comes out as you read about the battles, locations, lifestyles of both Native Americans and colonialists and the mindset of times.  I felt like I was right there beside the characters and could feel the depth of hurt, love, anger and other emotions each one went through.  There were times I was so caught up in the story that I had a hard time adjusting when I had to set my book down.  This is a novel you will want to read.
     This is the second book in this series.  I did not have the opportunity to read the first one.  The author did a great job explaining the first novel as she went along so that I did not feel I missed anything.  Some time in the future, I hope to read the first just to fill in the gaps and have a complete understanding of the events.
    This is one author that you need to keep on your radar.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah and Blogging for Books 

for review without compensation.

 Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, where she was surrounded by three hundred years of American history.  Now her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of our nation's history.  She is the multiple award-winning author of numerous books including Burning Sky, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and The Wood's Edge (Book one in the Pathfinders series).  Lori makes her home in Oregon.

The Mistress of Tall Acre Book Review

SUMMARY:  There can only be one mistress of Tall Acre.
     The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news.  When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come.  But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost.  When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?
     Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal - you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz.

REVIEW:  Laura Frantz does a great job showing her readers what life after the American Revolution might have been like for those who served and for one who's loyalty to the cause is questioned due to familial choices.  Sophie was born in Scotland but raised in America, a land she loved.  But, because her father chose to side with the British and moved back to the familial lands in Scotland, Sophie is considered an outcast.
     I enjoyed reading how Seamus' daughter Lily Cate loved Sophie and was ready to accept her as her new mother.  I also liked how Sophie's faith played a big part in everything she did and how it affected those around her for the better.  The author threw a curve ball with the return of the woman from the general's past.  I was not expecting it and loved how everything worked out in the end.
     This is a great book.  Check it out!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

The Creole Princess Book Review

 Gulf Coast Chronicles

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Torn between loyalties to family and flag, one young woman is about to discover that her most important allegiance is to her heart.

     It is 1776, and all along the eastern seaboard the American struggle for independence rages.  But in the British-held southern port of Mobile, Alabama, the conflict brewing is much quieter - though no less deadly.

     Lyse Lanier may be largely French in heritage, but she spends most of her time in the company of the ebullient daughter of the British commander of Mobile.  When a charming young Spanish merchant docks in town, Lyse is immediately struck by his easy wit and flair for the dramatic.  But is he truly who he makes himself out to be?  Spies abound, and Spain has yet to choose a side in the American conflict.  Is Lyse simply an easy mark for Rafael Gonzalez to exploit?  Or are his overtures of love as genuine as Spanish gold?

     With spectacular detail that brings the cultural gumbo of the Colonial Gulf Coast alive, Beth White invites you to step into a world of intrigue and espionage from a little-known slice of the American Revolutionary War.

REVIEW:  Even though I grew up in North Mississippi (in the same city as the author :-) ), it never occurred to me that fighting during the Revolutionary War could have occurred at the forts and land holdings of the British along the Gulf Coast.  Beth White's characters not only bring this conflict to life but also the issue of slavery and the difficulties people of mixed blood and heritage had.  

     Lyse is a probably one of my favorite heroines.  She is caught in between many worlds.  Her mother was of mixed blood (African and white) and her father is French. Her family carries on with some of the French traditions in a predominately British city.  Her faith follows that of the Huguenots in a largely Anglican and Catholic population.  Members of her mother's family are slaves while she is free.  She was poor due to her father's bad choices but was well-educated and well-read due to her wealthy grandfather and his vast library and was best friends with the fort commander's daughter.
     The story had many different pieces going on all at the same time but all flowed together seamlessly.  Sometimes it was a little difficult switching gears when the characters and storyline changed but I quickly caught up. The hardships faced by those who were forced to pick sides during this struggle is evident but they help make this story.  Faced with the challenging decision where they may be arrested or killed, the characters make the choice and stand by their beliefs.  Something every interesting was the idea that Spain, a neutral country during this conflict, may have been spying on the British and helping the American cause.
     This is a fabulous novel that is worth the time to read.  The author's efforts researching volumes of material shows in the details but is not overwhelming.  Plus, you learn some fascinating and intriguing history.  Bonus!!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Beth White is the award-winning author of The Pelican Bride.  A native Mississippian, she teaches music at an inner-city high school in historic Mobile, Alabama.  Her novels have won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Carol Award, the RT Book Club Reviewers' Choice Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award.  Learn more at www.bethwhite.net.