Book Review - Daughter of the Rebellion

Daughter of the Rebellion, the latest release from author Jamie Ogle, is the deeply emotional and vividly entertaining story of Visigoth war daughter Adelgard. Captured when the Roman army defeated her rebellious clan and sent to train and perform as one of the favored gladiatrices in the violent entertainment culture of Rome, Adel has leaned into her role as Amazon and endeavored to set aside thoughts of a home to which she can no longer return. The abuses she must endure are the consequences of decisions she has made that brought shame to herself and to her family. There is no path but forward.

Working in the ludus is not an appropriate occupation for a Christian, but medicus Felix must do what he has to do in order to provide for his mother and sisters. There he provides medical care for the injured gladiators and gladiatrices, making ends meet and dodging creditors in search of restitution for debts his father acquired before he disappeared. However, the Lord uses circumstances and individuals regardless of how appropriate or qualified they seem to human eyes and Felix has some heavy decisions to make when approached with a difficult offer.

This is a book I throughly devoured, regardless of every attempt to slow down and savor it. The scenes moved as though on film, expertly crafted descriptions and deeply human characters flowed in real time as pages turned and the story progressed. The messages of mercy and understanding unfold beautifully, bit by bit as our flawed and relatable characters begin to digest the concepts and embrace their identities in the eyes of the Father. The further blooming of identity is executed as deftly as the Amazon delivering the winning strike to an exhausted and unsettled opponent. Without giving away too much, it is safe to say that this is truly a story that does not end until the author strikes her final punctuation. Daughter of the Rebellion will stick with me for a satisfyingly long time.

Daughter of the Rebellion is available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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I received a NetGalley ARC of this book. It did not influence my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review - The Women of Oak Ridge

Michelle Shocklee delivers a thoughtful perspective on human nature and the repercussions of shame in The Women of Oak Ridge. Focusing on Maebelle Willet, a young woman from a coal mining family who answered the call for workers in the secret city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in late 1941, this novel shifts between Mae’s experiences in the secret city and her experience in 1979, when her niece Laurel arrives in Oak Ridge to research those experiences for her dissertation. The memories and questions that Laurel opens up set off an inevitable reaction in her aunt that have consequences beyond anything anyone who knows Mae Willet could imagine.

Secrets have consequences, and Shocklee explores these on several levels in The Women of Oak Ridge. The characters there in both seasons of Oak Ridge are developed with excellent craftsmanship so that they are very real and relevant to the reader. Both the desperate need for secrecy during the war years, as the residents who live and work there are consistently reminded that loose lips sink ships and even your roommate may be a spy, and the lingering effects of the weight that secrecy. Shocklee also develops a rich setting in Oak Ridge, in the mud town that does not appear on any map and is largely unknown to the postal service, and the one where people live in the spaces left behind when the uranium enrichment facilities were left behind after the war. The reader is fully immersed in this setting with these characters and their complexities so that this book could easily be a quick read, but carries a weight that is worth sitting with for a while. The heaviness of secrecy and shame are very carefully and realistically brought to light in the scope of grace and mercy.

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee is available from your favorite local booksellers or online:

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I received an ARC of this book. It did not influence my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review - Noble: The Story of Maakah

The second book in the King David’s Brides series by Mesu Andrews is Noble: The Story of Maakah. This one focuses on the third wife the Bible lists during his reign in Hebron. The Geshurite princess sent as a treaty bride to David has been trained all her life in the ways of royalty. Her mind is sharp and calculating, always putting the good of the kingdom before herself, relying on the wisdom of her royal parents and the priestesses of her goddess. David ben Jesse, however, is in passionate pursuit of God’s own heart. He already has two wives, one more than he ever intended, and does not plan to take this opinionated heathen princess as his third. But circumstances bring out the protector in David, prompting Ahinoam and Abigail to embrace Maakah and all of them to seek God’s wisdom for her future.

Andrews has an incredible talent for taking the information given to us in the Bible and reputable historical documents, then using fiction as necessary to bring life to characters easily overlooked in the Old Testament writings. With remarkable skill for crafting fully immersive stories so rich that one can easily believe her characters’ thoughts and feelings are her own, she wrestles with some intense topics. In Noble, that means struggling with betrayal, clarifying the difference between royalty and nobility, exploring some of the challenges people would have faced in the process of letting go of their idols and embracing Yahweh, and the elephant in the room that is the fact of David taking multiple wives. While it was a common practice among royalty at the time, it is expressly forbidden in the Law, as we read in Deuteronomy 17. How then does one handle the fact that this God ordained king who so passionately pursued God’s heart did not only break the law, but did so repeatedly? It is a very charged issue, and rightly so. The fact remains that we do not really know the answer to that. Andrews handles it carefully and prayerfully, as is well expressed in her excellent Note to Reader and Author’s Note sections, both of which are treasure troves of information and insight. Though it is not a topic that should be glossed over, one should not miss the exquisitely addressed differences between thinking and acting royally as opposed to having a noble heart and mind. This is the gold in the purse of Noble, a treasure beyond jewels, and one that is timeless.

Noble: The Story of Maakah, the second book in the King David’s Brides series by Mesu Andrews, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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I received an ARC of this book. It did not influence my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review - Splendor of the Land

Time and place fall away as vivid details bring the reader face to face with the characters of Splendor of the Land, the third book in The King’s Men series by Connilyn Cossette. The cover of this book is rich with the textures of the setting, and it is only a taste of the treasure within. As her characters cross through untamed lands and venture into new cities, it takes little effort for the reader to feel the sand shift beneath their feet or the hot wind blowing across the back of their neck. And if her stories were the sum of her world building, it would be one thing, but the characters are crafted so carefully and easily become so familiar that one cannot help but become entangled in their lives. It is no surprise that I wept and laughed with Gavriel, Zahava, their families and their friends as this captivating story unfolded.

One is a prodigal, running from the shame of his lineage and barreling headfirst into chaos as if his life is worth nothing. The other is the apple of her father’s eye and trusted with a knowledge that will carry on her family legacy, wrapped in an unassuming package and easily overlooked. He a Benjamite and she a Kenite, they would not have been bound together, except for the nudging of guidance given to her father. Through joy and strife, their bond is formed as they are refined in life’s fire and the truths they were not prepared to see before become clear as Gavi and Zahava begin to understand who they are according to their Creator. I highly recommend clearing your schedule for this one, because putting it down is a challenge once you have started it. 

Splendor of the Land, book 3 of The King’s Men series by Connilyn Cossette, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Book Review - Last Light Over Galveston

Jennifer L. Wright combines historical fact with eloquent fiction to create a rich and compelling novel in her upcoming release, Last Light Over Galveston. Centering around the life of debutante turned runaway Kathleen McDaniel as she hides for her life in a Galveston orphanage in the fall of 1900, this novel dances about the topics of social responsibility and identity until everything collides in full force. Wright’s characters are spunky and flawed, her setting developed so well that the reader is fully immersed, to the point that I might have checked once or twice to make sure my feet were not wet. Kathleen’s struggles are understandable, her longing for home familiar, and her flaws relatable. The supporting characters are well developed, pulling at the heartstrings just as I am sure the author intended. And when nature proves that Galveston is not actually immune to hurricanes, all comes to a climax that will leave the reader gasping for air and anticipating the next nail in the coffin until the point that the delicious conclusion is revealed.

Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright releases on August 12, 2025 and is currently available for preorder from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, the publisher, or the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review - The Strength of Samson

Tyler Kraft sheds light on Old Testament judge Samson in his new biblical fiction release, The Strength of Samson.. Beginning with the messenger’s first appearance and delivery of instructions to his mother Abigail and father Manoah, Kraft brings Samson to life before our very eyes and gives us an idea of what life might have been like for the only known Nazirite who didn’t actually choose that path for himself. 

Kraft has developed carefully created characters to support Samson through his lifelong journey. Their strengths and weaknesses are clearly written to help develop Samson’s struggle to be accepted and live a normal life when he was preordained to be anything but ordinary. The adventure seeking young Nazirite with a penchant for getting into less than desirable situations is not surprising as the adult Samson with a fondness for enemy’s women. Though Kraft’s Samson is not a particularly lovable character, he is an effective portrayal of man’s sinful nature being used by and ultimately redeemed by God. I appreciate Kraft’s attention to detail and exploration of Samson’s understanding of his calling and the world around him, as well as the inner turmoil that must come from constantly wearing the mantle of his people’s expectations. It is an opportunity to sit with Samson and gain a bit of insight.

The Strength of Samson by Tyler Kraft is available now from Amazon.

Thank you to the author of allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Collector of Burned Books

What is it about the written word that causes people to fear it? And what kind of beliefs must one have that they cannot stand against reading what is written from a different point of view? Roseanna M. White probes these questions in her upcoming release, The Collector of Burned Books, in which two literature professors in very different circumstances find themselves both thrown together and pulled apart.

Set during the occupation of Paris in 1940, Corinne Bastien and Christian Bauer find themselves on opposing sides politically. But despite the glaring differences, they find that free thinking and literature brings them together in a dangerous way. Bauer is assigned the task of library protector, including responsibilities at the rather curious Library of the Burned Books, a place with which Corinne is quite familiar. Though their political responsibilities are as different as darkness and light, their intellect and sensibilities find each other in the city filled with strife. White’s research shines in this novel, allowing the reader to see the contrasts and similarities in humanity through focused shaping of the setting and characters. The debates about literature, censorship, and free thought are well balanced and provocative, inspiring the reader to consider their own stance on the situation. The reader is reminded that there is often a very true person hiding beneath the projected facade. Though Corinne and Christian are the main characters, understanding and openness shine in their small corner of the City of Lights. The Collector of Burned Books is an enthralling read for its fiction, and an inspiring one for the light it shines on literature as a valuable conduit for thoughts and ideas.

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White releases July 15, 2025 and is currently available for preorder from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - The Pharisee’s Wife

It is widely accepted that Janette Oke books would be selected by readers based solely on the author’s name. After all, Oke is the origin point for many readers’ passionate journey through inspirational fiction. Her days on my must-read list stem from my early teen years, back when my grandmother purchased her novels via mail order and tried faithfully to keep up with my appetite for her clean and uplifting prose. In that spirit, I pounced on her latest release and savored it from cover to cover.

The Pharisee’s Wife unfolds methodically and in an unhurried pace, as the tale is told of a young girl who is given a high honor she does not want and must make what she will of it. Pulled from her family home and dumped into the home of a Pharisee in training who cares more for adulation than for her, Mary is then left to pick up the pieces and find her way forward when the unthinkable happens. This story of the early church is respectful and introspective. It is not surprising that the author’s note is as impactful as the novel itself. The urgency is not in the storyline, but in a decision each person must make at some point. And the climax of the story, well… Oke writes that (second) best, so you are just going to have to read The Pharisee’s Wife cover to cover to understand.

The Pharisee’s Wife by Janette Oke is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Indigo Heiress

With vivid descriptions of the locations and characters that tug your heartstrings, The Indigo Heiress grabs hold of the reader and keeps us enthralled from page one until the very last. Laura Frantz pens a fully immersive experience, beginning with the Virginia plantation where Juliet Catesby and her sister Loveday carry out the work necessary to maintain the legacy of their ancestors. Managing the tobacco, indigo, and social responsibilities with grace, the sisters also carry on a secret work that puts many lives in danger. However, Royal Vale, their beloved home, is in an entirely different kind of danger. The kind that sees a marriage of convenience as the only option, amidst the struggles of a Virginia planter on the brink of a revolutionary war. Leith Buchanan, is facing his own struggles. The kind that can hopefully be swept aside with a marriage that will shift the gossip and provide a mother for his twins. There is no time for affection in his life, therefore a marriage of convenience will do. Unfortunately, the Catesby sister he has chosen is less than thrilled with this prospect. Affectations and misunderstandings abound as Juliet and Leith learn to lean on each other through the trials they face.

This is a book best read with tissues at hand. The misunderstandings that build walls between Juliet and Leith, and the wounds that lie beneath the surface, are sometimes heartbreaking. And they are written so well that the reader feels each hurt keenly. But fear not, because the joys are sweet as the sadness is bitter, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - When Stars Light the Sky

The latest release from Elizabeth Camden is a heartrending tale set in the turbulent years preceding America’s entry into World War I as German immigrant Inga Klein finds herself invited to the position of secretary to the American ambassador in Berlin. Her first formidable foe? Chief diplomatic counselor Benedict Kincaid. Her task? Smooth relations between her benefactor and Benedict. With a great sense of humor, an awareness of others’ needs, and more intellect than she credits herself, Inga finds a way to turn Benedict’s world on its ears. But it is the sticky situation of citizenship that knocks them both for a loop. Convincing the kaiser’s people to allow Inga to evacuate with the American contingent takes a lot of acting that has the potential to set Inga and Benedict on an irreversible course. With the demise of political relations and removal of the American representatives from Germany comes consequences of a political and personal sort they must unravel delicately.

In the second book of her Women of Midtown series, Elizabeth Camden sweeps us across the ocean and back on a tide of simmering tensions. We are carried along as nations choose sides, negotiating and hobnobbing to solidify relations personally and politically, pulled deep into the machinations of man when faced with war. Camden’s descriptions allow the reader to sit back and be fully immersed in life with Inga, Ambassador Gerard, Benedict, and the rest of the American contingent in Berlin. It is an achingly beautiful take on opposites attract theme for which I heartily recommend a box of tissues.

When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden, book 2 of her Women of Midtown series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Of Gold And Shadows

Michelle Griep has a new release and it is rich with intrigue. Of Gold and Shadows is the first book in the Time’s Lost Treasures series, a Victorian era adventure involving Egyptologist Ami Dalton and Oxford’s most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price. Ami is accustomed to not belonging; raised by her widowed father, a well respected Egyptologist and Oxford professor, she developed a strong sense of self and a passion for all things Egyptian. In need of an expert, and unable to contract her father for the position, Edmund brings Ami to his country estate to value an extensive collection of artifacts. Intrigue abounds on all levels: mythical, criminal, and personal as Ami’s lesser known exploits surface to interfere with Edmund’s artifacts and someone interferes with Ami and Edmund. With intricate scene setting and relatable characters, Griep pulls us along on a goosebump inducing romp through jolly old England, minds and hearts alert for danger and romance.

Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep, the first in her new Time’s Lost Treasures series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Brave

As a reader of biblical fiction, I have a process that precedes actually reading a new novel. First, I look to the author to determine the original text from which they draw their work. Then I read the original text and sit with it for a time to digest God’s holy word before diving into the novel. I want to hold the fact separate from the fiction, but have grown to love the way the fiction fills in context and points toward God’s truth while helping us consider things we sometimes don’t want to stop to consider. One thing many of us hesitate to ponder for long is the relationship between David ben Jesse, God’s anointed king, and his wives. It makes sense that we do not want to linger on the polygamist relationship of a historical figure we tend to put on a pedestal as the icon of a man after God’s own heart. This is an incredibly sensitive subject to cover, but I have great respect for Mesu Andrews and her approach to it in her latest release, Brave. Because the fact of the matter is that even a man after God’s own heart is still a man. David did have multiple wives. And they are important enough that God inspired man to record them by name in the Old Testament.

Brave is the story of Ahinoam of Jezreel, who is interpreted by Andrews as a Kenite with exceptional dagger throwing skills and who works with her father to forge weapons for David’s ragtag army during the years of running from King Saul. She is spirited, fierce, and loyal. She is also not interested in marriage or being a silly woman, like the mother who abandoned her and her father so many years ago. Yet the Lord works in mysterious ways. In this instance, it is to bring Ahinoam and David together as husband and wife, to forge their relationship as the Lord gives and takes away. Giving and taking provision, giving and taking friendships, giving and taking family. Through it all, they must learn grace and forgiveness. They must learn to praise Him and seek His will. They must learn to keep their focus on Him instead of their human desires. Especially when Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel, also becomes David’s wife.

Andrews is a voracious researcher and I am always fascinated by the context provided in her novels. It is an honor to camp in the wilderness with Ahinoam, feeling the cool walls of the cave at my back, if only in my mind. It is hard to avoid building relationships with the characters she brings to life in text, particularly this strong dagger throwing, God seeking match for the future king. Brave’s narrative switches between Ahinoam’s point of view and David’s, and though I initially thought I just wanted her POV, it did not take long to see that his is essential for greater understanding. Brave is an enlightening read, if not an easy one, and I now wait as patiently as I can for the next installment of the King David’s Brides series.

Brave, book one of the King David’s Brides series from Mesu Andrews, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Shield of the Mighty

Connilynn Cossette recently released the latest installment of her The Kings Men series with Shield of the Mighty. In this story, Zevi battles his past and present to save his future. As a captain in the newly appointed King Saul’s army, Zevi is tasked with recruiting soldiers and artisans and gathering tributes for the king from the one tribe he dreads to face: the one that turned him out as an orphaned child and delivered him into the begrudging hands of relatives who did not want him. And one that wants nothing to do with supporting a Benjamite king. It is in his former hometown that he comes face to face with an artisan who just might be able to save them all in the eyes of King Saul; one who has no love for the king or his recruitment. But without her, their hometown forfeits any hope of protection by the army and will inevitably fall in a horrific way to the unspeakable acts of horror by the Philistines. Zevi cannot allow this to happen. Not to Maresha and not to her.

The incredibly talented and achingly beautiful widow Yochana would rather see King Saul deposed than create perfumes for his wife and daughters. Unfortunately, being captured by the his captain means she will soon end up face to face with the king. As she travels with Zevi and his men, information comes out that gives her a new understanding of what actually happened on the day her husband ran into battle. She also learns valuable information about the hauntingly handsome soldier that changes the way she sees him. When trouble strikes, Zevi and Yochana realize their only hope is in the King of Kings and his vessel just happens to be the Benjamite King Saul.

Cossette is positively brilliant with biblical historical fiction. Her passionate research shows as she crafts a rich world in which we can see the history of God’s people play out in a nearly tangible way. There is not a page when I am not in the setting, smelling the earth and the scents of the various plants Yochana uses in her fragrances and oils. Her characters are my family; the compound at Kiryat-Yearim is a familiar home to me. Complex scene settings, thorough and relatable characters, and intricate plots keep me enthralled from beginning to end. Shield of the Mighty is marked with consistency of her craft and a must-read in my opinion.

The Kings Men series new release Sheild of the Mighty by Connilyn Cossette is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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This is where I usually write a disclaimer, thanking the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. However, this disclaimer is where I thank my beloved husband for fully supporting my purchase of this book. As always, I’m full of opinions, which are my own and are completely honest.