Friday, April 15, 2016

Land of Silence (By: Tessa Afshar)

Land of Silence

By: Tessa Afshar


Tessa Afshar is one of the best at Biblical, historical fiction! She's at it again, this time telling the story of the woman who bled for 12 years. Little is known about her, except she was considered "unclean," and therefore an outcast, from this bleeding disease. Her faith is rewarded by Jesus and she is healed simply by touching the hem of his garment, as told in three of the four gospels in the Bible. Jesus actually thought it significant enough to stop what he was doing to pay attention to her extraordinary faith.

Storyline
Tessa Afshar tells this woman's (fictional) story in Land of Silence, and as usual, does an amazing job weaving real people, fiction and history together. Her writing flows and engages the reader right from the beginning, with well-developed characters and deep, realistic storylines. 

The woman's name is Elianna: a young Jewish maiden in a happy family and betrothed to a man she has loved all her life. But in an instant, her family's lives are devastated, and thus begins a season of (seemingly) never ending loss and heartache. When her life is finally stripped down to almost nothing, it is only then that she begins to experience who God really is. Can she trust God to be all he says he is? And what about this new prophet, Jesus, everyone is talking about? Rumors are he heals the sick and the lame. Could he actually be the long awaited Messiah? What's more... could he really be the answer she has needed all along?

Depth
As in all Tessa's books, she never shies away from exploring the deep, soul wrenching realities of life. Issues of guilt, bitterness, grief, sorrow and betrayal are all shaken to the core. This story dives pretty low into despair and heartache, but surfaces with satisfaction into redemption, forgiveness and hope.


Faith
It's a rare thing for these two chicks to give a five star rating for the faith category! In this book, God is most definitely a main character. The Jews follow the old law to the best of their abilities, and Tessa takes great care to respect it and show the need for a Savior all at the same time. A wise Pharisee (who in real life secretly became a follower of Jesus) says that we do not understand who God really is in our times of happiness, but rather in our times of suffering and sickness. He prays for Elianna, but advises her that even if she is not healed physically, her heart can begin mending and her soul can begin preparing for the plans God has yet to unfold in her life. 

Tessa's vast knowledge and understanding of Jewish and Christian history blows us away with each of her books we open!


Squeal Factor
Elianna has loved Ethan her whole life and assumes she probably always will. They share a few tender scenes, but mostly we are just witness to their traditional - albeit, unpredictable - betrothal.


Overall

If you are looking for a deep, faith-filled read, this book is for you! Tessa's excellence as a historical fiction writer, based on true accounts, is supreme. We would have loved to give this read a five star, but we felt the first half of the book was a little too drawn out. However, like usual, Tessa ties everything together beautifully at the end and makes this a solid, wonderful read.


Find it on Amazon: Land of Silence



Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review 

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Reluctant Duchess (By: Roseanna M. White)

The Reluctant Duchess

By: Roseanna M. White

Storyline 
Once again, author Roseanna introduces many characters, but as you get them all down you will find yourself swept up in this new storyline! Lady Rowena Kinnaird is heiress to a Highland earldom, but wants nothing to do with her current situation or title. Formerly smart and confident, she is now but a shell of who she used to be. After she suffers a dreadful attack, Rowena will now do what she must to flee her home in Scotland - even if it means starting over where she won't fit in. 

Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has always been a notorious, flirty bachelor, happily remaining single. But when he is confronted with a lady in a desperate situation, he follows his instinct to rescue her. On top of this, Brice is now in possession of the fire eyes - the cursed jewels from book one. Rowena is trying to escape threats from her homeland, only to find out she is now mixed up with Brice and the danger the jewels bring with them. Can these two strangers learn to trust, love and respect one another? Will the past and present dangers bring them together or tear them apart?


Depth 
This book does captures that real life can be messy, painful and even hopeless at times. Author Roseanna does not offer quick fixes, but takes the characters on journeys they must travel, even if painful. Rowena, especially, has been dealt some very hard blows in life and a simple change of scenery does not allow her to outrun the past. She has a lot to learn but allows the Lord to free her from the hurt and pain. The depth of human emotion and consequences for actions make up a large part of the story, bringing it deeper than a lighthearted read.

Faith 
Brice's faith is inspiring and vibrant. He continually seeks the Lord about everything, and acts on what he feels the Lord puts on his heart. It is rarely easy, but he stands firm. Rowena, coming from Scotland, has a much different background and has struggled with the balance between good and evil, light and darkness. Curses and superstitions are a part of her ancestral history, so she fears the present evil in this world. She learns that the Lord is the LIGHT, and can be relied upon to conquer evil. Characters learn that often times, trials are what lead us to the place the Lord wants us.


Squeal Factor 
This book teaches us about real love - not easy, but always worth it. Brice and Rowena learn that love must be a choice, rooted deeply in the Lord and cannot be based solely on feelings and emotions. Roseanna did a phenomenal job with Brice and his willingness to love beyond what he is capable of - he chooses to rely on the Lord for that strength. This portrayal of love was inspiring and was one of our favorite components in the book.

Overall 
This second installment in the series is well written and will continue in the next book! Readers will stay engaged as the story unfolds. Mystery, danger, drama and romance fill the pages wonderfully! The only drawback to our overall rating is that fact that these two chicks had a hard time connecting with and relating to Rowena until the end. However, we eagerly await book three to wrap up some of the story we have grown attached to.


Find it on Amazon: The Reluctant Duchess

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review