Publication Date: 04/03/2014
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Imprint: Revell Books
Genre: Christian/Inspirational Fiction
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 0800720903
ISBN-13: 978-0800720902
(Received for an honest review from Revell Books)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, ChristianBook, Indiebound
Ruth Axtell on the WEB: website, blog, goodreads
Excerpt from, A Heart's Rebellion, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.
Synopsis:
Dutiful Jessamine Barry is tired of waiting patiently for a man to decide her future. So even though Lancelot Marfleet, second son of an aristocrat, is taking an interest in her during the London season, she refuses to consider him as a suitor. Instead, she's ready to take fashionable society by storm--and finds a rakish young man all too willing to help her do it. When things go too far, Jessamine will learn that the man who is faithful through thick and thin is more worthy than the one who speaks pretty words. But will her disgrace keep Lance from reconsidering her as a wife? And when tragedy strikes and Lance becomes his father's heir and a titled gentleman, will he think she only wants him now because of his title?
Fans old and new will love this lush Regency London story of discovering one's true self and finding one's true love.
Thoughts:
Ruth Axtell brings readers the story of a young woman who wants to be center of attention. After being passed over for a woman who could turn the heads of men, Jessamine is determined she can do the same. And as one would expect it gets her into trouble. This is a Christian/Inspirational set in the Regency historical period. Readers who are fans of Regency novels will find everything they are looking for in this novel and some added bonuses that might surprise them. Axtell writes a beautiful tale of love and forgiveness that readers won't soon forget.
What I liked:
This was an interesting book for me. Most of the Christian historicals I tend to read are set in the West or have a Biblical fiction slant. Ruth Axtell sets her book in England's Regency period and I found it refreshingly different from my own norm. I love Regency novels for all of their pageantry and excess. It was a time when reputation meant everything and the roles of women were very exact. I thought Axtell did a great job of bringing that world to life for the reader and giving it a Christian slant was an added bonus.
Jessamine came across to me as a bit spoiled and very naive. I felt like as a character she thought she had it all figured out and she learned a very hard lesson about assuming you understand the rules of the game. She wanted the attention but not what was expected from that attention. I liked the way that Axtell shows Jessamine's growth throughout the book. I felt like she learned so much about herself and how the world worked during that time period, as well as, a lot about God's forgiveness and making lasting changes in her life. She turned out to be a good character.
Lancelot was wondeful from start to finish. He was a man of God, who wanted nothing more than to preach and teach God's word. But he was also a member of a family who had a lot of expectations of him. He is torn between what he should do and what he wants to do and finding the right way to go about it made for an interesting journey. I loved the fact that he agreed to marry, but he wouldn't settle for just anyone. Love mattered, even during the Regency period when matches were made for land and advantage and not because it was what the heart wanted.
I liked the way Axtell told her story and weaved in her Godly message, without overwhelming the reader. It was very organic and felt like it was a part of the story and not put in for effect or to try to make the reader feel something. It made for an easy read that felt light despite it's underlying messages. Another good read.
Available March 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I'm giving the one 4 out 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
No comments:
Post a Comment