A Refuge Assured By: Jocelyn Green Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Bethany House Publication Year: 2017 Series: Stand Alone My Rating: 4 of 5 stars Synopsis:
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 Quarter, 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. ~Taken from Jocelyn Green's website: http://www.jocelyngreen.com/books/fiction/a-refuge-assured My Thoughts: This is the second book I have read by Jocelyn and it did not disappoint. *Quick shout out* If you have not read The Mark of the King (also by Jocelyn Green), then I highly recommend that one as well! This book was suggested by another one of my sister-in-laws (I have 4!). She loved this book so much so that almost every time we talked about books she would tell me to read this one. So, I finally took her advice and read it. Jocelyn packed a lot into this novel. Where most stories are over a few months, this one spanned over a year, but if you add in the prologue and epilogue, it spans 10 years! But you don't even notice. Sometimes books can get bogged down with such broad timelines, but not this one. It kept pace throughout. Vivienne is a hardworking young lady who doesn't take handouts. Even though she made lace in France, she is willing to learn a new trade upon arriving in America. She doesn't lament what has happened to her, just what has befallen her country. She doesn't hide herself in a room, but braves the new country she is in and not only finds a job to support herself, but also a little boy who is left in her care. Liam is a hard working patriot who sees freedom in owning his own land. He quickly takes a liking to Vivienne and is quick to help her at different points throughout the story. As he participated in the American revolution, he and Vivienne clash over their views of revolution and what is right. I really enjoyed reading their story and how their friendship slowly turned into something more. Jocelyn weaves a bit of mystery through her story by hinting the young boy in Vivienne's care could be the Dauphin of France. This intrigue keeps you on your toes throughout the story and you aren't really sure of his true identity until the end. This book had a little bit of everything. It has history, suspense, romance. I really enjoyed the story as it followed Vivienne through her experiences. I love history and had never considered some people escaped from France and to America. I also found it very interesting that they started a colony away from the city in the middle of nowhere for the royal family. Recommend? French Revolution, the start of the United States, a bit of romance and intrigue, how could one say no? Clean romance, a bit of intrigue and a story full of detail. I recommend this book to any post-revolutionary war/French revolution-loving reader. Also, if you want another book by Jocelyn Green, I recommend The Mark of the King. (Though, as it has some unsuitable content in the beginning for younger readers, I would suggest an older reading audience.) Have you read this book or any others by Jocelyn Green? Let me know what you thought! Cheers, Rebecca
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Welcome!My name is Rebecca and this blog is dedicated to my thoughts and opinions of the books I read. I hope you enjoy reading through my reviews. And hopefully you will find a good one to get lost in! Archives
November 2019
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