Noble the story of Makkah; King David's Brides 2

 

Title: Noble, The story of Makkah

Author: Mesu Andrews

Series: King David's Brides

Genre: Historical, biblical fiction

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher (mail)

Add to: Goodreads

Princess Maakah of Geshur is duty-bound to create a political alliance for her father through marriage. The cancellation by King Saul of her betrothal to his fourth-born son compels Maakah's father to arrange an unexpected marriage to the rebel David ben Jesse, a shepherd-warrior anointed years earlier as Israel's future king. Taken aback by stories of David's fierceness and lowly birth, Maakah considers the match a degrading fate but obeys her father's wishes out of duty as her nation's only heir.

While alliances shift and enemies loom, Maakah navigates the delicate balance between her noble heritage and her growing respect for David's faith and leadership. When David and his army move to Hebron, and he becomes king over Judah, Maakah faces prejudice and suspicion from David's home tribe. In a land torn by war and divided loyalties, she must choose where her allegiance lies: with her people and heritage, or with an extraordinary destiny alongside David that beckons her from within.
Baker Book House || Barnes & Noble || Amazon

My Thoughts

I've been a fan of Mesu Andrews since I read her first book what seems like eons ago. David, given his mistakes, is my favorite biblical hero. With that said, I wasn't a huge fan of Makkah to start with. She's definitely a princess, because at the beginning she's a real brat, but with Mesu Andrew's pen we watch her transform, and that's the real point of the book. Makkah was a worshipper of Baal, and determined to stay away from Yahweh, mainly because her heritage is of the people God is telling David to destroy.

It's hard to understand God's direction when you aren't walking in His ways, but when you see and understand that God is for you and not against you, you are able to give Him control. 

This is an absolutely beautiful book, and I wouldn't expect anything less from Mesu Andrews. She's a fantastic researcher, and makes sure her writing aligns with the Bible. 

There is so many nuggets within this book, and I can't tell you all of them because it would give the story away. The book releases today so go pick up your copy at your favorite retailer! Just don't miss this book!

About Mesu Andrews

MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter and has received numerous accolades for her other novels including Of Fire and Lions, Love Amid the Ashes, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and Miriam. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. 

Many of her faithful readers are members of her launch team—Mesu’s Biblical Fiction Fans (BFFs)—and offer their time and service to promote God’s word through story. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her tribe of grandchildren.

Website || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter  

Brave: The Story of Ahinoam; King David's Brides #1 by Mesu Andrews

 

About the book:

Title: Brave: The Story of Ahinoam; King David's Brides #1

Author: Mesu Andrews

Publisher: Bethany House

Pages: 384

In the tumultuous world of ancient Israel, Ahinoam--a fierce and unconventional Kenite woman--flees her family farm with her dagger-wielding father to join the ragtag band of misfits led by the shepherd-turned-warrior David ben Jesse. As King Saul's treasonous accusations echo through the land, Ahinoam's conviction that David's anointing makes him Yahweh's chosen king propels her on a perilous journey to Moab, only to encounter hardship and betrayal. Amid the unforgiving Judean wilderness, Ahinoam forges an unexpected bond with David's sister, Zeruiah. Through her Kenite metalworking heritage, Ahinoam gains respect among David's army, and the soldiers' wives offer friendship. However, scarred by painful past relationships, Ahinoam isolates to avoid new friendships and refuses to acknowledge her growing feelings for the renegade king. As Ahinoam's heart grapples for footing, King Saul's army closes in, and Ahinoam must confront the true meaning of love, loyalty, and courage. Is she brave enough to love Israel's next king?Bestselling author Mesu Andrews presents a gripping biblical-era series, weaving a narrative of resilience and the transformative power of faith.

Goodreads || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || Baker Book House

My Thoughts:

When I first started reviewing I read Jill Eileen Smith's David's Wives series which starts with Michal so imagine my surprise when I found out there was a wife before Michal named Ahinoam. David is my absolute favorite Bible hero. Every year when I read 1 Kings and he dies I cry.

Mesu Andrews has not only the skill to take biblical history with her creative license and write an amazing story, but she also wraps it in the beautiful word of God.

This story is poignant and shows dedication to family. Ahinoam is one of the bravest women I've read about; her determination is something to be revered. 

Ms. Andrews is a go-to for biblical fiction. I've read everything she has published, to my knowledge. If you enjoy biblical fiction this is a must-read.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Mesu Andrews

MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter and has received numerous accolades for her other novels including Of Fire and Lions, Love Amid the Ashes, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and Miriam. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. 

Many of her faithful readers are members of her launch team—Mesu’s Biblical Fiction Fans (BFFs)—and offer their time and service to promote God’s word through story. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her tribe of grandchildren.

Website || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter  

Daughter of Eden, Eve's Story by Jill Eileen Smith Reviewed

 

About the book:

Title: Daughter of Eden, Eve's Story

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Genre: Inspirational biblical fiction, Historical fiction

The first time she opens her eyes, Eve gazes on One whose beauty nearly blinds her, whose breath is in her lungs. Her Creator takes her hand and gives her to one like her and yet different. Together, she and Adam experience pure joy as they explore Eden. But her favorite moments are when the Creator comes to walk with them, day after day.

Until everything changes. With one act of disobedience, Eve finds that her world is no longer a friendly place. With remorse in her heart, she must face the unknown future--the births, the deaths, the sacrifices, the loss of the one home she has ever known. Perhaps worst of all is the loss of trust, not only with her Creator but with the man who shares her life. How will they ever survive out of Eden?

Bestselling biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith imagines the life of the first woman to ever live, unspooling a story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.

Goodreads || Amazon || Baker Book House

My Thoughts

With each word, Ms. Smith paints a beautiful and painful picture of what life might have been like the moment Eve opened her eyes; as well as the pain from the separation from God. In a lot of ways, biblical fiction is one of my favorite genres because it forces me to go back to the Bible. 

Both the beauty of not only the garden but the beginning of life along with the pain of separation is palpable on the page. I could feel the pain and frustration Eve had as she began to realize what her disobedience cost her. Especially when it came to her children. She wasn't prepared for how one action would cause a landslide of behaviors and emotions not only within her and Adam but their children as well. She waits for the one who will redeem them hoping that with each birth they will be the redeemer. 

As a reader, I so wanted to scream "It won't happen in your lifetime but He will come and redeem us all!"

To my knowledge, I have read every one of Ms. Smith's biblical novels and Bathsheba has held my favorite spot but after reading Daughter of Eden it is clearly my absolute favorite!

Bottom Line: This is an absolutely beautiful story that will make you think, search, and meditate on God's gift of salvation. You must read this!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King and Star of Persia: Esther's Story. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreamsand She Walked Before Us. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

You can learn more about Jill at her website and follow her on the following social media platforms. Facebook || Instagram || Twitter 

Potiphar's Wife by Mesu Andrews Reviewed

 

About the book:

Title: Potiphar's Wife

Author: Mesu Andrews

Genre: Inspirational Biblical Fiction

The drama of the Old Testament comes to life as one of the Bible's most infamous women longs for Joseph, her husband's servant, in this riveting novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah's Legacy. 

Before she is Potiphar's wife, Zuleika is a king's daughter on the isle of Crete, where the sisterhood of women rules in the absence of their seafaring husbands. Now that she's come of age, Zuleika knows she will soon be betrothed. Her father believes his robust trade with Egypt will ensure Pharaoh's obligation to marry his daughter.

But Pharaoh refuses and gives her instead to Potiphar, the captain of his bodyguards--a crusty bachelor twice her age, who would rather have a new horse than a Minoan wife.

Abandoned by her father, rejected by Pharaoh, and humiliated by Potiphar's indifference, Zuleika years for affection. But when her obsession with Joseph, the Hebrew chamberlain with the face and body of the gods, goes terribly wrong, she discovers the truth: Only the God of Joseph can heal her wounded heart.

Order your copy here: Amazon || Audible || Waterbrook Multnomah

About Mesu Andrews

Mesu Andrews is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter and has received numerous accolades for her other novels including Of Fire and Lions, Love Amid the Ashes, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and Miriam. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. 
Many of her faithful readers are members of her launch team—Mesu’s Biblical Fiction Fans (BFFs)—and offer their time and service to promote God’s word through story. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her tribe of grandchildren.
Website || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter  

My Thoughts

Once again Ms. Andrews has created a story rich in biblical history and brought the Egyptian country and customs to life in her new book, Potiphar's Wife. 

When I think about the story of Joseph in Genesis and Potiphar's wife's actions I don't exactly get all warm and fuzzy but Mesu Andrews gave her skin and showed why she may have behaved and why she did.

Zueleika was both frustrating and endearing if that is even possible. Mesu Andrews knows how to make a reader care about characters and become emotionally invested in the story and she accomplished that with this reader.

Within this story are themes of forgiveness, mercy, kindness, and faith. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Isaiah's Legacy (Prophets and Kings #3) by Mesu Andrews Reviewed

About the book:

Title: Isaiah's Legacy
Author: Mesu Andrews
Series: Prophets and Kings BK 3
Publisher: Waterbrook Press

At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle's help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah's five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as her father, she's eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her father's strict adherence to Yahweh's Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and their power.

Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh's chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah's throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry the girl he adores. Assyria's crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward cruelty, beginning Shulle's long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she'd never known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh's mother: Isaiah's daughter, the heartbroken Hephzibah. Amid Judah's dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord's promise, "Though we're helpless now, we're never hopeless--because we serve El Shaddai." Shulle is among them, a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah's legacy. 

Amazon || Goodreads  


About Mesu Andrews

MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter and has received numerous accolades for her other novels including Of Fire and Lions, Love Amid the Ashes, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and Miriam. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. 

Many of her faithful readers are members of her launch team—Mesu’s Biblical Fiction Fans (BFFs)—and offer their time and service to promote God’s word through story. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her tribe of grandchildren.

Website || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter  

My Thoughts:

I've been a fan of Mesu Andrews biblical fiction stories since I read Love Amid the Ashes in 2011.                                                                                                                                  

With her impeccable research Mesu Andrews brings the scripture to life. So much so you can feel the emotions and see the setting as if you were sitting in Judah watching everything take place.

As with all biblical fiction I walk away learning something. I didn’t know much about Manasseh prior to reading this book. I liked that Ms. Andrews took creative license with Manasseh giving him autism. It added a unique twist.

This book is a definite must read for all biblical fiction fans!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

King's Shadow; The Silent Years - A Novel of King Herod's Court

About the book:

Title: King's Shadow
Series: The Silent Years BK 4
Author: Angela Hunt
Publisher: Bethany House

Two women occupy a place in Herod's court. The first, Salome, is the king's only sister, a resentful woman who has been told she is from an inferior race, a people God will never accept or approve.
The second woman, Zara, is a lowly handmaid who serves Salome, but where Salome spies conspiracies and treachery, Zara sees hurting people in need of understanding and compassion.
Powerful and powerless, Idumean and Jew, selfish and selfless--both women struggle to reach their goals and survive in Herod the Great's tumultuous court, where no one is trustworthy and no one is safe.

Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Christian Books || 

About Angela Hunt:

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who expect the unexpected in novels. With over five million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 140 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.

Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards–one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.

Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.

Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, chickens, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.

Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2019.

Also in 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree. She completed her doctorate in biblical studies in 2008 and her Th.D. in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs and chickens, of course.  She is also an avid photographer, using her photos to help find homes for animals at local rescues.

Website || Facebook || Twitter ||


My Thoughts:

I found this book hard to follow and somewhat confusing. Salome's POV was hard to follow but I enjoyed Zara's. Probably because Zara is a little girl when the story begins. And I could see her playing with her clay doll.

Ms. Hunt does a great job with the setting of both Herod's court and the battle waging in Jerusalem. It's quite a contrast between the royalty of King Herod's court and the battling struggle of Jerusalem.

While I didn't connect with this particular story doesn't mean it's not a recommendable one.

Biblical fiction is one of my absolutely favorite genre's because I always walk away learning something I didn't know. I knew there was 400 years of silence between God and His people until Jesus is born. I just didn't realize how silent it was. Ms. Hunt shows this perfectly! I kept hoping God would make His presence known because the chaos was overwhelming.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cover Reveal . . . Star of Persia by Jill Eileen Smith

I love cover reveals! For me the cover of a book is like the icing on the cake. I get excited to see what a group of artist's come up with to help tell the story the author wrote.

Today I'm going to help reveal the cover of Jill Eileen Smith's upcoming release The Star of Persia.

About Jill Eileen Smith.

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David, the Wives of the Patriarchs, the Daughters of the Promised Land, the Loves of King Solomon series, The Heart of a King, and the nonfiction When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat, Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Website || Facebook || Twitter || E-mail 

Sign up for her newsletter by clicking the graphic.

Book Synopsis:

In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast. When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is sure he has a second chance at happiness. 

In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes's wives is vying for position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther's adoptive father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position: risk her life or consign her people to annihilation.

With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia.

Amazon || Goodreads

Jill Eileen Smith's Wives of David series was my introduction to biblical fiction and I've been hooked ever since! And this sounds amazing! Esther is my favorite story in the Bible with a woman as the heroine. 

And isn't that cover just UH-MAZING?!?!?!?!?!!!!!! 

Go to Ms. Smith's website to see the cover in 3D, HERE!

The Heart of a King; The Loves of Solomon by Jill Eileen Smith Reviewed

About the book:

Title: The Heart of a King; The Loves of King Solomon
Author: Jill Eileen Smith
Publisher: Revell

King Solomon was wealthy and wise beyond measure. He could--and did--have anything he wanted, including many women from many lands. But for all his wisdom, did he or the women in his life ever find what they searched for all of their lives?
In this engrossing novel, you'll find yourself whisked away to ancient Israel, where you'll meet Solomon and four of the women he loved: Naamah the desert princess, Abishag the shepherdess, Siti the daughter of a pharaoh, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba. As you experience the world of Solomon through his eyes and the eyes of these women, you'll ask yourself the ultimate question: Did Solomon's wisdom ultimately benefit him and those he loved . . . or did it betray them?

Purchase a copy HERE!

About Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Daughters of the Promised Land, the Wives of the Patriarchs, and the Loves of King Solomon series. 

Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Website|| Facebook|| Twitter|| Instagram 

My Thoughts:

King Solomon and his world comes to life in the pages of Ms. Smith's new release The Heart of a King; The Loves of King Solomon. 

While it is believed that he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Could you even imagine that? My husband says keeping one happy is hard enough. *wink* 

In this novel Jill Eileen Smith focuses on Naamah a desert princess from Ammon, Abishag who was king David's care giver at the end of his life who Solomon inherited after David's death and was Solomon's brother, Adonijah's downfall, Siti the Egyptian princess, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba.

Both king David and Bathsheba make cameo appearances which I enjoyed! I loved the Wives of David series so I was thrilled to see them again.

Within the four hundred plus pages of this beautiful, well crafted novel Ms. Smith brings the time, place, and people to life. I felt as though I had been taken back in time to Jerusalem. The detail she put on the page brought the building of the temple to life beautifully with reverence.

Out of the four wives this book concentrates on Abishag and Nicaula are my favorites. I believe he loved all four of the wives featured but I choose to believe the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon were written because of his deep love and connection with these four. Ms. Smith weaves scriptures from Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon in the story, which was a nice treat.

My heart broke for Solomon. He had wealth beyond measure, wisdom from God, enough wives and children to keep him occupied every hour of everyday. And while God said he would be the king of peace for Israel, he really had no peace. He was trying to be wise and peaceful in his own strength not relying on the strength and wisdom of the One who bestowed the gift. 

Just like Solomon, I do that too. I know in my head God is in complete control and will do what he says he will. I just have to let Him handle it but in my humanness I think I know better so I attempt to handle it in my own strength and make a complete mess of things.

Jill Eileen Smith has been a favorite author of biblical fiction since I read Michal in 2009. She not only brings the biblical world to life she weaves spiritual truths that grab at your heart and make you sit and ponder. 

I highly recommend this book! It is a must read!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher in association with Jill Eileen Smith's street team. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

By The Waters of Babylon (Psalm #2)

About the book:

Title: By The Waters of Babylon
Author: Mesu Andrews
Publisher: McPherson Publishing

When Babylon destroys Jerusalem, as Yahweh warned through his prophets, the captives' bitterness and grief pours out in the Captives' Psalm:
"[By the rivers of Babylon] we sat as exiles, mourning our captivity, and wept with great love for Zion. Our music and mirth were no longer heard, only sadness. We hung up our harps on the willow trees." (Psalm 137:1-2, The Passion Translation)
A young Israelite woman is among them, captured by a mercenary Scythian prince. Driven toward Babylon by both hatred and hope, she endures captivity to reunite with her husband.
But will he be there when she reaches Babylon? Will the prince risk the Scythian throne--and his life--to believe in the Hebrew God? Can they both find what they seek when they meet the prophet Ezekial. . . by the rivers of Babylon?

Amazon || Barnes and Noble || 

About Mesu Andrews:

Mesu grew up with a variegated Christian heritage. With grandparents from the Pilgrim Holiness, Nazarene, and Wesleyan Churches, her dad was a Quaker and mom charismatic. As you might imagine, God was a central figure in most family discussions, but theology was a battlefield and Scripture the weapon. As a rebellious teenager, Mesu rejected God and His Word, but discovered Jesus as a life-transforming Savior through the changed life of an old friend.

The desire for God's Word exploded with her new commitment, but devotional time was scarce due to the demands of a young wife and mother. So Mesu scoured the only two theology books available--children's Bible stories and her Bible. The stories she read to her daughters at night pointed her to the Bible passages she studied all day. She became an avid student of God's Word, searching historical and cultural settings as well as ancient texts and original languages. 

Mesu and her husband Roy have raised those two daughters and now enjoy a tribe of grandkids, who get to hear those same Bible stories. Mesu's love for God's Word has never waned. She now writes biblical novels, rich with spiritual insight learned through fascinating discoveries in deep historical research.

Mesu writes in their log cabin tucked away in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. Her best friend is an American Staffordshire Terrier named Zeke, who keeps her company on long writing days. Zeke also enjoys watching movies, long walks in the woods, and sitting by the fireplace on rainy days.

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || 

My Thoughts:

As par for the course with a biblical story from Mesu Andrews I learn something that I didn't know. I can't tell you how many times I've read Psalm 137 yet I had no idea that the background of this Psalm has to do with the Babylon captivity after the fall of Jerusalem. This is the time period where Nebuchadnezzar rules and wreaks havoc on the Jewish people. Mind you they wouldn't have been in this vulnerable situation if they had not disobeyed God and intermarried people who worshiped pagan gods. I became immediately connected Merari and Idan's story. 

My Bottom Line:

Using her skill as a novelist Mesu Andrews takes biblical fact and weaves a story that touches your heart, makes you think, and most of all teaches you. You will recognize names like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In this novella, Ms. Andrews packs tons of emotions, and knowledge into this 200 page novella. I loved how Ms. Andrews placed scripture at the beginning of each chapter, that really added to the overall feel of the story. My heart and mind are still processing everything I read in this book, and I know I will re-read it because I probably missed a few things.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story (Daughter's of the Promised Land #4)

About the book:

Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren.
Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children. Disgraced and taunted by her husband's new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered. Do her devotion and kindness in the face of Peninnah's cruelty count for nothing? Why does God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas?
Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.

Amazon || Barnes and Noble || CBD || Audible

About Jill Eileen Smith:

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Daughters of the Promised Land, the Wives of the Patriarchs, and the Loves of King Solomon series. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

My Thoughts:

Hannah's story in the Bible is just a sliver. Ms. Smith takes that sliver and crafts a beautiful story that is filled with hope, faith, perseverance, and trusting God, even when everything is bleak and dark.

Ms. Smith writes with such emotion that I could actually feel the pain from Elkanah's mother's jeers and then Peninnah's insults. My heart ached for Hannah, and I desperately wanted her to have a child so they'd leave her alone.

My Bottom Line:

The book is beautiful, and captivating. It moves along at a nice pace without lagging. The characters are well rounded with flaws, and are human struggling to trust God in the darkest of times. 

One of the things I love about Ms. Smith's stories, is while they are based on biblical truth her storytelling encourages you to read the biblical account.

I highly recommend this story.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.