About the Book:
1792, France
Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city
in southern France. Gilles Étienne, a clerk at the local soap factory,
thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and
brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the
monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the
beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.
A bourgeoise and
a royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape
the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and
boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really
freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her
beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost
her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend
more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles
and realizes that per-haps they have more in common than she thought.
As
the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and
buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose
between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting
those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for
what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their
lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder
if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together in a world
that forces people to choose sides.
WINNIE'S REVIEW:
Set
in France in 1792 during the French Revolution, this story paints a
vivid picture of the turmoil and the division between the two sides
involved. It was interesting and thought-provoking to learn more about
this slice of history. With obvious careful research and rich historical
detail, the story unfolds to show that things are sometimes not just
black and white.
“Doing what is right is more important than who is right, I think.”
“If
the upholders of liberty only protect liberty for those who think as
they do, can they really call themselves champions of freedom?”
Arlem
Hawks is a master at creating colorful, realistic, and
emotionally-layered characters. Gilles and Marie-Caroline shine as the
courageous main characters, while a stellar cast of supporting
characters add great depth and dimension. I enjoyed seeing the
relationships change and grow throughout the tale.
“Life throws us more things we don’t choose than things we do.”
While
this book started out a little slow for me, mostly due to the
preponderance of names and words in French which I’m not fluent in, once
I got into it my interest was piqued and I greatly enjoyed it. I
appreciated the glossaries of French names and words in the back of the
book. They really helped with pronunciation and understanding. I did
find myself flipping back to the glossaries often, which took me out of
the story a bit.
This story is a perfect blend of a
riveting plot, compelling characters, and a swoony romance, and is sure
to please those who enjoy historical romantic fiction. I’m looking
forward to more books from this author.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing. All opinions are my own. 4.5 stars
Shadow Mountain Publishing, January, 2022
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/fjr6vMhBn0Y
Purchase Links:
Indie Bound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble
“Captivating and engaging to the very end.” —JESSICA M.
“Well-researched and rich in historical detail.” —PATRICIA W.
“This one has it all: history, romance, suspense, intrigue. . . . It does not disappoint.” —JULIA D.
About the Author:
ARLEM HAWKS began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in print journalism, and she lives in Arizona with her husband three children.
For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at chansen@shadowmountain.com
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