The only thing I felt was a strong hand around my neck, another around my waist, and — before I could cry out — I smelled the thick, sweet scent of a mandrake-soaked cloth. Unforgiving hands clapped it against my face, and all went dark.

Alais, the king of France’s sister, is abducted while on her mission for the wily Eleanor of Aquitaine, the former Queen of England, to retrieve hidden letters that, in the wrong hands, could bring down the English king. In exchange, the French princess was to receive long-heldand dangerous information. Now Alais, along with help from the very intriguing leader of the Knights Templar, must unravel a tangled web of family secrets and lies.

I love historical and I love mystery within them, however this was not my favorite book. The plot was a bit convoluted to me and I did not like the writing style. Now even though I did not like the style itself the words were well written. I just think the plot needed some more rounding out so you could feel more involved with it. Personally I also think there needed to be a bit more character development to make you enjoy Alais a bit more. Not a bad book just not the best one for me.

My Gemstone Rating:

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he’s forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he’s haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind–a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna’s outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

Okay friends who know me..get laughing at the title of this one out of your system.

Now onto the review. Bethany house seems to have a habit in of being the one with..missing F’s and some various other letters in the books with the Early copies. Again another one I happily got from Net Galley which I am happy for but gah it is hard to read the word coffee over and over again without the f’s. Hopefully it has been corrected in the final copy.

Jo and her family are the kind I can see myself sitting around with and enjoying some good laughs. They are hard working ranchers, although Jo’s Dad and her adopted Uncles were once outlaws. They however were not the kind that ever harmed anyone and only took enough to survive and for the last 16 years have been reformed, except when Silas steals Crockett Archer off a train for his Daughters birthday. Yes I personally laughed at that as well.

Crockett ends up forgiving his kidnappers and because what happened to him basically lost him the job he was going after takes up preaching in the small local church that Jo was so desperately trying to find a preacher for. It seems a little bit idealistic but it fits with the character we learn about Crockett and brings the whole story together. This was a good read with enjoyable characters that I am going to remember for a while.

My Gemstone Rating: