By Arlem Hawks
Published by Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Description:
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 MarieCaroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together in a world that forces people
to choose sides.
Review:
This is a very well-written historical romance. The French Revolution is not my favorite setting for a book, so I was a little apprehensive going into this but with how much I liked Arlem Hawks' previous book, Georgana's Secret, I couldn't pass this up, and I'm glad I didn't. Gilles was such an interesting character to me; his doubts and his concerns and questions just made him so realistic. (I think his questions about his own beliefs will resonate with readers battling with their own political beliefs and how they may agree with certain elements of a political party but not all.) I really enjoyed the ways Caroline challenged his thinking and how they came to understand each other better. The romance was sweet (and sometimes funny), which was a great balance to such a heavy setting. Really well done. 4.5 stars.
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
Advance Praise:
“With each successive encounter, Gilles has with Marie-Caroline...makes him realize that people, like politics,
are full of complexities and nuances. Historical fiction fans will revel in Hawks' (Georgiana's Secret, 2021)
refreshingly different, perfectly evoked period setting that seamlessly captures both the drama and danger of
revolutionary-era France, while romance readers will appreciate the sweet love story the author expertly threads
through the plot.” —BOOKLIST
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/fjr6vMhBn0Y
Purchase links:
No comments:
Post a Comment