Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander, the first full novel of the Carnton series, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: With This Pledge
Series: Carnton, Book 1  
Author: Tamera Alexander  
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 8, 2019  
Genre: Historical Romance  

History takes on vivid life in the stunning first full-length installment of USA TODAY bestselling Tamera Alexander’s new series, The Carnton Novels.  

What can a woman—a mere governess—do against the scourge of slavery?

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clouston’s quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause—but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home where she is governess is converted into a Confederate field hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.

As a young soldier lies dying in Lizzie’s arms, she vows to relay his final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy’s first name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland Ward Jones extracts a different promise from Lizzie: that she intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.

Lizzie is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers’ respect as she tends to the wounded within Carnton’s walls. None is more admiring than Captain Jones, who doesn’t realize she is pledged to another. But as Lizzie’s heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers that his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love, principles, and promises made, she struggles to be true to her heart while standing for what she knows is right—no matter the cost.

From the pages of history and the personal accounts of those who endured the Battle of Franklin, Tamera Alexander weaves the real-life love letters between Captain Roland Ward Jones and Miss Elizabeth Clouston into a story of unlikely romance first kindled amid the shadows of war.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository



MY THOUGHTS

With This Pledge is a masterpiece – a literary work of art that, like an intricate painting, engages your senses as you discover more and more through its complexity, and it forever lingers in your thoughts. Through what must have been exhaustive research, Tamera Alexander has fleshed out real-life events and characters into a novel that entertains, resonates with the reader, and challenges your thinking. With This Pledge ranks among the most moving of Alexander’s novels and is the first to go on this year’s “best of the best” list.

Odd how war had a way of leveling life. Of making

what once seemed so important – not quite so significant.

And in turn, it made what truly mattered – people,

taking care of one another, life – of utmost urgency.

Set in Franklin, Tennessee, With This Pledge is a story of hope in the midst of tragedy, multilayered in both characters and plot. Viewing a devastating battle in the distance from the balcony of the plantation where she works as governess, Lizzie is drawn into the harsh aftermath of war as the home becomes a hospital. The atmosphere of tragedy, grief and loss is palpable – as is that of strength, courage and sacrifice. Through Alexander’s exquisite writing, the romance of Roland and Lizzie is a touching bright spot in the midst of turmoil.

In a war where North and South both believed God was on their side, where atrocities were committed on both sides, Alexander’s writing challenges conventional thinking about the morality of slavery and leaves readers with much to reflect upon. And so relevant for us today is the fact that believing in God doesn’t prevent asking the timeless question of Where is God in the midst of all this?

Very highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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EXCERPT

Head HERE for an exclusive excerpt!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded and nominated for numerous industry-leading honors, including the Christy Award (two-time winner, seven-time finalist), the RITA Award (two-time winner, four-time finalist), the Carol Award, the Maggie Award, the Booksellers Best Award, and Library Journal's top distinction, among others. 

After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband now reside in Nashville, Tennessee, where they live a short distance from Belmont Mansion and Belle Meade Plantation, the setting of Tamera’s two USA Today bestselling Southern series.  

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win a release copy of With This Pledge + $10 Amazon Gift Card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 14, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm January 28, 2019. US only for a print copy of the book. International winners will receive an ebook. Gift card prize will be issued as an e-gift card. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Review: My Daughter's Legacy

My Daughter’s Legacy
By Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould
Cousins of the Dove #3
Harvest House, 2017


Summary

A thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God's leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last

Virginia, 1864

Therese Jennings cannot abide the thought of owning slaves. When her widowed mother inherits a plantation, Therese flees to Civil War Richmond, where she works as a governess by day and tends to wounded soldiers at night. But when trouble befalls her family, can she reconcile her obligations with her beliefs? And will love-whether with an old beau or a handsome new suitor-ever fit in her broken world?

Virginia, present day

Nicole Talbot's life is back on track after years of substance abuse. Home from college for the summer, she's finally ready to share a shocking secret, one that raises new questions about a traumatic childhood experience. But when facts she uncovers cast doubt on her family's legacy, she must risk all that she's gained-her fresh start, her family's trust, and her growing relationship with a new man-to unlock the secrets of the past.

Learn more and purchase a copy.


My thoughts

Kudos to the writing team of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould for crafting an engrossing novel that speaks with one voice. In My Daughter’s Legacy you get war, romance, mystery and murder, literally a story in which to immerse yourself. The mystery theme has evolved through each of the previous two books, but sufficient background is given so that this one can stand alone. I’m a newcomer to the series, eager to read the previous stories, but thoroughly satisfied with this concluding novel.

Virginia 1864 and present day … The pacing of these dual timelines was perfect because several chapters are spent with each character’s story, and both stories were intriguing in their own way. Therese’s story was filled with conflict around slavery and contained interesting details of the final year of the war; Nicole’s was about a 22-year-old cold case and mental healing. The blend between historical and modern-day Talbot family was seamless, one of the best I’ve ever seen. I really don’t know how two authors crafted such a well-blended story.

With dual timelines, I’m usually more invested in one story over the other, but not so in this instance. There’s sweet romance, but it’s not the main focus – and that’s exactly how it should be. Therese and Nicole are connected by an invisible thread of convictions, courage, and faith … and of living by faith instead of being cowered by fear.

As the title indicates, legacy is a major theme. Thinking of Therese and Nicole as I turn the last page, I immediately recall the lyrics of a song made popular by Steve Green many years ago …

May all who come behind us find us faithful.

Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/ClarkGould

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Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction, with over a million copies sold. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania.

Website │ Facebook │ Pinterest

Leslie Gould, a former magazine editor, is the author of numerous novels, including "Beyond the Blue" and "Garden of Dreams." She received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children.

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Review: Pursuing Gold

Pursuing Gold
By Cynthia L. Simmons
Elk Lake, 2016


Summary

With his father dead and his business partner incapacitated, Peter Chandler inherits the leadership of a bank in economic crisis.

With only a newly-minted college degree and little experience, Peter joins his partner's daughter, Mary Beth Roper, in a struggle to keep C&R Bank afloat while the Civil War rages around Chattanooga. Political pressure for unsecured loans of gold to the government stirs up trouble as tempers and prices rise. Their problems multiply when Mary Beth discovers counterfeit money with Peter's forged signature. Can they find the forger before the bank fails? The two friends must pursue gold on behalf of their business, as they learn to pursue their heavenly Father to find hope and peace.


My thoughts

Pursuing Gold is an unusual and interesting Civil War novel, one that looks at the war through the lens of the financial industry rather than the battlefield. Its approach is serious and informative as it weaves elements of mystery, family relationships, and romance throughout. Historical detail is the novel’s strength and I found that aspect intriguing, as well as the Chattanooga, Tennessee setting.

Peter and Mary Beth are likeable, intelligent characters who struggle daily in a world where greed and desire for power strive to make them stumble. The C&R Bank becomes Peter’s responsibility after his father’s death, and there are those who seek to undermine him. I loved Mary Beth’s relationship with and care for her father, whose health is failing.

The story is written in short chapters, broken up into various times of day and character voices. I found this format easy to follow, although the narrative doesn’t flow as smoothly as I’m used to. My favorite characters are Peter and Mary Beth’s father, who were well developed, but I would have liked more depth with Mary Beth.

I enjoyed Pursuing Gold for all the historical detail and think it is a story fans of Civil War history would enjoy.

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Cynthia L Simmons and her husband, Ray, have five children and reside in Atlanta. She has taught for over thirty years as a homeschool mother and Bible teacher. She's a columnist for Leading Hearts Magazine and she directs Atlanta Christian Writing Conference. Cyndi has a heart for encouraging women in today's crazy, upside-down world. She loves history and peppers her speaking and teaching with fascinating vignettes from the past. Her first book, Struggles and Triumphs, was nominated for 2008 Georgia Author of the Year. She co-founded Homeschool Answers and hosts Heart of the Matter Radio.

Website | Twitter

I was provided a free copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/csimmons

Review: Carolina Gold

Carolina Gold
By Dorothy Love
Thomas Nelson, 2013


Summary

The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte's struggle has just begun.
 
Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold. But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.
 
To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt. Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.


My thoughts

Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love is an interesting book from a historical perspective first of all. Dorothy drew inspiration from a collection of pieces that a female rice farmer named Elizabeth Allston Pringle wrote for the New York Sun in the years following the Civil War. This is the first book I've read that took place during the Reconstruction years, and Dorothy's extensive research is evident as she fleshes out this young woman's struggle to restore her ruined family plantation in the character of Charlotte Fraser.
 
Charlotte is a compelling character, easy to admire for her determination, courage, and ability to adapt to a difficult situation in spite of negativity from people like her cousin:  "Anyone who tries to grow rice is a fool . . . wasting your beauty and youth on some vanished dream." I especially liked her compassion toward Daniel Graves, a young boy on his own and eager to learn. Nicholas Betancourt is an interesting character and good match for Charlotte, but he was absent for much of the book and therefore hard for me to connect with, much less feel the chemistry between them.

Waccamaw River

The outstanding part is Dorothy's depiction of people, places and events in South Carolina's Lowcountry, as well as the reality of a changed South where the old way of doing things is no more. "No one realized that the future under Yankee occupation would become a tragedy all its own." Reconstruction brought destruction of property, former slaves wrestled with the implications of freedom, and masters found themselves impoverished and facing an uncertain future. As a fan of southern fiction, I enjoyed hauntingly beautiful scenes like the Waccamaw River, cypress swamps, Pawley's Island, and once glorious plantations, all vividly drawn.
 
There's not a lot of action in this story, but its rich historical detail and glimpse into the South's struggles and a real woman's courage make it enjoyable. Carolina Gold is an eye-opener into a difficult period in southern history and a story that historical fans will enjoy. Recommended.

 

Dorothy Love

"Spiritual restoration often comes when we are able to move from desperation to delight, from fear to faith," shares Dorothy. "Charlotte hopes to restore her land and her way of life somehow, but her journey teaches her that the truer meaning of restoration lies in the acceptance of circumstances that can't be changed---taking joy not in what we long for, but in what has been provided for us."

 

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        A former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee.
        After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.
        When she isn't busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

Visit Dorothy's website at Dorothylovebooks.com or the Litfuse Blog Tour to learn more.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.