The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn review

Title:  The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

Author: Lori Benton 

Pages:400

Genre: Christian Historical fiction, Christian Historical Romance 

Rating: 5 star 

Publisher:  5 stars 

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is the third book by Lori Benton that I have read, and I have to say that it is my favorite that I've read.  Tamsen is a woman whos determined to save herself but she also knows when she needs help though it is hard for her to ask for help.   Jesse Bird is by far one of my new favorite historical fiction heroes. Lori Benton even pens one of my favorite lines from a book to describe him ”A knight in greasy buckskin" and I have to say it suits him.   He's a man who doesn't know his past he was captured by the Shawnee as a child adopted, and then lost his Shawnee home and has since been raised by Cade a half Delaware half white man. But there's more to that relationship than Jesse knows. 

I was hooked from the first sentence of the audiobook of the book. I wanted to find out what happened but on the same note, I didn't want the book to end.   I loved the North Carolina setting especially the mountains.  As well as the brief trek into what would eventually become modern-day Tennessee.

I look forward to catching up on the rest of Lori's books but I don't think any others will top this one.

I recommend this book to fans of Christian Historical Fiction and Christian Historical romance. As well to fans of Laura Frantz's Courting Morrow Little. 

Review of Burning Sky

Title:  Burning Sky 

Author: Lori Benton 

Pages: 416

Genre: Christian Historical fiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Waterbrook

Burning Sky is the second book that I've read by Lori Benton that I've read and it is her first book.  Willa Obenchian who was renamed Burning Sky when she was abducted by the Mohawk has returned to the New York Frontier that she called home before she was kidnapped. Along the way, she rescues Neil MacGregor and his dog.  However, not everyone is happy that Willa has come back from the dead so to speak.  Many of her former friends see her as ruined goods from her time among the Mohawk.  Others still want her father's land and will go to any means to get it.

I enjoyed this one but I didn't like it as much as I did the first book that I read, but I did like the fact that she wrote about the Mohawk and other Natives in a truthful and respectable way.  Not many historical fiction writers do that.  They seem to want to make the Natives the villain of the story from the get-go even if actual history wasn't that black and white. There were a lot of gray areas. History can't be tied up in a neat little bow even if we would want it to.  

Most readers might think that there's a slight love triangle in the novel, but to me, there wasn't one at least not from Willa's point of view. 

I look forward to reading other books by this author. 

Review of The King's Mercy

Title:  The King’s Mercy          

Author: : Lori Benton

Chapters: 45 plus epilogue

Pages: 388

Genre: Historical fiction

Rating: 4 stars

The King's Mercy is the first book by Lori Benton that I've read. The description of a Scotsman exiled to the colony of North Carolina as an indentured after the battle of Culloden and the failed Jacobite rising drew me in for many reasons. I'm a sucker for books about 18th century highlands (thanks in part to Outlander and Laura Frantz' most recent book) and colonial America.  As well as going through Outlander withdraws and not ready to start book six yet because its massive. Plus, the story of exiled highlands parallels how part of my family made it to the new world.  I jumped at the chance to be part of the launch for this book.  And I was not disappointed. 

This is my first Lori Benton book and it won’t be my last. I’ve always be a sucker for historical fiction. What made me love this one even more was the strong faith of the heroine and a flaw hero who has to learn that there is mercy even greater than an earthly king’s mercy. But the fact that the author wrote the Cherokees in a fair light made me realize that she is an author who does her research beyond the “winning side’s” view of history.

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

First Lines Friday

First line Friday's hosted by Hoarding Books

I've discovered a new favorite author with this first line.

"Alex MacKinnon roused to the press of wood beneath his cheek and an ominous churning in his gut"

 The Newest release by Lori Benton is perfect for fans of Laura Frantz, Scottish heroes,  and Colonial Fiction.  And those who are suffering from droughtlander waiting for Outlander to come back.