Title: Love’s Rescue

Author: Christine Johnson

Publishing House/Publication Date: Revell/June, 2015

Genres: Christian Fiction; Historical Romance

Time Period: 1850 (pre-Civil War Era)

Number of Pages: 352

Series: Book #1 in the ‘Keys of Promise’ series

You should read this book if… You enjoy captivating, historically detailed stories of drama and suspense combined with unique and unusual settings – and compelling characters that steal your heart from the first chapter.   At the same time, this book will also appeal to readers who enjoy a beautiful and emotional portrayal of true love, complete with sweet and tender moments mixed with heartache.

Tone and Mood: The prologue of this book begins with a hurricane. In the first chapter, a shipwreck takes place as a young woman journeys home following the death of her beloved mother. As you can imagine, the tone of the story is often subdued and somber, but is interspersed with moments of joy and beauty, too.

Characters and Point of View: One of the few expected aspects of this story is the third person points of view shared between the vividly life-like hero and heroine, Rourke O’Malley and Elizabeth Benjamin. After an accident that forever altered her family, Elizabeth left Key West to live in Charleston with her socially prominent aunt, in hopes of securing a prestigious match. The only problem? She left her heart behind with Rourke, the honourable man deemed unworthy and below her station. And the man she loves.

Storyline: Elizabeth’s decision to return home following the death of her mother sets in motion an intricate series of events, and reveals a history of secrets and deceptions within her family. Nothing goes according to her plans. Being coerced by her father to marry a man she does not love in order to secure a family inheritance, Elizabeth is forced to choose between the life of wealth and ease she grew up in, or abandon her past in favour of an uncertain, significantly poorer future.   Add to this mix the life-threatening effort to free a slave before time runs out, a brother who holds deep resentment for the past, and unexpected twists around every curve, and this becomes a book that is impossible to put down!

Themes and Morals: Forgiveness. In many different forms, through various circumstances, characters come to recognize the freeing power of forgiveness – and when it comes, it is truly beautiful. Similarly, the true, enduring meaning of love is also portrayed effectively by actions rather than emotions, as characters place others ahead of themselves, even in life-threatening situations.

Inappropriate Content: Many secrets are held within the Benjamin family, and one in particular is especially appalling. While not discussed or examined with overmuch detail, various aspects point towards difficult issues including an affair, and unsuitable touching.

Conclusion: Without question, this is one of the most captivating, unusual, and emotional books that I have read in a long time. Although a few aspects of immorality detract from an otherwise stellar story, they are not overly explicit – and certainly the good far outweighs the bad. From the fascinating setting of the Florida Keys 165 years ago, to the depth of characterization for each role in the story, this is a book you will not want to close before reaching the concluding words – and a story you won’t soon forget.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.