Giveaway and Review of A Refuge Assured by Jocelyn Green

A Refuge Assured (Bethany House, February 2018)

by JocelynGreen

About the book:

Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?

Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

Andrea Stephens' Review

Wow. Just wow.
I'm a regular person that reads, then reviews from her gut reaction to books. A Refuge Assured leaves me searching for the right words to describe just how good it is. For starters, the history I learned from this book was just amazing. Yes, I learned a little bit about it in school ages ago but it was glossed over. In this book, I felt as if I was there watching it all play out. I did not know being a lace maker was cause to lose your head during the French Revolution.

Lacemaker 

To see how Vivienne was able to care for her birth mother after the cruel death of the aunt that raised her was so touching. After her mother's death, she was able to escape to America and put in situations that only the strongest of women could handle.

Vienne learns to work as a baker and grows close to the family she works for. Particularly her bosses brother, Liam Delaney. She ends up caring for an orphaned boy, Henri, who some think may be young King Louis-Charles in hiding. This puts them both in great danger. The gentle romance between Liam and Vienne tugged at my heart. He helps her escape to Azilum the French town in Pennsylvania for refugees. A town that he helped build. He is in for a great disappointment when he arrives back at his farm on the outskirts of the town.
I can't say anything else without giving spoilers. There's so much more to say though! 

I highly recommend this historical novel. It is full of richly drawn characters, drama, danger, intrigue, righting wrongs, forgiveness, and compassion. I know this is a work of fiction but the intensity and feeling are so real.  This is a book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.

I will be a Jocelyn Green fan for life.

Giveaway: A paperback copy of this new novel by Jocelyn Green. Leave a comment here on Andrea's review for a chance to win.