My Brother`s Crown

GIVEAWAY

CLARK, MINDY STARNS
GOULD, LESLIE
MY BROTHER`S CROWN

From Christy award-winning authors Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould comes a brand-new sweeping family saga. Close-knit cousins are individually led on a redemptive journey as they follow the threads of their family's mysterious past and discover how it impacts the future.

Renee Talbot, a director in her family's 350-year-old paper company, is facing a huge problem: how to stay afloat in an increasingly paperless world. When her grandmother asks for her help in finding answers to some unsettling family-related questions, Renee's search for truth takes her to Europe, where she learns the story of Catherine Gillette, an ancestor who lived in seventeenth-century France. Headstrong and independent, young Catherine's brave actions saved the original paper company--and various members of the family--during a time when the French Huguenots were being persecuted by Louis XIV.

As Renee tries to save the company and her family's legacy, she draws courage and wisdom from an ancestor who stood strong and faithful when life was at its most perilous and God seemed to expect more from her than she ever thought she could deliver.

My Review:

An intriguing blend of past and  present. Both story threads captivated me, though I felt more satisfied with the closure in the historical one. However, this is the first book in the Cousins of the Dove series and I believe that the mystery in the present day storyline will definitely continue in future books. I`m so intrigued I can`t wait to find out what happens and how the present might just connect more significantly with the past.

Renee is the present day heroine -- a scientist who is more comfortable in laboratory envrions than the `real world`. Her scientific observations about everyday things are really funny and she has a wicked sense of sarcasm. She is part of a large extended family, steeped in a rich history. Returning to her grandmother`s house for the annual family reunion is the catalyst that compels her to face a traumatic incident from her childhood.

Catherine is Renee`s ancestor -- a Huguenot living under the persecution of King Louis XIV`s reign in France. This was an eye opening read for me as I didn`t  realize the extent of that persecution. Catherine has a fiery temperament and an impetuous nature. She repeatedly defies the males in her life as she strives to do what she feels is right. She does a lot of growing up through the course of the book and the sharper edges of her character are softened by trials and tribulations.

The entire novel is written from the first person point of view of both heroines. I know some readers don`t enjoy this perspective but I like the immediate sense of intimacy it gives me. It was so easy to jump into the psyche of these two heroines and `feel` my way through the story.

My Brother`s Crown is a fascinating mesh of past and present with enough mystery and romance to leave me pining for me. My Sister`s Prayer will be released sometime this year. I cannot wait to continue this Talbot family saga.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  My Brother`s Crown please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 17 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!