Thursday, November 22, 2018

Engraved on the Heart

GIVEAWAY
JOHNSON, TARA
ENGRAVED ON THE HEART

Reluctant debutante Keziah Montgomery lives beneath the weighty expectations of her staunch Confederate family, forced to hide her illness for fear of a scandal. As rumors of war arrive on their doorstep, Keziah sees little cause for balls and courting. Despite her discomfort, she cannot imagine an escape from her familial confines -- until an old schoolmate shows her a life-changing truth that sets her feet on a new path...as a conductor in the Underground Railroad.

Dr. Micah Greyson never hesitates to answer the call of duty, no matter how dangerous, but when the enchanting Keziah waltzes back into his life, his well-ordered plans are turned upside down. Torn between the life he has always known in Savannah and the fight for abolition, Micah struggles to discern God's will amid such turbulent times.

Tensions increase in the Montgomery household as Keziah conceals her Underground affiliation from her nosy Southern belle cousin and overbearing parents determined to marry her off to the wealthiest suitor. As Keziah and Micah face their own battles, they discover some convictions are worth a sacrifice...but as circumstances threaten to keep them apart, they will learn if love is truly strong enough to endure the pain of war.

My Review:

What an amazing debut novel! I'm definitely a Tara Johnson fan now! She catapulted me back in time and wrangled my emotions into a heap of pulsating fury. Gah! Some of these characters....enraged doesn't begin to describe the way I feel! I do so love when I can become emotionally engaged in a story and my passions ran high over the course of this read.

Phew! The things Keziah comes up against! The restrictive role forced upon a woman in this time period for one. Added to that are health concerns that have prompted her family to alternately coddle and berate her. And the threat of an arranged marriage to a shudderingly awful man because, of course, she'd never be able to take care of herself. Ha! The people closest to her have no concept of what really lies in Keziah's heart. No understanding of the courage and grit and phenomenal determination that drives Kizzie to follow God's leading in her life. Which charges her into danger and intrigue and even the arms of a childhood friend.

Returning to Savannah after years of study in Philadelphia makes Dr. Micah Greyson an outsider in his hometown. His views have changed, values sharpened and politically -- well, let's just say that living in the South when war is declared becomes challenging. Micah is a quiet man, drawn to a cause that makes him a traitor in the eyes of his Confederate neighbours.

I've had a fascination with the Underground Railroad since I was a kid and I appreciate Johnson's candor as she presents some unique facets of the Southern perspective that sent chills down my spine. How easy it is to bury common decency in the name of right-fighting fanaticism!

A beautiful inspirational thread brings hope and redemption to a story steeped in turmoil and confusion. And the title tie-in is profoundly beautiful. A truly stunning debut novel!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Engraved on the Heart, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

36 comments:

  1. Oohhh Intriguing
    Wonder what the Illness is ???
    I didn't figure that it would be given away but I stopped reading JIC

    Thanks for the chance 😍🍯🐝😍
    iamabho AT gmail DOT com 💖😘💖

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    1. Nope not given away and it isn't specified right from the beginning in the book either...not too far in but enough that it made me really wonder what was up with Kizzie. :-) Good luck, Linda!

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    2. OK 👌 Sounds Great 👍 Thanks for Sharing this book with us

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  2. Oh it sounds beautiful! Count me in. lattebooksAThotmailDOTcom

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    1. As beautiful as the cover! Good luck, Susan!

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  3. Sounds good, another new one for me. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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    1. And isn't it exciting to continuously discover new authors?! Good luck, Kim.

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    2. Love it, Love it and Love it about new authors.

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  4. Oooh!! I had this book on my to-read list and completely forgot about it! Thanks for reminding me and renewing my interest 😉 Enter me, please!

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  5. You really do! Good luck, Kate!

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  6. Love when new authors come out of the shoot with an amazing book! Thanks for the review and the chance to win a copy of ENGRAVED ON THE HEART. Your review has me wanting to read it ASAP.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. It’s exciting to be in at the beginning of an author’s career. Good luck, Kay!

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  7. Wanted to read this one. Thank you for the chance. Blessings leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Yes, you really do, my book twin! Good luck, Lucy!

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  8. I think this one came up in one of our Reader's choice weeks not too long ago and I've been wanting to read it ever since...I mean, look at that cover, it just draws you in :-)

    I also love when a book leaves you so discombobulated you can't possibly write up a decent and cohesive review. You're just bubbling over with an odious amount of adjectives to describe it :-) Oh my, now I REALLY want to read this!!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Yes — thanks to reader’s choice weeks and all the bounty they highlight! Good luck, Trixi!

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  9. Tara is new to me and I would love to read her book. It sounds like a winner! mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  10. Oh wow, I would love to read about this young lady and her struggles. I can identify with the physical struggles, but back then there was not much in the way of medical help for some things. thanks for your review. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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    1. Yes -- her health issues add to the angst for sure. Good luck, Lori.

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  11. Such a lovely cover! The story sounds intriguing!

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  12. Sounds intriguing, Kav, especially with the underground railroad storyline. Count me in, please! :)

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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    1. Yes! Fascinating stuff. Good luck, Cheryl!

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  13. This is such a fascinating time in history, especially for women. I'm curious to see how Keziah handles everything.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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    1. Yes -- I'm always amazed at how courageous these women were! Good luck, Jana!

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  14. I'm wondering too what the illness is! Beautiful gal on the cover.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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    1. You need to read to find out! Good luck, rubynreba!

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  15. I've had my eye on this book. I'd love to win it--it sounds so fantastic! Thanks for the review, Kav!
    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com.

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  16. I have heard that this was a great book. I love that historical fiction brings you to a time and place to learn what others went through. I would love to read Keziah's story, and find out what illness plagues her, as well as how she and Micah end up together.

    LLWaltz [at] gmail [dot] com

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    1. It's a riveting story. I love learning about history through fiction! Good luck, Laura.

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  17. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ladysnowangelphotos(at)gmail(dot)com

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