Waiting On:
Title: Land of Silence
Author: Tessa Afshar
Publisher: Tyndale House
Publication: May 1st, 2016

Synopsis:
From GoodReads

Before Christ called her daughter . . .

Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment . . .

Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. After her only brother is killed while in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father’s textile trade and caring for her family. When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for. As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love. Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.

No physician can cure her. No end is in sight. Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal. After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body . . . and soul?

Why I'm  Waiting:
Tessa Afshar is one my favorite authors. Her writing is just beautiful and she is able to make the characters so real and alive as you read. I can't wait to read this book to see how she brings this Biblical story alive.

What are you waiting on?

Topic:

Who are your most favorite authors?
And what topic did you pick this week?

Waiting On:
Title: A Daring Sacrifice
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: March 1st, 2016

Synopsis:
From GoodReads

In a reverse twist on the Robin Hood story, a young medieval maiden stands up for the rights of the mistreated, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. All the while, she fights against her cruel uncle who has taken over the land that is rightfully hers. Forced to live in the woods and hide with the poor people she's grown to love, she works to save and protect them, but she never anticipates falling in love with the wealthy knight who represents all she's come to despise.

 What I'm Waiting
Jody Hedlund is one of my all time favorite authors. Her first book in this series was just fantastic and I can't wait to read more!

What are you waiting on this week?

Title: Until the Dawn
Author: Elizabeth Camden
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 368
ISBN: 978-0-7642-1720-3
Publication Date: December 1st, 2015

Synopsis:

Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie van Riijn sees no harm in setting up a rooftop weather station for her work with the newly established Weather Bureau. While the villagers are suspicious of the mysterious estate and its tragic history, Sophie has come to see it as her own enchanted piece of paradise.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover Sophie trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie yet find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark can no longer be kept in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?

Review:
Elizabeth Camden is a phenomenal storyteller. She has the ability to to bring together so many aspects seamlessly.  You can have mystery, history, a bit of suspense, and romance all together, but neither over power each other. But the main thing I love about her stories is her ability to bring to attention smaller back grounds or little known facts of history. In Until the Dawn, it is the start of the Weather Bureau. You hear about how when records were first started, but who started them?

Until the Dawn is another fantastic story. I really enjoyed Sophie, she was a smart girl and caring, but I also understand Quentin. They each have backgrounds that aren't fun in this area and they are both trying to work through them. Quentin comes off a bit cold at first, but he is a single father trying to do the best for his son. Sophie is a girl just trying to make a living. And in all honestly, with the way that Quentin and Sophie meet, I was surprised to how calm Quentin was in their meeting with the circumstance. It did give them good grounds to build from.

Pieter was a sweet kid to read about, however, the poor kid has had to deal with a lot and then thrust into a creepy introduction to his new home. That is a hard thing to deal with, but it played out well with the story. Pieter and Sophie were great together.

The settings for this story were great. They enhanced and pushed the story forward. But really hooked me was the history. The research that Elizabeth Camden did for this book just shone. It flowed effortlessly and just made the story pop!

Too Read
4.5 out of 5

About the Author:
Elizabeth Camden is the author of eight historical novels and has been honored with a RITA Award, Christy Award, and Daphne du Maurier Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. She lives with her husband in Florida.
Learn more at www.elizabethcamden.com.







Thank you to Bethany House, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.