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Description: The stalwart saint and the redeemed rebel. One is fighting for faith, the other for honor…
After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile—and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted.
Meanwhile, Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song?

I was so excited to finally read the second book in this series. I actually sat down one Sunday and read straight through them. It was a great way to see the story woven together, but it also makes the details of the books blend together. I am sorry for any blending in my brain that has taken place.

Dirk still seeks to clear his name, but he faces a lot of obstacles. I love how he is drawn to Gwyn, yet wants to save her from his reputation. So many heroes don’t hesitate to bring the girl they love into danger with them, so it was nice to see Dirk trying to protect Gwyn.

Speaking of protecting Gwyn, she didn’t make it easy. As in the last book, sometimes she did her own thing, which put her in danger. Sometimes I wanted to shake her for being stupid, but most of the time I just adored how much she cared about the people around her.

This story was so good that I couldn’t wait to start the next book… and so I didn’t. I dove right into it.

I highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction, mild romance, and lots of exciting twists.

Age Appropriate For: 16 and up
Best for Ages: 18 and up (romance, mentions of sin, mentions of sinful lifestyles)
Description: Naval officer Ryan Gallagher broke Jenny's heart six years ago when he abruptly disappeared. Now he's returned but refuses to discuss what happened. Furious, Jenny has no notion of the impossible situation Ryan is in. With lives still at risk, he can't tell Jenny the truth about his overseas mission--but he can't bear to lose her again either.

There are two things that I can always count on Elizabeth Camden for – amazing writing and realistic emotions. She doesn’t sugarcoat things, and sometimes her characters behave badly. Yet, within the pages of her incredible stories, there is often a story of redemption, and the love of Christ that cannot be ignored.

This was a story about two people that used to have a beautiful and innocent love, but sin corrupted it. He hurt her and betrayed her, she won’t forgive him. These two broken people end up in a house together (with a few others, including her father) and are forced to face their own sins.

Sin was not glossed over in this book. Ryan’s betrayal was not only a sin, but it hurt many of those around him. I felt Camden did a good job of showing Ryan having already come to terms with his failing and struggling to see why others cannot do the same. Ryan’s was a guy that will both endear and frustrate female readers.

I loved Jenny. I got mad at Jenny for her unforgiveness, yet I saw so much of myself in her. She is trying to be wise and guard herself against hurt and failing to see her own sin. I felt most connected to her and her struggles. I loved her raw and real emotions and her search for peace.

The romance was toned down from the last Camden book I  read. Not as much kissing or touching, which was nice. My only real complaint is that Camden seems to like getting her guys shirtless so the girls can admire them. I find most of the time it to be a bit awkward. There are times when it seems a normal thing, but this felt awkward. I still liked the book. Some people might want to also know the book is a bit gritty in places, but never goes into detail.

The historical aspect was brilliant as always. Camden always has a knack for bringing history to life. This involved the war, Japanese, and life on a military base. I felt as if I was there and could see it all.
I highly recommend this book to those who love romance, historical fiction, and realistic situations.

Rose and I have been besties for a very long time. I don't remember a time in my life she wasn't there. She and I have weathered the ups and downs of life. Rose has been there to drag me to social stuff, while I have been there to be the voice of logic for Rose. When Tim asked me to describe my relationship with Rose, I chose an analogy that I knew he would understand.

"I am the Spock to Rose's Captain Kirk, only Rose is a much cuter and more moral captain."

Tim loved that. Rose is the adventurous, passionate one while I have often tried to pretend my feelings don't exist, or hide them from the world. I am the one that would rather read or write, while Rose has reminded me never to forget that people are more important.

Rose is the Anna to my Maria, she was the inspiration for Alditha, she listened to me read the earliest version of Brother's and Betrayal, and has excitedly listened as I told her about Dreams and Devotion.

Now, I'm helping her pack boxes for moving out of the house and all the way to Michigan. On a recent Sunday, as we worked together to pack boxes, I lost it. I left the room, ran to Mom and Dad's room and started sobbing. I haven't cried this hard since I was explaining to some close friends, probably almost a year ago, some things that had been weighing on my heart. I held tight to my Dad and cried hard.

"She can't move so far away."

"This guy can't be good enough."

"It hurts."

Those were a couple of things I said as I sobbed. Most of the time, I just held either my Mom or Dad and cried for about an hour. I was so mad at myself for doing it, too. Why couldn't I just be happy for Rose? I was being so selfish to think of me! If I wanted to be selfish, couldn't I just think about the fact I would have my own room for the first time in my life?

When I had finally cried myself out, through texts with friends and talks with Mom and Dad, I was reminded of a very powerful fact: tears can be healing. I needed to grieve what I was losing. As a friend of mine wisely pointed out, while Rose and I will always be friends, our relationship has altered and will never be the same again. It's okay to be sad that our time as best buddies living in the same room is coming to an end.

Monday morning, I woke up lighter and able to simply be happy for Rose. I needed to grieve so that I would be free to rejoice. I keep having to relearn the lessons that often my deepest emotions need to be expressed so that I can be free.

When was the last time that you cried tears that brought healing?

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Description: What once was blazing hatred has turned to lasting love, but could the union of a wild heart with that of a lady ever result in more than heartache?
With the help of an old friend with uncertain loyalties, Dirk inches ever closer to clearing his name. Gwyneth throws her faith into good tidings and the promise of a future as a family. But an old evil comes to call, just as tragedy rips apart a fledgling truce. Enemies from the past and grief for the future threaten to tear asunder what God had brought together…
As the date of Dirk’s trial approaches, his fate and his family hang in the balance. Will he be proven innocent of Gwyneth’s parents’ murders—or separated from her forever? How much pain does it take to erode a love steadfast?

Wow! What a powerful conclusion to the series. I just sat staring off into space for a few minutes after finishing, soaking in what I had just read.

This story held a lot more kissing and such than the last two books, but that isn’t surprising or disturbing, as Gwyn and Dirk are now married. Their love was sweet and deep, which I loved. Besides, it isn’t every author that goes beyond the wedding day. I cheered when I found out that Rachelle took this story farther than most authors would have.

Dirk and Gwyn’s marriage is far from perfect. In fact, most of the story is spent with a wide gulf between them. I think that perhaps they struggled more in this book then they ever did in the first book. Dirk and Gwyn both make some big mistakes in how they cope with a tragedy, and I loved that. This book dealt with a lot of raw pain in a way that was realistic and God-honoring. So many authors miss this sweet spot, and Rachelle Rea Cobb nailed it!

The hardest thing about a series that I love is saying goodbye. While this book was an emotional roller-coaster, the ending was beautiful and satisfying. While I would love to read more about Dirk and Gwyn, the story must come to an end sometime.

This whole series was a delight. I highly recommend it to those who love historical fiction, romance, and dealing with emotional issues in a godly way.