Hold To Hope// A review of The Sound of Diamonds by Rachelle Rea




"Her only chance of getting home is trusting the man she hates.

With the protestant Elizabeth on the throne of England and her family in shambles, Catholic maiden Gwyneth seeks refuge in the Low Countries of Holland, hoping to soothe her aching soul. But when the Iconoclastic Fury descends and bloodshed overtakes her haven, she has no choice but to trust the rogue who arrives, promising to see her safely home to her uncle's castle. She doesn't dare to trust him...and yet doesn't dare to refuse her one chance to preserve her own life and those of the nuns she rescues from the burning convent.

Dirk Godfrey is determined to restore his honor at whatever cost. Running from a tortured past, Dirk knows he has only one chance at redemption, and it lies with the lovely Gwyneth, who hates him for the crimes she thinks he committed. He must see her to safety, prove to the world that he is innocent, prove that her poor eyesight is not the only thing that has blinded her but what is he to do when those goals clash?

The home Gwyneth knew is not what she once thought. When a dark secret and a twisted plot for power collide in a castle masquerading as a haven, the saint and the sinner must either dare to hold to hope...or be overcome." - Synopsis from the Publisher.


"Hold to hope." One character tells another in this riveting Historical Romance/Drama.

Oh the suspense! Oh the drama! Oh the characters! *happy sigh*

Meet Lady Gwyneth Barrington, a privileged soul currently ensconced in safety in a convent in the Low Countries, seemingly secure from the religious upheaval that is shaking Europe. The year is 1566, and the Reformation has just finished its sweep through the land. As a result of it and the current political climate, Catholicism has become outlawed, and Lady Gwyneth, devout as she is, finds herself trapped in the midst of the struggle.

Rarely does a work of fiction resonate with me so deeply, rarely do the characters so endear themselves to me that I could consider them friends. But this story that Rachelle Rea crafted so carefully...this is one of those works.

The book is written in a dual perspective, alternating between two of the main characters, and honestly, that is hard to do. Rachelle excels in giving each character their own voice, their own personality, which only served to make me love the characters more.

The aforementioned characters I loved...but there are also characters which you will love to hate. I do not wish to spoil it for you, but I will say this, remember that things are rarely what they seem. *smile*

This wonderful debut novel officially releases tomorrow, and I heartily advocate it for a space on your bookshelf.

And remember to hold on to hope.

-Shannon

Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.

Comments

  1. I know, right? This book is fantastic and I hope readers will pick it up this summer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, how fun! Thank you so much for this, Shannon! :)

    ReplyDelete

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