Book Review- Colors of Faith Series

Today I’m talking about a great historical Christian romance series by Virginia Carmichael.

The series is called Colors of Faith and the first book is All the Blue of Heaven, which is FREE right now (and for a few more days). Just click on the image to follow the link:

From the blurb:

Eight years ago, Allie Hathaway scandalized the wealthy elite of Chicago when she ran away to San Francisco. Now a world-renowned portrait painter, her life is filled with laughter and friendship, including being a mother to her orphaned niece. Life is perfect, so why can’t she forget her first love?
Thomas Bradford has come a long way from being the Hathaway family’s carriage boy. A veterinary degree, ambition and hard work have made him one of Chicago’s most sought-after bachelors. If only he could forget those stolen moments with Allie, Thomas might be able to enjoy his success.
The Great Quake of 1906 stuns the nation and Allie’s art studio burns to the ground, destroying years of valuable work. She’s forced to return to Chicago with little Janey, the only spark of hope in a life reduced to ashes. Her faith is crushed by her tragic reversal of fortune.
Thomas knows better than to fall for the beautiful young painter again, but he’s never been very wise around Allie Hathaway.
The carriage man’s son is all grown up and Allie doesn’t expect a second chance at a love that was refused eight years ago. Her life is in shambles and she has a child to support, so why won’t her heart accept the truth?
Once their love was torn apart by circumstance, but Thomas and Allie must decide whether to forge a future of hope together.

 

Book two in the series, Purple Like the West, is now available on Amazon:

From the blurb:

Margaret Gilbert, a railroad executive’s daughter, is a pampered princess of San Francisco’s wealthy elite. She chafes under the expectation that she will marry for status and dreams of independence. When she joins the local Ladies’ Aid Society, she’s horrified by the treatment of the Chinese immigrant laborers. Vowing to expose the abuse, she begins to investigate the complicated system of slave labor provided to the railroads, but no one will listen to a woman like her.
When she meets Ezra Pendleton, heir to a newspaper empire, she concocts a plan to tell the world- without incurring the wrath of her father. Ezra is the perfect cover. She’ll make her family happy by feigning interest in a very eligible bachelor, become an undercover reporter, and keep her identity a secret.
At least, that was the idea. Margaret starts to wonder if Ezra will turn out to be her plan’s fatal flaw. He is not the sort of man you can string along with flattery. He’s smart, wary, and is hiding a secret of his own. As the city falters under the stress of the Chinese mobs, the situation turns more dangerous than they could have imagined. Racial tensions in the city hit a breaking point and arson hits close to home. By the time the time there is an outbreak of the plague in Chinatown, it seems as if all the darkest parts of the city will be revealed at once.
Margaret and Ezra are thrown together in a common cause, but will their secrets destroy the love that is growing between them? A story of faith, honor, and forgiveness.

There are so many things I like about this series. First, the theme which is manifest in the title, Colors of Faith. When you start reading these books, you will notice the story is preceded by a poem. These are the poems that set the theme and the title of each book. In book two, each chapter starts with a quote about journalism, which is part of the story and the characters, and each quote is very aptly used.

I also loved the setting of early twentieth century near Chicago and San Francisco. There are real issues in the lives of the main characters, social issues that bring to life the setting in a resolute manner. The rights of minorities are at the forefront, especially when in contrast to family expectations and the rules of society, including the power of the rich. Much of the conflict revolves around these issues which is intrinsic to the era, thus making both stories such great historical romances.

At the same time, the main characters are beset with problems that transcend geography and time. Issues of faith, divine nature and individual worth, integrity, and accountability [I know, it sounds like the Young Women’s Values, but not on purpose], are as much valid today as they were a century ago, and these are lessons that the reader can learn right along with the main characters.

It’s hard to choose which book is my favorite story— Thomas and Allie, or Ezra and Margaret? This is why I’m recommending both.

(Psst- guess what? Thomas is Ezra’s best friend. 😉 )

 

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