The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

"The world was a good place. She needed to look for it, even when life was full of pain."
New book in the "Hope and Glory" series.
1900 Washington DC. Christian Historical. I was all in on the first page. 
This is intense.
Annabelle is from a farming family in Kansas. Her father was able to put her and her sister through college, which is quite a thing now, even more so back then. She and Elaine move to Washington, DC, she at the Smithsonian (later Department of Agriculture), her sister at the Library of Congress. Elaine is blind, and this seemed to be a great opportunity for her to learn and to grow, so despite the financial strain on the family, off they went.
Annabelle is a botanist (something I very much had wanted to be so I can relate). Her boss wanted a rare plant that Gray Delacroix was rumored to have, and told her that a permanent position depended on her getting in to Gray's property to see if it was there. She is pleasantly pushy (I pictured June Allison) and actually manages to get in to see him. Gray is from a wealthy family, built on hard work, and it takes more hard work to keep the fortunes going. Their family has earned their reputation by providing the best quality products. Not every company was that way. These were the early days when there was a lack of safety standards in the food industry, so companies could get away with putting out a product that was not what it seems. (Doesn't seem possible now, does it?) The story unfolds interesting information about Good Housekeeping in it's early days - what they did and why - and how important to our country it was. The story takes off from there, seeming to put Annabelle on one side of things and Gray on the other. Gray's brother never really wanted to work for the family - or so it seemed. Politics, secrets, money, mystery and life all play a part in this book. Choices made, right from wrong, scruples and personal standards are reviewed and explored. Integrity - or lack of it. Nothing boring here - all together an excellent read! Don't you just love that cover? Can't wait for the next in the series.
"The world was a huge, wide-ope landscape bursting with opportunity, and it was up to her to choose how she would live in it."
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Trust Me by Jo Huddleston

From the book's cover: West Virginia, 1960 A mine owner. An elegant lady. Seductive voices that scoff at trust.

Sweet Christian Historical Romance set in the early 1950's. It continues the story of Robby and Julie, who are now married. The story of Julie's father continues as well. Issues of trust are all through the book. Julie's father learns he can trust his managers to run his coal mines while he visits the College town.

Enriching story of Julie and Robbie graduating from college and getting jobs - while Robby goes on to graduate school. Robby was part of a large family of a coal miner and was able to get away and live a different life. He also brings his sister Adriana (after she graduates high school) to live with them in College town. Adriana is newly away from home at her first job and has to learn how to act and who to trust at work. This leads to serious lessons in what lack of love in family life can lead to. 

Julie's father spends more time with the Dean of Women from the college - who had a bad experience as a young girl and is having trouble trusting another man. Strong faith and learning to pray and trust God come into play all throughout the story. An excellent way to spend your time, and you feel good after you've read it!

I was graciously given a copy of this book by the Author and have written my honest opinion. I feel blessed to have been chosen to read and write a review.  Thank you Jo! Jo's blog.

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