🏡 "A Rebel Heart" (The Daughtry House Series #1) 🏡 (2018) - Book Review

MY REVIEW

Series: The Daughtry House Series Book #1

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Revell (June 5, 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800726898

ISBN-13: 978-0800726898

Click Picture for Purchase Information

“Five years after the final shot was fired in the War Between the States, Selah Daughtry can barely manage to keep herself, her two younger sisters, and their spinster cousin fed and clothed. With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land.

Pinkerton agent and former Union cavalryman Levi Riggins is investigating a series of robberies and sabotage linked to the impoverished Daughtry plantation. Posing as a hotel management agent for the railroad, he tells Selah he'll help her save her home, but only if it is converted into a hotel. With Selah otherwise engaged with renovations, Levi moves onto the property to "supervise" while he actually attends to his real assignment right under her nose.

Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee, but she'd do almost anything to save her home. What she never expected to encounter was his assault on her heart.”

As a member of Interviews & Reviews (along with other groups), I never hesitate to look for a book that I wouldn’t ordinarily have bought. This is a good way to sample genres or authors I wouldn’t know about and can see if I would be interested in their other work(s).

And, as of last year, I’ve been reading a LOT more Historical Fiction.

So, when I couldn’t find anything else on Interviews & Reviews (and apologies in advance, Ms. Davis) that caught my eye or that I didn’t already have – I went for a challenge. Yup, another Historical Romance – “A Reckless Love”. It had a blurb that immediately caught my eye.

But, seeing that it was book three of this series, I threw caution to the wind and decided to get the previous books. This one, A Rebel Heart, being one of them; and the first one.

I read the blurbs for this one as well as book #2 (A Reluctant Belle) and snagged these on Amazon. And, with the beautiful covers – who could blame me for giving them a try?

The Daughtry House Series isn’t just a Historical Romance series about a trio of sisters – they also have an element of suspense to them. At least this one does, #2 is shaping up to be suspenseful, and it appears that at least #3 will too.

The books are in the order of the daughters – Selah, Joelle, Aurora. A Rebel Heart is the oldest daughter, Selah’s story.

Some trigger warnings might include: rape, murder, racism, slavery

Right off this one starts with a bang – or rather a start in the prologue! In the middle of the Civil War there is a terror right at Selah’s home with the girls’ mom being raped and murdered. There are no gory details. And, while some find it questionable – this was a part of the Civil War; both sides sadly engaged in this brutal practice.

Fast forward to 1870 and the Reconstruction Era, which as the writer points out is an “economically and socially crushed culture”; good look finding a “happily ever after” (HEA) ending or even a “feel good” story.

Quite literally this book begins as a train wreck. Yes, there is an actual train wreck that begins the sequence of events. In addition there are train robberies that are being investigated. No one is safe from being considered a suspect: Selah, her sisters, the doctor, Wyatt (a 14 year old orphan), and there are others.

Right away, I could tell there was more to Levi’s story and it turns out he has a connection to Selah as well as the Daughtry sisters’ former plantation – Ithaca.

But, in addition to solving his case or rather working on his mission, Levi also has a genuine affection for Selah.

There was one glaring typo on page 44, in chapter three with a sentence that was repeated, verbatim, back to back:

“He’d sent for the surgeon, waited more than two hours for him to come and see to the injured lady and her two slaves – time he couldn’t really afford, with other orders to execute. He’d sent for the surgeon, waited more than two hours for him to come and see to the injured lady and her two slaves – time he couldn’t really afford, with other orders to execute.”

That was the only typographical error I saw in the novel though.

The stunning cover is a central theme – unlike some “series” books, the cover remains largely the same – the Daughtry House with the story’s featured sister.

Even as I read it, I knew that Levi was one of the good guys; BUT … there was something about him that made me question his true motives. I don’t know if the writer intended that or not, it was a good plot device though. There were characters I questioned and those I had a feeling I could trust. I truly loved Levi, Selah, and Joelle. Wyatt was a great character, then … I’ll leave it right there. He was smart, funny, and definitely resourceful though.  And, I have to admit, I was rooting for him.

There was less romance in the book with most of the plot featuring the suspense element along with what was going on with the sisters’ father, the train accident, and the train robberies. It is revealed that the Daughtry sisters’ father is considered a war criminal and may not be dead after all. The reader will be in for a surprise.

I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of retaining the “plantation” but utilizing it for a practical purpose (hotel) – which is also a source of discontent between the characters. Also, the idea of changing the name from Ithaca (a plantation with negative vibes) to The Daughtry House (more for the sisters) was beautiful. It was a perfect example of restoration, restitution, reparations – the beauty from ashes. Readers might have mixed feelings about former slaves returning to work for full wages at the former plantation though. However, it is done with respect and reverence rather than the feel good, do good motion.

White weaved together a multi-race, multi-dimensional story with perfection, grace, and grandeur. This is a beautiful and engaging beginning to a trilogy, thoroughly entertaining with a natural flow that makes it a pretty fast-paced read.

The mystery of the sisters’ father is solved at the end, as well as Levi’s investigation. I did find something lacking there. There was not, to me, a clear suspect in the train accident. In addition, it was hard to sort out who the train robber actually was and the motive(s) behind it.

Bridging the Union and Confederacy is always a tough subject; White tackled it with grace, dignity, and respect. Both sides’ post-war feelings were respected and respectfully (for the period) voiced.

Surprisingly this was VERY difficult to put down and I really kept wanting to read it. That is rare for me and this genre – so that says quite a lot about how well written and presented this book is.

There is a funny story to the “can’t seem to put it down” part with this book. I was planning to read more of this novel the early morning of May 13^th (around 2am) so I tossed it to the side on my bed (and I have a king size bed). I ended up falling asleep and slept most of the night on the book. Surprisingly, it came through the night with no damage at all.

Does that count as being very hard to set aside, or “must read”? I wonder how many readers have actually slept with a book. And, that is a first for me.

Needless to say, I was quite fond of this novel. There are very few historical fiction novels I get excited about and this is definitely one of them, then again I haven’t read many books in the genre.

As this is distributed by Revell, a Christian/faith themed publisher, there are references to God and faith. While not a central part of the plot or focus of the story, there are some references. It is a clean read with no sex scenes or foul language.

There are themes of grudges, forgiveness, racism, and reconciliation.

Some words of “caution” for potential readers – PLEASE note that this does take place about five (5) AFTER the Civil War in 1870. There will be some references to slavery, prejudice, racism, as well as other language and terms that are authentic to the era. While some of it can be offensive, using it in this story; set in that time; gives the story historical accuracy while being respectful and sensitive of the complex social issue on race relations.

One cannot write or author an authentic Civil War or Reconstructionist Era novel without being authentic to the vernacular or attitudes. 

I believe that Beth White has done a superb job with A Rebel Heart in adhering to historical accuracy, while maintaining a respectful/sensitive tone towards slavery, the injustices as a result, and the feelings of those involved.

I am current reading A Reluctant Belle now. 

RATING:

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beth White’s day job is teaching music at an inner-city high school in historic Mobile, Alabama. A Native Mississippian, she writes historical romance with a Southern drawl and is the author of The Pelican Bride, The Creole Princess, and The Magnolia Duchess. Her novels have won the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, the RT Book Club Reviewers’ Choice Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award. Learn more at www.bethwhite.net.

You can follow her on the following social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beth-White-355852827769710/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbethwhite/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bethsquill

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