Christine Johnson: Freedom's Price

By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome, everyone!


Here is my review:

When Englishwoman Catherine Haynes loses both her parents and her home in 1856, she decides to cross the Atlantic to find her American mother's family in Louisiana. She enlists the help of Tom Worthington, a dashing Key West man who makes his living salvaging wrecked ships, but whose real goal in life is to bring to justice the man who stole his father's ship and caused his untimely death.

When Catherine finally arrives at her family's plantation, she finds it in disarray and her family absent landowners. Torn between returning to Key West with Tom or beginning the hard work of restoring the plantation, Catherine soon finds herself snared in a plot to steal her inheritance. When an incredible secret comes to light, both she and Tom will face a choice. Can they relinquish the dreams that have been holding them captive in order to step forward in faith--even if it costs them everything?

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the first two novels in the Keys of Promise series by Christine Johnson, so of course, I wanted to read her latest installment, Freedom's Price. I was glad to get a review copy. With a historical romance, I knew there would be a story that had conventions that we don't necessarily use anymore, characters that had different expectations than us, and a romance that might be a little less open than currently. With Johnson's stories, that is definitely what I receive.

Her writing is clear and concise. I had no problem visualizing the setting in Key West, among the boat, and in Louisiana. Johnson does a good job at anchoring me in her settings. Allowing me to explore the unfamiliar setting with the characters. Her use of descriptive language is vibrant and welcomes me to a new world.

The characters are the most important element in the story because without them there would be no story. The heroine, Catherine, is a strong woman who is determined to save her family's history. She is also proud to create her own path in life whether any man tries to tell her otherwise. On the other hand, Tom, the hero, is a brave man who refuses to leave Catherine in the hands of a mad man. He is trusty-worthy, cunning, and hopeless for Catherine. In this novel, neither Catherine or Tom really change. Who I meet in the beginning of the novel is the same characters I meet at the end. No transformation.

The romance is really quick for me. When I meet Tom, Johnson has him think about how no woman is good enough for his standards, but then as soon as Catherine glances at him from a ship window, he loses all his reality and falls in love with her. He has an overwhelming desire to protect her at all cost. Where did that come from? Their romance blooms really fast from then on, and I had a hard time believing it.

The plot is different and unique, which is nice, but it moves really fast. Having read the first two editions in this series, I think this one flew by. One minute the story started than the book ended. It appeared to be a little short for me. It was a good story, and I enjoyed spending the two hours it took me to read it, but I wished it was longer.

Overall, a well-written story with a unique plot, untransformative characters, and a hasty romance, Freedom's Price was my least favorite book of the series.

I received a complimentary copy of Freedom's Price by Christine Johnson from Revell Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars