Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Review: Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette

 

About:

Finding a Way to Freedom Might Cost Them Everything

Lukio has spent the past decade as a famous Philistine fighter, achieving every material goal with the help of his ruthless cousin. He's also spent the time burying painful memories of betrayal that he associates with the Levite family that guards the Ark of the Covenant and once adopted him. Now, just as the champion of Ashdod is set to claim the biggest prize of all--the daughter of the king--his past collides with his present.

After a heartbreaking end to her friendship with Lukio, Shoshana thought she'd never again see the boy with the dual-colored eyes and the troubled soul. But when she is captured in a Philistine raid and enslaved in Ashdod, she is surprised to recognize the brutal fighter known as Demon Eyes.

When their renewed connection threatens to expose Shoshana's dangerous secrets, Lukio must decide how far he'll go to face his past and keep her protected.

My Thoughts:

I have been looking forward to the continuation of Lukio's story. By the end of the last book, his life to him seemed to have fallen apart. So he leaves and goes back to his Philistine cousin and to that lifestyle, which is not how his adoptive family raised him.

I will tell you one thing, author Cossette does not go easy with her characters or the reader's feelings. Wow. Lukio and Shoshana have been through a lot. Especially Shoshana. Her bravery and her love for her children was outstanding. Poor Lukio, he has always loved her. And my heart broke when he found out about her past and what happened to her. He was not there to protect her. He ran away.

But as Lukio learns, he can not run from the teachings of the one true God that his adoptive Hebrew family instilled in him. And no matter what he has done, he cannot ever do more then God's mercy and forgiveness can cover. He is a God of second chances. 

I enjoyed this series as we get the contrast of what life looked like in an Israel countryside and a very busy Philistine city full of all manner of evil and vices. The rescue work of those working undercover to save Israel's most vulnerable is relevant even today. This author's stories have taught me so much about Biblical times and what living through that time might have looked like.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.


About the Author:

Connilyn Cossette (www.connilyncossette.com) is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas, their home.

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