A Constant Heart (Against All Expectations, #1) by Siri Mitchell

A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Pages: Trade Paperback and eBook
Date Published: Originally September 2008, eBook Feb 2010
Publisher: Bethany House

What Is the Cost of Love and Beauty?

Marget Barnardsen has always been fortunate. She was born with the face of an angel. Her father is a knight, and a small fortune has been lavished upon her. And now she is to be married to an earl. Her security is fixed, her destiny guaranteed. At least, she hopes.

The Earl of Lytham has already been married once. But the beautiful woman only left him with a broken heart and the bitter taste of betrayal. Now, his only demand of Marget is that she help him win favor with the Queen.

But when Marget’s introduction to court is met with the jealous queen’s wrath, the young bride fears she’s lost her husband forever. Desperate to honor him, she’ll risk everything by doing whatever it takes to recapture the heart of a man bound to the Queen in a world where love is the only forbidden luxury.

So this review is from my old blog days where I didn’t have my pretty paragraphing and used purple font. *shudder now* Silly me, I guess I’ve matured a bit. I was barely married back then too and almost still a teenager. Goodness. Anyway. Today, this book is free on Amazon and possible other sites as well as an eBook freebie. This should be TODAY, Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 ONLY as a limited time, so sorry if you miss the deal. Anyway, I realized that this review is not so pretty and definitely deserves a pretty post. Thus this…
 
Please remember if you are purchasing an Amazon eBook Freebie to use a blank link and not my affiliate for it, or you actual deny me credit rather than gift me with it. I think their policy is silly, but it’s just the way it is. However, if you come across this post any other day, please do consider making your purchase through my affiliate link. Your price doesn’t change, but I just get a little % kudos for directing you there.

I give this book three out of five stars, but in a split manner. If I were to rate the book solely upon my enjoyment and escape into it’s historical aspects, it would be two stars; yet if I were to rate this book on the detail and descriptions of this historical journey at hand it would four stars. Thus, I settle at three. Starting out reading this book, I was quite distraught and not at all drawn in. The cover is gorgeous and the summary sounds interesting, but in the reading I was just not there. I searched the internet for some reviews to find what others might have thought and was shocked to find all but poor reviews, minus one that only praised the author and said nothing about the book.

It is my understanding that this is the first historical from this author and although I hear her chick-lit is to die for her historical is lacking. That is not all together necessarily a full fact. The entire novel is full to the brim of historical details and facts that are painted in an array of images that could show any reader what the years of the mid-sixteenth century would appear to be. The descriptions of the clothes, the places, the people all are fascinating and plenty enough true to fact. I would highly suggest this book as a supplemental reading to be added to someone studying the Elizabethan age and wanting to find a further glance in the era.

Where I do not find my joy is in the personalities and partially the writing. The story is two from two different characters’ POV and switches back and forth quite drastically without any warning and sometimes it is difficult to interpret who speaks. Other than that it is the personalities of the characters that are quite drab. I kept thinking to myself of the grey skies of London, and that is quite how I felt about this story. The idea is good and could be a fabulous book if made longer with more depth to the persons involved. But reading this story was quite painful. There was no joy only sadness and I felt it with every turn of the page. I could not interpret or assume how things would turn out and in that way they were quite a mystery. Yet in the context of day by day happens I felt quite like screaming at the insolence and blindness by how these characters lived.

Some have said that this was a very thinly veiled attempt at criticizing and lecturing people of today’s society with beauty attempts, and although I can see that opinion in a manner, I would not call this a poor attempt. The story can relate and does bring to light some great value on the harsh truths that are known of women living in such a stage devoted to such a cause that is beyond their owns well-being. Yet it does it in an elegant and educational manner.

With all that said. I would not suggest this book as a light heart-ed Christian Historical Fiction to escape into the lives of those in a courtier of Elizabeth I. It is just not quite in that category. By most standards it is not a Christian Fiction as God is not mentioned in much reverence or detail nor is his role at all hinted to more than any secular novel. However, as a book for historical and educational value, I could easily suggest and see this being read and used for vast discussions and open minds and curiosity to know more about British history. So as confusing as this must sound, it solely depends upon why you wish to read this story as to whether or not you would enjoy it. That is up to you.

An older, but still interesting interview with Siri!

Against All Expectations Collection

Each image below is connected to my review of the book if there is one, or linked back to Bethany House for the books I have not quite covered yet. Unrivaled has a pretty post, but the other older ones need to be reworked from my old posting style. One day, it’ll happen. Until then just enjoy looking at the pretty covers. Each book stands alone in it’s own time period of history, yet contains “heroines at odds with the prevailing future, usually in a desperate struggle to free themselves from some impossible situations”.