My review of Veil of Pearls by Marylu Tyndall. Fantastic story!

About the book:

Be swept away to Charleston of 1811, a city bustling with immigrants like Adalia, who is a runaway slave so light-skinned that no one guesses her past. Terrified her secret will be discovered, she settles into a quiet life making herbal remedies for a local doctor. But when Morgan, the handsome son of a prominent family, sweeps her into his glamorous world—a world in which the truth about Adalia’s heritage would ruin them both—suspicions and petty jealousies are aroused. What will Morgan do when he discovers that the woman he has fallen in love with is a runaway slave?

My review:

Okay, this book was completely amazing from start to finish. In fact, of the eight novels of Marylu Tyndall's that I've read, this is my absolute favorite. Not only was there plenty of realism and romance, but there were a lot of insightful comments about faith, slavery, surrendering to God, the meaninglessness of worldly riches, etc. But you could also see how difficult it was for some of the characters to forsake the physical comforts in life.

The lure of wealth is powerful and can snag the hearts' of even the best of people. Not to mention that when you have things of the world filling your heart, there is no room for a close relationship with God. But like a true Gentleman, God steps back and waits for us to see that we miss Him and need Him in our lives. Sometimes He sends a messenger to us, or He speaks in that still, small voice. There were so many deep and profound spiritual truths in this story I could go on and on. This story totally wow'd me.

I am a sucker for a good historical romance as well. Not only does the author deliver a satisfying read with plenty of historical content to bring you to another time and place, but she skillfully shows how love can develop and grow in the most unlikely situations, and how this can change a person's world, literally. I was feeling the depth of their love in this book and it was beautiful to experience with them. Not to mention those kisses they shared were heart-melting and powerfully written. The self-sacrifice of the heroine really moved my heart as well. More than once I got that familiar lump in my throat and wanted to sigh.

I was totally enraptured by the story and fell in love with the characters. One of the points I really loved in this story was how manipulating to win a man's heart often drives him further away. At least that's true if he is a good man. This is especially true if the person doing the manipulating has no concern for those she hurts. That true beauty coming from the inside of a person was a powerful theme in this book. It was evident by a woman's actions, not just her outward appearance.

The authors conclusion at the end was pretty profound and I loved it! I also loved how the author showed that loving the unlovely as Christ loves us tends to confound evil people. It may not make them change, but it does make an impact on them.

Anyway, the romance was scorching hot (for an inspirational novel) because I felt their passion for life and for each other. That was very well done. I truly cared about what happened to them. And true to the author's style, she kept me hanging on to the end. I didn't skim a single page of this book, but savored it all. I highly recommend it.

Veil of Pearls was published by Barbour and releases July 1, 2012.