Mel's Shelves: Blog Tour/Review: Hold Me Close by Marguerite Martin Gray

Friday, July 8, 2016

Blog Tour/Review: Hold Me Close by Marguerite Martin Gray

Series: Reeloutionary Faith
Genre: Christian, Fiction, Historical
Publisher: Westbow Press
Publication date: December 28, 2015
Number of pages: 260

Set in pre-revolution Charles Town, Hold Me Close takes the reader into the lives of immigrants, ordinary citizens, and prominent historical figures at a time in which decisions are made that will change the world.

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Marguerite Martin Gray enjoys the study of history, especially when combined with fiction. An avid traveler and readers, she teaches French and has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism from trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Recently, she received a MA in English from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. She has two grown children and currently lives with her husband and Cleo, her cat, in Abilene, Texas.

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I received a copy via Singing Librarian Books for an honest review
My Rating=5 Stars

I loved this book! It takes place during such an interesting time period to me: South Carolina in 1772. Sides are being formed between the loyalists and the patriots. Louis is 26 years old and has just arrived from France. He's come to the colonies for business purposes only and intends to be neutral since he doesn't plan to stay for very long.

Elizabeth Elliott has recently moved to South Carolina from Boston so her father could help set up a local college. Her father is loyal to the crown. Elizabeth is on the side of the patriots but is afraid to let her father know. She meets Louis right away and would like to get to know him better but she is dating a man her father approves of--a soldier who is also loyal to the crown.

Some of the characters in this book were based on real individuals and it was interesting to read how some of the events might have unfolded. I felt as if I'd been transported back in time since it felt so realistic. The town was divided and there were secret meetings on both sides. Louis quickly realized that he would have to choose a side, whether he wanted to or not. There were obstacles to Louis and Elizabeth pursuing a relationship and I wasn't sure if that would even happen.

There are religious references in this book but I didn't feel like it was preachy. Religion played a role in the lives of some of the characters and gave us insight into their thoughts and feelings at the time. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and loved getting to know the characters better! I felt like there were lots of unanswered questions at the end of this book so I'm looking forward to reading the next one!