An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An Enduring Love is another wonderful book by Wareeze Woodson. Rebecca is so strong, courageous, and loves fiercely. Rhys is so broken when he believes Rebecca has died that he must lock all that love he felt for her away in order to survive. Will their love endure all they must go through to be together? This is definitely an author I will continue to read.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3 Stars
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson is an historical romance packed full of so much drama and angst it gave me a headache reading it. I have to be honest here, this book frustrated me to death. It had so much potential. But Rhys ruined it lol…. I hated Rhys with a passion and just wanted to throttle home the whole way through the book. He was just such a jerk, so cruel to Rebecca- and quite unnecessarily so!! The push-pull gave me whiplash, and there was so much manufactured drama and contradictions that I really did have to force myself to keep reading.
I have enjoyed the other books of Ms. Woodson’s that I have read previously, so I was hoping the whole way through the story that Rhys would redeem himself- but in the end he didn’t, and the little he did do was too little too late.
I found the story hard to get into and couldn’t connect with the characters at all. I did feel sorry for Rebecca and all she went through- but I thought she could have done so much better than Rhys!
On to Wareeze Woodson’s next book. Stay tuned.
Thank you, Wareeze Woodson!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson is another fantastic book by an author I am really taking to. With each book I read I think I have found the one that will be my favourite. And then I read another book of hers. I loved the story in this book. I thought it was such a well written book and I really felt like I connected with it. I was hooked on the story from page one and it lasted the whole way through.
This is still a relatively new author to me and I am really enjoyed her writing style. I get a thrill every time I start a new book of hers and I always look forward to more.
I would highly recommend not only this book but also the author to any fan of this genre.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rebecca Baldois marries Rhys Sudduth while he is in Latvia. Rhys needs to go home to London as his father is very ill. Rebecca stays behind to nurse her own mother then is to follow Rhys. Rebecca’s mother passes but she is not allowed to leave Latvia. A guard is watching her house at all times. Rhys gets news that Rebecca’s mother passes but that Rebecca did also.
Rhys is engulfed in grief, losing his father, losing his wife, and trying to be what his family needs. Four years later, the night he is to announce his betrothal to another woman, Rebecca walks back into his life, with his son. The emotions from Rebecca and Rhys, trying to find their way back to each other. A tragedy occurs and will it make them or break them?
This was a great story. I think sometimes I get lost in our technology. Reading a book like this reminds me of how it used to be. Looking for someone or trying to solve a crime? There is no computer, you must ride your horse and talk to many people. Hopefully you find a clue that leads you to where you need to be.
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Singer and Her Song by N. L. Holmes is the second book in the Empire at Twilight series.
This is a story that quickly transports you back in time. When your world is turned upside down,
what can you do but survive? Uqnitum is in that very position and has very little to start out with.
Trying to survive after your village has been destroyed is one thing, doing it with children is
a completely different struggle.
There were plenty of times throughout the tale that I struggled with Uqnitum’s controlling behavior
and temper, but there are also some points that I completely aligned with. We are not always
perfect parents. At the end of the day, we still try to do what is best for our families.
This is definitely a story that will tug at your heart strings.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In An Enduring Love, Rhys is told that his love and wife has died and that he is not allowed to go back to Latvia to find proof so regretfully goes on with his life. As soon as he is about to move on, he is confronted by Rebecca showing up at his door with their child. Unfortunately, the pacing felt very strange to me as there was a moment that suddenly a few years went by and there was barely any separation. The verbiage was trying to be appropriate for the time period of the story ended up feeling heavy and confusing which led me to be taken out of the book instead of immersed in it. I also expected the story to be an arduous adventurous love story overcoming the separation and the upheaval in Latvia, but that ended up only being relevant to like the first couple of chapters.
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book 2 of the Empire of the Twilight Series was enjoyable. This book can easily be read as a stand alone. I find the attention to detail, especially the historical nature, that Author N.L. Holmes puts into this book is fantastic. Uqnitum flees from Mittani when she loses family. Parts of the story I really felt to for Uqnitum, the guilt and darkness. Definitely read the book to find out if Uqnitum overcomes the danger she has become and find strength to overcome. Overall a very good story with great attention to details. Well Done Author N.L. Holmes
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the series and I have to say it is better then the first. Holmes brings the world to you and she has done some major research in order to bring it to you. The book is about love and loss and what hardships a family goes through. The family loses not only a father but a brother an son. The mother is so overbearing that her two sons leave home to make something of themselves. She realizes that her affair that she had 15 years ago could have produced the son she lost. Holmes makes you feel very invested in the characters and makes you want to just keep turning the pages.
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Singer and Her Song is a very intriguing story of survival, with a main character that is hard to love but she does what she has to protect her child. NL Holmes does such a good job of writing that you will feel like your transported back in time, you’ll really get a feel for what it was like to live in the time period. Not only do feel like you’ve been transported in time by NL Holmes gives us such fantastic characters that you will feel every emotion that they feel. So if you want a gut wrenching test of survival read then you will love The Singer and Her Song.
The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
N.L. Holmes manages to effortlessly transport you to another time. If you haven’t read many books set in ancient Egypt you may find yourself needing the glossary at the back. A young Hittite charioteer who serves the King with one plot twist I expected and one that took me quite by surprise. The Lightning Horse was not an easy read for me. I really needed time to absorb myself into the story. It is a book to keep for the days when you can lock yourself away and lose yourself in the narrative. Despite my difficulties reading it, I do recommend this book. It is historically very well researched and the world-building is excellent.
Review by Penelope Taylor August 2021
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A uniquely beautiful piece of writing. The author’s talent in creating this world continues in book 2 of the Empire at Twilight series. I was absorbed into Uqnitum’s life and had all the feels. I wanted to throttle her for being so stubborn and prideful. The skilful presentation of the era bled of the pages and I greedily soaked up every word. Highly recommend this series.
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very well-written haunting tale. Like her other books, Holmes has extensive knowledge of the historical era in which this is set, which makes for great realism. Unlike some of her other works, I found this one more accessible and easier to fall into without a background in ancient times. The characters are full and complex, their emotions and motivations varied and interesting. I deeply felt some of the horrors that Uqnitum endured on her journey. It is quite an emotional work, and I connected with it immediately.
Reviewed by @ericalorraine
View all my reviews
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Singer and Her Song is the second book in the Empire at Twilight series. This book easily stands alone. To be completely honest, I did not like this book. You may be thinking wait, didn’t you give it 4 stars? I did not like it, but I could not put it down. I stayed up most of the night once I started reading this story. It was so good and such a challenging book. Uqnitum was so frustrating, and I wanted to shake her! Her story was tragic and hard. My heart was broken for her over and over again. She became a person that even she didn’t like to be able to survive the horrors in her life. This story was gut wrenching but thought provoking. What would you sacrifice for your kids? Don’t read this book to be entertained; read this mother’s story to be changed.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love historical romances, and I love Wareeze Woodson’s writing. I spent much of the book angry with Rhys! How can this man be so obtuse?! Rebecca and Rhys had only been married a few months when they were separated through no fault of their own. Rhys believes Rebecca to be dead and is stunned to find out this isn’t true. It was a horrifying situation for them to be in. Overall, I loved the mystery and how it all came together in the end. But that Rhys!
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another enjoyable read from this author. It’s nice to find a historical author who writes in nice detail such as this one. The characters were really interesting to read about and I really liked following their journey. After everything that happened between the two main characters, I felt like I was so invested in their story, I felt for them and also the others that were intertwined in their lives. I won’t say that I loved all of the characters all of the times but they definitely made for good reading in my opinion. I really did feel for Rebecca, after everything she went through, I felt she deserved a little more from Rhys.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable story, some nice little twists that made it less predictable than I anticipated and I would definitely recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author again in the future.
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a sweeping tale of survival. I feel like Holmes did a fantastic job of describing what it would have been like to live during that time and to be conquered by the Assyrians. I couldn’t help but feel like I was transported back in time, watching everything happen. The cities, the characters, the palaces simply came alive in my mind as I read.
Uqnitum is a hard character to love. But you have to give her mad respect because she is able to keep herself and her pregnant daughter alive after their lives are turned upside down. She acts rashly and doesn’t always make the wisest choices because she is trying to make up for a where she has failed in the past and the present. While her choices were not always helpful, it does work out in the end for the better. I appreciated how in the end, she was finally able to move beyond herself to reflect on the choices that she had made. She was able to recognize what needed to change, and then made that difficult choice to fix it.
I really enjoyed this read. If you want a heart wrenching tale of historical survival, this is your book!
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Singer and Her Song tells the story of Uqnitum, a singer from Mitanni and her daughter, Tatasshe. When their village is destroyed by the Assyrians and the men of the family are killed, Uqnitum and Tatasshe seek refuge in the court of Ugarit. With the deaths of her family, the loss of her home, and the guilt she feels for her part in it, Uqnitum struggles to adjust to her new life. Facing challenges, hardship, and heartache, Tatasshe and Uqnitum must learn what strength truly is.
I loved this novel. The characters are so well developed and likeable, I felt their pain, their joy, their relief, their heartache. The setting of the story is phenomenal and transports the reader to another land, in another time. I was hooked on the story from the minute the first chapter opened. N.L. Holmes has written a novel that I can give nothing but praise for. I will be reading the rest of the novels in the Empire of Twilight Series soon!
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson. This is a great historical romance. I love Wareeze Woodson and she has turned me into a historical romance lover! This is the story of Rebecca and Rhys who are married and the story follows their relationship. Rebecca is very supportive and loves her husband but Rhys is not so kind to her. Rhys leaves town to go be with his father on his death bed. Rebecca fully supports her husband going to his father but while he is away he believes Rebecca is dead. Rebecca and their son leave to go to London and find Rhys and when they do find him they are shocked he’s about to be married to someone else! Will the war win and will Rhys go ahead and marry his new love? Will Rebecca be broken hearted forever? Read An Enduring Love to find out!
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Singer and Her Song (Empire at Twilight Book 2) by N.L. Holmes is definitely a 5 star book. This author has once again taken historical fiction and combined it with intense character details, and it is amazing. Much like the first installment of the Empire at Twilight Series, The Lightning Horse, I found myself immersed in the lives of Uqnitum, a singer from the kingdom of Mitanni, and her family. When she loses part of her family when the Assyrians attack, she and her daughter must set out on a journey that will test their wills and characters. I love the fact that the author is an actual archaeologist! It’s an amazing thing when someone who is well-educated in the history they are writing about can mingle the past with the modern to create wonderfully relatable characters. Despite taking place so far in the past, the characters display facets of the human condition that transcends time and touches on those details that we all have experienced during one time or another. I highly recommend reading what this author has to offer, if you haven’t yet.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found this book to be another beautiful work of this amazing author I have come to adore so very much. The story alone was captivating and kept me interested in the sense I wanted to know what would happen next for the characters. I will admit freely, there was some down falls to the one character Rhys for me, but that alone is a personal opinion and does not reflect on my love and enjoyment for this book!
The story follows the love story of Rhys and Rebecca. A married couple. But to me they seemed at times on different levels of one another. Rebecca seemed to me anyway very supportive of her love and anything he was to under go. Rhys on the other hand (again personal opinion) was someone who needed more compassion for his wife and let alone make her feel more than just an object in the room. He at the beginning of the book before events happened and a departure for family events happened…he could have easily been more of a caring husband, and perhaps a more genuine human being,
Life happens and Rhys is called away on duty to see his father. Of course, as I knew right away, Rebecca, would easily agree to his dutiful need to go. From then on though, a lot of things happen and not in a good way. They are separated. In Rebecca’s mind I truly believe she never expected things to go the way they did! But, this made her a more determined character and someone quite strong willed. Truly a character you want to root for and see them succeed. Chaos and and war truly go hand in hand. And the years count on and Rhys has come to a conclusion that Rebecca is no longer with him. While Rebecca is unknown to these assumptions
Over the time Rebecca is working her hardest to get to her husband. She loved him truly and she truly was defining all odds, and she had the heart full of wants and love for Rhys. No matter my personal opinion, he held her heart dear. As I read, I truly felt all the pain and the emotions she felt. Everything she was going through, would it all be for naught? Their future was truly unknown? But, she truly believed he would be waiting there for her with open arms.
At long last, Rebecca has found her love Rhys….but sadly the timing she does I felt was the most heartbreaking moment of her entire life. He was announcing his marriage to be with another woman he had fallen in love with over the course of believing she had been dead. I felt her pain and shock. I felt so much for Rebecca. She had gone thorough so much an to come back to this? I can not even imagine what was going through her heart, it was as if she was holding a vase, in slow motion it began to fall at the news and truly felt like all the love and hope she held dear was shattering between her finger tips.
But as I read on…its a true fact you endure for what and who you love. You put your best forward to overcome any obstacles because in the end, love is and always be worth it. In truth even though it was not a instant moment of realization, Rhys comes to see this. He fell in love with another woman yes and was preparing a marriage to her. But in all that one person, you love with all your heart, that makes you feel whole, and gives you the reason to get up every day, to strive to be the best you can be, for him…it most certainly was Rebecca.
Love truly can define all odds you just have to test the grounds of what you are willing to do to achieve it. And never give up, not even for a second.
Wareeze Woodson is an amazing dedicated author to work. Every book she writes, I entail a adventure of emotion and heart felt feelings. And one thing is for certain I always have hope for the main characters I am reading about. Her writing is classic, the detail and scenery is perfect and spot on and she knows how to swoop her reader in and hold onto them as they turn the pages yearning for more and what is to come.
Well done and amazing book. Highly recommend!
The Singer and Her Song by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is Book #2 in the “Empire at Twilight” series, but other than the name of one king, there is no discernible overlap between Book #1 and Book #2, so you don’t have to read the first to follow the plot of the second.
Uqnitum is a court musician for a king in Mittani, the daughter of the great court musician Tapishili (akin to Handel at the court of George II, my closest comparison). Mittani is being conquered by the Assyrians piece by piece. Sure enough, Uqnitum’s city is invaded on one life-changing night, so she and her family – husband Ar-Tesshub, simple-minded son Wullu, and pregnant daughter Tatasshe – flee for their lives. The refugees are overtaken by the invading Assyrians and captured. The experiences this family suffers are really beyond imagining and so very difficult to read. The invasion and capture all occur in the first 20% of the book.
What we find out is that Uqnitum is a difficult person at the best of times. In fact, her older two sons have already fled their home city for life elsewhere – Uqnitum knows not where. Uqnitum is apparently a difficult-to-please mother, and my heart goes out to Tatasshe as she tries to deal with flight, capture, and pregnancy in the company of this difficult mother. Tatasshe and Uqnitum become court musicians in their new city, and are treated relatively well, considering that they are captive refugees, b/c the music master is a great fan of Tapishili. There is a grand celebration for the New Year plus the marriage of the king to celebrate, and Uqnitum’s fantastic voice is required, but Tatasshe is willing to give up her life as a musician – unthinkable! – to escape her mother, especially after their horrific captive march, which has left Uqnitum w/ PTSD on top of her anger issues. Uqnitum’s anger and PTSD cause simply devastating consequences to her and her family.
I have to say that Uqnitum is the least-likeable protagonist in a book that I have read since Jay Gatsby. I understand that she goes through great losses and terrible experiences, but she is honestly less capable at handling them than her pregnant daughter is – who had already lost her husband to the Assyrians before the story even starts! But again, as in Book #1, there is great world-building and the descriptions of the invasion, captive march, and the coup attempt are all well-written and gripping. 3 stars.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A classic historical western romance. When Elizabeth arrives back in Bittersweep under an assumed identity, she doesn’t expect to do anything more than find her Mother’s treasured box and live a normal life as the new school teacher. JP, the local wealthy rancher and school board chair is the first to meet her at the station and take an interest in her. Enter the murder, robbery and intrigue!
I found all of Wareeze’s characters very easy to identify with. Her easy style of writing has me coming back time and time again, no matter the period she is writing in. I look forward to reading many more.
An Enduring Love by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rhys and Rebecca are the mains in this sorry.
I enjoyed this historcal romance but alas it an extremely slow start. I didn’t feel a connect to the characters so I knew I was reading. Upon some even some years later Rebecca finds her husband with another woman about to be married. The MC annoyed the living hell out of me.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The year is 1897 and Elizabeth is a young woman with a haunted past, one night, when she was five years old, she and her sister and brother were packed into a wooden buggy and sent away with their father, leaving their mother behind, while their house burned down to ashes. It is a sight and smell which has haunted her memories for fifteen years, but now, she is returning to her one time home in Bittersweep, Texas to take up a teaching position and hopefully find some answers to her questions about what happened that day and why. As she arrives into the town on the steam locomotive she has travelled on, she tucks her newspaper under her arm and prepares to disembark from the train and collect her luggage, she briefly questions her sanity of returning to this place and almost turns right back around before she admits that she needs the position and everything else that goes with it. She is looking around at the small town and thinking how much has not really changed overly much, but there is more of everything now, people, horses, homes and stores and because of this she is assaulted by memories she would much rather forget.
It is while she is lost in these memories that she is bowing her head down and hoping that nobody recognises her, but this also leads to her walking into the path of a carriage and horses veering out of control and heading straight towards her, when she does, she is paralysed by fear and cannot move even if she wanted to, that is until she is grasped round the waist and pulled out of the way by an unknown pair of hands and into a very masculine body just before she is run over. When she manages to regain some of her breath and senses, she looks behind her to see the mysterious owner of the hands and body and finds a look of anger in their face and an equally angry outburst along the lines of does she have a death wish and to have some consideration of those around her, even if she has no regard for herself. This encounter brings Elizabeth back to herself and she acknowledges what happened, apologises and states that she wasn’t concentrating as she was looking for the school chairman whom she was meant to be meeting at the station, it is at this point that she finds out that the stranger who saved her is indeed the chairman of the school board and she is more than mortified at this information.
As she takes a moment to regain her composure, she is told that she hasn’t necessarily made the best first impression, however, the town is very easy going and that hopefully that shouldn’t stop her from being accepted anyway, he then offers to take her to the boarding house where she will be staying, Elizabeth is grateful and accepts the kind offer, when she is settled, they agree on a time to meet so that she can see where she will be working and make her preparations for the start of the school year, Elizabeth is now hoping that she will make a better impression the next time, but she also cannot believe that despite her best efforts to enter the town unnoticed, she hasn’t made that happen either. Will Elizabeth settle back into life in Bittersweep and find the answers she needs, or will she find that she is even less welcome now than she was then? This is a historical romance with a thrilling edge to it which will keep you guessing as to what will happen next throughout and keep you hooked until it’s conclusion.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this historical romance with added mystery and murder which had me hooked from page one. Set in Texas it has an old fashioned Western feel to it and I found myself being transported back in time. The main character, Elizabeth has returned to her childhood town of Bittersweep which she left in mysterious circumstances fifteen years earlier as a young child. Although her memories of that time our those of a five year old she remembers leaving on a wagon in a rush and there being a fire. Her main reason for wanting to discover why her family left is because they were forced to leave without her mother. In order to find the answers she wants she accepts a teaching position under an assumed name, Campbell. However, her first encounter with the school board’s chairman was a disaster as JP had to save her from a team of runaway horses. Elizabeth tries to keep her distance from JP, who is intrigued by the new teacher, but when she finds herself in trouble it is him that helps her.
The author really bought both the characters and the Western setting to life with her descriptive narrative and I felt fully immersed in the story. I enjoyed the small historical details that really make you feel that your back in that era as a reader and which the author is great at adding. The main characters, Elizabeth and JP have instant chemistry and I liked seeing their relationship develop along with the secondary characters who all bought an added element to the overall story. The mystery element to the storyline had me happily turning the pages and the exciting plot kept me guessing until the very end. This is an enjoyable and engaging historical romance which I definitely recommend.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson was an absolutely delightful book in every way. It was a very easy read, I loved the story, the mystery and intrigue, and the love story was perfect. The characters were marvelous, I think I would love to see Elizabeth, J.P. and Amy in other little mysteries. I would give this story more stars if I could for the simplest of reasons. Although the romantic tension between J.P. and Elizabeth is quite palpable the reader is not subjected to scenes of graphic lovemaking. You can feel the heat without having a picture drawn for you. Best romantic novel I have read in a good while.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book so much! The town of Bittersweep, Texas is a place I grew to love while reading this book. Elizabeth is strong and stubborn schoolteacher determined to discover the past. JP is the man that takes care of everyone in the area. There is more than just chemistry with these two. This story has twists and turns galore! I hope someday to go back to Bittersweep and uncover the twins’ stories.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love these books. I love how the author is able to transport you back in time to a era long gone. Because it is a historical romance the language reflects that which sometimes could get a little confusing but it didn’t take away any enjoyment I had for this book.
As well as a sweet romance there is also danger, secrets, Mysteries and murder which makes this book a def page turner.
Elizabeth has returned home to the Town of Bittersweep where she grew up. After leaving the town in a hurry when her family home burnt down Elizabeth left behind her mother who had passed. Why had her house been on fire? Why did her mum pass was it an accident or something sinister? And what secrets did her mum keep in a box. Did things happen the way Elizabeth thinks or are your memories mixed up by a child’s imagination? That’s what Elizabeth sets out to find answers too.
Taking a job as the school teacher she meets JP Honeycutt. Immediately feeling an attraction she tries to distance herself from this man and his charms. However when she becomes a suspect in a murder the only person riding to her rescue is him.
Can she let herself learn to love again? And what secrets does JP hold which could hold the answers that Elizabeth is trying to find.
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bittersweep is a very well written story for the time period in which it is wrote in. Second book read by this author and I am sold on her writing style! I absolutely adored this book. I really enjoyed the storyline and oh the characters bring the story to life, so surreal. Loved every minute reading this story it was most definitely worth the read! Just an entertaining, easy and fun read! If you love historical romances then this is the story for you!!
The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is good on so many levels. N.L. Holmes does a thorough job of researching the period she is writing on. The descriptions of locations and characters always make it easier to visualize. The plotlines are fascinating. The mystery in this book teaches about good and evil. The young man loses his father and his grandfather is seriously injured when a saboteur wrecks the king’s chariot. This young man feels it is his fault until he’s told otherwise then he wants to find out who is responsible. Excellent book. Highly recommend.
