Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren

I'm doing two posts this week, because I need to post this review, and didn't want to crowd my schedule up anymore than it already is ;)

People, I have a confession. I don't like romances. I care for few historical fictions - I love history, but in  my opinion historical fiction is like a paragraph of what you'd find in a history book stretched over a trashy story.
Except G. A. Henty's books... his books are like a paragraph of fiction stretched out over a great history book!

Haha.

So, yeah, I think I really had little business picking up a historical romance...

Except the main character has my name!!!!!

And so I requested to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Here we go ;)

Amazon 

Goodreads

Backcover: 
In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father's estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions for women of the time, they're determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, proper gender roles are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined--and that's just the start of
what their eyes are opened to in this unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

Set on keeping her family together and saving her father's once-great plantation, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?


My review on Goodreads


My Thoughts:
Genre and plot aside, it was an easy enough read. The romance was mostly appropriate. Mostly the characters day dreamed of each other, and their fantasies were all appropriate. Some kissing. There were a couple scenes where rape was attempted/ manhandling, but it was dealt with in a very good way.

I found Keturah's backstory and her previous marriage intriguing. It was very relateble, even if you've never been in a real abusive relationship.

It was definitely a christian book, full of ideas about how God was working in her life.

I did not enjoy how the sisters were not very claiming of their femininity, but very brash and ready to do things of their own strength. I felt it was feministic for the setting.

Keturah's character was sometimes out of place. She was very formal, with names and titles and proximity and social ways. But then with slaves and working she let everything fly. Also, she did not approve of her sister's first "love" choice as the man was a crude captain of the seas. But then later in the book all that mattered was love. To me this all felt illogical, the way her character was very logical, then not.

I enjoyed reading about a character with my name. It was funny to hear people shouting, "Keturah." Or read, "Keturah was not very beautiful." It was interesting to see my name used in ways it would never be used... and in ways it would be used.

I feel this book is very true to it's genre, so even though I gave it three stars on goodreads, I feel anyone that loves christian historical romances will like this book a lot.

I do not plan to read anymore books in this series, but a friend has been trying to get me to read another of this author's books for a long while, Waterfall. I will probably read this soon.

What is your opinion of historical fiction/ romances? Does this look like a book you would read?