I really, really enjoyed this book! I was riveted from start to finish as I did not know much about this portion of French history and how it intersected with American history. I learned so much, but I was also completely invested in the well-developed characters this author created. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I will definitely be reading more from her because this book was stellar in every way.

I've enjoyed books by Jocelyn Green before, but I just couldn't get into A Refuge Assured. I'm not a fan of books centered around the French Revolution, and that may be partly the reason. I wanted to like this book, and I tried twice to read it, but lost interest at the same place both times. It's hard for me to stomach the carnage of the Revolution, as well as the element of the story involving syphilis.
Ms. Green is an amazing author and her historical romances will suck you into the time period and embrace you with their reality. If you enjoy books that make history come to life, A Refuge Assured may be just what you're looking for. This book wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it.

Jocelyn Green has a way of bringing history to life that goes far beyond what we learned in school. Her complex characters demonstrate the realities of life during difficult times in history. I had no idea the horrors of living during the French Revolution even if you weren't royalty, and it's hard to imagine the daily struggles of those who tried to escape and start new lives in America.

A Refuge Assured quickly transports the reader to the side of Vivienne Rivard, a business woman (with her aunt) who provides lace to the upper class women and royalty. Because of her association with them she and all who produce the lace are targeted and she barely escapes to Philadelphia in the late 1700s. The book follows her efforts to start over again in a country that is mostly hostile to French refugees. There are many twists and important secondary characters she interacts with that provide a fascinating tale of the struggle to find peace and security.

And along the way you will discover interesting twists on Alexander Hamilton and the Whiskey Rebellion.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a history buff. One of the things I really enjoy about Green's writing is that her books are NOT historical romances. They are first and foremost intriguing historical stories that may include a bit of romance (because that's real life). The stories are incredibly well researched and always examine God's providence and love in a natural, non-preachy way.

Beautiful story!! Jocelyn Green is an amazing author whose books keep on getting better! "A Refuge Assured" is the story of a young French woman who is forced to flee her beloved France due to her being a lacemaker (a crime worthy of death in those days). Vivienne goes through so much as we witness her struggles, trials, and joys in America. I learned so much about the French Revolution and the Whiskey Rebellion from this book. The characters really come alive and will stay with you even after you are done reading. It is definitely a page turner brimming with history, romance, and mystery that will keep you up reading late at night! Wonderful work of Christian Fiction!
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a review copy. A review was not required, and all opinions are my own.

Like usual Jocelyn Green writes a captivating story that weaves fascinating characters into a tale that illuminated a little-known period of history and causes me to desire to know more. Her depth of research always shines through.

An engaging story, full of amazing history! I was caught up in this story immediately and couldn't put it down. With all the historical events, the beautiful romance, the friendships, the hardships. It pulled me in and didn't let go. I learned so much, but never felt like I was sitting in a history lesson. It was so well written. I truly loved A Refuge Assured!

I received a complementary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Review This was a beautiful and sometimes difficult book. You don't often come across books set during the French Revolution, but Jocelyn Green has done a beautiful job giving a look at life for aristocrats and artisans who were forced to escape France or face Madame Guillotine. I had no idea before I read this book, that being a lace maker was a death sentence in revolutionary France, but it was since lace was seen as a symbol of the aristocracy. Vivienne is a wonderfully strong heroine in this story who faces, fights, and works to escape everyone and everything that wants to destroy her and her ward. And then there's Liam who's just the sort of hero you want in a story: strong, caring, principled, opinionated, and unendingly loyal.

There were times that it wasn't easy to read this book––some parts are dark and others are incredibly sad, but through it all is woven a stunning tale of hope and the fight for refuge. I truly enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to Ms. Green's next book!

I absolutely loved this book! There is so much history in this one. It was so well written. I really enjoyed the characters in this. This book made me want to do some research about the French Revolution and some of the people involved. I really felt like I was drawn into the places in the story. There was so much detail.

Rich in history about the French Revolution, the author has a way with making the reader feel apart of this story. I enjoyed learning about this time period. The author's note is very helpful in answering some questions that I had. Recommended!

Who knew that French lace makers were a target during The Reign of Terror? I’d always presumed the main victims were members of the nobility and anyone else who disagreed with the actions of Robespierre and his cohorts. I’d presumed that the trades as a whole were safe but, apparently, lace was a sign of nobility and so the makers of it became victims. In A Refuge Assured, Vivienne is forced out of her occupation and forced to make a run for the coast where freedom awaits. She lands in Philadelphia and meets a former courtier and a young boy who will soon become an important part of her life.

Much of A Refuge Assured draws comparisons and highlights differences between the American and French Revolutions. I was surprised to read that many American patriots cheered on the bloody events in France, even singing popular songs of the French Revolution. Some Americans also saw the Whiskey Rebellion as perhaps the beginning of another revolution. It’s a reminder that not all uprisings are the same, and raises questions of individual rights versus the collective good; still a hot button issue today. Jocelyn Green stays mostly true to the historical record, although liberties are taken concerning the fictional characters. Notable Independence figures such as Alexander Hamilton and Dr. Benjamin Rush make appearances, and other historical events such as the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 and the slave uprising of Saint-Domingue(Haiti) in the same decade are also mentioned.

I found A Refuge Assured to be a tense, heart-racing novel and my heart didn’t slow down once the danger had receded. Just as Vienne didn’t know who to trust, neither did I know who was among the “good guys.” Green looked in-depth at her characters, including multiple perspectives which revealed much about heart and motives. As an avid student of history I loved how much detail there was about contemporary events, yet at no time did it come across as a dry history lesson. It finishes with a beautiful and emotional epilogue that left me wondering: when I finally do visit French Azilum (hopefully this year), will I be haunted by the young king who never saw his earthly sanctuary?

Thank you to Bethany House for my complimentary electronic copy of A Refuge Assured.

The compelling and beautiful blending of history and story in this book were perfect. This story brought to life aspects of American history about which I knew very little. It delighted me to experience history come alive as these varied individuals melded together to become Americans. The characters were a mixture of cultures and backgrounds. The story revealed a picture of the political climate of early America. I knew nothing about the whiskey rebellion or the French escaping to America. This for me is ideal historical fiction, touches of mystery, touches of romance and spiritual truths blended to create a captivating story. I appreciate knowing what parts of a novel come from actual history, but I resisted reading at first the author’s notes at the end of the book. While the main characters came from Jocelyn Green’s vivid imagination, the events and attitudes came from real history. Perfect! I had never heard of Asylum, Pennsylvania. I had never considered that the American experience of a divided opinion of a strong central government versus a people with individual freedoms was not too dissimilar from France and the French Revolution.
Jocelyn’s wording shows her talent:
“Vienne was raised with one foot in the world of the working people and the other tiptoeing through the doors of the aristocracy, catering to their whims. As such, she’d never fully belonged to either realm. Well practiced in straddling two worlds, she now belonged to neither France or America. Untethered, like a loose thread, while every other strand was woven into place.”
Write on Jocelyn, you make history sing!
A free copy was provided by NetGalley. No review was required.

A Refuge Assured by Jocelyn Green was an excellent novel in a setting and time in history that is often not as explored in fiction. The plot was well written and explored the fear of the French Revolution both in France and even in the French Quarter in America as well as the anger of many Americans at the imposition of the Whisky tax and the ensuing Whiskey Rebellion. I was drawn into the fears, anger, and other emotions of the time as both Liam and Vivienne sought to find their place in a changing time. There were instances of suspense, betrayal, and danger that added to the story and kept me glued to the pages. I liked both Liam and Vivienne, and I enjoyed seeing how they adapted to the struggles of farming and rebellion and learned to trust more fully in God as well as one another. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to reading more of Jocelyn Green's novels. I received this novel from Bethany House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so sorry that I didn't get to review & promote this book, as Jocelyn Green is one of my favorite authors. I was sick when my request approval arrived, and then my husband was in the hospital after that, so the approval got lost in my e-mail and I wasn't able to download before it was archived. Hopefully next time!

A Refuge Assured by Jocelyn Green is a wonderfully well written, historical romance that occurs in the era of the French Revolution and spans across the seas from Europe to America. Ms. Green's writing shows a depth of research, engaging characters and a written story that brings it to all to life. As I read this captivating romance I was moved to tears, laughter and all the emotions in between. For me, the story just jumped off the pages and took me along for the ride! Don't you all just love when this happens?!

I highly recommend A Refuge Assured to all of you and I can't wait to read more from Jocelyn Green!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Green, Bethany House Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have promoted this book on facebook, twitter, and instagram but have not formally written a book review. I will continue to promote Jocelyn Green's books in the future.

I received an advanced reading copy of “A Refuge Assured” by Jocelyn Green for an honest review of the book.
This is another wonderful book by Jocelyn Green. It is the story of French refugees arriving in America after the fall of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.
The story followed one female refugee, Vivienne, who was running for her life from the Revolutionaries. Her crime? She made lace for the nobility in France. Since being part of nobility was a death sentence, and lace was a sign of nobility, lacemaking was a very dangerous profession. Vivienne was able to escape and secure transport to America, hoping to save her own life.
Vivienne’s life went from a life of relative luxury, even though she did work, to one of hardship and having to survive on her own. There are twists and turns to her life she never expected – including who to trust and who not to.
As in “The Mark of the King”, Jocelyn provided a rich history of French culture here in America. The research put into the story is very thorough and fascinating. If you are not familiar with the immigration of the French into America, you will find lots of interesting information, which may prompt more reading!
I highly recommend this book. It is full wonderful details, and a story of interesting characters you won’t soon forget!!

Vivienne Rivard flees her homeland of France, which is torn apart by the bloody French Revolution, and makes her way to America, to Philadelphia, which she hopes is a refuge assured. But she finds that even there as she determines to reinvent herself that she is not truly home yet and certainly not out of danger. When her friend and fellow refugee, Martine, dies of yellow fever, Vivienne is thrust into the role of motherhood and Martine's son Henri becomes her responsibility, one that she feels quite inadequate for but again determines that she will do her best to be the mother he needs. As rumors begin to circulate that Henri is the Dauphin, the next rightful heir to the French throne, Vivienne again must seek for refuge - this time in the French settlement of Asylum, Pennsylvania. And it is there that she does indeed find safety (at least for a time) and a home and begins to fall deeply in love with Liam Delaney.
This is one of those stories that is really difficult to write a review for and do it justice!
I came away from this book with a new understanding of the French Revolution. I love reading a book and getting a course-worth's knowledge and understanding about history, feeling as though I have been there and lived through it. I had this same rich learning experience with Jocelyn Green's The Mark of the King. She obviously does a masterful job of researching and then weaving that research with her imagination and creating a story that is an EXPERIENCE. And as always, woven throughout is the strong theme of faith in God, of home and family and forgiveness and of love.(I received a copy of this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all opinions and views expressed are my own.)

I found A Refuge Assured to be an intense page-turning historical fiction that teaches about the French Revolution in a great fictional way. It had twists and turns and nail-biting moments with a splash of romance. I'm inspired by the love of a woman to take over the care of a young boy and treat him as her own. I also loved seeing the side of American history that this book brought to light. I liked it and I’m thinking you will too. Check it out at the links below.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There is so much to love about this book. The historical setting and details will satisfy any reader who loves history. Readers who love action/mystery/suspense will love the plot. Those who love a sweet romance will adore the main characters. Every character in this book was well-written and contributed to the story line. The underlying theme of betrayal, love, redemption, and forgiveness runs throughout the story.
All three parts of this book are equally interesting and build the story to its satisfying conclusion. This is a book that I’ll read again.

Some parental guidance is needed if a young person below senior high age wants to read this book. We know that there were terrible things that happened in France during the revolution. These are dealt with in the book in an appropriate way and with appropriate language. You will want to read this book yourself first to make sure your daughter is ready to read this storyline.

Giving this one five well-deserved stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My Thoughts:
I have never read a book about the French refugees that fled to America during the revolution. Nor have I at all read (or studied) the Whisky Rebellion. To have a book containing both worlds was delightful.

This is my first experience with Jocelyn Green and I don't plan on it being my last.

I do feel like this book is character driven, which is always my preference. Vivienne is amazing. She is strong - having to have nursed her mother until her death, secure her escape from the bloody regime and get to Pennsylvania and then learn a whole new way of living - gah! I wish I was able to do it with even half of her grace and determination. She knows who she is, she knows her worth and she knows and values work. But she is also proud - she doesn't forgive easily, she isn't always happy with everyone and felt real to me.

While it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story once there I was hooked and didn't want to go back to work. (I typically spend my lunch break reading...this is a risky venture.) When looking at the comparisons between the French and American revolutions I was intrigued by the twist she brought to it. With so much of the Whisky Rebellion at the front and seeing the idea of freedom for all being changed to freedom "from" all. No taxes, no rule of law, if I don't want to do it, then i shouldn't have to and I must rebel. It was interesting to explore the themes of rule of law balancing with the personal rights/freedoms of the people. (Side note: It was fun to see Hamilton being name dropped, one of my favorites and I liked him before it was cool...)

The details of the world were amazing. Green's writing is vivid in its descriptions and moves at a nice pace. In particularly the way the romance between Liam and Vivienne worked out. It was a gradual build and the friendship grew along with the romantic feelings. And it was simply lovely.

I most definitely have put the rest of her other books on my to-read list.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book for review.