This book is the first in Connilyn Cossette's new series Cities of Refuge.
If you are new to this author, let me first tell you that her books are amazing! But I truly believe, to get the best experience, all her books should be read in order.
This might be a new series, but I consider it a spin-off of her Out of Egypt series. This book focuses on Moriyah (a secondary character from Wings of the Wind). I really appreciate how this author truly connects all of her books together even though the main character in each book is different. I have never read a series quite like hers.

As for this particular book, I don't want to say too much, because it would be too easy to give out spoilers. I will only say that up to the very end, I really didn't know how this book could get a happy ending. I loved the characters and the story and highly recommend the book!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book. It did not affect my review.

From the first word that I read from Connilyn Cossette, I knew that this was an author I needed to watch. Her new Cities of Refuge series starts off with A Light on the Hill, and I was not disappointed!
This book kept me up at night. Literally. I could not put it down, as one trial after another fell into Moriyah’s path. I had already come to love this character when she made her debut in Wings of the Wind, and I loved her even more in this book. Her struggle with her disfigurement is heart-rending, and the healing she experiences is so poignant, it made me think of my own less-seen scars and the goodness of God to heal those.
The romance in this book, as usual, is so good! I really wasn’t sure how she would pull it off, but she did it so well. Each character, each scene, is so multi-layered and colorful, I felt as if I was walking through the lands of Israel and Canaan with them.
It was fascinating, seeing the history of this time period. I knew quite a bit about it already, but Connilyn made it come alive.
Listening to God’s voice, trusting Him with our lives, with ourselves, is a huge theme of this book. Connilyn handles it so well, and it will be a theme that will linger in my heart and thoughts for some time.
In summary, if you’ve read any of Connilyn’s books before, you’ll love A Light on the Hill. If you love fiction set during the times of the Bible, you’ll love Connilyn’s books. If you like to read and enjoy quality fiction, you need to read A Light on the Hill!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
https://ontoherbookshelf.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/a-light-on-the-hill/

Moryah was scared at Jericho at then end of Wings of the Wind. It has been seven years and she is content caring for her father and hiding behind her veil. But when an accident happens with tragic consequences, Moryah must leave behind her veil and her fear.

Moryah had so much personality and to see her hide herself because of her scar is sad. I loved seeing her blossom again. I also liked seeing her fall in love with Darek.

I adore these books by Connilyn Cossette. There is an interesting plot, a bit of romance and adventure mixed in with biblical lore. I gobble them up like candy. They make me think and I'm curious about what aspect of ancient Israel she will explore next.

A Light On The Hill another torch to buy Ms. Cossette that I got to read and I just have to say "Bravo" she is one amazing author who knows how to bring her characters to life and make them real. She also gets you as the reader to become emotionally invested in the characters. How could you not love Moriyah? You fall in love with her strength and courage as well as her face. This is one book you definitely need to read for yourself.

Since I had already fallen in love with a very young Moriyah in Cossette’s last book, Wings of the Wind, it was so exciting to get to read the rest of her story in this book! And as a member of Cossette's launch team, I had the even greater pleasure of getting to read an ARC of it before release day! Cossette’s writing is fabulous, full of complex and growing characters, and the plot is riveting, full of twists and turns that make this book nearly impossible to put down.

This is absolutely a five-star book! There is so much to love about it! The book is told in first person, all from Moriyah’s perspective, and I must admit that there were several times that I found myself desperately wishing we could have some chapters from Darek’s perspective! I so wanted to know what he was thinking!

As I said about Cossette’s Out from Egypt Series, I think readers will enjoy the fresh perspective this author brings to a brutal time in ancient history even if they do not currently believe in God. This book is actually more historical than Biblical since the Bible is fairly silent on this particular time period. I feel certain nearly every reader will find the story engaging!

If you love Biblical fiction and you haven’t discovered Connilyn Cossette, you’re missing out big time! Having thoroughly wowed me with her Out of Egypt series, she’s taken things one step further with this new series with a story that feels like a whole new genre: Biblical romantic suspense! Not only has she breathed life into a little known aspect of Ancient Israel’s society, but she’s told a captivating romantic suspense story at the same time, as Moriyah travels on foot across a partially conquered Canaan, trying to outpace and avoid the avenger of blood as she makes her way to a city of refuge.

The instruction to set up cities of refuge—cities where a person who has accidentally killed someone may seek refuge from the avenger of blood—is given in Numbers 35, but beyond knowing they existed, I hadn’t really given them much thought. Until now. Through this story, I discovered what a beautiful foreshadowing they are of the refuge we find in Christ. They also highlight the way in which God’s mercy and justice are in constant tension in this life.

As for the characters themselves, we met Moriyah in Wings of the Wind, and although you don’t need to read that story prior to this one, you will know the full story behind the mark that brands her face if you have read it. I loved the integrity of the hero in this story and his capacity to love Moriyah, and I absolutely adored the romantic tension between him and Moriyah throughout the story. If that sounds vague, it’s for a reason—I loved the surprises in the way the story unfolded, particularly in the beginning, which sets up the romantic tension between Moriyah and the hero.

If you enjoy Biblical fiction, historical fiction, romantic suspense, or even just a great story, make sure you acquaint yourself with Connilyn Cossette’s books!

This book is my 20th book of the year. That is a mini milestone on the quest to the larger goal. It wasn’t meant to be my 20th book. Life went sideways and got really messy. I’m still in sideways messy mode and will be for a while but I’m also working hard at finding a new balance, a new normal if you will. I had every intention of review this book on it’s release day (February 6th). Feel free to re-read above as to why it wasn’t reviewed then. Here’s the thing, I don’t feel like this book has anything to do with sideways messy but I think it was meant for it to have to be postponed. It needed to be my 20th book this year. It needed to be a mini milestone.

We first met Moriyah in ‘Wings of the Wind‘, the final installment on the Out of Egypt series. Moriyah was kidnapped to the temple of Ba’al and Ashtoreth and branded (on her face), by a vicious Priestess, as a temple prostitute. Moriyah escaped from that unscathed, except for the brand. And her view of herself. Moriyah grew up from that 13 year old girl and we meet back with her in ‘A Light on the Hill’ as a woman of 20. A woman who never even answers her door without her veil in place to cover her brand. A woman who never even lets those she loves see her face because of her brand. A woman of compassion and talents. A woman who may have accidentally killed the children of the only man who will agree to marry her – to gain her father’s vineyard. A woman on the run for her life to find sanctuary in a City of Refuge.

What I keep going back to as I think over this book, besides the fact that Cossette has yet to write something I am not head over hills for, is Moriyah’s veil. I might accidentally give you spoilers so don’t hold that against me. There’s so much more to this book than her veil however. There’s adventure on her journey. There’s romance with a character that I might have a ginormous crush on. There’s action throughout. But I keep going back to the veil. As a child, Moriyah heard the voice of God. As an adult she is convinced He has left her, abandoned her, due to her brand. While she follows His laws and love’s Him as the Father she feels as though He has left her. She feels as though He no longer hears her. When her intended husband requires she show him the brand on the day they meet she is broken further at his reaction. When she must remove the veil to save the life of another she is humiliated. However, she finds she is also accepted.

Her brand provides her a small measure of safety in the territory of the enemy on her journey. Here’s the thing though. When she removes the veil, keeps it removed, and calls out to God? She hears Him. Her clinging to the veil as her protection was what was dividing her from Him. Her using the veil as safety instead of God kept her from Him. Her belief that the veil would cover her shame and not her trust that God could cover her shame kept her from Him. And all I could think of was all the things we all put between us and Him to keep us apart. We try to cover our shame, our embarrassment, our insecurities with material (hello veil) instead of with Him. We find our security, our comfort, in our jobs or our friends or our talents or even our possessions. I was drawn to Moriyah and her veil. I mean, I was drawn to the whole entire book but her veil spoke to me.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Baker Books, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Light on the Hill
by Connilyn Cossette
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 06 Feb 2018
I am reviewing a copy of A Light on the Hill through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:

This book will transport us back to the Old Testament days. Seven years prior Moriya was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite God's. Now the Israelites are experiencing a time of speech in their new land but that is not the case for Moriyah she is often judged harshly for that mark, hiding behind her veil most of the time. It seems to that marriage prospects are out of the question until now.


Moriya's Father had found someone to Marry her, and she hopes her love for cooking will impress this man and his son's without a Mother. But things go horribly wrong she is forced to flee and finds many dangers along the way until she arrives at the just established Levitical City of Refuge.


I give A Light on the Hill five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A Light on the Hill continues with Moriyah's story—the young woman who was branded at the end of the third book in the Out from Egypt series, Wings of the Wind. It isn't necessary to have read the Out from Egypt series to enjoy this book but I strongly suggest doing so. You'll understand Moriyah better and have more of a bond with her.

There isn't a thing that I disliked about this book. For starters, the cover is one of the prettiest that I've ever seen. I was fascinated by the sky, the head covering that I knew was meant to mask Moriyah's disfigured face and the city placed behind her. I'm not kidding—this cover is one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen. In fact—I might say it IS the most beautiful cover I've ever seen! I know, what is on the cover doesn't really count for anything but I can't help it. This. Cover. Is. Amazing! So amazing that I seriously just broke my words to emphasize them—this is serious y'all because I hate it when people do that! Well, I did...until I just did it.

Anyway, back to the important stuff—what's inside the book. This story was fascinating and gripping. The action was just right, the romance was swoon-worthy...I'm not kidding. Connilyn Cossette writes these amazingly strong male characters that I can't help but crush on. I'm kinda embarrassed to admit this but I can't help it! She's so beautifully descriptive that I fall in love with the characters and the words. Doesn't this just make your heart stop?

I could see every nuance within his eyes, the way the brown swirled with green and gold and even the slight ring of blue that encircled all of it as he held me captive within his gaze


AHHHHHH! Okay, enough fangirling, let's talk about the plot. I grew up in church and I've heard my pastor preach many times about the cities of refuge and how they were a symbol of redemption in Christ. For the first time, I considered the people who would have taken refuge within their walls. I had never added the human element and some of the concepts of the cities were somewhat was lost on me—until this book. I understood them on an intellectual level but it was so impersonal to me. Connilyn Cossette brought to life for me the use of these cities and the people who may have sought refuge within their walls. She presented them to me in a way that suddenly made sense—she gave me a character that I could empathize with. A character that I traveled with, agonizing with her every step of the way as she fled to the safety of Kedesh.

Moriyah's character and this book taught me so much. About accepting myself, my self-worth and how I shouldn't let physical problems define who I am. I am loved. I am special to God. I am His. He is my redeemer.

This book was a beautifully woven tale of love, redemption, grace, and acceptance. I'm tempted to say that it is my favorite out of the four the author has written. I so identified with Moriyah.

If you're looking for books to help you understand the geography, the culture and the social standards of the Bible; I would definitely suggest A Light on the Hill.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I read many books through the year in different genres. It's a rare book that I want to reread again immediately.
This is one of those books. It's that good.

Faithful readers of Connilyn Cossette already agree that she's an outstanding storyteller. However, she just surpassed herself in this extraordinary book. Moriyah's life has been filled with fear and tragedy. She makes an unintentional, terrible mistake and finds herself fleeing to a City of Refuge to escape the man that wants to kill her. The story of her flight to one of the Cities of Refuge is suspenseful, compelling, and absorbing. Moriyah has become one of my favorite fictional characters.

I also loved the setting of the book. Although I've read many times in the Bible about the Cities of Refuge and understood their purpose, I learned so much more about them as I read through the book. I appreciate Ms. Cossette's research and attention to historical detail.

If you love novels set in Biblical times, this book is a must-read for you. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you, Connilyn Cossette, for this beautiful story of redemption.

A Light On The Hill by Connilyn Cossette is an absolutely stunning book! The story is captivating, emotionally engaging and so very, very good. I started reading this book and couldn't. put. it. down. I carried it with me and pulled it out while standing in lines, at the stop light, propped it up while doing the dishes ~ anything to keep reading it.

Yes, it's that good ... really, really good!

I was a bit sad when I got to the end only because I wasn't quite ready to let this story go. Still, there will be more books in the Cities of Refuge series and I can't wait to read them. I highly recommend this book along with it's gorgeous cover!

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

I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Connilyn Cossette! This is the second book I have read written by her, and it really is an amazing story. I love how she writes biblical history in such a way that can pull in any reader, no matter what religion they are. In my opinion, Christian books like this one are some of the best, because they teach us what's important in life and about values that all should hold dear, regardless of where you stand religiously. It had romance, murder, forgiveness, and redemption, and above all, mercy.

Seven years ago, when Moriyah was a young girl, she was held captive and branded as a temple slave by a Canaanite High Priestess. Marked forever as a prostitute, she has hidden her face with a veil, only showing her eyes and only leaving her home when she absolutely must. One night there is a dance held in her village and all maidens are required to wear a veil - it's the one night when Moriyah can be herself, unknown to all, able to be free if only for a few hours. What follows is a series of events that will mark her far more deeply than her physical scars. She must now rely on her allies, reluctant guardians, and the mercy of Yahweh to grant her justice and a fair opportunity to live her life until she is old and gray.

This story made me so conflicted on many levels, which is what strikes me as the most important element. Life is not easy, so the story of someone's life should not be easy to read. It starts off brutally, describing the moment when Moriyah is branded, and your soul will feel like you are literally screaming with her. Then comes present day, where she is ridiculed by those who don't know any better, and her best friend is a little boy who is also an outcast due to a birth defect. It's that little boy who will become so important to the story, but the reader doesn't even know it until the end of the book. The author takes us on a journey where sacrifices must be made, bonds are tested, and faith in God is put to its limits. Moriyah was so inspiring to me, because I don't know if I could be as brave as her if I had led the life she had. Darek, the young man in the story, is also a character I had a lot of respect for. He made hard decisions and chose doing the right thing over what his emotions surely pressed him to do. This is not a book you want to skip.

Connilyn Cossette has officially hooked me - I will be reading every book she writes going forward. I love her writing style, the beautiful stories she creates, and the bible history on every page. It's a magical story, every time she writes.

Cities of Refuge. It is not a topic in the bible that I have read much about, but the history surrounding it fascinated me. This is a new series by this author, but previous characters from other books came up very briefly. This is a completely new series though. I will say that I was really impressed once again by this author’s talent in her writing.
So, in my reading Tessa Ashfar, Mesu Andrews, this is another one to add to the pile of must haves, must reads. She brings you into the time period, makes you feel the people and live there among them. You will see, feel and taste with the characters as if you were experiencing it with them.
As a side note, I did look up Oleander and yes, it is very poisonous. I hope I never come in contact with it… I will leave that tidbit for you to ponder as you run out and pre-order this book.
This book was obtained through NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions contained herein are my own.

I related to this book in a way I didn't expect...

This book plants us in the promised land of Abraham. It has been 50 years since their exodus from slavery in Egypt. Joshua and Caleb are still in control and the dividing of the land has begun to the tribes and we are dropped into Shiloh in the middle of a lush vineyard once charred by the Canaanites that lived there before and nurtured back to life by the hands of an Egyptian man who fell in love with a Israelite girl and her God and was given land by Joshua to thank him for his service to he and Caleb.

From there the story unfolds like the petals of a flower. Enter the vinters daughter Moriyah, a beautiful raven-haired girl and the life-threatening trials she must bear captured and enslaved in Jericho. Even after she gets free she must live with the gossip the isolation and shame.

Follow this brave lady's story, her tenderness and embarrassment, her dreams and pride and how it shapes and controls her life and chance at happiness. How a simple act she's done a million times before changes her life - maybe forever as she faces a struggle for her life.

The story is great the characters believable and dialogue is enjoyable. I truly did enjoy this book and recommend it highly.

"A Light on the Hill" is biblical fiction with romance and suspense. This novel was set 7 years after "Wings of the Wind" and followed what happens to Moriyah, a character from that story. The Israelites have taken much of Canaan and the first cities of refuge have been established. Moriyah has isolated herself out of shame for the brand on her face and feels no one can see past the rumors to see and love her. After an accident results in the deaths of the twin 13-year-old sons of a man who might have married her, Moriyah flees into a hostile land in disguise as she tries to survive until she can reach a city of refuge.

Moriyah was often guided by her emotions. For example, when a faithful friend was injured, she didn't want to leave him in someone's care even though doing so would be the one chance for everyone to survive. However, she started hearing God's guiding voice again and decided to follow His instructions and laws, no matter the cost. She falls in love with someone who helps her as he admires her courage and can see both her inner and outer beauty. They agonize that, no matter what happens, they could never marry. (After building these obstacles up so high, I would have liked it if the author had taken a little more time to resolve them rather than basically dismissing them at the very end.)

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but the characters did some things that I don't think would have been allowed in that culture. For example, Moriyah's Egyptian father married a woman from Judah but was given some land in Ephraim for a special reason. Then a man from Naphtali was told he'd inherit this land when her father died if he would marry Moriyah. The Bible makes a strong point that the land should remain with (owned by someone of) the tribe that inherited that territory, so I can't imagine the elders allowing this. Also, since her potential husband will live on and eventually inherit land several days journey away, this isn't a very desirable deal for him (though they act like it is). I can't understand why the author didn't just make the man from Ephraim! I had similar doubts about several aspects of the trial and what happened after it. Unfortunately, I found this distracting from the good insights (mercy, atonement) the author brought out. There was no bad language or sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting novel.

For some reason, Biblical fiction is not my go-to genre. But, since giving her first a try, I can’t read one of Connilyn Cosette’s books without fangirling. I know I need to put everything on hold because I’ll be useless until I finish them.

Moriyah has been branded by shame, and in protection of her family’s honour, and her pride, she’s hidden inside her home for seven years. Still, as anyone, she has dreams, for her land, her family and her future. Dreams which include finding someone who can see beyond the mark and truly love her. She believes this might come true when her father announces he has found a man willing to marry her; soon, though, even this possibility is shattered when she finds out he is actually looking forward to the promise of her land despite a marred wife. In obedience to her father, Moriyah complies to his plans and works to be a dutiful wife, even if this shall prove to be more hurtful than she ever imagined. However, after a grotesque incident, Moriyah is forced to flee to a city of refuge, in a journey full of frustration, confusion, and fear.

The plot was exquisitely done and the characters easily charmed there way around my heart. The law was explained in such humbling way, showing the appalling consequences of sin and its rightful condemnation, while still highlighting that merciful justice exists, even for the worst of sinners. And, truth be told, these sinners are us, who forget the law, ignore Yahweh’s voice and dive into a pool of self-pity and pride. But oh the overflowing joy when we receive favor, undeserved and unmerited, only by grace.

During her flight, Moriyah will be forced to go through enemy territory, face lions and bandits, as well as trust one set out to kill her. Nevertheless, she might just learn what it means to be sought after and loved, even when our hearts have turned away from truth and holiness, and that there is no way to love anything more than the One who showed us the greatest kindness, who uses our ashes and scars to serve others and bring healing rather than being an evidence of indignity. If we only open our eyes to see and our hearts to receive this unconditional love we will discover there is no limitation if we have faith.

I’m very much looking forward to the next book.

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette is an interesting Biblical fiction story. Even though Biblical fiction is not my chosen choice of genre, I have heard wonderful things about Cossette's writing. While I haven't sampled any of her writing yet, I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to her writing. With Biblical fiction, I imagined a story set in a world that I'm unfamiliar with and characters relating to a world with the hope of God deeply ingrained in their every choice.
The writing was clear and concise. I really enjoyed that A Light on the Hill explored the city of refuges mentioned in the Bible. I didn't know anything about this topic from the Bible before Cossette wrote about it. This story is told in first person. Since I haven't read any of her other three books, I don't know if she does this in all of her books or if this is the first time. But it works well for this Biblical story. I saw the story from Moriyah's perspective, and it made the story shine more than usual. Most Biblical fiction authors, in my humble opinion, like to create dry, boring stories, but Cossette created a story rich with memorable characters and an intriguing plot.
Moriyah is an unique character. From the moment she entered the story, I empathized with her plight. What eleven year old could handled that type of branding and be able to tell the tale. Cossette does a great job at showing a strong woman who honors her family and depends on Yahweh even though she has been scared from a young age. Then enters Darek. The mysterious, yet handsome man who sees beyond Moriyah's disfigurement and sees her internal beauty. I admired him as the hero and wanted to see more of him.
The plot flowed like a modern day chase scene. Someone running from the law and trying to blend in with another society. This story moved fast and kept my attention from the beginning. I finished the novel in a little over one day and really enjoyed it. Even I was surprised.
Overall, A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette is an interesting look into the world of Biblical time period and explored deeper than the Bible allows me to know. I enjoyed the characters and spending time in their harrowing chase through the wilderness. I highly recommend this book to fans of Biblical Fiction or fans of high speed chases. It truly captured my imagination. Now I'm anxious to return to her first three books and read those.
I received a complimentary copy of A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.