I’ve read all the books in the Cities of Refuge series and this one fits right in with the rest of them. Though this book is part of a series, you don’t have to read the other two to understand the plot. The other two have unique plots that find their own resolution, however, characters from the first book reappear in this one, though as secondary characters.

The story follows Rivkah, a young widow betrothed to Malakhi, her late husband’s younger brother. They sort of had problems with each other as children, though to Malakhi, it was playful banter on his part. Nevertheless, Rivkah doesn’t like the idea of marrying him and runs away when she gets the chance.

This is a character driven story for the most part. As Rivkah faces the consequences of her actions, she goes through a transformation, which leads to regret. But the thing I loved most was the message of redemption woven in Rivkah’s character. Connilyn is good with taking broken characters and uncovering the gems hidden within them. I’m honestly inspired after reading her stories.

I really found no glaring weaknesses in this story. The pacing was good, and there was enough suspense and vividness from characters and environment that kept my interest. I would highly recommend, especially to those who love biblical history fiction.

***This book was given to me by NetGallery for an honest review.***

I would give this book 10 stars if I could....
Rivkah is a grieving widow, with rebellion in her heart. I love her oh-so real and flawed character that spoke to my heart.
Malakhi has loved her from afar for many years, and then when he has the opportunity to have her as his wife, he has to wait even longer - under excruciating circumstances.
They both go through situations that cause them to have changes of heart - and ultimately a humbled obedience to God.
This story is a loosely adapted, but well told, version of the Biblical prodigal son.
This story is suspenseful and has beautiful sweet clean romance. I love the element of unconditional forgiveness and the use of several Hebrew words to describe people, (like Yahweh for God) etc, as well as places, and items, which help give a realistic element to the book overall.

This is only the second book by Connilyn Cossete that I have read. The first one (which was from one of her other series, and that I will not name) was just ok and did not inspire me to want to read more of her work. However... this book - 'Until The Mountains Fall' is SO good, it is now on my favorites list. It is the 3rd installment in the series 'Cities of Refuge'. I will be purchasing the first two in this series as well! I'm sure if they are read in order you will understand a few things better, but really, it could be read as a stand alone book as well. I did not struggle at all.
The author did an excellent job of historical research, which just makes the story come alive.

I was riveted and fully engaged (no exaggeration!) till the very end, and felt a variety of different emotions throughout. The story flowed effortlessly and at a good pace.

I am completely impressed with this author's ability to create a story that used historical facts, and also provided me with a vivid imagining of what is was possibly like in ancient times before the birth of Jesus.
I received an advance review copy from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
This book is definitely on my 'will read again' list!!

Connilyn Cossette's book are always amazing! Unfortunately, I am not as good writing reviews as she is writing books. Everything I attempt to review one of her book I always feel like I don't do it justice, but I will do my best!

This book is the 3rd installment of the Cities of Refuge series. But honestly, her stories are really all tied together; so much that I only ever consider her 2 series as one big whole.
This book centers around another of Moriyah's son, Malakhi, who is now betrothed to Rivkah, his brother's widow. We can to revisit Kedesh and many of the characters from the previous books in the series.
As always, I love seeing each and every one of these characters grow through the books and discover more about each one as their stories unfold.

I don't want to say too much about the story, because I don't want to give anything away. It is so powerful and inspiring! And the ending was unbelievable (that's all I can say).
I honestly can't wait for March 2020, when the next and last installment of Cities of Refuge releases!

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

With a gentle nod to the story of the prodigal son, Until the Mountains Fall is a breathtaking addition to the Cities of Refuge series. Cossette masterfully brings the diverse cultures of biblical times to life with vivid authenticity.

The story of Rivkah and Malaki presents a complex combination of childhood frienemies, sibling linked relationship, and marriage of convenience. I was enthralled by each subtle emotion, motivation, and reaction.

Each installment in the Cities of Refuge series occupies its own piece of the timeline and the periods of silence between each story allows them to shine all the brighter individually. I cannot stress enough how highly I recommend it and every previous work by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

In this Historical/Romance novel we also get a great story about the "Cities of Refuge" in Old Testament Israel as well as the concept of Levirate marriage. Connilyn Cossette does a magnificent job of writing an engaging story while providing teaching points for a Biblical Custom.

Rivkah lives in a city of Refuge where her father is the Religious Ruler in charge of those who seek refuge from a Manslayer. These people come here because they have caused the untimely death of an innocent person and they need protection from the Manslayer who might seek revenge for the family who lost a loved one. As such Rivkah see's a lot of distressed and emotionally empty people coming to their city.

But in the midst of this Rivkah marries a good Jewish man but then experiences loss of her own. Her husband dies and leaves her a widow without children. According to their traditions and rules if the deceased husband had no heir and does have a brother, then that brother must marry the widow and provide a child to perpetuate the name of the deceased.

But Rivkah takes exception to the concept of marrying the brother of her deceased husband. She has never liked the young man, he is also younger than her and immature.

Before the marriage can take place she runs away to another city. Here she experiences the loss of everything she has known and everything she owns. Much like the Prodigal Son story in the New Testament. What will Rivkah do? Will she try and return to her family and her home and the arranged marriage?

The story is good and the character development leans itself to letting you feel what young women in Old Testament Israel may have felt. You get a clear picture of their dependence on others. A clear picture of arranged marriages that are not the best. A clear picture of how tradition and laws can actually be somewhat harmful to those they are meant to protect.

I think you will enjoy the story and learning more about Hebrew Culture.

Until the Mountains Fall, book three from Connilyn Cossette's series, Cities of Refuge, is a pretty good read. I enjoyed the author's vivid details of the time period. I feel like I was right there living among the characters and being part of the story. It tells a beautiful story of God's love, forgiveness, and redemption.
I give Until the Mountains Fall a well deserved five plus stars and highly recommend it for readers who enjoy Biblical fiction. This book should not be missed.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Until the Mountains Fall is another beautiful piece of Biblical fiction in the Cities of Refuge series. This is the story of Malakhi and Rivkah and delves into the law of the Levirate marriage and shows us how and what that may have looked like.

First off, my words are not going to do justice to this truly lovely story. I was mesmerized from the first page and knew just from the back cover there was going to be some heartbreak. I was right there with Rivkah and understood the entrapment feelings she had. Doing her best to obey her loving father yet knowing within herself she would not be happy with Malakhi whom she still saw as her childhood tormentor. However, like the rest of us we can’t see past the nose on our own face and we tend to make more of a mess with our lives when we step out of the way we know to be right. Rivkah learns this fairly early on but believes as a true prodigal daughter, and a lot of us, that there is no hope for us. That we need to make the best of a bad situation.

And then there was Malakhi who has loved Rivkah for so long and truly wants to honor his deceased brother’s family line and to love Rivkah as the wife he now has a chance with. My heart broke for him as he must endure Rivkah’s abandonment and her callous treatment toward his love and feelings for her. Both of these characters I was rooting for and knew that whatever they were going to endure, that by the end of the story their love would be all the stronger for it.

If you have not given Biblical fiction a chance yet, I suggest you try this author out. Her stories consist of great characters, unbelievable odds, and takes the Mosaic laws that seem so far removed from us today and shows just how invaluable they were to the Hebrew people while also mirroring our own culture. Simply wonderful storytelling and writing.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Connilyn Cossette continues her excellent Biblical based fiction Cities of Refuge series in Until the Mountains Fall, focusing on Rivkah who was just a young girl in the last book of the series. Without giving away too many spoilers of the previous two books, Rivkah is a young widow who is thrown into a difficult situation. Instead of staying and facing what Rivkah sees as a miserable union, she runs away from her home in Kedesh and her only family and friends. Although Rivkah planned on utilizing her non-traditional skills as a woman scribe to support herself, she is quickly thrown into a world far outside of her comfort and far from the way she was taught and raised.  She ends up indentured to a wicked man and slaving away as a scribe, desperately trying to protect those she has come to love as family.

Malakhi has always secretly admired his childhood friend and playmate Rivkah, yet when his brother married her, he hid away his pain and supported his brother and new sister-in-law.  Later when tragedy strikes his family, Malakhi is tasked with fulfilling the command of the Torah to marry his brother's widow and carry on the family name.  Although he is happy to have the opportunity to marry Rivkah, he soon finds out that his intended is vehemently opposed to their union.  When Rivkah runs away he is heartbroken and angry, venting his anger and loss into obsession on physical training for war.

Many years pass from this point, during which Rivkah and Malakhi each have struggles and challenges that change them and build their character and maturity. Eventually they end up reuniting but in a strikingly changed ranks in society.  Will their past hurts be overcome?  Can Malakhi forgive Rivkah for her running away as well as her carefully guarded secret? Can they even return to their home city of Kedesh?  Will they survive the war swiftly approaching Israel from the Caananites?  What will happen?  Pick up Until the Mountains Fall to find out. It is definitely worth the read!

I absolutely love this series by Ms. Cossette, not only does she capture the intricacies of each character's individual strengths, faults, and personality, but she also masterfully creates an entire web of suspense, mystery, and emotion in this entire book. I also greatly appreciated the faults of the characters--their doubts, worries, and self-critical attitudes-- which made them seem more human and relatable.  I absolutely enjoyed seeing how the main characters overcame many difficulties, whether physical handicaps, emotional loss, grief, loss of respect, indentureship, unexpected responsibilities, or even of past hurt and bitterness. This book is full of themes of forgiveness, family, heartwarming sacrifices, faith, strength, courage, and love. Overall, this was an excellent work and I would highly recommend it.  I really hope you have the chance to read this work (or any of the Cities of Refuge series).

Disclaimer: Bethany House Publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased honest review

This may be my favorite book in this series. This story does a great job at bringing a slightly less known bible time to life in an intriguing and interesting way. The vivid details and lively characters drew me into this book making it hard to put down. This book stands on its own, but I highly recommend that you read the first two books in this series.

Until the Mountains Fall is a riveting, compelling, and poignant tale of redemption, forgiveness, and mercy told in Connilyn Cossette’s inimitable way. The beauty of her prose shines through in this story reminiscent of the story of the prodigal son from the New Testament. With a richly painted setting of Israel in around 1380 B.C. and meticulously drawn, multi-layered characters, this tale drew me in and kept me enthralled and turning pages. Cossette’s exquisite writing combined with her obvious knowledge of Biblical times have made this Cities of Refuge series a favorite of mine. It’s been fascinating learning more of the customs, beliefs, heritage, and traditions of the Israelites during this time period.

Cossette’s memorable and vibrant characters quickly endeared themselves to me, although I must admit that it took me a while to warm up to Rivkah. I felt she was a bit—okay, a lot—impetuous, and I wanted to smack her at a few points in the story. Of course, she had to face the consequences of her rash decisions. Malakhi was a perfect hero—courageous, patient, forgiving, kind, and loyal. A superb cast of secondary characters added much to the story. It was fun seeing many characters from previous books in the series.

With a perfect balance of heart-pounding suspense, personal growth, redemption, and a side of romance, this book has a little of everything. I also loved the message of the importance of family. “The mountains will fall into dust before I will ever give up on my daughter.” This book is definitely one for the keeper shelf. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wow! Another amazing book by Connilyn Cossette! Throughout this book is the theme of the forgiveness that comes from love. The best way to describe it is as a “prodigal daughter” story, but parts of it that reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep. There were parts that made me cry and my heart ache. Parts of this story really made me stop to think about God’s amazing love for us as our “Abba” and the forgiveness that comes from His love. That He will never give up on us when we make mistakes, but that all we need to do is turn back and run into His loving embrace.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am going to tell you a story that has absolutely nothing to do with my review of this book but yet has absolutely everything to do with my review of this book.  I have read every single book that Connilyn Cossette has published.  I've been a huge fan hooked on her way with words from the beginning.  Once upon a time I was blessed to be part of her launch team. . .and then Facebook happened.  If you aren't in that loop I'll make a post about it some day but suffice it to say someone reported my name (please people, more people in my life know me as Fizzy than as my given name!) and I'm just stubborn enough to refuse to change it!  With the loss of Facebook came the loss of my launch teams, my author pages, basically all the bookish circles I revolve in on a daily basis.  I was devastated to say the least and floundered for a hot minute or ninety.  I had to get my bookish mojo back and it's happening but then with this book coming out I had to get it, launch team or no it's Connilyn people!

'Until the Mountain Falls' is the third book in the Cities of Refuge series.  Oh the lengths I'll go to ensure I don't miss a word!  We get to watch as Moriyah's family grows up and expands.  We get to watch as her family comes into their own.  This book is all about Malakhi, sorta.  It's also about Rivkah, mostly.  Malakhi is a son of Moriyah and Darek, brother of Eitan.  Rivkah is the daughter of the high priest of Kedesh was married to Malakhi's older brother Gidah. Shortly after their marriage he passes away from a snake bite.  You can get all this and more (like the levirate marriage that was aranged between Malakhi and Rivkah and build up to the good stuff) but here's what you aren't going to read about. . .without spoilers as much as possible.  The back cover doesn't tell you about the depth of Rivkah's dissatisfaction with this marriage arrangement.  I mean Malakhi made her growing up years absolutely miserable with the teasing.  She is so in shatters about losing her husband of four months, whom she did care for, to being tossed into a betrothal to the bane of her existence a month later that she is willing to risk everything she knows to escape.  And by everything I mean that once she left and made some sketchy choices she bound herself into an indentured contract instead of going home.  I mean who does that?  Sells themself into slavery because they can't bear to go home?  Apparently Rivkah does.

Meanwhile poor Malakhi is beside himself.  He's finally going to get to marry the woman he has loved since he was a mere child, the woman he has placed on a pedestal so high he can't see the real her.  When she leaves he is devastated and throws himself into his carpentry and his military service.  After going to try to find her of course.  He refuses to consider any other marriage despite his families attempts to hook him up so to speak.  Needless to say there's a lot that happens to both of them in their separateness and a lot that happens to ultimately bring them back into contact.   What they do with that contact is up to them.  Connilyn talks a lot about the parallels to the prodigal son in reference to this book.  I totally get that.  Here's something else to consider.  No matter how much you think you know someone until you invest in really getting to know their motives, the essence of who they are, you only know them how you filter them into your life.  There's a little Malakhi in each of us, that person who does things with the best of intentions but they aren't viewed in the way they are intended.  We also have a lot of Rivkah in us, that person who filters the world down to just our view without stepping back to truly examine intentions.  Honestly though, at the end of the day what I loved about this book is watching these two grow.  Watching them find their true selves whether it's in bound to a master you can't respect or searching for a love that wasn't returned.  Watching these two people re-find each other in a timing that can only be orchestrated by God.  I can't say too much without giving too much away but trust me. . . you can't miss this book.  And with the huge cliffhanger at the end book 4 'Like Flames in the Night' is already on the waiting impatiently list!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by 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.

Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette is one of the best books I've read this year. The author combined a captivating plot, steady romantic tension, and deep character development to create a tale that made me laugh, cry, and stay up way too late.

Despite her immaturity and poor choices, Rivkah is my favorite character in this novel. I liked her even when she was making her mistakes as the prodigal daughter of a priest. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rivkah and Malakhi grow individually and together. Many difficulties, some self-inflicted, trouble their lives and relationship. Brokenness, consequences, and scars made their journeys realistic. However, like the other novels in the series, Until the Mountains Fall presents a theme of something beautiful rising out of tragedy.

Until the Mountains Fall is the third installment in Connilyn Cossette's Cities of Refuge series. I think the novel could be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the series in order to get the vibrant, full experience. Until the Mountains Fall is tied with A Light on the Hill for my favorite book by Connilyn Cossette. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Until the Mountains Fall is author Connilyn Cossette's third book in the Cities of Refuge series. It is an amazing and remarkable story. Biblical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and this book went way above my expectations. Cossette is an expert storyteller and has woven a wonderful tale of a young widow being compelled into marriage to her brother-in-law. Impulsively Rivkah flees from all she has ever known to a city that stood in direct opposition to everything she loved about the city of her family. Would she find the peace of mind and spirit that she seeks? She knew she could never go home again but would she survive on her own? The suspense of this story is intense as Rivkah faces men who mean her evil, a life of being indentured, a life away from her family and those who truly care about her. The characters have depth and reality and their emotions and strengths and failures resonate well with readers. A father who would stop looking for his daughter only when the mountains fell; a betrothed husband who never stops loving her and yet grieves what should have been; a woman on her own in an unfamiliar world. The descriptive scenes take readers right back to the ancient days and places and put them right into the story. Cossette skillfully wields her pen into the creation of beautiful imagery—“The notes of her laughter twirled through the air like butterflies alight on the breeze.” "The sound of your voice beneath the terebinth tree followed me everywhere I went, even into battle." Until the Mountains Fall is a captivating glimpse into the life of the nation of Israel as it faces the consequences of choosing to serve gods other than the One Who Sees and yet it is also a glimpse into the life of a young woman full of grief and misperceptions. It is a story of each of our lives as we have hopes and dreams that may be shattered and as we make choices that bring severe consequences. And yet at the end of the road there He is--the Almighty God--who is waiting and working in our lives all along for our return to Him. It is a story of fears, of unconditional love and one of mercy, a gift that is not earned--it is given. Don't miss this marvelous book, it will hold you spellbound until the end and then leave you wanting more.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher, Bethany House, and a favorable review was not required. The opinions are my own.

With this story, Connilyn Cossette has permanently jumped onto my list of auto buy authors! I don’t read a lot of Biblical fiction, but if Connilyn Cossette’s name is on it, I’m going to read it! She writes stories that are so lyrical and beautiful and moving. Her characters are ones that will stick with you for a long long time. This entire series is amazing!

Let’s start with Malakhi. What an incredible character! He was so giving, caring, kind, and patient (especially with Rivkah!) At one point in this story, I was telling Malakhi to forget Rivkah because she was so selfish and so unlikable. But, due to incredible writing skill, by the end of the story, I loved her as much as Malakhi! She grew so much throughout this prodigal “son” story! The ending brought me to tears more than once!

I loved that we got to catch up with Moriyah and Darek and Eitan and Sofea from books one and two. And, somehow, Ms. Cossette actually made me tear up when something happens to a character I have disliked from the book 1! This is a beautiful story one I highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

As a genre, Biblical fiction is one of the most difficult to write. The author must be well-versed not only in the ancient historical setting, but also of course in the Bible itself. To break it down further, crafting stories that occur during the time of the Old Testament adds to the challenge because the mindset is different. There is a shift from being under the law in the Old Testament to faith and forgiveness in Christ after the Resurrection, as exemplified in Galatians 3:24-25: “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” This change in the way of life distinguishes the Old and New Testaments and as such establishes a requisite precedent for any writing in the genre.

Connilyn Cossette fulfills these standards with aplomb in book three of the Cities of Refuge series, “Until the Mountains Fall.” Opening in the serene refuge city of Kedesh in 1380 BC, this story employs fictional main characters to transport the reader to ancient Israel, bringing the Old Testament vividly to life and foreshadowing the coming of Christ. Despite the differences of living in a post-Resurrection world today, many themes remain the same, now embodied with even more hope in the realization of the Savior. As a result, this story resonates in a deeply intimate way, whether readers are familiar with the Bible or not.

Told in a dual first-person narrative, “Until the Mountains Fall” follows Rivkah and Malakhi along a twisting path to discovering the unrelenting grace of Yahweh (God). Following the death of her new husband, Rivkah is subject by the Torah law to a levirate marriage, in which she will marry her husband’s brother, Malakhi. My heart ached for Rivkah from the outset. She is very independent and intelligent and has an arrogance about her that leads her to rebel against how trapped she feels. Still, rather than disliking her character, I felt empathy and pity for her. I appreciated that she was a female scribe who loved languages: “The dance of ink over finely woven plant fibers became an act of worship, a connection to the Creator of language himself, especially when the words of a new song spilled from my heart onto a sheet of papyrus.” What an incredible description of our God-given skills when we use them for His glory!

Like so many of us, Rivkah wants to be in control of her own life, and she ends up reaping the consequences of her irresponsible choices. Her betrothed, Malakhi, also endures the costs of her decisions, the reverberations of which reach farther than she could ever have realized. Rivkah’s faith journey becomes derailed as she drifts farther from Yahweh, only to ultimately come to realize that no one can outrun God’s magnificent grace.

Epitomizing the story of the prodigal, “Until the Mountains Fall” is an engaging story with a beautiful message of redemption. The time lapses in the narrative are at times somewhat disconcerting but contrast well with the gradual and thoughtful unveiling of the storyline. There are plenty of twists that enhance the plot and take it far beyond a simple romance, as well as tear-jerker scenes. There is some mature and violent content, but it is tastefully done, without graphic details, and these scenes are integral to the story. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the Cities of Refuge series in order, as the characters carry over and their stories intertwine. Regardless, though, “Until the Mountains Fall” is a breathtaking, heartrending, and ultimately redemptive story of deliverance, highlighting the grace, mercy, and loving care of God, our Abba Father.

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

Until the Mountains Fall is the third book in the Cities of Refuge series, and while it can be read as a stand alone, DON'T. You will be doing yourself a great injustice if you don't read them all and in order. Connilyn is a master story weaver and this series is just so beautifully and flawlessly intertwined. Also, the first in the series is resolved in this book and you NEED the backstory for the full effect.

I honestly didn't care for Rivkah at first but then I saw myself in her. She is the prodigal daughter that we've all been at one time or another and her story has blessed me immensely. I went to bed after finishing this book just crying and thanking God for always welcoming me back with open arms.
Then there's Malakhi. Sweet, loyal, and soft hearted Malakhi. I have all the heart eyes for him.

I really didn't think Connilyn could outdo herself after the first book, but this one is by far my favorite. It's going to be one of those books that stay with me forever.

Oh, and make sure you have tissues for this one!

*Disclaimer - I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series has been incredible and gotten more so with each book! I absolutely loved this storyline. I have struggled with reading the Old Testament, but the author brings this time period to life in a way that makes me want to dive into it more than ever!

Following along with the previous books, we pick up with the same family in Malakhi being given his brother's wife in a betrothal after Gildal dies. Unfortunately, Rivkah is mourning not only the loss of her husband of a few months, but also still the lingering loss of her mother years before. Her displeasure of the betrothal turns into a betrayal of not only her family, but Malakhi's as well.

This is an amazing story of redemption that parallels scripture in a beautiful way. God sees and hears our faults. He is pained by our choices, but He loves us in a way we can never truly understand. There's also an example of the prodigal son seen through the stories of the characters.

The writing brings the time of the Cities of Refuge alive. It's easy to picture how people are living their lives as you read each page. As the characters spend time in different locations, your heart grieves as you see how far the Israelites have fallen away from God by disobeying His laws and turning to idols as well as other unholy living. As scenes unfold I wanted to shake characters as well as hug them at the same time. lol

Honestly, it's hard to put into words how amazing this story is. Can I say how sad I am that I read it so quickly. I'm already missing the characters! I can't wait for book 4 to come out!

If you are a reader of Biblical history you will surely love Until The Mountains Fall. Written during the time of the kings in Bible times, it is not based on any particular bible character just during that time. A time when a man died and left no children, his brother was to marry the widow and the first child born to that union would carry the name of the deceased husband. Newly widowed Rivkah balks when her father promises her in marriage to the younger brother who in her childhood she never got along with. He always tormented her and was a charmer. She could not feature her life joined with this flirtatious full of himself individual. When her father refuses to be swayed, insisting this marriage will be good for her, she flees Kedesh. Malakhi is left reeling from Rivkah’s betrayal in running away as he has always secretly loved her and was looking forward to this union. The twists and turns this story takes as Malakhi searches for her makes for a very interesting book that will keep you reading to see how it will turn out. Loved reading of the faithfulness of God and how He will make a way for His chosen people. I highly recommend this book…..I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley and I am happy to leave this review.

** I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Like all of Connilyn Cossette’s books, this was beautiful, breathtaking, inspiring, and moving. I absolutely adore the Biblical setting and have come away from her books with such a richer understanding of these Old Testament times!

While maybe moving a little slower than past novels, with more focus on character development in fewer characters, the richness and impact of this novel is not to be disregarded. The whole story being a Prodigal Son analogy blew me away—and I loved the New Testament/Old Testament crossover. Rivkah was an especially amazing character, her arc so incredible to watch, and so easily to care about. Malahki as well. Both these characters drove the story more powerfully than many plot lines, and held me captive as I watched them unfold into who they were created to be. <SPOILER> Even though their romance was predictable, it did not lessen the enjoyment I found in reading it, nor my smile at their eventual union. <SPOILER>. Each character, though many, held a significant part in the plot, creating a very lifelike story. The author does amazing at keeping all the characters straight and distinct and pulling them all in so very carefully.

As with the author’s other novels, this book is one of the very few that I really soaked in its length without feeling dragged out or bogged down by unnecessary scenes. I could have read about Rivkah and Malahki forever!

All in all, this book impressed me in creativity and setting and character and story, held my attention all the way through, and is another amazing installment in the author’s works. I’m already counting down until her next book!