Member Reviews

This collection takes readers back to Medieval England, when knights served their king, when Lords served their king and answered his summons with their armies, and when their ladies bore up the duties of home while they were away. Two of the stories in the collection are connected and the third one is not. However, I felt the three stories fit together well in the collection. The book is well written. The characters are deep and real to life. The lessons learned are hard but relevant even to readers today. The conflicts are historically accurate as far as I can tell. The history, although not the main purpose of the stories, is well presented. I highly recommend this collection to lovers of fiction, historical fiction, and medieval fiction.

I received a copy of this book for the purpose of review. The thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

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I have enjoyed reading Medieval Christian fiction in the past, and was looking forward to reading Kingdom of Love. This book is a collection of three novellas. I felt the stories were just meh. I didn't hate them, but they weren't great either. The first two stories felt sappy. A bit simple, like for teen girls. The heroine in the second story just faints when things get tough or the author needs a pause for dramatic emphasis. That bugged me. The third story sounded familiar, so I checked my Nook. Sure enough I already own it. It's a repeat from the 2000's repackaged with the other stories.

So, my opinion, not recommended reading unless you are bored and have nothing else to read. No offense to the author. She's written some great books. These didn't do it for me.

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Kingdom of Love is a collection of three medieval novellas that are intertwined with their characters. Each of them has to deal with a major SOMETHING be it intrigued, murder, ect. And they learn that the love of God and the love of a man and woman can truly last through anything that comes.

Of the three women, I definitely liked Helena the least. LOL. But I did like her love interest "Tanny" because of his change from story #1 to story #2. The whole deal with that story though was just weird. Pretty sure Maude was a psychopath.

I felt like this was a book reminicent of Jody Hedlund's books in the same era.

I give this a solid 3.5 stars. i didn't love it, but I liked it. And it deserves more than 3 stars. But I will do 4 for the sake of the rating system.

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I really enjoyed all three of these Novellas, and they became page turners for me looking for answers. The first two mesh into one another, and we meet a couple whom are are in danger, but this story is woven beautifully and goes smoothly into the second read where in the end we do get answers.

The third takes place during the reign of Edward III, and people are dying all over Europe of the bubonic plague. The paganism and fear of healers are killing takes hold, as people are not relying on their faith in Christ. We journey with Mary a healer, and a Knight whom is on the Kings business of counting the dead, and never expecting to find and help another person, including several children.

All these reads are people who are living or coming to faith, and finding the support of Chris!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for a honest review.
It was good. The characters were lovable, the plot was solid. It checked all the boxes, and the Christ & Bible references were refreshing to see. However, it didn’t flow right to me, and it took me a while to figure out why. There is a common saying in the world of writing: “Show, don’t tell.” This entire book told me everything I needed to know. It didn’t show me anything, which is mostly fine, but sometimes it’s a noticeable issue. This was one of those times. I have not had the pleasure of reading any other books this author has released, but I must say, some do intrigue me. I’ll just have to find out if telling and not showing is just how she rolls. Would I recommend? Yes. Any Christian based fiction/romance book is a must read, because there are so few out there. So check this one out when it releases in November of this year.

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These stories are good for any of you who really like historical romance. I'm not generally a reader of romance, but since they were set in medieval times, I thought I'd try them. I felt like overall, the stories themselves were fairly good. However, the language didn't always match with what would have been spoken in medieval times. Also, the first 2 stories were about the same people, but the 3rd was totally different, so I was a little disappointed in that.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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Kingdom of Love is 3 medieval short stories. I really enjoyed all 3 stories. They were quick reads that kept my attention and kept me wanting for more. It had the same feel as The Knight and the Dove by Lori Wick. I will definitely be reading this book!!.

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Christian Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres to read & I thoroughly enjoyed these 3 stories. Without giving anything away, the first 2 stories were about the same family, which was fun.

The author does a great job with being accurate & believable (there was once or twice where it felt like that really wouldn't/couldn't have happened realistically), but overall it was realistic.

I appreciate the author & character's Faith and strong morals.

I received this ARC to preview. All opinions are my own.

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I felt like these were okay but i real couldn’t get past the large amount of violence in all of them. Yes it’s mid-evil but I just didn’t feel that I could stomach it. It was pretty triggering. Especially the second one started out with quite a bit of torture to the female character because she didn’t want to do something the stepbrother wanted her to do. I think someone that enjoys a violent novel with Christian themes and a bit of romance sprinkled in might like this but it wasn’t for me.

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Tracie Peterson is a prolific author who has honed her craft to an artform! This new collection of three short novels is one of my favorite anthologies I've read this year. I truly enjoy Medieval stories, although I wouldn't give up my modern conveniences for anything. The dukes and duchesses who are responsible for the lives of those entrusted to them take those responsibilities seriously in these three stories. From an arranged marriage that becomes a love match, to a group of orphaned children collected along a journey to the northern part of the country, these tales have something for every romance reader, gentle heroes who can be firm when needed, loving heroines who see things beyond how they look on the surface, a bit of treachery, and a loving reunion among long, lost relatives.

The first two stories in the book make a short series, while the third one takes place about two hundred years later.

Tracie's skill in bringing characters and settings to life is unparalleled. Her research into the lives and times of those living in such primitive times is spot on. Her ability to craft such enjoyable prose makes me envious of her talent.

This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a rescuer of damsels in distress.

Barbour Books provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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"Kingdom of Love" is a collection of three romance novellas set in medieval England. There was no bad language or sex scenes (though married sex was implied). The first two stories were set during Henry III's rule. The second one continued the first story. The first felt staged and the second was melodramatic.

Arianne was proactive in working to save others, but the men around her didn't warn her of danger so she made some bad assumptions. It felt staged because she was easily captured, easily escaped, and just as easily was recaptured, repeat. The men knew that they would surrender the moment she was captured but delayed fighting the enemy when they had the upper hand and repeatedly left her vulnerable to recapture. Anyway, her husband was a kind man who valued her in word and action, and they got to know each other before falling in love. Arianne learned to trust God for her salvation and safety. Overall, nice.

Helena was melodrama. When faced with a situation she didn't want to deal with, she usually fainted. She loved a man 11 years older than her who saw her as his best friend's little sister. When she was nine, he was exiled as a murderer. She loyally didn't believe him guilty and pined for him even though she didn't know if he was still alive. Yet she apparently knew him so little that she didn't realize that she'd fled from her abusive stepfamily to his brother's castle. And when they mentioned the full name of her love, she had no idea they meant her beloved. Yet she instantly recognized him after 11 years apart. He mentioned that he'd changed and shouldn't they get to know each other, but she passionately declared her undying love. He'd come to know God and was kind to and protective of her. He was flattered by her strong support and liked her beauty and lovely singing voice. Overall, it was ok.

The third story was set during the bubonic plague in England under Edward III. Mary was taught healing by her physician father but also to despise religion. She wondered how people could believe in a God who allowed so much death. She ended up helping sick monks who explained why God might let this happen. The knight protected and supported Mary. They both cared about the orphaned children, so they took some with them. This shared caring for the children brought them close. The knight changed his attitude from 'enjoy life while you're alive' to believing in life after death for those who believe in Christ. Interesting historical details were woven into the story. I liked this story the best of the bunch.

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A wonderful collection of stories that had me unable to put the book down. The intensity of the novels was tremendous and thoroughly enjoyable.

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Kingdom of Love contains three stories with three different heroines. The first two are companions and work really well together. I wish the third story had either been another companion book or that all three were stand alone books. I was a little confused for the first chapter of the third book thinking wait is this even the same time period ?

Each story had great premises . In the first, Ariannes father arranges her marriage to the Duke of Gavenshire. After having an abusive father she is scared of the duke but eventually sees his kindness and love for her. She is kidnapped and the story continues with the dukes brother who has been charged with the murder of his parents ; he only wants his brother , the duke, to tell the king he didn’t do it … there are a lot of emotions and feeling and hatred, but Ariadne reminds the duke basically “ what would Jesus do”? The story ends with the brother escaping and Arianne and the duke going into happily ever after .

The brother , Tancreds story continue continues in the second book. There are a lot of twists and turns but ultimately he sees Helena (a childhood friend) who is still madly in love with him as his future . She sticks by him despite many believing he murdered his parents . You find out who killed the parents which is really surprising and brings some suspense and intrigue into the book.

Lastly you read about Mary who is a healer during the bubonic plague. She has always suffered because is a woman healer . In walks Peter who is charged with counting how many have died and you can guess it eventually they fall in love. The story follows them on their journey of healing the sick , building a family with orphaned children and eventually finding her grandmother who turns out to be a healer too. It’s also a book about finding God in the process of so many dying and why He is always there . I found this story a bit slower . The beginning couple of chapters seemed to have the most adventure . I would have liked a little more from this story.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for a free download.

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Kingdom of Love by Tracie Peterson is three romantic novellas set in medieval times. Conflict, murder, banishment, misunderstandings, and forgiveness set the tone for the first two novellas. The second novella Alas My Love is a sequel to the first novella A Kingdom Divided. I was glad to see the sequel because so many questions were answered that I had at the conclusion of the first. The third novella is set during the bubonic plague. Due to this, the details were, at times, tough to read. However, salvation and faith over total reliance in science was a theme that made this novella so redemptive.

The characters in all three were wonderfully developed. Descriptions of the English countryside as medieval times was exceptional.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

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I really enjoyed all three of the short stories that are set in the medieval time period. The last story was my favorite. I have enjoyed lots of books from Tracie Peterson and these short stories were also a joy.
I love the faith element in all three short stories. The third story was different because neither of the main character had a relationship with God and by the end of the story they are learning and leaning on God.
I highly recommend.
I was given a free copy to review and give my honest opinion.

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There's not a lot of medieval historical fiction, so this title caught my eye!

You'll find three novellas with strong Christian themes. The first two stories feature the same characters which is neat, the last is a stand alone. The characters each explore aspects of true faith against the backdrop of a legalistic, national church. I really enjoyed these, I think you will too!

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This is a nice collection of 3 easy-to-read Christian romances, especially if you love historical fiction! Each story features a female lead who has been mistreated, either by family or outsiders. They are all young women who have a strong will and desire to help others in a time period where women were expected to marry, bear children, and quietly run a household. The storylines involve kidnapping, beatings, murder, and more to keep the reader engaged, as well as excellent descriptions of the surroundings of this time period.

A Kingdom Divided: Arianne is married against her will to the Duke of Glenhume. Though she doesn’t trust him initially, the Duke is a kind man who is determined to prove his trust and earn her love. This storyline is an excellent example of how Christ loves us unconditionally before we love Him!

Alas, My Love: This book is a continuation of the previous book, featuring the love story of Helena and Tancred. Helena had been in love with Tancred since she was young, but he was sent away. She didn’t know whether he was alive or dead, but she kept her love for him strong. When they were reunited years later by chance, Tancred didn’t even recognize her since he remembered her as a child. The story develops with tension and murder among family members as Helena and Tancred renew their friendship and love.

If Only: A stand-alone book featuring Mary, a physician’s daughter during the bubonic plague. This story starts with a tragedy right away, so Mary is forced to make her way in the world at an early age. She is filled with so much compassion for children who are affected by their families’ deaths because of the plague, this was very interesting to read how she was able to keep providing for them! I haven’t read any books about the bubonic plague so this was new and very interesting for me. Of course, there is a knight in shining armor in this book! Her quest to find her grandmother’s home leads her to travel with him, and the monks she helps along her journey help her understand and examine her own faith in God.

For me personally, I like a little more character development in books, but these are short stories. So I think the author did a good job in a short time. I really appreciated that while they are all quick and light reads, they have a great message about finding their faith in God through trials or adversities. They remind us that God will never leave us or forsake us in difficult times!

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I have enjoyed books by this author in the past, and I have enjoyed stories set in medieval times. Unfortunately, this set of short stories just fell flat for me. The book contains three short stories. The first two are connected, but I only skimmed the third and didn't see a clear connection to the first two in my skimming.

The characters were boring and flat to me, especially the women. And I felt that the religious elements took away from the story rather than being seamless connected to it.

Still, thank you publishers and netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion

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The “Kingdom of Love” has three medieval novellas inside. They were each intriguing and had strong characters that each had their own story to tell. I appreciated how Tracie Peterson can place faith and weave it all throughout the stories. There was one part I didn’t care for with the bedroom in the first story ( nothing happened, I am a little more particular about things).

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley. These are my own opinions.

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I wanted this to be really good, and the stories had some good moments. The final novella was so unique in the setting (during the black plague) that it was my favorite, and I'll read it again. The first two were good but you could also tell they were written in the 90s and I wish they'd been edited to bring them up to modern standards for POV especially (it often switches POV between paragraphs). There's been so much good medieval fiction in the last decade I'm not sure this one can quite compete, but for those who just love clean medieval romance, they'll enjoy having something new to read.

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