Defending David

An Arc from my friend Barbara Britton who writes wonderful Biblical Fiction an other works. I was so excited to have been asked to read this book and of course loved it. The story of Ittai and Rimona. Rimona Mother passes away and she needs to go to the palace for her Uncle to take care of her. On her journey the man who was suppose to take care of her wants to sell her into slavery so she runs away right into Ittai, a Philistine General and his army. When Ittai was a boy David helped him and now he wants to swear himself to David and the one true God. But when he gets to the palace David son takes the crown and David is on the run. Can Ittai protect and fight for David? Can he save Rimona who has to stay behind because of her Uncle? Will they fall in love or is it too last for them and for David the rightful king? Wow, what an exciting read. I loved Ittai and how he will do anything for David who was there for him as a child and Ittai love for God that he knows as his own. Rimona is a strong willed woman who isn't afraid to fight for Ittai when many don't want to too. The characters are strong as well as the storyline. Many don't remember this time in history when David lost his crown and it is a reminder that even when God loves us, if we walk in sin we have to ask for God forgiveness. I'm glad to be reminded of this myself. I highly recommend this wonderful story. Barbara Britton works are wonderful and she often has stories from the Bible that are lessor known so we can learn more about God and the Bible. So when this wonderful book comes out please give it a try because it is so worth the read!!

I absolutely love it when we see a virtually unknown character in the Bible get a fictional story!
That a exiled warrior from Gath showed up when David was facing civil war is not something that I have ever seen addressed from the pulpit.
This story gives us a fast paced look into those crucial days when Absalom tried to steal the kingdom of Israel. And we get to see it from two perspectives. A gentile outcast warrior and a Hebrew woman who stumbles into the middle of this conflict.
This author writes to rapidly unfolding tempo. Part of me wished for a little more development, a little more build up, a little more of the romance developed. However the story does a good job of giving you a look at what those days may have been like for the people who saw it firsthand.
I recieved a complementary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I loved this book. I've always wanted to read bible stories turned into fiction so i was so excited to dive in and i wasn't disappointed at all. Weaving the word with fiction this made for a beautiful read and i enjoyed every bit of it
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this book

Ittai was a Bible character I had never heard of before this story. It was fascinating to read a fictional account about tumultuous time in David’s life. I feel like it is easy to read about the happy or exciting times so this was a unique perspective for me. I loved how one of the main characters was a Philistine which was also new to me. It was impactful to see racism in that time and how it effected the believers of a different heritage. The theme of war was prominent for the obvious reason of a traveling army but it was handled very well with little to no gore. I was very impressed with how the material was handled with sensitivity considering the potential trigger warnings this plot might have needed. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction.

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This was a beautifully written story based on 2 Samuel 15-19. I read the scripture before reading the actual story itself. Loved how much time Barbara spent crafting a fictionalized story around these very real people from the Bible. Writing was well done. Going with a 4.5 star rating.

Ittai was a strong, level-headed man at 36. An exiled Philistine warrior going to serve King David and God -- I loved his heart and interest in the Lord. He was determined to serve God. Seeing his faith was pure gold.

Rimona is a spunky, bold woman. At 24, she had to deal with the harsh reality of her life and family, but she never backed down when it matters. She talked back, spoke up and moved according to God. I enjoyed her a ton.

The romance was interesting. It would seem rushed because not a lot of the romance appeared in the story, but you could also see that both characters were attracted to one another. I enjoyed how the romance played out just wish there was more to it.

David was such a nice guy. Wise in all his ways and loving toward his treacherous son and crazy nephews. He loved and honored people his entire life. I loved how he even mentioned Ruth and Bathsheba.

Absalom and Shamar pissed me off from beginning to end. Both pure evil and rooted in praise of others and riches. Both worthless men. I couldn't stand them.

Joab and Abishai were so annoying! Especially at the end. I wanted to do a jump kick to Joab's throat honestly. They are some bad nephews...they need some spankings for real.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and can't wait to read more from her! Would definitely recommend this book for sure.