The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

Posted by abakersp in Historical / 3 Comments

Happy Friday friends! Today I’m thrilled to be sharing my review of this book, which an amazing cover I might add. Um….yeah ladies beware. There’s just something about this cover that makes you want to dive right into this story. Swoon!!

The Spice King (Hope and Glory Book #1) by [Camden, Elizabeth]

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building his very successful global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Resolved to salvage his family before it spirals out of control, he returns to his ancestral home to save his brother and sister before it’s too late.

As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection. If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under. She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience.

Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?

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Camden will have readers hanging on every word in The Spice King. The history alone had this reader intrigued, and wanting even more. It is so evident that Camden does her research. She presents information about things we don’t even think about – such as the food industry and the beginning of testing products. She talks about different departments in Washington, the good and the bad. Annabelle and Gray seemed to be on opposite sides of the spectrum as far as allegiance, and yet Camden masterfully brings them together in a way that reels the reader in and doesn’t let them go.

I liked Gray before I even started reading the book. I mean, have you seen the cover! Yes, swoon. In the beginning he did seem like this arrogant businessman that I was not going to enjoy or relate to. But little by little his defenses came down, and you see a man who truly cares for his family, is protective, and finds himself totally blown away with this woman who has put herself in his life. The more the story went on, the more fascinated I became with his character.

The secondary characters were just as enchanting as the main characters. Annabelle’s sister, Elaine was one of my favorites, and while she didn’t get a huge block of time in the book, the time she did have made a profound statement. She is proof that even in historic settings, people with disabilities are truly only limited by themselves. In other words, the sky is the limit, and if you push hard you can live a relatively normal, happy life. Elaine was truly an inspiration.

Historic fans will fawn over this new series by Elizabeth Camden. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book as we read more about Gray’s sister Caroline! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“It was impossible for mere mortals to understand the tapestry of blessings and tragedies God wove into their lives, but there had to be a meaning in it somewhere…”

Only four words, yet they had the power to make her heart skip a beat and brighten her entire world.”

“…but I think Jane Austen might cast you as a hero in one of her novels, much like a Mr. Darcy or a Colonel Brandon. Jane Austen loved her serious, sober men.”

“God was sending her a message. The world was a good place. She needed to look for it, even when life was full of pain.”

“God had never promised them a life free of sorrow, only the tools to hold and keep them through stormy days.”

“Mustard!” You’re trying to make me disapprove of a man of character and compassion because of mustard!”

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.

What was the last book cover that made you swoon?

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