by Crystal Caudill | May 17, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Liberator Series Book Two
Be forewarned, this is not a stand-alone book. It is necessary to read the first one, Leveraging Lincoln, before reading this one.
In this second installment in the conspiracy to capture Lincoln, several new lovable characters are added and the focus on a love story is more prominent, especially in the first half of the book. However, do not fear, the conspirators against Lincoln raise their ugly heads again and Matthew, as well as Annabelle and the new extended cast, must race to save Lincoln.
The first half of this novel is slower paced than the first book, but it is comfortable and an enjoyable walk through the nuances of non-admitted and self-sacrificial love. Matthew and Annabelle go back and forth between working together and obstinately working alone. As the self-awareness of feelings grows, you long to see the two stubborn characters come together.
Right about the mid-point of the book, the schemes of those seeking to capture Lincoln resurface and morph into plans for assassination. It is once again up to Matthew and Annabelle to risk everything to save the man who was once considered their enemy. The pace picks up and the plot continues all the way to its inevitable end.
Without giving too much away, Mrs. McGee does a very good job of bringing all the details of the conspiracy plot together. I must admit, my history knowledge was not as strong as I thought and I learned quite a bit. It was definitely an ending which had me looking into the history books on my shelves to confirm all the details I hadn’t realized existed.
At the end of the book, you have a sense of closure with still plenty of loose ends to be tied up in the third book. I highly recommend this series. The second book did not disappoint and I am eagerly awaiting the third book.
*I received a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have read above.*
“The time has come when I must change my plan….” She thought she’d saved them all, but now a more nefarious plot emerges, increasing the stakes and threatening to bring a nation to its knees. Displaced, rejected, forsaken… Annabelle finds herself pulled farther from home and ever closer to the malicious repercussions of war. Elmira prison is filled beyond its capacity, and starving men are left shivering in threadbare clothing beneath paltry shelters. Among the thousands of captured and hopeless Confederates, she searches to find the one man who could be the key to saving her inheritance. Wounded, desperate, defeated… Matthew yearns for peace away from Washington. Yet, he can never seem to escape his ties to a frantic madman seeking vengeance. Lurking in the shadows at every turn, the cycle of retribution continually brings yet another danger, and Matthew will do everything in his power to protect the woman he loves – even if it means keeping her from the truth. In the final dark day days of war, Matthew sets his hopes on Annabelle. She could be the lighthouse that guides him out of the ever encroaching sea of chaos – if only they can allow love and trust to overcome their prideful hearts.
– Blurb from Amazon.com
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by Crystal Caudill | May 10, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Liberator Series Book One
This book is a must read for those who love historical fiction set in the Civil War Era. Mrs. McGee does a marvelous job of interweaving the historical facts of the John Wilkes Booth’s conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln and “what if.”
If you struggle with Civil War novels not having a fair view of Southerners or sometimes Northerners, this novel does a fantastic job of balancing both. There is no strictly good guy or back guy when it comes to Confederates and Yankees, although this book is distinctly written from the Southern perspective. Both sides have very realistic evil qualities and very real honorable qualities.
Annabelle is a strong female character with very human faults who manages to get herself entangled in a scheme of national proportion as she tries to save her plantation from the greedy fingers of a step-grandfather. As a reader, you love her spunk and level-headedness. The woman is a survivor and has the spunk to endure the realities of a devastated South.
Captain Matthew Daniels is a man whose loyalty and honor are admirable but also lead him into his own entanglement with those of less than honorable intentions. He is a hero a head above the rest (and if you read the book, you will get my little pun). His fierce loyalty to his brother and his determination to rescue the older brother whom he looks up to are qualities which will make you admire him.
This first book of the series is mainly focused on the entanglement of both the hero and heroine into Booth’s conspiracy and the unfolding of the first attempt on Lincoln’s life. The story is action packed, moves a good clip, and is completely satisfying in the adventure aspect. The budding romance between Annabelle and Matthew is slow and acts more as a subplot to the action around it. It is believable and something the reader looks forward to in the next book of the series.
If you are into history and a realistic Southern view of the Civil War this is a great series to pick up. It has a mixture of everything desired in a novel. I, for one, loved the detail and the Southern view realistically applied. I highly recommend you purchase this book.
*I was given a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have read above.*
To purchase your own copy, visit:
Amazon Barnes and Noble
Visit the author at: http://www.stepheniamcgee.com/
“All we have to do is kidnap their President….”
Four years of war have reduced the South to near annihilation. Homes lay smoldering and men become desperate. Amid the shadows of fear, a clandestine group waits for an opportunity to change the course of history.
Harlot, liar, spy…
On the threshold of losing her plantation, Annabelle Ross finds a cryptic letter on a dying soldier and seizes the opportunity to get out a message of her own. She never dreamed her plan would brand her a suspected spy… or worse, an unwilling conspirator.
Deserter, traitor, accomplice…
When Matthew Daniels’s brother is taken captive, he finds himself caught up in a plot to gain leverage on the Union. The lines are drawn in blood, and the risk is there for the taking. But will his reckless gamble cost him the woman he had determined not to love?
She wants to save her home. He wants to save his brother. Together, they may just save a nation.
Part one of three in The Liberator Series, a trilogy of full length novels following the adventures and romance of Annabelle Ross and Matthew Daniels as they play a part in the dramatic conclusion of Abraham Lincoln’s life.
– Blurb from Amazon
