Hope and Glory The Prince of Spies, Book 3, (Paperback)

Having read the first two books in this series, I have been looking forward to Luke's story. He has been working with his brother Gray to stop the adulteration of foods with questionable and dangerous preservatives and additives. One of their fiercest foes is Clyde Magruder, who is also a new congressman. Things get really interesting when Luke meets and falls in love with Magruder's daughter, Marianne. She loves her family, though she recognizes their dysfunction and wishes things would be different, but she can't deny her feelings for Luke. There are many roadblocks to their happiness. Along the way, Luke and Marianne both have to rely on God to strengthen them to face the challenges with integrity. One of the things that sets Elizabeth Camden's books apart from other historical fiction is the way she takes rather obscure pieces of history and makes them very interesting parts of her story. One of the unique aspects of this series is the covers of the books. Set side by side, they form one complete picture of the Delacroix siblings, Gray, Caroline, and Luke. I enjoyed The Prince of Spies and highly recommend it and the other books in the series. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

Elizabeth Camden has once again written a beautiful book full of history and romance. Ive said this before - and Im sure Ill say it again - I love how Camden seamlessly weaves uncommon historical events into her books. As much as I love reading about love, I also enjoy learning something, and this book does not disappoint on either of these fronts. I found the details of the early Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and how food preservatives were tested absolutely fascinating. As someone who gets a severe reaction to a specific preservative, Im thankful that every ingredient needs to be listed on the label. Parting is such sweet sorrow perfectly describes the way I felt every time I had to close this book to do something mundanelike sleep or work. And this quote from Romeo and Juliet is particularly fitting for The Prince of Spies, as there is definitely a star-crossed-lovers theme in the story. Luke and Marianne come from families who both manufacture food - one naturally and the other with preservatives - so battle lines have been drawn generations before. Not only do they face this obstacle but they also have very different personalities and outlooks on life. Marianne is an avid rule follower; Luke looks at rules as more of a suggestion. Marianne will do anything to keep the peace within her family; making waves seems to be one of Lukes favorite past times. From the outside looking in their relationship wouldnt work, but even with the odds stacked against them they demonstrate to readers that some things arent worth holding onto. While letting go of past hurts and mistakes is difficult the result is usually worth it. Thankfully, unlike the original star crossed lovers, these two have much more sense. Overall, I loved this book! 5/5 would recommend to anyone! And while it is the last in the Hope