Verity - Lisa T. Bergren

Verity is the second installment in The Sugar Baron's Daughters series, and continues the story of the Banning sisters, with the focus on the titular daughter, Verity.  As independent and stubborn as her older sister, Keturah, Verity longs to do her own thing and works to create her own business on the island.  Working to establish trade with the Colonies, Verity will need to decide where her allegiances lay, both those of her country, and those of her heart.

I think I enjoyed this segment of the Banning sisters' story even more than Keturah.  While I enjoyed the unique setting and introduction to the West Indies sugar cane plantations, I was glad that Verity's story brought the variety of the American Revolution.  The story of trying to export goods between the islands and the colonies, and the impact the blockade had not just on the characters' lives, but how it shaped their convictions and roles in the rebellion was well written. I especially appreciated how well the author demonstrated the pull between what felt right and where their loyalty threatened to pull them.  I'm sure that was not as easy as many books make it seem, and I felt the division here. 

I give this book 4 stars.  I'm interested to see where Selah's story takes this family, and I can only hope it's not too much to ask that Angus Shubert gets what's coming to him in the third book.  I definitely recommend reading these books in order!

You can find Verity HERE.
You can find the author's page HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Keturah - Lisa T. Bergren

Keturah and her sisters, Verity and Selah, are ladies of society, used to nice things and proper respect due their station.  However, left as orphans upon their father's death, they are left with difficult decisions.  Keturah, as the eldest, determines that she must travel to the family's sugar cane plantation in the West Indies, and try to get their crops to flourish again to keep the family's finances afloat.  Her sisters agree to travel with her, and they are joined by their long-time family friend Gray, as he also travels to test his fortune in the sugar cane fields on his family's neighboring estate.  Their determination and faith will have to see them through many more hardships and surprises than they are prepared for.  Can Keturah set the scars of her past and her stubborn independence aside in time to save her family from financial failure, or worse?

I am not usually drawn to historical fiction, although I am a fan of Lisa T. Bergren.  Her children's books, in particular, are delightful, and I enjoyed her YA series, The River of Time.  I found the setting of this book, in colonial times in the West Indies, to be fresh and intriguing.  Keturah's experiences upon the island were not whitewashed, and as her eyes were opened to the harsh lives of the slaves, so will be the reader's.  While I'm not entirely sure that the storyline could have been even remotely possible - women living on their own, doing men's work, hiring a black overseer - it is an interesting fictional tale.  Watching Keturah work through her hurts and doubts is something that many readers can relate to, even if their own scars are vastly different.

I give this book 3.5 stars.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series, to see how their lives continue to develop, and to read more of this exotic location.

You can find Keturah HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.