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The General's Wife
A Greek noblewoman in a foreign land. The Pharaoh's highest general preparing for battle.
Ismene, a beautiful, somewhat naïve, young noblewoman, is torn from her childhood home in Greece and her first love. Bound by honor and duty, she marries Pharoah’s chief military commander, Alistair. Though determined to remain true to the man she left behind, her new husband stirs feelings in her she cannot ignore.
Attempting to accept this brazen new culture, it isn’t long before she discovers that the locals don’t like her. The Alexandrian mob starts making anonymous threats. This faceless group will stop at nothing to achieve its goal of driving out the unwelcome Greeks. In the midst of these heightening attacks, the general must leave for battle. Ismene fears that she is on her own.
Evidence of a spy within her own household arises. It soon becomes apparent that one of these Egyptian rebels wants her dead. The safety of Ismene, and possibly the entire ruling class of Egypt, hangs in the balance.
Ismene, a beautiful, somewhat naïve, young noblewoman, is torn from her childhood home in Greece and her first love. Bound by honor and duty, she marries Pharoah’s chief military commander, Alistair. Though determined to remain true to the man she left behind, her new husband stirs feelings in her she cannot ignore.
Attempting to accept this brazen new culture, it isn’t long before she discovers that the locals don’t like her. The Alexandrian mob starts making anonymous threats. This faceless group will stop at nothing to achieve its goal of driving out the unwelcome Greeks. In the midst of these heightening attacks, the general must leave for battle. Ismene fears that she is on her own.
Evidence of a spy within her own household arises. It soon becomes apparent that one of these Egyptian rebels wants her dead. The safety of Ismene, and possibly the entire ruling class of Egypt, hangs in the balance.
355 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Sara R. Turnquist
32 books497 followersI’m a coffee lovin’, word slinging, clean Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. I love those odd tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That’s what inspires me. Well, that and a good love story.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 11, 2016
The General’s Wife by Sara R. Turnquist is a sweet and tender romance that invites you to curl up with the story and its characters from the very beginning. Plenty of intrigue and suspense swirls through the story as well, the lush beauty of the setting often marred by vandalism or evil intent. An arranged marriage in an unfamiliar land with unfamiliar customs are enough to set Ismene a little off kilter, but combined with someone who clearly wants her to leave? Lots of emotions at play here – written realistically without being overly dramatic.
Ismene and Alistair completely captivated me. Their growing affection for each other -an affection that quickly develops into love – is tender and breathless and everything good. Ismene may be uncertain due to all the changes forced upon her in such a short period of time, but there is a quiet resolve to her, a strength of character that makes her a heroine to admire. Alistair is the kind of hero we all love to love – sensitive but strong, affectionate and passionate, the kind of man who easily commands an army yet reads to his wife in the evenings. And y’all. HE GIVES HER A LIBRARY. Well… he doesn’t give it to her completely but he gives her access to THE LIBRARY AT ALEXANDRIA.
And it’s there at the Library of Alexandria that my favorite part of the book takes place. Because, amid a sea of gods from her own Greek heritage and her new Egyptian home, Ismene meets the One True God, Jehovah. I loved everything about this aspect to Ismene’s story – from her initial encounter with the Jewish scribe to the epilogue. It’s not preachy and it doesn’t overwhelm the story, but it adds so much to Ismene’s character.
Bottom Line: The General’s Wife is more than just a historical romance. It’s a tender picture of falling in love, as well as a compelling suspense novel in its own right. Between the lines and across the pages, it’s also a beautifully done story of finding the God Who Sees, the God Who Saves. Sara R. Turnquist is an author I’ll be keeping on my radar from now on!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
Ismene and Alistair completely captivated me. Their growing affection for each other -an affection that quickly develops into love – is tender and breathless and everything good. Ismene may be uncertain due to all the changes forced upon her in such a short period of time, but there is a quiet resolve to her, a strength of character that makes her a heroine to admire. Alistair is the kind of hero we all love to love – sensitive but strong, affectionate and passionate, the kind of man who easily commands an army yet reads to his wife in the evenings. And y’all. HE GIVES HER A LIBRARY. Well… he doesn’t give it to her completely but he gives her access to THE LIBRARY AT ALEXANDRIA.
And it’s there at the Library of Alexandria that my favorite part of the book takes place. Because, amid a sea of gods from her own Greek heritage and her new Egyptian home, Ismene meets the One True God, Jehovah. I loved everything about this aspect to Ismene’s story – from her initial encounter with the Jewish scribe to the epilogue. It’s not preachy and it doesn’t overwhelm the story, but it adds so much to Ismene’s character.
Bottom Line: The General’s Wife is more than just a historical romance. It’s a tender picture of falling in love, as well as a compelling suspense novel in its own right. Between the lines and across the pages, it’s also a beautifully done story of finding the God Who Sees, the God Who Saves. Sara R. Turnquist is an author I’ll be keeping on my radar from now on!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
September 22, 2016
Ismene has to leave the people she loves behind, because she's being forced to move from Greece to Egypt. Her father has arranged a favorable marriage for her. Ismene's heart already belongs to someone else, her childhood sweetheart and best friend. She doesn't have a choice though. She travels to Egypt where she will stay at her future husband's house. Alistair is a general and works for the Pharaoh. They're close friends and Ismene is being treated like royalty.
Unfortunately not everyone likes having Greeks in Egypt. Ismene's marriage is taking place in an unstable time. Alistair is often away on army business, but when he's home he isn't as bad as she initially thought. He treats her well and Ismene has access to every luxury she can think of. Will she ever fall in love with her husband? And what will happen when the mob and other rebels are after them at the same time? Will Alistair be able to stop them before they can do something really terrible?
Ismene has to move from Greece to Egypt. The only loyal company she has is her servant. She had to leave everyone else behind. Marrying for love isn't what her father has planned for her and she has no choice but to travel to Egypt and make the best of her arranged marriage. I admired her strength and flexibility. Ismene is beautiful on the outside and the inside. She's also headstrong and she doesn't trust easily. She's an intriguing main character with a praiseworthy personality.
Alistair is a proud man with a kind heart. He does everything he can to make Ismene's life as comfortable as possible. When he's hurt he can lash out, but most of the time he's friendly and caring. I liked him and Ismene together from the start. They have great chemistry and I loved the suggestive way Sara R. Turnquist writes about that without ever becoming too literal. She does that in a clever and fun manner. The interaction between Alistair and Ismene is interesting and I couldn't wait to find out if they were going to be happy with their arranged marriage or not.
Sara R. Turnquist begins with a brief history of Greece and Egypt in the time she's set her story. It's a clever way to make it easier for the reader to picture the setting and the society she's writing about. It's handy to have some background information, especially for the continuity of the story, I didn't have to stop reading to look things up. Sara R. Turnquist shows that true love is something of all times, which is an important message. I'm a big fan of books about that topic and definitely enjoyed this one.
The General's Wife has several unexpected twists and turns and I could see the creativity of the author in every scene. The result is a surprising story. I enjoyed reading about Ismene's life very much. When she arrives in Egypt there's unrest. The emotional turmoil inside her is causing a lot of stress, but she deals with it as well as she can. It was fascinating to see her reactions together with the feelings of her husband about the same situations. I loved the multiple layers of the story and think The General's Wife is a wonderful, original and romantic book.
Unfortunately not everyone likes having Greeks in Egypt. Ismene's marriage is taking place in an unstable time. Alistair is often away on army business, but when he's home he isn't as bad as she initially thought. He treats her well and Ismene has access to every luxury she can think of. Will she ever fall in love with her husband? And what will happen when the mob and other rebels are after them at the same time? Will Alistair be able to stop them before they can do something really terrible?
Ismene has to move from Greece to Egypt. The only loyal company she has is her servant. She had to leave everyone else behind. Marrying for love isn't what her father has planned for her and she has no choice but to travel to Egypt and make the best of her arranged marriage. I admired her strength and flexibility. Ismene is beautiful on the outside and the inside. She's also headstrong and she doesn't trust easily. She's an intriguing main character with a praiseworthy personality.
Alistair is a proud man with a kind heart. He does everything he can to make Ismene's life as comfortable as possible. When he's hurt he can lash out, but most of the time he's friendly and caring. I liked him and Ismene together from the start. They have great chemistry and I loved the suggestive way Sara R. Turnquist writes about that without ever becoming too literal. She does that in a clever and fun manner. The interaction between Alistair and Ismene is interesting and I couldn't wait to find out if they were going to be happy with their arranged marriage or not.
Sara R. Turnquist begins with a brief history of Greece and Egypt in the time she's set her story. It's a clever way to make it easier for the reader to picture the setting and the society she's writing about. It's handy to have some background information, especially for the continuity of the story, I didn't have to stop reading to look things up. Sara R. Turnquist shows that true love is something of all times, which is an important message. I'm a big fan of books about that topic and definitely enjoyed this one.
The General's Wife has several unexpected twists and turns and I could see the creativity of the author in every scene. The result is a surprising story. I enjoyed reading about Ismene's life very much. When she arrives in Egypt there's unrest. The emotional turmoil inside her is causing a lot of stress, but she deals with it as well as she can. It was fascinating to see her reactions together with the feelings of her husband about the same situations. I loved the multiple layers of the story and think The General's Wife is a wonderful, original and romantic book.
October 3, 2016
I'm very fascinated by this historical period but I've read a few books set in this era. As soon as I discovered this book I couldn't wait to read it and didn't disappoint me. It 's a very romantic story with an excellent historical reconstruction. It also allowed me to make a virtual visit to the legendary Library of Alexandria ...
Ismene has had to leave her beloved homeland, Greece, to go and live in Egypt and marry a general who worked for Pharaoh, Alistair. Her father has combined this marriage and she can not help but accept. Alistair treats her like a queen but the Egyptian people don't accept her, indeed threaten her. Is the life of Ismene in danger? Will Alistair be able to protect her? Will their arranged marriage turn into a love marriage?
I really like Ismene, she is a strong woman, determined, often stubborn. Alistair is good and kind to her and do anything to protect her. They are a lovely couple and I loved seeing change their feelings.
It 's a clean novel, well written and very addictive, a total page turner, once you start it's really hard to put it down. There are many twists and action, it's good mix of romance and "mystery".
I recommend it to those who love historical romances, in particular taking place during the greek rule in Egypt.
Ismene has had to leave her beloved homeland, Greece, to go and live in Egypt and marry a general who worked for Pharaoh, Alistair. Her father has combined this marriage and she can not help but accept. Alistair treats her like a queen but the Egyptian people don't accept her, indeed threaten her. Is the life of Ismene in danger? Will Alistair be able to protect her? Will their arranged marriage turn into a love marriage?
I really like Ismene, she is a strong woman, determined, often stubborn. Alistair is good and kind to her and do anything to protect her. They are a lovely couple and I loved seeing change their feelings.
It 's a clean novel, well written and very addictive, a total page turner, once you start it's really hard to put it down. There are many twists and action, it's good mix of romance and "mystery".
I recommend it to those who love historical romances, in particular taking place during the greek rule in Egypt.
February 5, 2018
I enjoy history, and teach it for a living. Toss in some fiction, well naturally I’m hooked. I love how Sara R. Turnquist weaves historical elements and fashions a believable story and character. Ismene, a young noblewoman, is plucked from her life and love in Greece, and forced to marry Pharaoh’s chief military commander. It seems she’s able to embrace this new life, and her husband, but a mob of Greek-hating locals pose a threat to her safety and the safety of Egypt’s ruling class.
We get to peek into history through the eyes of Ismene. We’re welcomed into Pharaoh’s palace, and introduced to his servants, and find ourselves imagining what it might have been like to live in such a place and in such a time.
This author has done a wonderful job! Well done! I found myself rooting for Ismene, her new life, her new love, and her new country! 5 stars! I will be reading more from Sara R. Turnquist!
We get to peek into history through the eyes of Ismene. We’re welcomed into Pharaoh’s palace, and introduced to his servants, and find ourselves imagining what it might have been like to live in such a place and in such a time.
This author has done a wonderful job! Well done! I found myself rooting for Ismene, her new life, her new love, and her new country! 5 stars! I will be reading more from Sara R. Turnquist!
February 24, 2016
To start, the reader is given the opportunity to visit the Library of Alexandria in this book. I enjoyed this book much as I enjoy cozy mysteries. The arrangement marriage plot, with the Greek heroine being married to a Greek Egyptian general under pharaoh, is developed well as the relationship grows through respect and friendship, culminating in love. A suspense subplot, where the heroine is in peril from anti-Greek factions, is well plotted. there are some religious aspects in the plot, but they are subtle and do not detract from the suspense or romance. This is a G rated book, suitable for both one's mother and teen daughter. Overall, I found this a quite enjoyable book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews