In 1808, when Emma meets and marries Eric Montclaire (the famed "most handsome man west of the Appalachians"), this young daughter of prominent St. Louis citizens believes a fairy tale has just begun. Instead, her husband's angelic looks quickly prove only to mask a monstrous soul all too capable of possessive emotions and physical abuse. Praying for mercy, she is devastated when Eric insists on her joining his yearlong group expedition to the Pacific Ocean, following the trail Lewis and Clark blazed just a few years earlier. By the time cartographer Luke Bowen realizes Emma's plight, it's too late to easily untangle what has become an epic web of lies, theft, murder, courtroom drama, and a deep longing for love. Only God can show them the way out.

Jamie Carie’s Angel’s Den is a story that brings to light a common but often hidden issue, telling of one young girl’s nightmare. Carie successfully addresses the topic of marital abuse, showing the shame, fear, and hopelessness that many women experience in such situations. Though the book starts off slowly, the time is used to introduce well-developed characters, such as Emma (Daring) Montclaire, Eric Montclaire, and Luke Bowen and to tell of how they handle this issue from different perspectives.

Like everyone else in early 19th century St. Louis, Emma Daring had been drawn in by Eric Montclaire’s charm, and for some reason unbeknown to her, he had chosen her to be his wife. No one could have told her that as soon as she was lawfully his, Eric’s charm would become her enemy. Who would believe Eric Montclaire to be capable of beating his wife?

Using thoughtful dialogue, two points of view, and an interesting plot, Carie is able to tell the story of two people whose faith in God is the only thing keeping them alive. Emma is trying to figure out how to escape Eric’s control, and Luke Bowen is trying to figure out how he got involved in the mess in the first place. Luke does what he can to protect Emma once he knows what is going on, from strengthening her faith in God to risking his life for her.

Throughout the book, Emma relates her situation to Daniel’s experience in the lions’ den in Daniel 6. In both cases, an innocent person is placed in a deadly situation, and the only one able to save them is God. As stated in Psalm 37:28 [NIV], both Emma and Luke find hope in the Lord’s promise to protect “his faithful ones” when all hope seems lost to them.

In one such situation when they are put on trial for the death of an innocent man, the reader knows the truth, but Emma and Luke have no proof of their innocence. Suspense builds as Eric is obviously winning people over to his side as he always does. Then Carie brings in a twist that catches the reader off guard and proves that faith along with patience was their greatest hope.

All in all, Angel’s Den is a well-crafted novel that many women today will be able to relate to. Whether you know someone dealing with abuse or you suffer from abuse yourself, you can discover how a young woman found the hope of God to get her through such painful circumstances. This is a book well worth reading. It demonstrates that with God, there is always hope. – Nicole E. Dynes, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Carie, author of five romances for the Christian market, now offers fans a contrived story set in the early 1800s, the time period noted for exploration of the American West by Lewis and Clark. Carie's female protagonist, Emma Daring, daughter of a well-to-do St. Louis couple, believes she is about to enter into a real-life fairy tale by marrying “the most handsome man.” Eric Montclaire, though devilishly beguiling in outward appearance, swiftly reveals his dark inner side as Emma's new husband. Terrified and emotionally defeated, Emma secretly looks forward to Eric's upcoming travel expedition when she will find freedom from him. Too bad for Emma that Eric decides to take her along. En route, Emma discovers hidden strength and finds support from cartographer Luke Bowen, who sees through Eric's guise and vows to protect Emma no matter the personal cost. Though Carie's previous fiction titles have won accolades, this one fails to deliver the goods in either character or story. (Feb.)Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

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Author: Jamie Carie
Submitted: July 29, 2010

    What was your motivation behind this project?  When I began Angel's Den I had no idea what God would reveal to me about abused women and the complex relationships that surround domestic violence. In 1808—Angel Den's setting—women who were emotionally and physically abused had little recourse. The law didn't recognize their situation as a problem, the church gave them little support, even society as a whole (including friends and family) looked the other way and hoped the woman would figure out how to be a good wife and stop making her husband frustrated and angry. I learned the sad truth that while today's laws have changed to better protect the abused, the church and society still grapples with answers for this rampant problem that destroys lives. There's only one thing I'm sure of. God has an answer for every case. In Angel's Den I was surprised by how God saves Emma. I had it planned one way, but God had another "landing place" in mind. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (Amplified Bible) "For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful , and He not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently." In the midst of the devastation of our sin toward one another, our Heavenly Father stretches out his hand of hope and salvation. This book impacted me in ways I never expected. My prayer is it brings hope to those who have suffered in this way and bring awareness to us all.

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