Love's First Light

Love's First Light by Jamie Carie is a touching historical romance that takes place during the dark days of the French Revolution. Christophe St. Laurent watched his entire family be guillotined under the order of Robespierre before fleeing for his life into the French countryside of Carcassonne. He lives hidden in an abandoned castle, keeping to himself and working on his scientific experiments to forget about the past. Scarlett Bonham is a young pregnant widow living hand to mouth with her mother and sister Stacia. She lost her husband, Robespierre's nephew, to the Revolution before even really getting to know him, so the feelings she has upon meeting Christophe are entirely new to her. Their romance springs up quickly and purely, but when he discovers that her child is a relative of his sworn enemy, he abandons the chance of life for a taste of revenge. Carie does a wonderful job of portraying the paranoid claustrophobia of the French Revolution when no one can be sure who is friend and enemy, as well as the horror of countless lives brutally taken in the name of freedom. The story shines whenever Scarlett and Christophe are together. Their love for each other is almost ethereal and yet visceral, healing and passionate all at the same time. Some plot devices were a bit hard to believe, and the ending just a bit too neatly tied up. This romance is still worth the read for the powerful scenes between its hero and heroine, as well as for its portrayal of a dark time in history. - Christy's BookBlog

Will Christophe finally get his revenge or will Scarlet help him forgive his enemy? I really liked the gentleness of this story. You could feel the raw emotions that both Christophe St. Laurent and Scarlett were going through. They each were fighting a different battle where with the help of each other they could overcome them. To be honest I wasn’t sure if I would like this book. Luckily because of all the above reasons that I just stated, I not only enjoyed Love’s First Light but I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good love story with strong characters. Jamie Carie showed me a whole new light. I can’t wait to see what else this author comes up with next. - Cheryl's Book Nook

I love the setting and the plot of this book. The 18th century France, is a subject I have never read about before and it was fun to get to know some of the issues that people faced at that time. I worried that I would be overwhelmed reading a 'Christian' novel. I was pleasantly surprised that the religious mentions where not as abrupt and distracting as I thought they might be. Actually, the people of that time were much more religiously aware then the people of today, so it fit quite well. The only negative comments that I might add were that I wish some parts had been developed more, for instance when Christophe makes his decision it seemed so hasty. Otherwise, a solidly written book. If you enjoy historical romance this book is worth your time. - Reviewed by Trin F.

4 of 4 Reviews Showing:

I was enjoying reading "Love's First Light", until I reached page 263 where Stacie exclaims "Isn't it the Statue of Liberty? Like the one we gave America after they won their freedom from England?" Love's First Light is set in 1789. The sculptor who created the statue was only born in 1834, and the Statue of Liberty was delivered to America in 1885. This seems to me to be a major error in research, editing, and proofreading; and this glaring oversight ruined the book for me. I know it is a work of fiction, but I think readers deserve a deeper degree of accuracy, and research. Sadly, I am not sure if I will ever read another Jamie Carie novel.

From the first page Jamie Carie will sweep you back in time to a land removed from our own. Journey to the bloody landscape of Revolutionary France. Robespierre and his mania form a secondary character that smears across the pages of this rich romance. Christophe has lost his entire family to the blood-soaked French Revolution. When he flees to an ancient castle in southern France, he hides and conducts his scientific research in relative peace...until he stumbles upon Scarlett, a war widow who regularly visits her husband's grave in the early morning hours. It amazes me how Jamie can paint such vivid pictures of places I've never visited and a time that is foreign to me. What I knew about the French Revolution prior to this book were a few dates, names and how Thomas Jefferson and other founders thought we should support the revolution. While this book does an amazing job of capturing the time and feel of that war, the romance is never sacrificed. Instead, the attraction between Christophe and Scarlett is richer because of everything that strives to keep them apart. This is another great book from author Jamie Carie. She has solidified her spot as one of my favorite historical romance authors.

Love's First Light by Jamie Carie is a touching historical romance that takes place during the dark days of the French Revolution. Christophe St. Laurent watched his entire family be guillotined under the order of Robespierre before fleeing for his life into the French countryside of Carcassonne . He lives hidden in an abandoned castle, keeping to himself and working on his scientific experiments to forget about the past. Scarlett Bonham is a young pregnant widow living hand to mouth with her mother and sister Stacia. She lost her husband, Robespierre's nephew, to the Revolution before even really getting to know him, so the feelings she has upon meeting Christophe are entirely new to her. Their romance springs up quickly and purely, but when he discovers that her child is a relative of his sworn enemy, he abandons the chance of life for a taste of revenge. Carie does a wonderful job of portraying the paranoid claustrophobia of the French Revolution when no one can be sure who is friend and enemy, as well as the horror of countless lives brutally taken in the name of freedom. The story shines whenever Christophe and Scarlett are together. Their love for each other is almost ethereal and yet visceral, healing and passionate all at the same time. However, the subplot about Christophe's experiments came and went as the plot demanded without any consistency. It was completely forgotten for pages at a time. Some plot devices were a bit hard to believe, and the ending just a bit too neatly tied up. This romance is still worth the read for the powerful scenes between its hero and heroine, as well as for its portrayal of a dark time in history.

So here’s a glimpse into the book, and what I think about it: It was historical romance and it definitely took me away on a whirl of adventure and romance. I haven’t read a romance in a while, and this was very refreshing. I am always leery when I read Christian romances because I often find them a little dull - I’ve found some of them miss the passion that mainstream carries, kwim? Jamie made sure that Love’s First Light was anything but that! I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the harsh world they lived in. The primness of history and the battle within of justice! The intense situations and turmoil that surround this book will stir your heart and allow the characters to take a special place in your heart! It takes place during the French Revolution and the war is hardening both sides. I was surprised that Jamie choose a male main character for this book. I suppose there are really two main characters, but the first one is male and it was interesting to see how that made me have a different idea about the book! I loved the adventure and the depth she put into Christophe. I could really feel his torment and anguish as he cried out to God over his family. Jamie put in a lot of surprising twists I wasn’t expecting, and that’s tough to do! I think I am a new fan and will be excited to see what Jamie comes up with next! I think you’ll find this adventurous romance a heart stopping and delicious book to devour! - and one tidbit of info, There is a color-blind woman in this story, which is an extreme rarity, because though it runs in the woman’s genetic pool it is males who become colorblind, but they can’t pass it down, only women can. IE. LadyX has 4 children 3 boys and 1 girl. The boys are all color blind, but none of their children will be; the girl is the carrier and her male children will be if she has any! Just a tidbit for the color blind world lol.

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