A Rebel Heart

Author: Beth White
Genre: Historical Romance

Five years after the final shot was fired in the War Between the States, Selah Daughtry can barely manage to keep herself, her two younger sisters, and their spinster cousin fed and clothed. With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land--until a hotel management agent for the railroad offers her hope for the future. 

If she'll turn her home into a hotel, Levi Riggins says, he can all but guarantee it will be saved. Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee. Yet what other options does she have? She'll have to stay on her guard . . . but she never expected to have to guard her heart.

---

Reviewer: Mindy Houng

Can you believe this is the first Beth White book I’ve read? I’ve heard great things about her books and I love historical romance but didn’t get around to reading any of her books until now. And I’m so glad I picked up this first installment in the Daughtry House series. All the buzz in the Christian fiction blog world is correct -Beth White is a wonderful writer. A Rebel Heart is a lyrically written historical romance set in the years after the Civil War as the country, particularly the South, attempts to rebuild. The plot is well-constructed with a subtle undercurrent of intrigue; the characters are lovable and delightful even with their secrets, flaws and mistakes; the thread of hope and faith is real and tangible; and the issue of racism that the author tackles is as alive today as it was in the days after the end of the war. Anyone who enjoys historical romance, especially set in the South, will love this book. 

Levi is a delectable hero in the story who has seen and suffered much during the war. As an undercover Pinkerton agent and a former Union officer, he has secrets and information to unearth, yet cannot help himself from showing his clever, intelligent, resourceful, charming, tender-hearted, and loving self to Selah in hopes of helping her and her family. Selah is the eldest daughter of a plantation owner and Colonel in the Confederate army who is presumed dead. She is on the verge of bankruptcy when plans to turn her historic home into an elegant hotel start to become a reality. She is stubborn, wary, and tends to hold grudges but loves her family and has a soft heart. As Selah and Levi become partners in reviving a decrepit mansion back to its former glory, their friendship blooms and romance beckons. I can’t wait for book 2 in this series where Selah’s younger sister Joelle will get her own story!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

---

---

Reviewer: Gee Dixon

​This book is amazing. lt is full of adventure, strength in characters and I love the history that was entwined within the story. My two favorite characters would have to be Levi Riggins and Selah Daughtry because of their strength and their compassion for others and each other. I am looking forward to reading Book 2 in this series.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

---

---

Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Beth White is a relatively new author for me, and she did not disappoint. A Rebel Heart had all the elements one looks for in a historical romance and keeps you reading until the wee hours of the morning.

The novel is set during the reconstruction era of the Civil War in the South and it starts off with excitement and an extraordinary way for our two main characters to meet - a train wreck. Levi Riggins is a Yankee undercover Pinkerton agent whose investigation leads him to Southern Belle Selah Daughtry. After rescuing her from the train wreck, Levi discovers that most of the clues to his investigation are somehow leading back to Selah and her sisters.

I loved the interaction between the two main characters and the added elements of danger in this novel. Their love story was something you wondered would ever happen due to all the secrets Levi had to keep. The author has done her research into the era, and it makes you feel like you are there (especially the scene with the bees) don't read this outside! LOL! That's all I'm saying on that matter.

​The secondary cast of characters was also very well thought out and developed, and I can't wait to read more about them in this series. This is a highly entertaining book you will not be able to put down!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

---