The Spice King

Author: Elizabeth Camden
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Hope and Glory #1

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building his very successful global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Resolved to salvage his family before it spirals out of control, he returns to his ancestral home to save his brother and sister before it's too late.

As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection. If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under. She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience.

Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

​The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden is a delicious mixture of mystery, romance and history that will have you wishing the second book in this series was already out.

I love historical fiction that teaches me something. The author took something as simple as spices and gave me an intriguing look into the early beginnings of food labelling. And she did it all while mixing in a romance and a mystery. More importantly, when I went to use vanilla, I checked the label to see if it was pure. It wasn't! And that alone keeps this book coming back to my mind with the wealth of information it provided. 

I loved how Gray and Annabelle seemed to be growing in their faith at the same time. Trust was a big theme in this book. Trust in God that everything would work out according to His plans and trusting in other people. What happens when people you love break your trust? Gray deals with this on many fronts and struggles to find his way to the truth.   Annabelle struggled with trusting herself and her motives. I identified with her as she constantly wondered if she was doing the right thing. Both characters were very believable. 

While I felt the ending was a little abrupt, it did leave me wanting more, and I look forward to the rest of the books in this series.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley.

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