Release: August 7th 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Claire-Voie Books
Source: HFVirtual Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon , Kindle ,B&N , Indiebound
__
__
In antebellum Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with doubt, his family’s secret African ancestry, and his love for a slave owner’s wife.
Joseph Lazare and his two sisters grow up believing their black hair and olive skin come from a Spanish grandmother—until the summer they learn she was an African slave. While his sisters make very different choices, Joseph struggles to transcend the flesh by becoming a celibate priest.
Then young Father Joseph meets Tessa Conley, a devout Irish immigrant who shares his passions for music and botany. Joseph must conceal his true feelings as Tessa marries another man—a plantation owner who treats her like property. Acting on their love for each other will ruin Joseph and Tessa in this world and damn them in the next.
Or will it?
NECESSARY SINS is the first book in the sweeping Lazare Family Saga that transports readers from the West Indies to the Wild West, from Charleston, Paris, and Rome into the depths of the human heart. Passion, prejudice, secrets, and a mother’s desperate choice in the chaos of revolution echo through five generations. If you enjoyed THE THORN BIRDS or the novels of Sara Donati, dive into Elizabeth Bell’s epic historical fiction today.
Finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship
Second Place in the Maggie Awards for Excellence in the category Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
About the Author:
Elizabeth Bell has been writing stories since the second grade. At the age of fourteen, she chose a pen name and vowed to become a published author. That same year, she began the Lazare Family Saga. It took her a couple of decades to get it right. New generations kept demanding attention, and the saga became four epic novels.
After earning her MFA in Creative Writing at George Mason University, Elizabeth realized she would have to return her two hundred library books. Instead, she cleverly found a job in the university library. She works there to this day.
Elizabeth is an active member of the Historical Novel Society, and she loves chatting with fellow readers, writers, and history buffs.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest | Bookbub
Necessary Sins Review:
“Necessary Sins” is what I would benchmark how a perfect historical fiction should be. This book, in my opinion, is the epitome of the genre, and I loved every bit of it.
You know that feeling you get when you pick up a book to read? It’s big and heavy, but you can sense something special about it? That is precisely how “Necessary Sins” was to me. Even though I am not a fan of massive books, everything about the book, from its gorgeous cover to its poignant epigraphs, the characters, and the situations, compelled me to read the story. Moreover, people who follow my reviews know that I am a sucker for family sagas, and this book did not disappoint. We meet the Lazare Family, and this beautiful saga focuses mainly on Joseph in this book.
The author also writes the characters so compellingly that it makes you feel like you are with them in that era. I enjoyed beginnings with Matthieu and Marguerite, but the highlight of the tale was Joseph. The author portrayed his emotions beautifully. You can see the complex feelings he goes through whenever he sees Tessa. He feels self-conscious and awkward about his feelings, even though he is a good person in all other ways. I loved the way the author spun the tale between Joseph and Tessa. Also, the author ends the story on a high note, yet open-ended, that makes you immediately want to read the next book.
Similarly, the author touches on topics like Slavery and Catholicism and the mindset of the people during that era. If you are a fan of historical fiction and family sagas, you NEED to read this book. Overall, “Necessary Sins” was hard to put down, and I loved reading every page.
Blog Tour Schedule
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Necessary Sins by Elizabeth Bell Blog Tour hosted by HFVirtual Book Tours.
Wednesday, August 4
Review at The Cozy Book Blog
Friday, August 6
Review at The Enchanted Shelf
Monday, August 9
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews
Wednesday, August 11
Interview at Books, Tiaras, and Lattes
Friday, August 13
Review at Coffee and Ink
Monday, August 16
Review at Passages to the Past
Friday, August 20
Review at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, August 25
Review at Robin Loves Reading
I am thrilled that you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours
It’s my birthday, and I couldn’t ask for a better gift than this review! Thank you so much, Rajiv!