Heather’s Bookshelf: Bitter Bonds & Bitter Destiny
Author: Heather Osborne
Released: 05/13/16 & 07/28/20
Genre: Historical Romance Novel and Prequel Novella
“Strange dreams had haunted Adrienne since the night she sought answers about Andrew’s murder. A woman in a white dress, with shimmering blonde hair lifted by an invisible breeze, often came to her, demanding payment for tasks done. No matter how many times she professed ignorance, the woman insisted. The result was Adrienne waking suddenly, gasping for breath and drenched in cold sweat.”
“Bitter Bonds” takes place in 19th century New Orleans and tells the tale of the Beaumont family - Arnaud and his two daughters, Adrienne and Francine. The two young women could not be more different and find themselves in a precarious situation when a new man moves in next door. “Bitter Destiny” introduces you to Arnaud and Marie du Grace, this time as a young couple escaping France in 1799 at the end of the French Revolution. The couple seeks a fresh start in Louisiana where they encounter all new threats to their young family.
When Henri Du Cormier moves into St. Esprit, he knows that he must make some concessions in order to fit in and turn his estate into a profitable plantation. But what he doesn’t realize is what a terrible mistake he is about to make by marrying the elder Beaumont sister. As he prepares to marry Francine out of a sense of need and obligation, his feelings for the younger sister, Adrienne, blossom into something undeniable and requited.
Adrienne, Francine and Henri’s lives become even more intertwined as the story continues. The trio encounter adultery, murder, and even voodoo along the way of a path filled with lies, deceit, and love.
Fair Warning: Explicit sexual situations, depictions of murder, violence, racism, and slavery.
Arnaud, the son of a French nobleman, and Marie, the family’s chambermaid, find comfort and love in each other and soon marry. The young couple decide to set off for Louisiana in an attempt to escape the past and make their own way in a new world. Fortunately for the young couple, Arnaud’s father made arrangements to start their new life off right.
Arnaud and Marie find people that they can trust and new friends as they adjust to learning their new roles. But with every blessing, a threat seems to loom not far behind.
This novella fills in some of the background about how Francine and Adrienne’s family arrived in New Orleans as well as what led to some of the turmoil to come
Fair Warning: Explicit sexual situations, depictions of slavery, racism, and violence.
Overall, I enjoyed the main book. I thought that the character development was well done and the novel well-paced. The main characters of Henri and Adrienne were multi-layered, relatable, and complex. Several of the ancillary details were also detailed and memorable including Sabine. But the best development is with Francine’s character. I don’t want to give anything away, but her character is truly something else. While this was a romance novel at heart, it was also interspersed with intrigue and voodoo which kept the story different and moving along. There were parts of the book that I found to be a little confusing and unclear. But overall, I found the story to be entertaining and romantic. The novella itself had the same feel of the main novel and was filled with love, romance and tragedy. If you enjoyed the main novel, the novella follows the same type of writing and style. It is more straight forward than the main novel, but it still takes the time to develop the main characters and a legitimately unlikeable villain. I would suggest reading the novel first and then deciding on the novella. However, each can be read independently.
I received a copy of these stories in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
I enjoyed this romantic journey into 19th century New Orleans with the prequel novella to match. Great character development and pacing as well.
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with Heather Osborne:
Interested in checking out the books for yourself?
Find them for purchase here or on Kindle Unlimited
(paid link by Amazon Associates)
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
