"The Spoils of Eden" by Linda Lee Chaikin - Review

The Spoils of Eden
Author: Linda Lee Chaikin
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 9780802437495
Genre: Fiction, Christian fiction

About the Book: 

Amid the looming spiritual and political crisis in Hawaii, Eden Derrington and Rafe Easton are  thrust into a conflict that will forever change their beloved Hawaii and threaten to derail their future marriage. When Eden, representing the Hawaiian Board of Health at Kalihi Leper Hospital is sent to Rafe’s plantation to take baby Kip  to Kalihi to quarantine him  indefinitely, an emotional volcano of  suspected betrayal threatens to turn their love relationship to ashes.

Someone has alerted  the Board that the baby Rafe saved and brought to Honolulu came from the Kalawao leper colony.  Since the law strictly forbids children born of lepers from being adopted  Kip’s future seems destined toward tragedy. And what of  Eden and Rafe after their engagement is broken? When Eden’s father, Dr. Jerome, returns to open a  clinic at Kalawao, she joins her father, leaving Rafe to run for the legislature and attempt to change the children’s law. 

My Thoughts:

Many times when I'm in the mood for a good Christian romance novel, I find that after I'm finished reading the book I've chosen, I feel good, but also feel like I've missed something. Too many times the storyline is good, but the characters are not in-depth enough or the whole story is just too predictable.

I will be honest and expected the same from "Spoils of Eden". Instead, I found a book that took place in Honolulu in 1891 and was rich in the history of Hawaii, well before Hawaii was part of the United States. With the Islands being reigned by Princess Liliuokalani, the want of Hawaii to become part of the US, and all the rich descriptions of the island, I knew this book was going to be something much better than the typical romance! I found that once I started this novel, I couldn't put it down and was saddened to finish it. I so wanted it to continue!!

The main character, Eden and her "finance" Rafe, are both wonderful characters that try to live the Christian life. That doesn't mean their lives are perfect nor does it mean that they come from wonderful Christian families. Instead, they are very realistic, and come from families that struggle with some very dark backgrounds.

The romance part in this novel is interesting, as it comes from the side of the male. Rafe loves Eden and wants to be married, but Eden has made a promise to her father she intends to keep - even if it means alienating Rafe. It made the storyline more fascinating to me. The other family members and their side-stories were also interesting, because power and money dictated what would happen in their lives and happiness wasn't normally a consideration.

"The Spoils of Eden" is a fantastic beginning to a very promising series. I cannot wait for the next book in "The Dawn of Hawaii" series to be released! Linda Lee Chaikin is a "new to me" author, and after reading this novel, I have a strong feeling she will be making my favorite authors list. I'm putting all of her other books on my must-read list!

About the Author:

LINDA LEE CHAIKIN has written over thirty top selling books, including The Silk House series and For Whom the Stars Shine, a finalist for the prestigious Christy Award.  Two of her novels have been awarded the Silver Angel Award for excellence.  Linda is a graduate of Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and taught neighborhood Bible classes for many years.  She and her husband make their home in Northern California where her favorite recreations are reading and taking vacations where the wind blows through lonely deserts and ghost towns.

Visit Linda’s website at www.LindaChaikinBooks.com. You can also join other fans at Facebook.com.

Book was provided by NetGalley for me to honestly review.