Description
Firstborn of King Lior and heir to the throne of Raedonleith, Lady Rose has always known what was expected of her—marry a prince, bear a child, continue the royal line. None of that involved confirmation weeks before her wedding that she’s barren. Nor her betrothed deserting her at the news. Through years of pain, bleeding and loss, her faith has kept her strong but this last blow strikes deep into her spirit. Rose knew she was broken. Now the rest of Raedonleith will too.
More comfortable amid books than battles, Prince Nicholas of Belairisia is as surprised as anyone when he claims Lady Rose’s hand for himself upon first meeting. In front of every noble in Raedonleith. But neither does he regret it. Though it’s impulsive and out of character for the studious prince, there’s something in Rose’s fragile beauty that captivates Nicholas. She’s the treasure he’s searched his whole life to find. Armed with patience and hope, Nicholas determines to wait as long as it takes to prove his devotion.
But when an attempt on Rose’s life forces King Lior’s hand, the two are thrust into a marriage neither of them are prepared for, and a journey through enemy territory which may end the relationship before it’s barely begun.
bethany.aich –
Sad. Beautiful. Humbling. Wow.
On one hand, I’m kind of speechless. It feels wrong to ruin the beautiful silence after reading this book by plopping these stark black words onto this white page, as if they could possibly express anything accurately enough about the book.
I can’t capture the beauty, the brokenness, the healing. You’ll have to read it for yourself. And it’s worth it. It’s worth the tears, because there is also joy. It’s worth the sadness, because there is also Hope.
Honestly, this is the first of this series that have read, but I know the gist of the other two, and this one can stand alone. Boy, can it stand alone. Hold Her Close might have some typos in this first version but it’s so worth the read.
This is not a happy-go-lucky story, though it has a HEA. It’s the parable of the pearl of great price spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew. I’ll never read verses 45 and 46 the same again. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this straight up biblical fiction—since it’s a novel based on a verse—it’s biblical. And it’s fiction. But it’s also real. I highlighted enough of this book to practically journal my own novella.
Alright, getting wordy here so I’ll wrap it up. Though these words still haven’t done justice to the beauty that is Hold Her Close, I’ve given it my best shot. This book is worth every minute it takes you to read it.
Romance: clean. There is a married couple, but I had zero issues with the romance. If someone is very, very, very sensitive (I’m a very sensitive reader, generally speaking), they might have a problem with a couple parts of it.
Violence: hmmm…while I wouldn’t call it violent, Hold Her Close has many difficult aspects, including references to and brief scenes of violence. There are also possibly triggering mentions of abuse, and the inability to conceive is a big theme throughout.
While I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher, I have read several of Hannah’s other books and been very happy with them, though none have given me quite the punch in the gut this one did. I leave this review in all of its persuasiveness toward trying to get you to read this book of my own volition, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Talita Adendorff –
Such a beautiful story with a heroine who symbolises strength within weakness.
Hold Her Close is the final novel in the Crown of Promise series, the story of Rose, King Loir and Queen Caralynne’s oldest daughter, and heir; the future queen of Raedonleith. It is a beautiful story, with a bookish, yet brave Prince, and a beautiful, yet fragile Princess.
Hannah Currie once again weaves a tale of love, heartache, adventure, forgiveness, bravery, and family, with a strong spiritual element weaved throughout. It is the perfect ending to the stunning Crown of Promise Series, tying all the threads together in the end and bringing closure to the tale of the royals of Raedonleith.
I really enjoyed it, would highly recommend the whole series, and was even surprised by a twist or two in the story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but the views and opinions are my own.
candideweekes –
Hold Her Close by Hannah Currie was an amazing read.
I had read the first two books in this series before starting Hold Her Close and it was great to be able to discover the story of the characters we met in the previous books.
The characters are well described and Hannah goes to great lengths to have characters that are real.
This conclusion is perfect.
— I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. —
Kathryn Bochman –
Hannah Currie has completely blown me away with her conclusion to the Crown of Promise series. In Hold Her Close, we have the story of Rose and Nicholas, whose journeys are a mix of pain, sacrifice, tragedy, and love. Currie blends these elements with such poetry, such passion, that the story engulfs your heart. You cannot help but FEEL every element of this book, from the trials of the hero and heroine, to the heart’s cry of the supporting cast.
Although I felt the entire series was outstanding, I firmly believe Currie saved the best for last. Hold Her Close is a redemptive tale brimming with depth. This book was an honor to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Rebekah Deedrick –
This was lovely. I will say, read the whole series. It will make so much more sense. This was a beautiful conclusion to a very good series. I thought the way the author tied in the parable of the lost pearl was excellent. The other books did “easier” parables. But this was more subtle and more interesting.
I loved the characters. I loved this story more than the other two. Just a preference.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
mgtnelson –
This is the third book in the Crown of Promise series. You definitely want to read the first two books, Bring Her Home and Guard Her Heart, first if at all possible.
I ended up reading this entire book in one day. It sucked me in with brokenness, healing, strong faith, dealing with chronic illness and pain, sacrificial love, and so much more. The characters quickly became friends I wanted to know more about.
I hate to see the series end.
I received a complimentary copy this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
phillipians4_8 –
So emotional. Achingly beautiful, heart-rending, yet healing. The most beautiful finale possible for the Crown of Promise series. Hold her Close has all the feels and truly touched my heart.
I’ve always loved throughout the series how Lior represented a picture of the Father in heaven. The picture never shone so brightly as in Hold Her Close. While some of his thoughts on Cormac may have seemed impossible, his desire to forgive for example, to me it was a perfect example of how we too often fail to forgive, and yet our heavenly Father is full of mercy and loving kindness and offers forgiveness to all through his son, Christ Jesus. I truly loved the man Lior was in loving his daughters. A perfect type of God the Father? Of course not. Hannah Currie made it clear he was completely human and had failures. But no doubt, in the type of the parables, he was a wonderful type.
As for Prince Nicholas? Loved his part in the story! He really is the perfect man for Rose–through and through!
Rose’s determination/emphasis to be thankful through her trials was inspiring. Rose is, on the surface, the weakest of all her sisters, yet in many ways the strongest. Her story was beautifully written and I am so honored to have been given the opportunity to read an early copy.
There are so many things I want to tell you about in this book, it’s so good….to try to do this book justice in a review…well, it would be all spoilers because I’d have to gush and explain all my thoughts about every single scene, and it would make an entire book, certainly not review-length! Hold Her Close has become a true favorite of mine, and I highly recommend it. Hold Her Close was my favorite in this series, and I so loved how Hannah based it on the Parable of the Pearl.
And….if Hannah Currie ever “happened” to collect/finish/expand the ballads, poetry, and prayers in Hold Her Close and publish it separately….I would totally read it! They are so beautiful I believe I highlighted each one, especially the ballad and select prayers!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
cbabler27 –
Hold Her Close by Hannah Currie is the wonderfully written third installment of her Crown and Promise Series. This book quite honestly blew me away. I have always enjoyed Ms. Currie’s writing, but the way that prayer, faith, and God were woven into every aspect of this book in a natural and evangelical way, was exceptionally well done. Hold Her Close struck me by the depth of emotion, brokenness, healing, faith, forgiveness, and spirituality conveyed in each page. I think that this book is desperately needed in the days we are living in. Hold Her Close brings readers the reminder that in God we can have hope and encouragement even in great difficulties and darkness.
I enjoyed the characters with their quirks, various perspectives, and the way Ms. Currie developed them throughout the pages of Hold Her Heart. Rose and Nicholas both were such wonderfully unique characters that I absolutely fell in love with. I particularly enjoyed Nicholas’ kindness, bravery, service, and strength of character. Rose’s character was especially unique in my experience. I cannot recall another character similar to Rose that brought light to the struggles and strength of those who endure chronic illnesses. I appreciated the reality and perspective that Ms. Currie brought to her readers with this captivating book. Another feature that impressed me was the way that forgiveness and reconciliation was portrayed in a real way, not just in a fairytale world. Without giving anything away, I will just say that many characters had truly hurt others and from an outsider’s perspective were not deserving of the forgiveness they received. But that very instance seems to be a great example of biblical forgiveness and how we can see God’s forgiveness of our sins. All that to say that I greatly enjoyed and appreciated this book by Hannah Currie. It brings readers adventure, mystery, emotion, and hope. I highly recommend Hold Her Close by Hannah Currie and I truly hope you take the time to read it! Happy reading!
Disclaimer: White Crown Publishing graciously provided me with a copy of this book . All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.