Description
By Tricia Goyer
Olivia Garza, a woman committed to making a difference in the world, thrives in her unconventional, service-oriented life. By day, she helps troubled teens in inner-city Little Rock… by night, she unwittingly creates a viral web-video series when she tries to better understand her mother’s desperate decisions by retracing her steps with a camera. So far, Olivia has always been the anonymous narrator, but she’s promised to reveal herself in the last stop on her documentary: Kenya.
Prince Louis is the heir to the throne of the small European kingdom of Alloria, in Kenya to run away from a broken heart—and the media circus that comes with it. When he meets Olivia, he recognizes her voice right away from the docu-series that has stirred his heart. Though they share a magical day on safari, any dreams of happily ever after come crashing down with the flash ofthe paparazzi cameras, when Olivia realizes that he represents everything she most despises in the world.
In World War II Rome, another royal, however, has her own life-changing choices to make. Princess Alessandra Appiani could have chosen quiet safety within the walls of the Vatican, but instead she risks her life—and her family—to save the Jewish children so in need of someone to show them the love of God.
When Olivia is hired to help create a documentary about Alessandra, learning about the sacrifice of a royal who goes from palace to prison forces her to face the hardest questions of all: Should she continue on the path she’s carved for herself…or trust God to give her the future she never thought she wanted?
sassyjd32 –
Wow! This is an exceptional book! I was immediately drawn in by Alessandra’s story. I loved the flashbacks to 1943, and then how the author tied them into the present day was amazing! As the story progressed, my heart became more and more invested in the story.
All of the characters are wonderful! Louis is my favorite! He’s loyal, faithful, and a man longing to be loved for his true self. Olivia lives her life on purpose. She puts her everything into her job and those she works for. Alessandra is inspiring. She is put in a very difficult situation, and she relies on her faith to make it through each day.
Favorite quote: “After all, it’s often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.”
This story reminded me that everyone needs to know the hope that can be found in Jesus. He’s for the rich, the poor, the fatherless…
I will be reflecting on this book for a while. The themes of forgiveness, hope, and faith resonated deeply with me.
I was provided a copy of the book from White Crown Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
naomishores –
An absolutely wonderful story of God’s love and faithfulness even when we don’t “feel” it. I loved the historical aspect with Princess Alessandra and WW II and Buchenwald camp. I enjoy reading stories that have historical facts in them. The present part of the story about Olivia and Prince Louis was wonderful too. It was a love story overcoming fears and trusting God and forgiveness and sacrifice. Trust the stars….a true reminder that God is there when you look up at the night sky.
music.maps.books –
I did not intend to read this book all in one day. Sometimes I start a book with the goal to stay up until it’s done. Not this time but here we are.
I also don’t really know what I want to say in this review. This was a good book, but you know that from my star rating. (Which is more like 4.5). I think my struggle is just that somehow, even though I didn’t have expectations, this story was not what o was expecting. And it’s hard to explain without spoilers.
Olivia and Louis were wonderful characters. I can say that because even though their experiences are literally nothing like mine, I could still connect to them. (That’s also a mark of a good writer 🙂
Wonderful characters need supporting cast and there are two exceptional ones in this story. I really liked Miss Jan and Rebecca. The roles they play in Olivia’s life are special and they give her great wisdom and advice, while also brining a little levity.
There isn’t a lot of humor in this book. Olivia’s life has been hard and she’s wrestling with a lot. The parts of the book that go back in time are definitely hard. I hope I would have faith like that but I just don’t know.
A part of me feels like I wish this was a series so things could be more in depth. I feel like the story line from the last could have been explored more, as well as Olivia’s work in the US, and I think it would be cool to see more of what will happen. It’s not that the book is incomplete, I just ended it feeling like there could be more to tell.
I would say that this book challenges, inspires, and makes you think. There is beauty and depth and so much wisdom. It’s not often that I’m left thinking about a fiction book after I’m done but this is one of the ones that did it. (I’m also constantly singing “Stars” by Skillet, which is fitting. You should look it up.)
To end, I want to say that the book title might seem odd for a Christian book but it will make sense and I want to hold the idea close so that every time I see the stars, I think of what was said in this story.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.
ilovethemso –
Scars, Sacrifice, and Sweet Romance
Get ready to enjoy a moving adventure! Trust the Stars is a wonderful tale filled with scars, sacrifice, and sweet romance. Told between two timelines that mesh perfectly, the story is so beautifully written, it pulled me in right away. The details and imagery helped me see the story unfold, and plot twists kept it captivating. The story brought me through all the emotions as I walked with characters through enormous pain and sacrifice all the way to healing and sweet romance. The rarer moments that made me laugh were such a delight.
I appreciated how the dual timelines in this fantastic tale are seamlessly tied together, and both timelines captured my interest, which is extremely rare for me. I enjoyed watching imperfect characters grow and seeing the delight of a once hardened heart open up to true love. I felt inspired to learn from examples, of especially Alessandra and Louis, who chose to serve others. This is such a powerful reminder to follow God’s calling and plan for your life. The painful parts of the story make the sweetest parts even more beautiful, and the ending is beautiful! Enjoy getting there.
I can’t wait to read more of Tricia’s writing! I am grateful to have received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
7graftcl –
Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer is another title in White Crown Publishing’s Royal/Princess line.
While in many ways this is your typical royal romance: there is a prince (Louis) who doesn’t want to be recognized, who wants to escape even briefly from the demand of being royal.
But in this case the heroine (Olivia) is also not wanting to be recognized. She is the person behind the voice of a YouTube documentary. She is chronicling in her documentary her attempt at trying to find out more about her past, especially her mother’s past. She also spends her time instilling hope for the future in inner city young women as the director of a youth center.
Of course, there are moments when the cover ups are exposed. We see both attempt to learn about the other’s lifestyles as their feelings grow for one another.
There is a fabulous historical sub plot woven through as another story comes into play.
I’m not often a royal romance reader but I did enjoy this one. The main characters as well as the secondary characters all added to the story.
I was given a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.