…& My Beloved is Mine Book Review
About the Book
He is the King of Israel.
She is his father’s concubine.
Together, they found a love that was fierce and passionate – and strictly forbidden.
Young Solomon has inherited his father’s throne and now finds himself surrounded by his enemies. His eldest brother, Adonijah, refuses to accept him as heir, and will stop at nothing to take away his crown. Meanwhile, Solomon continues to struggle with the love of a woman he can never have: the green-eyed Shunammite who entered his world as the newest addition to his father’s harem. Determined to rip her from his heart, Solomon leaves to Egypt on his first diplomatic trip and to everyone’s surprise, returns with a new bride. Will she help him forget his first love, or will Abishag forever haunt his thoughts and dreams?
As the new King of Israel, and with a new wife in tow, Abishag finds she is no longer needed – or wanted – at the palace. She struggles with the pain of her loss, not knowing what will become of her now that King David is dead and Solomon has expelled her from his life. Will she be sent back to Shunem, to suffer under the tyranny of her hateful brother? Will her continued struggles continue to chip away at her waning faith in God? Teetering on the edge of despair, Abishag wonders if she can ever find the strength within herself to find faith and hope – both in her God, and in life’s second chances.
My Thoughts
Really beautiful story (and series, for that matter), but those looking for a retelling of the Biblical narrative should look elsewhere (as the author also notes at the end of this book). The drama and romance are certainly there, but at times are too far removed from the Biblical account to be believable. I did not care for some carefully placed language, and felt that it detracted from the story.
Those who have read more mainstream Biblical fiction would probably find this series enjoyable, but those who are regular readers of Biblical fiction published by Christian publishers will find it lacking. The first book had a nice flow throughout with Solomon and Abishag’s romance taking center stage. This second book continued that narrative, but there were several instances of repetitive historical accounts along with wordy descriptions that detracted from this book’s flow. There were numerous errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and the contributions of an editor could have helped this story shine. The author alludes to a third book being written, but I cannot locate it as of the time of this review.
3.5 Stars
****Content Warning – Please don’t scroll further if you want to avoid possible spoilers.
Both books in this series are listed as Christian/Religious Historical Fiction and Christian Romance on Amazon, so I thought they were a safe bet. However, there is a closed-door scene that both individuals later expressed to be proud of. I get it that Song of Solomon is a highly sensual book in the Bible, but believe that a fictional retelling could have been more tasteful to leave out these less-than-savory elements.
