Customer Reviews

The Raven Saint (Charles Towne Belles)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Betrayed! Kidnapped! Grace Westcott finds herself aboard a pirate ship. And not for just any reason but to be sold as common cargo to her father's enemy. Come what may, she is determined to hold onto her faith, even if that means resisting the handsome, volatile Capitaine Rafe Dubois. Searching for God's purpose in her dire circumstances, Grace discovers much more.
Monsieur Rafe Dubois, is a French Privateer, who enjoys ruffling the feathers of his newest property "mon petit chou pieuse" (little pious cabbage) After being hurt by his father, he has no use for God or His so called followers.
Sparks fly and the battle of whits ensues as Rafe and Grace meet their match, each one trying to bend the other to his own will. Embracing adventure, action, betrayal and love on the high seas, The Raven Saint will keep you reading from the first sentence to the last leaving you with a smile on your face and sigh in your heart.

This is the 3rd book in MaryLu Tyndall's Charles Towne Belles series and it is an outstanding book! I loved it from cover to cover. MaryLu Tyndall has a knack for making her reader part of the action. She makes you feel as if you are standing on the deck of the ship with the sea spray wetting your face. Her characters are real people. She is not afraid to tackle the issue of spiritual warfare, either, which is rare in Christian fiction. I applaud her for this because spiritual warfare is quite real for the believer.
Rafe Dubois is a wonderful hero to Grace Wescott's heroine as well.
We get a brief reunion with the other two sisters, Faith and Hope, in the epilogue. There is another sister, Charity, and I do hope Ms. Tyndall features her in a future book. I love these ladies and hate to say goodbye to them.
This is a wonderful book with a very deep spiritual element to it that a lot of Christian writers do not include in their books. I dearly loved and and I always snatch this writer's books off the shelves as soon as I see one.

I'm so glad I got this book and it was my first book of 2010. What a way to start the year! I love MaryLu Tyndall and this series so much, but the saying "saved the best for last" really fit this book well for many reasons. Not the least of which is the dashing mercenary captain, Rafe Dubois. I loved his character. In full disclosure, it didn't hurt that the author let it slip she pictured Rafe looking like Orlando Bloom in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I ask you, what's not to love there? lol

Seriously, this book tackled an issue a lot of Christian fiction doesn't. Sometimes believers are the problem. Sometimes we're the ones needing fixing~ for a whole lot of things. Grace isn't a bad person, but she has become more than a little judgmental and it's hurting her relationships with friends and family, and ultimately, it doesn't please God.

How she comes to that revelation and deals with it is both realistic, tender and at times somewhat funny. Add to that a serious and passionate attraction to a man she is certain has to be evil incarnate ~ and poor Grace has quite the journey.

Rafe is a complex character in his own right. He doesn't want to be attracted to Grace any more than she wants him and yet... he can't seem to keep his thoughts from her. She is nothing like he expected her to be. Will he be able to hand her over to the Don knowing she isn't who he thought she was? Plus, just like the rest of the books in the series, there are plenty of other surprises and danger in store for the whole crew.

The romance in this book sizzled like yummy bacon on a Saturday morning. Every character reached out and grabbed your heart in their own way. MaryLu Tyndall captured not only Rafe and Grace, but colorful characters like Father Alers ~ a crewman who had once been a Jesuit but had given up his faith, Thorn ~ Rafe's first mate and a man who seems as out of place on the ship as Grace, but is determined to remain, and who can leave out Spyglass? That's Rafe's cat who becomes more enamored with Grace than Rafe and saves her from trouble.

This is a wonderful romance, filled with the action and adventure we've come to expect from this author.

THE RAVEN SAINT is fantastic! The third in the Charles Towne Belle series, MaryLu Tyndall continues to wow me with her adventure-filled romances.
Grace Westcott had spent her life serving God. From feeding the poor and tending to the needy, to doing all she can to impress upon her sisters the need to live a life worthy of God. When kidnapped by the French mercenary, Rafe DuBois, Grace clings to her faith, even when she finds out DuBois intends on selling her to a Spanish Don. Confident God has allowed her captivity in order to save those aboard DuBois' ship, she expounds to the crew that happiness cannot be found in money or debauchery, but only in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. When her proselytizing falls on deaf ears and her fate seems unavoidable, she questions why the God she has served with her whole heart would allow her life to come to such an end. But what she struggles with even more is her growing attraction to the reprehensible Captain DuBois.
Captain DuBois has never dabbled in the trade of innocent flesh. But with a hefty purse as his reward for turning over Grace Westcott to a Spanish Don, he will be able to build a hospital for the poor, make good on a promise to a friend, and have vengeance on the man who killed his mother. With all that the selling of Grace Westcott will bring him, then why is it he finds himself drawn to the woman of conviction?
THE RAVEN SAINT is a wonderful combination of suspense, wit, adventure, intrigue, self-examination, and love. Only MaryLu Tyndall could bring the likes of Grace Westcott and Rafe Dubois together in a believable and rewarding story.

Grace Westcott is committed to serving her life to promote the goodness of the Lord. She spends her time with the sick and the poor in the town of Charles Towne. She feels the hours she devotes to these less fortunate individuals will bless their lives and hers.

French Captain Rafe Dubious is in need of gold coin to build a hospital for the poor. The opportunity to obtain these funds comes in Admiral Westcotts' daughter Grace Westcott. He decides to kidnap Grace and then demand a high ransom for her safe return.

Rafe succeeds in kidnapping Grace and holds her hostage on his ship Le Champion. Grace questions why God has led her to such a dire situation. As the days on board increases Grace learns that Rafe has turned his back on God. Grace is determined she will lead Rafe to the Lord. Will she succeed in her mission to save Rafe's lost soul before she loses her heart to him?

MaryLu Tyndall's Charles Towne Belles is one beautifully orchestrated novel! The Raven Saint is third in this highly popular series. If you are a fan of historical romance, then you definitely want to put the name MaryLu Tyndall high atop your to buy list. This author writes with a passionate flare that captures the true essence of romance.

Midwest Book Review URL:
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THE RAVEN SAINT by M.L.Tyndall is a Christian historical romance set in 1718 Carolina's. It is a delightful story of faith, love, mystery, adventure, pirates,forgiveness and redemption.This is the third book in the Charles Towne Belles series, but can be read as a stand along.What a wonderful cast of characters. The two main characters find out alot about themselves during their journey.They are strong and witty at times. The secondary characters help carry the story along. This is a fast paced, page turning story. It will have you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy pirates and adventure you will enjoy this one. If you have not read the others in the Charles Towne Belles series(The Red Siren, The Blue Enchantress) then I would also recommend you read these too. This book was received for review.

The Raven Saint moved at a faster pace than The Blue Enchantress, which made me happy! I enjoyed Grace and Rafe's story a little more as well. I don't know if I just wasn't in a "pirate" mood when I read these two books, and that's why I didn't enjoy them as much as The Red Siren, or what. Don't get me wrong, none of Mary Lu's books are bad, I just wasn't enthralled with this story as I normally am when reading her books.


We meet Grace Wescott while she and her personal maid, Alice, are on one of Grace's many errands of mercy. She feels lead to serve God by helping the poor whenever she can. Only this errand turns out to be vastly different than any she has been on so far! While basically out in the middle of nowhere, Grace is kidnapped by a French mercenary, Captain Rafe Dubois. She soon discovers that she is part of a horrendous plan that will enable Rafe to seek revenge on the men responsible for his mother's death. What will happen to her? Will she ever see her sisters, Faith and Hope, again? Surely God will see fit to deliver her from this nightmare, especially since she has devoted her life to Him. Little does she know, this frightening escapade is all part of God's plan.


Quite a few secondary characters in The Raven Saint caught my attention. Such as, Nicole, and her daughter, Madeline, who help Grace out of a sticky situation. Then there is Father Alers, the ship's cook. He is also one of Rafe's closest friends who has decided to remove himself from the priesthood. My favorite secondary character of all is Spyglass. She is Rafe's one-eyed cat, and she "helps" him on more than one occasion. I fell in love with her immediately! As it turns out, one of my blogging friends, Angie, over at Never a Dull Moment, had the honor of naming Rafe's kitty. Isn't that awesome? Great name, Angie! =)


If you haven't had a chance to read any of Mary Lu's books, you should definitely give them a try. To find out more about her, and her books, be sure to visit her website.

*** I received my copy of The Raven Saint compliments of Mary Lu Tyndall. Thank you! ***

Amazingly written! Book 3 in The Charles Towne Belles series, this is installment is just as great and book 1 and 2. Ms. Tyndall brings back old characters-Faith and Hope- briefly in the beginning but then she tells of new characters with Grace and Rafe.A story of love,betrayal and hope mixed with God, this one pulled me into to the book until I was one of the characters. I could feel everything they felt, see everything they saw. I didn't have one favorite character, as they were ALL my favorite. My heart went out to all of them. There was something in each character that I felt drawn to.

On top of being a wonderfully written book, there is lots of adventure, suspense and surprises at every turn. If you like pirates, suspenseful adventure, and a book that will make you apart of the wonderful romance then I suggest you grab a copy of this 5 star third installment of The Charles Towne Belles series, The Raven Saint.

THE RAVEN SAINT by M. L. Tyndall is in my humble opinion, this author's best work. It's one of those delicious books that seizes you by the neck and draws you in to the oblivion of children, husbands, dinner, chores etc. I love the characters--the hero is a pirate, and the plot--the pirate kidnaps the heroine, and the setting--a pirate ship and a caribbean island.

With well crafted lines like:

-A half-moon sitting a handbreath over the horizon flung bands of glittering silver upon the waves.

-The braids of her long raven hair (swung) over her white nightdress like liquid obsidian on cream.

-His chest heaved beneath his white buccaneer shirt.

It's been a long time since a book kept me up well past midnight--The Raven Saint is a book that captured me on page one and held me in its grip until the end. I will read this story over and over!

ML Tyndall has to be one of the best Christian writers out there. Her characters come alive and are three dimensional. The places she takes you are so well described you feel like you are there. And the story line keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat. I needed to put the book down so I could breath but couldn't because I HAD to know what happened next. If you are looking for a book that never slows down but entertains you the whole way through, one that you feel like you are living the story, one that makes you fall in love with the characters, THE RAVEN SAINT is a must read.