Castle of Refuge

Trigger warnings: emotional abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping, attempted murder

Viscount's daughter Audrey runs away from home to escape an abusive sister and an arranged marriage.

Audrey is the younger daughter of a country viscount with a domineering, abusive older sister. She lives in fear of her sister Maris until Maris is sent to a convent. Before her departure, Maris tripped Audrey and caused her to fall into the fireplace, leaving Audrey's ear and the side of her face badly scarred.

Audrey had once been her father's hope of a great marriage and was in the process of setting her up with a handsome earl before the burn occurred. Now, she finds herself about to marry a poor knight her father's age. When Audrey finds out that Maris is returning to their estate, she panics and runs away from home. She ends up at the estate of none other than the Earl of Dericott and poses as a servant to hide from her father.

Audrey's former intended -- Edwin, Earl of Dericott -- suffered misfortunes in the previous novel when he was arrested and lost an arm. Will these two people living with their physical and emotional scars be a good match?

Characters from the first book in the series, Court of Swans, make appearances in the second book. Edwin, Earl of Dericott is the eldest brother of Delia from the novel. All the brothers and their sister make appearances in the novel, but they are not the focus of the story.

While not classified as Christian fiction, I would put the book in that category because the characters often think about God's will and frequently pray for their salvation from danger.

Recommended for fans of medieval historical fiction. Parents or librarians looking for Christian-focused YA books for their teens should recommend this book.

Melanie Dickerson is a former special education teacher who graduated from the University of Alabama. She lives outside of Huntsville, Alabama.

Series: The Dericott Tales, #2

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: 336 pages

Release Date: June 1, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.