I want to thank Revell and Jill for the opportunity to be apart of the Launch Team and for sending me a copy of the book early!
Author: Jill Eileen Smith
Series: The Loves of Solomon
Age: Adult
Genres: Biblical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Publisher: Revell
Source: Paperback
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible | Christian Book | B&N
Synopsis:
King Solomon was wealthy and wise beyond measure. He could--and did--have anything he wanted, including many women from many lands. But for all his wisdom, did he or the women in his life ever find what they searched for all of their lives?
In this engrossing novel, you'll find yourself whisked away to ancient Israel, where you'll meet Solomon and four of the women he loved: Naamah the desert princess, Abishag the shepherdess, Siti the daughter of a pharaoh, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba. As you experience the world of Solomon through his eyes and the eyes of these women, you'll ask yourself the ultimate question: Did Solomon's wisdom ultimately benefit him and those he loved . . . or did it betray them?My Rating:
This is a beautifully written story that takes scriptures from 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and Song of Solomon. The use of scripture to create a story was AMAZING! It brought the scripture to life in a different way.
This is my first Jill read and I was impressed and I've fallen in love with her writing. I have never read anything about King Solomon so this was such an amazing experience. I know of King Solomon as the wisest king, but this story looked at how well his wisdom helped him in romance. A king of 700 wives and 100 concubines, but his romance sucked.
Four wives are central in this story: Naamah, Abishag, Siti and Nicaula. All four different types of women. All four captured his heart in some way.
Before I dive into the women, I want to talk about the cameos that King David and Queen Bathsheba had. I just LOVED them and the wisdom they gave to Solomon and the women. Bathsheba was more crucial in the romance while David was crucial in Solomon's kingship. They were some amazing parents and their love was beautiful -- even though it started off rough in sin.
Naamah was the first wife. She has loved Solomon since she was 10. At 15 she became his betrothed and at 16 they married. Naamah was in love with Solomon and their love was the most realistic for me since they had known each other for some time. I enjoyed Naamah up until there was talk about other wives. She had this false hope of being his only wife and she didn't handle it well. She did bare him two children in the story -- a son and a daughter. Her role as the first wife was done really well. She was the most whiny of the four wives.
Abishag was the second wife. She was previously the wife of King David, but married Solomon to be safe from his twisted brothers. Abishag was such a woman! She didn't let herself be played a fool nor did she have any delusions about being Solomon's second wife. She was such a artsy and pure hearted of the four wives.
Siti was the third wife and daughter of the pharaoh. I did not like her at all. I didn't care for her attitude and how she tried so hard to turn Solomon from God. She annoyed me with how sneaky she was -- like a serpent. She planned so much to get Solomon's attention. She had no real respect for him as her husband. She was a spoiled brat. I didn't care for her at all. She was the only wife who did not seek to learn and get to know about God.
Nicaula was the fourth wife and queen of Sheba. I loved her second to Abishag. She was smart, kind, pure. Everything about her screamed royalty. She did almost make some dumb mistakes, but she felt convicted about them. I loved her desire to know more about God. She ruled well. Carried herself as a queen and didn't allow Solomon to play with her emotions. Of the four she was the most intellectual.
King Solomon was such a fool in romance. He just made so many foolish mistakes and broke laws concerning women. I just can't deal with him in certain parts because he seemed like a baby when it came to the women. Seeing him fall due to a simple mistake was heartbreaking -- but it also shows that good intentions don't always yield good results.
Overall, I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.
This is my first Jill read and I was impressed and I've fallen in love with her writing. I have never read anything about King Solomon so this was such an amazing experience. I know of King Solomon as the wisest king, but this story looked at how well his wisdom helped him in romance. A king of 700 wives and 100 concubines, but his romance sucked.
Four wives are central in this story: Naamah, Abishag, Siti and Nicaula. All four different types of women. All four captured his heart in some way.
Before I dive into the women, I want to talk about the cameos that King David and Queen Bathsheba had. I just LOVED them and the wisdom they gave to Solomon and the women. Bathsheba was more crucial in the romance while David was crucial in Solomon's kingship. They were some amazing parents and their love was beautiful -- even though it started off rough in sin.
Naamah was the first wife. She has loved Solomon since she was 10. At 15 she became his betrothed and at 16 they married. Naamah was in love with Solomon and their love was the most realistic for me since they had known each other for some time. I enjoyed Naamah up until there was talk about other wives. She had this false hope of being his only wife and she didn't handle it well. She did bare him two children in the story -- a son and a daughter. Her role as the first wife was done really well. She was the most whiny of the four wives.
Abishag was the second wife. She was previously the wife of King David, but married Solomon to be safe from his twisted brothers. Abishag was such a woman! She didn't let herself be played a fool nor did she have any delusions about being Solomon's second wife. She was such a artsy and pure hearted of the four wives.
Siti was the third wife and daughter of the pharaoh. I did not like her at all. I didn't care for her attitude and how she tried so hard to turn Solomon from God. She annoyed me with how sneaky she was -- like a serpent. She planned so much to get Solomon's attention. She had no real respect for him as her husband. She was a spoiled brat. I didn't care for her at all. She was the only wife who did not seek to learn and get to know about God.
Nicaula was the fourth wife and queen of Sheba. I loved her second to Abishag. She was smart, kind, pure. Everything about her screamed royalty. She did almost make some dumb mistakes, but she felt convicted about them. I loved her desire to know more about God. She ruled well. Carried herself as a queen and didn't allow Solomon to play with her emotions. Of the four she was the most intellectual.
King Solomon was such a fool in romance. He just made so many foolish mistakes and broke laws concerning women. I just can't deal with him in certain parts because he seemed like a baby when it came to the women. Seeing him fall due to a simple mistake was heartbreaking -- but it also shows that good intentions don't always yield good results.
Overall, I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.
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