Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar {Book Review}

Hey Gems!!! Back with a highly anticipated release and review!! I got the opportunity to be apart of the launch team for Tessa Afshar once again! We know how much I love her books and writing. I received a complimentary copy (both an advanced readers copy and a finished copy) of Jewel of the Nile from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. I also did pre-order my own copy as well.

First before we dive in, let me just say happy release day to Tessa and Jewel of the Nile...

Now let's dive into my review and thoughts on this beauty...

Title: Jewel of the Nile
Author: Tessa Afshar
Age: Adult
Genres: Biblical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Source: e-ARC; Paperback
Purchase: Paperback | Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Christian Book

Synopsis:

Whispered secrets about her parents' past take on new urgency for Chariline as she pays one last visit to the land of her forefathers, the ancient kingdom of Cush. 

Raised as an orphan by her aunt, Chariline has only been told a few pieces of her parents' tragic love story. Her beautiful dark skin is proof that her father was Cushite, but she knows nothing else. 

While visiting her grandfather before his retirement as the Roman official in the queen's court, Chariline overhears that her father is still alive, and discovering his identity becomes her obsession. Both her grandfather and the queen have reasons for keeping this secret, however, and forbid her quest. So when her only clues lead to Rome, Chariline sneaks on the ship of a merchant trusted by friends.

Theo is shocked to discover a stowaway on board his vessel and determines to be rid of her as soon as possible. But drawn in by Chariline's story, he feels honor-bound to see her safely to shore, especially when it appears someone may be willing to kill for the truth she seeks.

In this transformative tale of historical fiction, bestselling author Tessa Afshar brings to life the kingdom of Cush and the Roman Empire, introducing readers to a fascinating world filled with gripping adventure, touching romance, and a host of lovable characters--including some they may recognize from the biblical book of Acts.

My Rating:

I am bias to anything Tessa writes because I will always give her books a 4+ star rating. This was an absolute masterpiece. Even though my rating says 5 star, it's currently sitting at a 4.75 star rating as I await my re-read. No seriously, this was such a great read. Tessa can do no wrong in my eyes. You can tell that she has done a great deal of research and studying of the Word of God. Her books help show the Light of Christ and you can feel her love for Him in her writing. Simply brilliant and will remain a favorite Christian & Biblical fiction author for me.

Now, this book is one of her New Testament novels. The story as a whole is well paced and pulls you in to the time and location. Getting to see Cush and Rome was absolutely phenomenal! Tessa didn't hold back with plot nor did she hold back on the various characters within the story. I adored how real and relatable the characters felt from start to finish.

Chariline & Theo are definitely one of my pudding pies for sure now. They were such phenomenal characters and just absolutely cute together. I swooned for them the entire story.

Chariline was a bit more sassy and impulsive for me, she somewhat reminded me of Ariadne from Thief of Corinth. I loved her sass and headstrong attitude. She kept me on my toes from start to finish.

Theo was still amazing. I loved him in Thief of Corinth so to see him in his own story with a new romance -- SWOONED!!! He was always an honorable and respectable man, so that never changed about him. His backstory still crushed me, but to see him win in this book warmed my heart!

I loved the family history and how much Chariline was determined to know the truth. The plot twists and turns kept me wanting more. This novel gripped my heart. It made me laugh and cry. It shook me to my core at times.

I 100% recommend this novel and can't wait for my re-read of this beauty now that my physical copy has arrived.

Author Bio

Tessa Afshar is an award-winning author of historical and biblical fiction. Her novel Daughter of Rome was a Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestseller. Land of Silence won an INSPY Award and was voted by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016. Harvest of Gold won the prestigious Christy Award in the Historical Romance category, Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Book Award in the fiction category, and Thief of Corinth was an Inspy Award finalist. Tessa also recently released her first bible study and DVD called The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, based on the book of Ruth.

Tessa was born to a nominally Muslim family in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds a master of divinity from Yale University, where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She worked in women and prayer ministries for nearly twenty years before becoming a full-time writer. Tessa speaks regularly at national women’s events. She is a devoted wife, mediocre tomato grower, and chocolate enthusiast. Visit her online at Tessaafshar.com.

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Blessings,