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Roseanna M. White has a new stand-alone novel out, and it’s amazing! Here’s the scoop:

Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turns out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—all her life, her father sheltered her from his crimes, but now she can no longer turn away from the truth. Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world. But can she truly turn her back on her family?

All his life, Lorenzo’s family assumed he would become a priest, but he has different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. Despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn’t so unlike his mafiosi father and brothers. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina, forced her into the arms of the Prohibition agent bent on tearing her family apart? How can they rebuild what has so long been neglected and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?

Wow! Roseanna M. White digs deep into the darkest mafiosi mind and brings it to light in Shadowed Loyalty! This book highlights to contrast between evil and good in myriads of ways. It also exposes the slow fade that traps so many in sin and the compassion that we must have for those who are truly lost.

White excels at exploring complicated situations and examining them from every angle, and she does that masterfully in Shadowed Loyalty. This story takes a hard look at those who find themselves trapped in what our culture considers the worst of sins, seeking to understand both why people make choose to live in that lifestyle and how to love those who do.

These are weighty topics, and the story deals appropriately with that weight; but that makes it no less exciting. As always, White keeps you on the edge of your seat as the bullets fly and the danger mounts. I love the way that she digs into the 1920s time period and the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago, combining the real history of the Italian mafia with Al Capone with her fictitious story.

More than most, I think, White settles on an answer to the ‘how’ questions that Shadowed Loyalty explores, though perhaps that’s just my mind liking the possibilities that she presents. I think that you can’t go wrong with the options presented in this book for when you’re faced with difficult circumstances, however, and White certainly shares many of them through this cast of characters.

Those characters often make bad choices, and those bad choices are really bad. While nothing in the story is explicit, prostitution is one of the crimes dealt with in this book, and several characters are caught up in that trade. It is clear when reading, even through the careful descriptions and the ’20s slang, what she’s referring to, and so while I think it has excellent lessons, fantastic potential for discussion (and great questions in the back of the book for this purpose!), and an exciting plot, teen readers should take care lest it is deeper or darker than they are ready to handle.

With that said, my seventeen-year-old loves White’s stories and is looking forward to this one – and I can’t wait to dig into it with her. It’s definitely the most exciting historical book I’ve read this year, so if that’s your style, get your copy now – and let me know what you think.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

Willow, the sequel to Stone in The Metcalfes series by Ronie Kendig, just released! Here’s what it’s all about:

Aftercare specialist Willow Metcalfe joined Mission: Liberate Everyone to help trafficking survivors navigate the healing process. When MiLE’s Obioma Compound is attacked by the Nigerian mafia, she’s taken hostage. Against nightmarish odds, she and the victims attempt an escape—and are thwarted.

A decade after leaving his beloved homeland, Chijioke “Chiji” Okorie returns to find his sister and fight for his own country. Believing a global trafficking ring behind her abduction and a string of kidnappings across Nigeria, he goes undercover to find the head of the serpent and his sister. Chiji is stunned to discover among the hostages a familiar face—a friend’s sister, Willow. The woman he vowed years ago to marry.

The man who has interfered with her escape attempts seems … familiar, kind—but Willow knows better. He reeks of the warrior ethos that has devoured many a good man. Engaged in an impossible battle and losing at every turn, Chiji is determined to complete his missions—all of them. Even if it kills him.

For a pacificist, Willow really packs a punch – and Chiji is even stronger. I don’t know which leading character I like more, but together they’re dynamite. Kendig created the perfect scenario in Willow to showcase their skills.

Because these two have mad skills. Chiji is specially trained – an American military elite from Africa – with a heart of gold and a deep faith. The danger he puts himself in is rivaled only by that intended for the people he’s trying to save, and that contrast only highlights his moral character. You can’t help but fall for a guy who’s willing to go to such lengths to save others!

Willow, on the other hand, hates violence but believes in the value of people. She works hard to help others and sees beyond the superficial differences that divide so many. Her determination and strength of character are powerful forces against the evil and violence she faces.

I love these character types and would be a fan of Willow for these two alone – but this book is so much more than just the two of them. The action sequences in this book are unbelieveable – which is actually really tough, because the story is based on the too-real problem of human trafficking. Kendig balances perfectly the horrific reality of trafficking and a clean, God-honoring story. She doesn’t shy away from the hard things that this evil includes – but neither does she glorify or even describe it. This balance ratchets up the suspense and engagement while keeping the story clean enough for even older teens – and I look forward to discussing these issues with mine.

But back to that suspense? Kendig is a master – and she makes the most of her skills in Willow. She’s crafting one big, deep story that encompasses the entire series – and each book is only a small look, a single installment. Kendig is weaving each book together by including pieces of each story into the books both before and after – and it’s working. I can’t wait for the next one!

Willow is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Between the exciting characters, the real issues, and the sky-high tension, I’m off to pencil in the sequel release date on my calendar now. I suggest you do the same.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.