Like a River Glorious

Victorian Serenade #1

by Lawana Blackwell

Rachel is an unwilling partner in deception, and only a miracle can set her free.

Rachel Jones is at the mercy of two Victorian con artists: the vicious Gerald Moore and his beautiful accomplice, Corrine Hammond. Taken from an orphanage as a young girl, Rachel is a servant to these two high-class swindlers. Now Gerald and Corrine have a new target: wealthy recluse Adam Burke. But when Rachel meets Lord Burke, her heart -- and her life -- is thrown into jeopardy. How can she let Gerald and Corrine ruin the life of this noble man?

As Rachel discovers a heart connection with Adam that she never imagined possible, she faces a terrible choice. If she wants to save him, she must sacrifice everything...possibly ever her life.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian Romance, Historical

334 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 1995

About the author

Lawana Blackwell is a full-time writer with 10 published novels, including the bestselling Gresham Chronicles series. She and her husband have three grown sons and live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Haley Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW! The way the last few chapters of this book had me on the edge of my seat! So much suspense, but so good! This book contained so much - love, mystery, drama, friendship, personal growth, and best of all - beautiful, sound Christian content. 10/10!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lawana Blackwell. I go to her when I want something light, but uplifting. Her writing is clear, and easy to follow. Her characters are well-rounded and the story is always one of hope. They are religious, in that the characters find God, or are close to God, but they are not dogmatic. People who enjoy romance stories, would find these good.

In this story, Rachel is a servant for two con-artists. There new target, Adam Burke, is a good man who had a terrible accident happen to him, that left his face mutilated. Rachel despises her role, but is terrified of what her employers will do, if she doesn't comply. She prays and keeps a sweet spirit, despite her circumstances.

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

So rich! Vibrant culture and an incredible cast of characters, full of hope and forgiveness. I appreciated the simple and clear spiritual truths, and was absolutely captivated by the intricate, multi-facted, fast-paced plot! Moving right into book 2- I can't wait to see how the story continues to unfold.

*Contains some adult themes and violence, so I wouldn't recommend for young readers.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book about a year ago. I couldn't believe that even back than men could be so cunning. I couldn't put it down. I felt almost like I was there and had to change the situation. I had to help the girls.

[Nona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the flow of her writing. She has a great way of puting pictures into sentences and you really feel what her characters are going through. Love that they can redeem themselves and change.

[Gwen DeMott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was such a ride!

But before I get into my review, let me tell you a story....

Okay, so it was a totally normal Sunday, right? I was excited to wear my new super pretty heels again for only the second time, and was prepared with The Wonderland Trials in case I couldn't find anyone to chat with. We say hi to the greeters at the small Baptist church we go to, and walk in.

And everything is different.

Beautifully different.

Gloriously (pun intended) different.

Because long folding tables run through the middle of the foyer, covered in boxes of books; boxes of books are under and around the tables.

And the best part? The sign taped to the table says a bookworm's (or bookdragon, for my fellow fantasy geeks) dream come true. "Free Books"

So, naturally, everyone giggles and smiles as I spend the next twenty minutes digging for gems. (It's well-known I'm a book lover) I was disappointed, till I came across a box filled with my favorite era of historical fiction, Victorian!

And so I found these long-forgotten treasures by Laura BlackWell. The description intrigued me, and the book went above and beyond any expectations I had!

Beautiful, balancing romance with intrigue, I highly recommend to lovers of historical romance, Victorian era, and high tension! Content: I rate for mature teens and up, because it is, after all, a romance, and has a dude (bad guy) who is constantly being a creep over one girl. No swearing, mild violence, mentions of street prostitutes, gambling and bars.

Great book, eagerly picked up the next and mourning the fact I don't have the other two in this series!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book by Lawana Blackwell is certain to please - she is able to transport her readers back to Victorian England with her well-researched details and emotion-inducing characters. Her heroes/heroines are admirable and embraceable; her villains are nasty and usually get what they deserve.
This book is no exception. An beautiful orphan has spent years as a "Cinderella" to two heartless and immoral cheats who bilk rich men in romantic schemes. They run into a principled "mark" who cannot be fooled - and who realizes their misuse of their young servant. What makes this story so interesting is the tender and unintended love story that both unravels their plan AND weaves together God's. Another thing I really enjoyed is the relationship between this rich Christian man and his cook. It is not only articulate and touching, but foreshadows the change in the orphan's relationship with her mistress. This is an openly evangelical book that skillfully weaves together romance, mystery and suspense.

[Allison Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like the place in the story where a character begins to change, to find God. This book had a few main characters and I really enjoyed them all. Corrine found herself and started developing a deeper understanding of God despite abuse and a poor upbringing. I felt like the romance between Rachel and Adam developed very quickly and wasn't really a main focal point. I've read other books by Lawana that were better but this was still a good book.

[Marleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic writing of romance - didn’t feel forced.
God was present but not too pushy - the topic of religion fit nicely into the other storylines.
I thought it was a pretty risqué storyline for a first novel with religion involved - that’s maybe why it was so attention grabbing.
Couldn’t put it down at some points.

[Gwenyth Lynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was dubious when I first commenced to read this book but as I got into it the characters came alive and I appreciated the author's sensitive manner in dealing with a tricky situation. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a day when I intended only to read a few chapters. Such a sweet book. Loved the characters, especially Adam, Rachel, Lucy, and Bernice.

[Kw · Rating 4 out of 5]

So thoroughly enjoyable.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ohh a Christian book with some hard topics. lovely!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3 1/2 stars.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly not bad for a Christian romance novel. Quick read.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, well-told story about two women who find themselves caught up in the web of deceit they have fallen into, one by choice, the other by accident. Both have to deal with shame and fear to get free. This is a Christian story but it did not feel preachy and it did not seem unrealistic about people's characters and how they end up in situations and how they overcome them.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[LizthePrude · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a VERY clean romance :) I enjoyed "living" in Victorian England. It's a religious romance, but has lots of fun intrigues and the like.

[Kim♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard this was rewritten later, so I'd check out the newer version. :)

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very memorable. A book I wanted to end.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book of the Victorian Serenade series. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Blackwell's other novels. I would say this was one of her more mediocre books, but still an okay read.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had good moral dilemma of what would one do if working for criminals. Not my favorite LB book, but still good, clean read that I could pass on to my daughter who can't wait to read more.

[joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire* · Rating 3 out of 5]

simple, enjoyable, slightly-above-average christian historical fiction
a nice book for a sunday afternoon, but not highly recommended for intellectual stimulation. ;)

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally like Romance Novels, but this one is very, very good. There's an exciting, slightly twisted plot with endearing characters. I loved it!

[Lyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it was alright. Nothing to the Gresham series. Towards the end, I felt some really thoughtless decisions were being made, just to make the plot cleaner.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, though a tad bit unrealistic

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is awful but the book is awesome.

[Saugat]

nice story

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My go to wholesome read 😊

[Gale Bolinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. Would like to read the rest of the series.