The Cry For Freedom

Winds of Betrayal #1

by Jerri Hines

The winds of change brews over the colonies. Tension against the crown is mounting daily. In Williamsburg, the rebellion burns strong in the hearts of two siblings, Jonathan and Hannah Corbett. Spirited and headstrong, Hannah finds herself thrust in the middle of a conspiracy when her father receives a strange package from Philadelphia. Jonathan, a physician for the Continental Army, is torn between duty and family. With war looming on the horizon, the siblings soon discover there is a high price to be paid for the cry for freedom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Drama, American Revolution

434 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2010

About the author

Jerri Hines is an Amazon bestselling author of Winds of Betrayal, Winds of Change, and Southern Legacy series that were inspired by her fascination with history. Her historical romance series, Secret Lives, is riddled with romantic suspense and a touch of paranormal. Boston's Crimes of Passion marks her first contemporary suspense thriller series, including Fragmented and Framed. In addition, she has ventured off into the paranormal suspense with the release of Scream for the Camera. Boston's Crimes of Horror, Book One. She is also working on an epic fantasy series.

Her latest release, The Waking Bell, is the first book she has written with another author. She was honored to have collaborated with Jackie Weger, an amazing author and friend, to have created this historical mystery.

She is a Southern gal who has lived the last thirty years near Boston with her Yankee husband. She believes in love and the power it holds. It is the reason she writes romances.

She supports the Alzheimer's Association, Shriner's Hospital, and The Home For Little Wanderers in Boston.

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Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it was raining this morning, as in seriously raining, for the first time this year. My world was ecstatic. The drought promised to be broken with the water bucketing down from the skies. I was alone. Office work was finished. There was nobody in sight for the rest of the day.

It was a perfect day for reading. I wanted to read something that would celebrate the gift from above. A book without politics, neorotic memoirs, bloodshed, or intense brutality of mind, body or spirit.

I opened my kindle and chose "The Cry For Freedom". It promised to be a love story within the British-American war leading to American independence. Drama, adventure, action, combined with a close-knit family saga which included heartbreak, betrayal, loyalty and friendship: how much better could it get?! It could not. Hannah Corbett from Williamsburg Virginia saw her world change within a short period of time when tragedy struck her family and she was left to deal with the people who caused it. As a seventeen-year old girl, she was suddenly confronted with the cruelties and heartbreak of watching her loved ones being murdered and her inheritance being scooped away by forces outside her control.

I was mesmerized for the rest of the day. The story was fast-flowing, highly dramatic and the suspense left me breathless. It was everything it promised with a spy-thriller thrown into the works as a bonus. The saga reminded me of "Gone With The Wind". It had that intensity of purpose and plot.

At 82% of the book I was beyond thrilled. This was a magnificent story to spend this special day with. The crescendo was looming, I could hardly control myself, the tension was unbearable. Highly excited I turned the page and it said: THE END.

Just like that.

I paged back, forward, back, forward, gobsmacked. What the hell happened?! There were a multitude of lose ends lashing around in a cacophonical chaos. Nothing made sense.

It should have been offered as episode One or chapter One (of how many?) in a series. The series of episodes will then become the book, sort of. This is not a stand-alone book at all. To finally know what happened, the reader will have to buy several books(and how would they end?). I would have considered doing just that, if this book had an appropriate ending. And for this reason, this is where I will stop.

This episode is my "THE END" to this whole saga.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cry for freedom is a good preview story and leaves one anxious for the next book in the saga.

Hannah and Jonathan are brother and sister with a strong bond yet somewhat divided in their priorities. Jonathan is a new physician caught between the two views - British and the Revolutionaries.
Hannah is determined the revolution is the only path to give reprieve to the majority who are "taxed to death". Her heart is captured by one of the opposing force. He, too, is torn between loyalty and love. So many tragedies and sacrifices have been suffered by those who have lived before so the present present and future generations could have a better life - tragedies and sacrifices of which we take for granted.

This is one of many books of per-Revolutionary War that would be well for many to read. read. There was some violence and brutality and slight sexual assaults but not beyond YA recommendation. recommendation. There were a lot of grammatical errors but this was a proof-read so, hopefully, that will be rectified.

This is recommended for Book Club reading. Thee are many points for discussion.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful tale of two people brought together by a war which also keeps them apart. Though Marcus is introduced in the first chapter and then almost ignored until halfway through the book, once he’s brought back into the action, he becomes a strong character, a man torn between carrying out his duty to the Crown while trying to protect the woman he loves, and at the same time a man brought to his knees by the knowledge he can’t do what he wants because of his own loyalty. His wife is conspicuously absent, having returned to England, and though Hannah mentions her often, he’s remarkably silent on that subject, which makes one wonder what went on there. Historical fact is blended with fiction in an exciting story, with real characters such as General Washington, Major Andre, and Benedict Arnold fighting alongside the fictional ones, integrating the beliefs and opinions of both sides in such a way that neither British nor colonists are heroes or villains but an ambivalent combination of both. Truly, the only real antagonists in the story are Hannah’s relatives who murder and steal for their own benefit, using the Revolution as the excuse.

Patriot Secrets is a stirring tale of war and valor as shown through the eyes of a young woman thrust into a situation she didn’t want; of the man who loves her in spite of their being on opposite sides of the firing line, and of the consequences of the actions these star-crossed lovers must accept in order to survive. These are characters the reader will want to know more about. Would it be too much to hope there’s a sequel in the wings?

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the main characters and the premise, but the writing was poor. There were too many grammatical errors to be ignored; often times creating stumbling blocks in the pace of reading. I found myself re-reading sentences that did not make sense until I realized what it should have said. The flow was interrupted many times. I feel the transition from scenes was not well done either. Sometimes it felt as if the scenes were incomplete, like there should have been more that got lost it transcription. I am glad this book was free because I think I would have felt cheated if I had paid for it. I would like to know what happens, but not badly enough to pay for the next installment.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This short novel of the American Revolution had a good premise; a young colonial woman becomes a spy for the patriots when many in her family are killed and she discovers that her cruel Tory grandfather had a hand in the murders. Unfortunately, this author does not know how to write. With almost no compound sentences, poor grammar and sentences that start in one direction and end in another, it was a struggle to read. I'm glad this was a free book, and I don't plan on buying the next in the series in order to see if her writing has improved.

[❆ Crystal ❆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have been an AMAZING story if the writing would have been better. I felt like it was too short by like 200 pages. There needed to be way more detail and explanation. I think the author has an amazing story to tell, it just wasn't told very well to me at all. I didn't really enjoy reading it... I kept hoping the writing would get better. The character, suspense and all that was great, but I just more detail. I hope at some point, the author will go back, a rewrite this, if that happens, it would be outstanding.

[Dolores Ayotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed "Patriot Secrets" by Author Jerri Hines. It is not only an intriguing and suspenseful novel, it is a history lesson as well. The main character, Hannah Corbett demonstrates the true essence of courage and determination as she goes to great lengths for the cause she so desperately believes in. She is driven by her desire for revenge and justice over the deaths of her father and brother.

There is much sadness, brutality, and death in this novel as the reader is taken on a journey through the conflict and war between the British and the Americans during the period of colonization around the time of the Declaration of Independence. The Patriots, which included Hannah Corbett and her family, suffered more than their fair share in this heroic battle. Betrayal, lost love, rape, and murder are part of their devastating experiences.

Author Jerri Hines has done his fair share of research in the writing of this novel. He has my respect and admiration in doing so. There appears to be a cliff-hanger at the end which could easily lead to a series of books which may very well be this author's intention. I have only one constructive comment to say about "Patriot Secrets" which is slightly affecting my rating. There are numerous typographical errors that do take from the pleasure of the content of this historical novel. I think it could benefit from another good proofreading or two to make this the great novel that I think it to be!

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a way this was a very good book, but I only gave it a three b/c it ended so abruptly, more like the end of a chapter, not the end of the book. Hannah is 17 and her step-mother, father and brother are all murdered by the British and her grandfather ordered for them to be murdered as they were Patriots and he was loyal to the British. Hannah decides to be a spy and win her grandfather's favor in order to carry out what she needs to do to help the Patriots. The setting is Williamsburg and New York during the Revolutionary War.

[Kristi Betz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books for me where I read until my eyes could no longer focus during the wee hours of the morning!! I connected with the characters, felt their heartbreak from betrayal and tragedy, and I am dying to read the next book in the series! I highly recomend reading The Cry For Freedom!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this well enough to want to read the next in the series. The ending was rather abrupt an of course you want to find out what happens. Lots of characters to keep straight as they move in and out of the story.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up. The lack of editing killed what might have been a decent story. Dear, God, the pain I felt when the word "hardly" was used in place of "heartily," I thought I was suffering a stroke!

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story,

[Selenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot and characters, it had me looking forward the next one.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Corbett is a young free-spirited woman with a fiery passion for the Patriot cause. She seeks revenge by becoming a spy for the Patriots while searching for the people who betrayed and killer her family. Her brother Jonathan Corbett is a physician in the Continental Army whose wife betrayed him and a son he hardly sees. He is torn between his duty to tend to wounded and dying soldiers and his family. I really enjoyed this historical romance novel.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know whether it was the author or the way Amazon puts it in electronic form, but some of the sentences didn't make a lot of sense and sometimes the wrong word is used. It made it difficult to read. However, I did like the story itself and would like to read the other three of the series if they are fixed before I buy them.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was filled with suspense and historical facts. The Kindle edition needed some editing, but even with all the mistakes, I was thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book a higher rating if it weren't for the large number of grammatical errors. It was a very engaging story, but it is badly in need of a good editor.

[Christina Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cry for Freedom

Interesting story of Revolutionary War. The biggest problem is the awful mistakes in the grammar and spelling. I don't think this book was edited.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 14%. The characters were flat and uninteresting.

[The Romance Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

A copy of this book was acquired by me for free on Amazon after the author contacted me directly to request a review at The Romance Evangelist.

When I first started reading THE CRY FOR FREEDOM, I was entertained by the introduction of our heroine, Hannah Corbett, when she met Marcus Durham, a mysterious handsome stranger who took a special interest in her while she was attempting to avoid yet another in a series of boring social events. As the story progressed, our Hannah morphed into a Mary Sue character whose only faults (headstrong, tomboy, more interested in the outside world than in parties and social gossip, etc) are the ones that our modern sensibilities would see as assets in the conflicts about to tear her world apart. Although at first it appeared to me that Marcus would be set up as Hannah’s eventual love interest, in THE CRY FOR FREEDOM, they only encounter each other sporadically as the conflict between those who support the Crown and those who want freedom from its rule morphs into full-out war.

THE CRY FOR FREEDOM features a whirlwind of activity as Hannah’s insular world is blown apart by enemies both within and without. After suffering incredible personal losses, Hannah insists on volunteering as a spy in the New York household of her own grandfather. Of course, in the grand tradition of all Mary Sues, she manages to overhear all kinds of incredibly useful information, thus proving wrong all those who thought her too young and inexperienced to be an effective asset. While Hannah’s life has been in upheaval, her brother Jonathan has suffered just as greatly, and we see periodically how the tragic events occurring in Virginia have affected his personal life as well. Meanwhile, the mysterious Marcus pops up here and again throughout the story, including in New York, where Hannah isn’t sure whether she could ever trust someone working on the same side of the people who tried to destroy her family. And then the book just...ends.

The Amazon blurb for THE CRY OF FREEDOM claims it’s the first in the Winds of Betrayal series, but for me, that description was incredibly misleading. This isn’t the first book in a series -- it’s the first book in a serial. In a serial, each succeeding installment is structured like an individual chapter in a book, instead of a complete story connected to additional complete stories as the word “series” would imply. This distinction became all too obvious in THE CRY FOR FREEDOM, when just as it seemed Marcus and Hannah might have an actual romantic moment together, the next line was a title promotion of the third Winds of Betrayal book, followed by a brief excerpt. (Wait, wasn’t I just reading Book One? What happened to Book Two?) There is also a Book Four scheduled for release later in 2014, but for me, the Winds of Betrayal series/serial ends here.

Ultimately, THE CRY FOR FREEDOM had just enough plot to keep me reading, but not enough for me commit to additional books/chapters. Your mileage may vary.

[Joyce Himmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished reading The Cry for Freedom, Book One in the Winds of Betrayal Series by Jerri Hines. I must admit that this is the first time I came across Ms. Hines' work and I was impressed. I had recently received my e-reader and as a library employee, I was most interested in learning all the ins and outs of the device to help our patrons. I, of course, searched for “free” downloads in the the historical fiction category and came across this book as one to add to my list. I found this to be a great beginning to a story line of a strong female character in Pre-Revoluntionary America. Ms. Hines has created a strong female lead in Hannah during a time in our history where women were mostly seen by the spinning wheel. I found this book to be a fast read, filled with dramatic twist and turns, romance and action. The end left me wanting for more. I believe this series is definitely a must read for those of us that enjoy following along in the lives of our characters. Maybe not a good choice for those that want a stand alone novel but, this is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to reading on.

[Paul Burnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine story, accurate historical details, and exciting characters . . . spoiled by sloppy proofreading and frequent awkward word choice. Those irritations begin in the first paragraph of Chapter One, as “the sole of her attention centered on the closed door,” and continues unabated through the last paragraph’s “She wandered over to the window, a flood of redcoat uniforms.” These kinds of small errors, though, are not enough to distract us from the lively, interesting, sometimes complex characters we meet in Hannah, Jonathan, Gabriel, Hannah’s Loyalist grandfather , master spy Tepper, British Colonel/spy Durham, and many more caught on one side or the other in the early action of the American Revolution. All have a place in the tight plot of espionage, betrayals, seductions, true love, and avarice shaking the young country into life at the birth of the American dream. It should be noted here that I read the Kindle edition with only The Cry for Freedom and an excerpt of the second book in this series.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay! I'm finally done with this book *takes a deep breath* It took me a while to get through this book. Not because I was really busy, enough not to read, it is because I chose to read other books instead. At first this book looked promising, with love, revenge, action, and adventure and it was. I was held captive in the very beginning. Then towards the middle it just went blah for me. I don't know why it just did. So I put it down. The only reason why I finished the book was because I have a hard time just letting a book go unfinished. So I pushed through and finally finished it. I was surprised by the end, the story line got going again and the book ended on a cliff hanger. Will I be reading the next books in the series? No, I will not, if it took me this long to finish the first book I wont' be picking up the next ones. However, you might like the book and think it's fantastic! You will only know if you if you read it yourself.

[Jo Notary]

295pgs, It's a dangerous game you set to play, Miss Corbett. One that can have far worse than deadly consequences! In the midst of the struggle for America's bid for independence, Hannah Corbett makes a fateful decision, descending into a world of deceit. Spurred by revenge, she heads to New York, setting in motion a dangerous game for which there is no return. Searching desperately for the man who betrayed her family, she faces the cold and brutal reality of the life of a spy. Caught in a web of lies, living with betrayal, she is trapped. She has nowhere to turn except to a man it would be treasonous to love, setting duty and desire at war. Her heart is ripped apart when she must choose between the man who risks his career and life to protect her and the only thing that has remained constant in her life...her belief in her cause.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, what can I say about this book that I have not already expressed in my reading updates.

To summarize, the sentences were juvenile and poorly structured - ALMOST every paragraph. Seriously.

The editing was non existent. The book read like a first draft with misspellings, poor grammar and sections that didn't even make sense. This was all VERY distracting.

HOWEVER, I think the book has potential and hope that the author has the book edited before it is given away again by any medium! I obtained my free copy through BookBub. I gave it three stars simply because I really like the premise of the story, I see where it is going and I will watch for it and it's inevitable improvements!

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, those are four hours I'll never get back. While I was interested in the characters and storyline, this book was in desperate need of a good editor. The writing was so bad I almost gave up a few times but kept reading as I was hoping it would get better. But sadly it didn't. After a while, I made a game out of it, highlighting all the grammatical and spelling errors. It's a good thing it was a free e-book as I would also be bemoaning the price paid. While free e-books usually draw me into wanting to continue reading a series, this one did not.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This section is taking place before and during the American Revolution. Hannah Corbett is a brave heroine who has members of her family killed as the conflict starts. They do not stand with the British. She has a fiance who has enlisted as a soldier. She ends up in New York City with the grandfather and family, not trusting him. This is part of a longer story--interesting because it tells some of our history.

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book because the reviews were good and I enjoy stories like this. However, the author's writing didn't flow very well for me and I was bored with most of the story. All the spelling and punctuation mistakes didn't help either when I found myself having to reread sentences over and over to make sense of them.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book of a trilogy that was rather boring. Not much storyline, lacked that page-turner effect I thought the synopsis related. Don't think I'd go out of my way to read the second or third episodes. If the reader has the desire to read about the pre-cursor to the Revolutionary War and doesn't mind the characters don't have much appeal, then it's an okay book.

[Kate Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is amazing. I can’t believe there aren’t more people reading Jerri Hines. The way she blends suspense, historical events and likable albeit troubled characters is magical. You feel like you are apart of the drama and are holding your breath the entire series. Well done Ms Hines. You have a fan for life.