"My Sister's Prayer" by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

In the second Cousins of the Dove novel, a time-split between modern-day Virginia and the colonial era, Maddie Talbot agrees to take on her sister's care after a drug-induced car accident. She knows the job won't be easy, not with a recovering addict in her tiny apartment, but investigating a mystery from their childhood and reading some letters written by an ancestor give both her and her sister a focus and encouragement. In the letters, Celeste Talbot runs away after her fiance, a British soldier, to the New World where she hopes to be made his wife. Instead, she discovers her ill sister on the same boat, and another man--NOT her fiance--buys her indenture. Who can she trust to help her protect her sister? Her fiance? Or the kind carpenter who sailed beside them?

I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series before this one; though the historical tale is basically stand-alone, the modern mystery storyline is developed across the series, and each book builds on the previous. Granted, even the historical tales are based on the same family line, so it's nice to follow the generations.

The two stories tie well together, but they aren't the same story set in two different time periods. Though there are echoes of Celeste's story in the modern Maddie's tale--namely, an elder sister watching out for her younger, less disciplined sister, and a few similarities in the romance department--they both were intriguing in their own way. I enjoyed the focus on indentured servitude in the colonial side, though Celeste could be frustratingly impulsive in her choices.

I really like the modern story that is being continued through the books--from the childhood discovery of a murder to it's successful solving? Okay, we're not that far yet. Hopefully, that will be the case, though. It's interesting to see the bond between the four cousins, the manifestations of the trauma each of them endured at a young age, and the slow process of healing. I liked how Maddie was already working on toning down her perfectionism at the start of the book, and the progress she makes throughout. I thought the authors did a good job with her relationship with Nicole and aiding her in overcoming addiction. Even knowing exactly what needs to be done, watching her sister's evasions of the truth, wanting to be easier on her, and maintaining a good relationship are all still really (and realistically) hard on Maddie.

Thank you Harvest House and NetGalley for providing an e-book for review; I was not required to make the review positive, and all opinions are my own.

Cousins of the Dove:
1. My Brother's Crown
2. My Sister's Prayer
3.

"My Brother's Crown" by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

In this time-split novel about the Talbot family, Renee Talbot, a forensic scientist, is home to Virginia for the donation of a family document--a pamphlet that aided the Huguenots in their escape from persecution--to the Smithsonian. However, besides the known map and hints for escaping Huguenots, there appears to be a second code hidden in the pamphlet, one designed by her ancestor's brother as a special code with his sister, and the discovery intrigues Renee. Armed with recent advancements in technology, she also wants to check out an old crime scene that has haunted her and her three cousins since childhood. In the late seventeenth century France, Catherine and her Huguenot family are trying to find a way to avoid persecution without the loss of the fortune and business the family has amassed, but Catherine is appalled to discover her brother's consideration of conversion to the Catholic faith. With her fiance inclined to always follow her brother's lead, Catherine is unsure where the future will lead--but she knows she cannot convert to Catholicism. But where does that leave her relationship with Pierre?

Generally speaking I prefer historical novels to contemporary, but I actually found myself more fascinated by the contemporary storyline in this book than the historical (which was kind of too bad, since the historical dominates the story, and the contemporary is the one that was decidedly NOT wrapped up. Presumably it will be continued through the series - probably over four books). So now I have to wait to find out what happens next.

I was surprised to find a murder mystery in the contemporary storyline; I wouldn't say it's a suspense at this point, but it certainly has potential to become one. It's an intriguing mystery that goes back to the cousins' childhood, only now--nearly two decades later--being brought back into the light. I really want to know where it goes! I also enjoyed the cryptology aspect of the storyline as Renee tries to crack the code to see what message is hidden in the pamphlet.

The historical storyline reminded me of stories of the French Revolution and Civil War, with underground groups moving the persecuted peoples to safety. This has the novelty of being about a time period that I know very little about--I don't recall ever even hearing about the Huguenots in school, only in my reading since then. It was a fascinating glimpse of the history. However, I was a bit frustrated with how naive, headstrong, and childish Catherine was (a deadly combination for common sense), though Jules and Pierre annoyed me too, since they never entrusted her with anything that might improve her naivete and maturity. However, I'm interested in seeing what happens next in the Talbot family line, and how they end up with in the paper business in Virginia.

Cousins of the Dove
1. My Brother's Crown
2. My Sister's Prayer
3. My Daughter's Legacy (2017)