• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Hold Me Close: A book review

by Chautona Havig · 5 Comments

Hold Me Close–what a fun title!

Why?  Well, unlike in most historical romance, Hold Me Close doesn’t have a romantic significance. Okay, maybe I am wrong.  You see, “hold me close” in this sense signifies one character’s desire for the Lord to “hold her close” and keep her from wandering from Him.  And if you add the Lord’s comparisons of the church as His bride and Song of Solomon, I suppose you could stretch it… but I’d rather not.

Hold Me Close

(Note: links in this post may be affiliate links and as such, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Marguerite Gray set this book in Charleston, South Carolina in 1772–back when it was still called “Charles Town.”  The town teems with disgruntled colonists and angry Loyalists, and the combination becomes a powder keg ready to explode.  See what I did there?  I amuse myself.  And I digress.

One of the loveliest things about this book is that the author based the main characters on actual characters who lived during the time. Louis, a French Huguenot, and Elizabeth, a transplanted Bostonian who loves her new home, become friends after Louis arrives on a quest to find purpose and direction in his life.

As tensions increase, Louis must decide if he will follow self or the Lord, and Elizabeth must decide if she will share her disloyal political leanings or if she will keep them to herself.

I have to say, near the end, my sap-o-meter went into overdrive.  No joke. The protestations of love and devotion became much more than I prefer , but also much more in line with what most historical romance offers. They are NOT inappropriate or graphic.  It’s just that I’m just not a sappy kind of gal.

My Review:

Actually, I found this book difficult to review.  In fact, I won’t leave an Amazon review because I refuse to apply a star rating. You see, I truly enjoyed this story.  I found it engaging, and I haven’t read much historical  Southern history that wasn’t centered almost a hundred years later.  Most American historical Christian fiction concentrates on the 1800’s and 1900’s.  There are some Puritan books,  but I haven’t seen as many from this era and particularly from this far south. I also really enjoyed the characters and look forward to a second book. Yes, I will buy the second book and will read it.  I look forward to it.

But this book has some problems that make it impossible to leave a 4 or 5-star rating, and I don’t think it’s right to give it a 2 or 3 star based on how I’ve rated books in the past. Well, I just decided to leave stars out of it and share several of my problems and praises with the book. They likely won’t be problems for everyone. After all, this is fiction.

The problems I found with Hold Me Close?

  • The language is terribly modern to me.  While I don’t think that historical fiction has to be written in the style of the book’s time period, I found it disarming to hear a Frenchman in 1772 use diction that you hear on TV. And this had turns of phrases so decidedly modern, that I couldn’t ignore them.  They jolted me out of the book. There was the bit about a Huguenot mother telling her son that as long as he had a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” she didn’t care what church he attended.  I checked with my historical fiction editor because that felt off, and she verified that this is decidedly post-1950’s terminology.  Additionally, the idea of whatever church you wanted–so very modern and unheard of at the time.  I think I understand what she attempted to do, but it really did take me out of the story. I doubt many will find dance cards and perambulators, in pre-19th century America to be anachronous, butI double checked them too. Neither was in England or America until the 1830’s at the earliest. But again–it’s not going to affect most people’s reading pleasure. Just something that I noted for those who find those little details annoying.
  • I can tell that she must have studied the craft of writing.  All the “rules” (show don’t tell, few dialogue tags, use action beats, don’t dump info) she is careful to follow, but it actually comes out in a difficult to read way sometimes. Her writing is not bad.  I’ve read enough of that to assure you that I don’t consider it bad. But because of how it works out, sometimes it becomes a bit cumbersome. In particular, the info dump spots (she masked most into dialogue) were a bit much.  Still, compared to MOST info-dump scenes I see, they weren’t too terribly rough and my original ones in my first book were.
  • I found what I consider character inconsistencies.  I think Ms. Gray used some of them to show that we don’t always know our own minds.  Louis thinks he knows what he wants and does the opposite.  Elizabeth insists someone in her life is just a friend of her father’s, and then becomes clear there’s more to it. (Can’t explain what or it is huge spoiler material). The first can be easily dismissed by that “not knowing himself” thing, but the second was harder to swallow.
  • My strongest objection is, I think, an accident. One line in the book says, “The hymns, inspired by God, sounded different.”  I suspect the author meant/implied, “Inspired by a love of God” or something to that effect, but the words as written seriously bothered me.  While, as I said, I do not think it was meant to imply that God directly inspired the words, it does read that way.

Hold Me Close coverSo do I recommend Hold Me Close?

Actually, I do, with the caveat that some will find these things hard to get past.  Clean and interesting, the book did hold my attention, and despite the aforementioned issues, there were times I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what would happen next–particularly in the second half. As I said, I’ll buy the second.  Look, it’s her first book.  It’s not a “great book” but it is a good story!  And really, I wouldn’t have wanted someone to read my first book, and “write me off” after that.  Authors grow, we mature, we improve. So go on over to Amazon. Read the first three chapters.  If it grabs you at all, know that the book really picks up in chapter 4.

Other blogger/reviewers have read and reviewed this book recently.  Check out their blogs to get a balanced view of the book and its contents.  This is just one opinion.  Others have rated it very high!

Share173
Pin
Tweet
Email
174Shares
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
174Shares

Related

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Previous Post: « Aggie’s Inspiration
Next Post: A Rebel in the Making: My Father’s Influence »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. Emma Filbrun says

    July 1, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    A couple of my long-term favorites aren’t adult books, but I love them anyway–Hidden Riches by Romaine Stauffer and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. As far as adult fiction, the most memorable is The Second Thanksgiving by Douglas Lloyd McIntosh.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 1, 2016 at 8:13 pm

      OOOH! Checking those out. I love The Witch of Blackbird Pond, too.

      Reply
      • Emma Filbrun says

        July 1, 2016 at 8:23 pm

        You might have to buy Hidden Riches from the publisher, Christian Light Publications (clp.org). If you want super-clean books, that’s a place to get them. I recently read Returning Home and Crossing the Distance, from them–great books that I highly recommend.

        Reply
  2. Caryl Kane says

    July 1, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    Thank you for your honesty. I so appreciate reviewers who do so.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

Hey, we’re back after a couple of weeks of vacation, and boy did I need it. And, have I got a fabulous interview for you. Nancy Naigle and I talked about her books, her most recent release, What Remains True as well as her Christmas books and the one I’m most anxious to read, The Shell Collector. Listen in and learn about what Nancy says about this bet she has going on in What Remains True. Great stuff!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?

As I said in the podcast, a while back, someone told me I’d LOVE The Shell Collector–one of those people who recommends books you HAVE to read if they say you do.  So I bought it and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. Well, now it’s on my GoodReads shelf, and I’m about to start it (and I optimistically thought I’d be done with it by the time this episode released. Oh, me of too much faith in myself and my time management!)

Author of over thirty books, not to mention a bestselling author who also has movies made of her novels (And The Shell Collector has been optioned! EEEP!), Nancy loves to write Christmas books and small-town stories. Seriously, as we talked, I felt like she was talking about me half the time. We’re so very alike in so many ways. It was fun.

Nancy also pointed out that her first books (if you go WAY back) are not Christian fiction and are a bit spicier than she prefers to write and definitely more than she writes today. So be warned there, but she did assure us that they are all closed-door books.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle

One woman wants to win a bet. One man wants to become a rodeo champion. One little girl may give them both something even better—from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

“A commitment-phobic rodeo star and a divorcée with secrets find love in this wholesome romance. . . . As uplifting as it is sweet.”—Publishers Weekly

Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?

Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.

Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too?

You can learn more about Nancy’s books and movies on her WEBSITE.

Oh, and PSST… I’m loving the audiobook of this one!

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Stitcher
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
Chautona Havig
A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 153: A Chat with Historical Author, Tracie Peterson
June 21, 2022
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Join a Reading Challenge

2022 Write Reading Challenge

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Penelope’s Pursuit

Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Purchase with Paypal
Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy now!

The Last Gasp

The Last Gasp
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
The Last Gasp
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?
  • Take a Guess: Did We Skip Our Wedding to Avoid Complete Disaster?
  • What’s Better Than a Great Women’s Fiction Novel on a Summer’s Day?

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule

Footer

What Am I Working On?

Book, Chapter & Vows
Book, Chapter, & Vows
Phase:Week 3
100%
Get Book Updates

Featured

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Dial W for Wrangler

Dial W for Wrangler

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note: I DO NOT link to products that I do not recommend.

Privacy & Cookies. This website uses cookies (not the delicious kinds that make life grand) to do stuff it needs to do. By staying on the site, you agree to this evil substitution of yummy cookies for internet calorie-free substitutes. For more info, click here and read the boring stuff. Cookie Policy
Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Win 40+ books or a Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Win 40+ books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books yourself in Celebrate Lit's Summer Book Lovers Giveaway.

Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/1f449/summer-book-lover-s-multi-author

The event and giveaway is going on now through August 13.

#celebratelit #summerreads #christianromanticsuspense #christianfiction #sweetromance #sweetromancereads  #lisaphillipsbook
Mom got me a storm door for my birthday. It's goi Mom got me a storm door for my birthday.  It's going up today.  Eeep!!!
#TheShediffice
Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @maciestjame Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @maciestjames
•
It's a new month, which means there's a new Bingo card in the @sweetandswoonyromance promo? Just read eight books and comment on the below post to be eligible to win a $25 gift card. All eight books are FREE!!! Go check them out.

https://www.facebook.com/sweetandswoonyromance/posts/pfbid0uoZyfQCL5qzyMDsaJWnA8zLzfE8eJ2A8uEuLee6yqMmG1g48x1RZzUBEiBVU2yK3l

#newbooks #newbook #bookstagram #22Cowboys #22Cowboysfor1 #booklove #Christmasbooks #CowboyChristmas #CowboyforChristmas #ChristmasCollection #ChristmasCowboys #CowboyKisses #CowboyLove #ChristmasLoveStory #ChristmasRelease #Christmasromance #ChristmasWishes #ChristmasWishesCowboyKisses #holidayromance #MistletoeCowboy #MustLoveCowboys #Mustread #romancereader
Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @stacy Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @stacy.t.simmons Looking to "chill out" during our hot summer?

Here's a solution reading friends!

Keeping Christmas Volumes 1 & 2, captivating Christmas Christian fiction romance novellas set in dream worthy castles.

To pre order an e-book is 99 cents. 
Prefer a paperback? It's only 19.99 with 30% off and free shipping for pre-order.

Vol 1 page: http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/.../keeping.../

Vol 2 Page: (My novella- Christmas in the Cotswolds is in this volume). http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/.../keeping.../

I am excited and honored to be amongst these wonderful authors, thank you, Celebrate Lit!

#StacyTSimmons #TabithaBouldin #MelissaWardwell #ChautonaHavig #JenniferSienes #CatheSwanson #SusanKBeatty #DeniseLBarela #NaomiCraig #KathleenJRobison #MargueriteMartinGray #OliviaTalbott #KeepingChristmasVolume1 #KeepingChristmasVolume2 #CelebrateLit #Booksbooksbooks #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #Christianfiction #Bookclubs #christmasiscoming #Castles #travel #Readingcommunity
Reposted from @celebratelit Celebrate Lit is now o Reposted from @celebratelit Celebrate Lit is now offering paperback preorders! Preorder any books on our preorder page to get 30% off plus free shipping! ⁠
⁠
http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/save-up-to-30/
Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @carolynmill Reposted from @karitrumbo Repost from @carolynmillerauthor
•
It’s the last days to enter this #giveaway ! If you enjoy #bookish heroines and #strong #heroes then check out Rebuilding Hearts ♥️ #giveawaytime #giveawayalert https://promosimple.com/ps/1f7fa/rebuilding-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway
When your husband gets a tooth pulled so you eat When your husband gets a tooth pulled  so you eat ice cream with him in an act of commiseration. 
@baskinrobbins 
#icecream
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!