Actually 4.5 stars~

Stellar author, Lisa T. Bergren, whisks the reader away on an exotic journey to the sugar plantations of Nevis Island—glorious in their rich beauty of swaying green cane and the fragrance of jasmine, mangoes, magnolias, and sea salt on the air. Ms. Bergren is definitely proficient at descriptive imagery as the sights, scents, and sounds of Nevis infiltrated my mind and intoxicated me! Though a bit slow to start with, this novel is definitely one I'm glad I kept reading.

The romantic tension was oh, so exquisitely painful and the three sisters delightful...with the exception of Keturah, the heroine. I found it so very difficult to like her at all. Until one day she did something so amazing and so human—she giggled! (gasp!) That's all it took for me to fall in love with her character. I'm easy. lol On a more serious note, Lady Ket evolves so much throughout the novel one can't help but learn to care deeply for her. And Gray. There are no words...well, except for gallant, handsome, and virile perfection come to mind. An intriguing, heartrending novel with a strong thread of redemption, hope, and forgiveness throughout, I highly recommend 'Keturah' and anxiously await the next book in 'The Sugar Baron's Daughters' series!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to give a favorable one.

Keturah and her sisters, Verity and Selah, are ladies of society, used to nice things and proper respect due their station. However, left as orphans upon their father's death, they are left with difficult decisions. Keturah, as the eldest, determines that she must travel to the family's sugar cane plantation in the West Indies, and try to get their crops to flourish again to keep the family's finances afloat. Her sisters agree to travel with her, and they are joined by their long-time family friend Gray, as he also travels to test his fortune in the sugar cane fields on his family's neighboring estate. Their determination and faith will have to see them through many more hardships and surprises than they are prepared for. Can Keturah set the scars of her past and her stubborn independence aside in time to save her family from financial failure, or worse?

I am not usually drawn to historical fiction, although I am a fan of Lisa T. Bergren. Her children's books, in particular, are delightful, and I enjoyed her YA series, The River of Time. I found the setting of this book, in colonial times in the West Indies, to be fresh and intriguing. Keturah's experiences upon the island were not whitewashed, and as her eyes were opened to the harsh lives of the slaves, so will be the reader's. While I'm not entirely sure that the storyline could have been even remotely possible - women living on their own, doing men's work, hiring a black overseer - it is an interesting fictional tale. Watching Keturah work through her hurts and doubts is something that many readers can relate to, even if their own scars are vastly different.

I give this book 3.5 stars. I am looking forward to the rest of the series, to see how their lives continue to develop, and to read more of this exotic location.

After a slow start, I found myself really enjoying this book. It did take a bit for me to like the main character and feel some sort of emotional connection to her and the story but it did happen about half way through. The last third of the book the pacing picked up and things started happening. That time period and plantations are fascinating to me. So exotic and adventurous, yet so perilous. The author did a good job of capturing all those elements. The slavery that existed is so hard to read about and so, so awful yet plays a large part in stories like this.

I loved the idea of three sisters banding together and forging a new life in the unknown. They learned and grew and I loved that they did that together. They took good care of each other.

I have to say that I LOVED the River of Time series by this author. It's one of my very favorites. I didn't love this book like I did those but I will probably come back for the next book because by the end I was very interested in the other sisters and where their stories may go.

Content: violence, slavery, kissing, Christian elements

- I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher at my request via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Keturah is the first book in Bergren’s new The Sugar Baron’s Daughters series, and I am already anticipating the second. The recently widowed Keturah is the oldest of the three Banning daughters. With the death of their parents, she assumed the responsibility of her sisters, the family estate, and their sugar plantation in the West Indies. A responsibility she carried on her own as her disastrous marriage had left her determined never to be at someone else’s mercy or under their control again. Unheard of in the latter half of the eighteenth century, Keturah and her sisters decide the only way to save their family estate is to embark on a journey to the island of Nevis, and to personally see to improving the harvest of sugar on their plantation. While things might be done differently on Nevis, the European residents there, might not be accepting of the role these young ladies were stepping into.
Gray Covington, a childhood friend of Keturah’s, was also traveling to Nevis to run the sugar plantation that he’d purchased from his brother, heir to their family’s English estate. He had invested everything he had in the venture. Gray had absented himself from Keturah following her marriage, and had high hopes of renewing their friendship as they traveled on the same ship. Tales that had formed a less than reputable reputation for Gray among the young ladies of their set, and the lasting effects of the abuse she had suffered at her late husband’s hands, caused Keturah to be warry of his sudden interest in her affairs. Gray suffered to think that she might never trust and lean upon him, that he might not ever be able to keep her and her sisters safe.
The central themes of this book are perseverance and forgiveness, both of which were necessary for the peace that Katurah sought. Reading about how these developed through hardships in her life would be very encouraging to readers going through hardships of their own. The author was sensitive to readers who might have been or might be involved in an abusive relationship, offering resources in her author’s notes to assist them. Whether one is drawn to these themes, or is just a fan of historical fiction, Keturah promises to provide hours of quality reading.
I thank NetGalley and the Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Keturah in exchange for my review. I received no monetary compensation.

I love Lisa Town Bergren. She writes exciting historical stories about very rich and full characters. You know when you read a historical romance and it's basically just the one milk toast girl thinking about and looking at the dime-a-dozen hunk and vice versa? (Yawn.) LTB's characters are never milk toast and never dime-a-dozen! They always stick with me. They are real people...well, to me, anyway! :)

This one was fun b/c it was set on Nevis and I just went to Nevis' sister island, St. Kitts a few months ago. So, to see the places she mentions made it more real. I thought the whole idea of a Lady leaving England to make her way as plantation owner was great. The slavery in the book was...well, hard. And even Keturah's reaction to one particular slave, left me wanting more. BUT I think historically, it's exactly as it would have been.

LTB's books are also always full of action--never a dull moment sitting over tea! Always something big coming around the corner. I do think this one started a bit slow on the boat and even left me wondering why Gray was even in the mix, but once their feet were on the island, it was non-stop!

Of course, LTB also fills her stories with hope, redemption and God's love without being heavy-handed.

Also. The cover of this book is to die for!

*I requested this book via NetGalley b/c I love Lisa Town Bergren. All thoughts/words my own.

This is the first book in Lisa T Bergren's new series, The Sugar Baron's Daughters. It follows orphaned sisters Keturah, Verity, and Selah as they leave England for the Caribbean island of Nevis to take over the management of their father's sugar plantation. It's a fabulous setting:

Sloping landscape, in shades of green, down to a turquoise sea lapping at creamy sand.

That was the best part. The plot proceeds very much as expected. There are good characters, bad characters, and indifferent characters. Bad things happen to good people, but the good people also get their happy ending ... along with the promise of more bad people doing bad things in book two.

I found Keturah to be a frustrating and somewhat contradictory character. She's an English slave owner who—despite being horrendously treated in her first marriage—has never thought to question the morality of slavery or consider that perhaps not everyone treats their slaves as kindly as her family does. So she's shocked when she sees the way slaves are treated on Nevis.

That was annoying, but I could understand it from a privileged woman who'd had a sheltered upbringing in 1770's England. What I found harder to understand was how a woman who'd sworn off all men based on the disaster that was her first marriage manages to get over her past with little or no effort. That didn't ring true. It takes more than a kiss to get over physical and sexual abuse.

This was a solid novel with an interesting and new-to-me location. The history and location had obviously been well researched, but a great novel needs more than a great setting and excellent research. Overall, Keturah was let down by average writing, and a plot and characters that never rose above predictable.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Well written and engaging this book tackles some tough issues but with skill and grace. I loved the main character and how strong she was for her family despite her past. The romance was sweet and satisfying without being too much and the historical aspect was very interesting.

Lisa has written yet another page turner. I love this book so much. I appreciate the time spent on character development and I love that Lisa's lead male character is a human with flaws and not just a romansical superman. Loved the story, loved the characters, loved the setting - I will be buying this book once it comes out. It is one I can see myself reading time and again.

This was a wonderful book! I didn't want it to end and can't wait to read the next book in the series. This book will take you on an amazing adventure with the three Banning sisters as they journey from the home in England to the West Indies in one last effort to save the failing sugar plantation. The characters are believable, their struggles and joys woven through the pages will leave you on the edge of your seat. Don't miss this book!

I generally really like Bergren’s writing so I was very excited to see her releasing a new series, but I have to say that this wasn’t my favorite of her works. There were positives to the story. I appreciated Keturah’s journey back to God and to herself after struggle and suffering. I appreciated the way that the injustice of the time was dealt with on multiple levels. And yet, the characters each seemed to have only one real facet, whether that was a striving for independence, compassion, a need to prove themselves, I just found all the players in the story a bit too one note for my taste.

If you have an interest in reading about Nevis in the 1700’s and the history of the era then you’ll probably enjoy this novel, but I just didn’t love it.

I must admit that it took me awhile to get into this book but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. It had been some time since I had read a book by Ms Bergren and she did not disappoint. I am glad that she gradually included the background of Keturah’s life. Also liked the strong bond between the sisters. I would definitely recommend this book.

"Keturah" was a super fast read and I eagerly look forward to the release of book 2. Full of excitement and adventure, Christian Fiction fans are sure to love this newest release from Bergren!

With Bergren's penchant for layered historical research, winsomely poetic voice and dialogue that swiftly spins a spell on the helpless reader, KETURAH is unlike any other historical inspirational tale I have ever read.

It features a stunning history and local as well a a situation wherein women are forced to act as catalysts for their own agency -- while still accepting the grace of a male (this hero is to die for, fyi) protector.

Inspirational fiction like this takes strides in not only painting a realistic and visceral portrait of history; but also showing the strength and determination of women to pursue roles and adventures most often suited for men.

The scales of equality are balanced beautifully between Gray and Keturah.


this is far deeper than an inspy novel, instead navigating the social injustices of its era against a land of beauty and great danger.

An intricate tapestry worthy of your time and gushing.

For any reader who has ever questioned the intelligence of CBA historicals, allow me to present this as a thesis.

Keturah and her sisters, Verity and Selah set sail for the island of Nevis to try and redeem their fortune after their father dies. What they find when they arrive is shocking to say the least. Their first encounter on the island is with a slave auction. While their family have always had slaves they were always treated well. Never have the girls been exposed to the human terror and torture of slaves just off the ships. Once they arrive on their plantation another surprise awaits them. Another reason for Keturah to never trust another man. Determined to provide for her family and their slaves Keturah works hard to find an overseer for their plantation. But the men of Nevis are determined that a woman will not run her own plantation so they plot against her. Gray has also come to Nevis to try his hand at raising sugar cane on an adjacent plantation. He has also promised the girls' uncle that he would keep an eye on them. Will the hardships that they face on-island bring them together or will the girls be sent back to England defeated?



I love Lisa T. Bergren's writing! Keturah reminded me a bit of Scarlet O'Hara! Two strong females determined to make it in a man's world. As the author herself says in the notes at the end of the book, the slavery was hard to depict. It was also hard to read! So many gritty scenes that caused me to want to look away or skip, but were reality for the times. I loved Keturah, Verity and Selah's characters! All of them strong and ready to take their place on-island. When faced with adversity they are ready to close ranks and stand together! I was swept away in this story and am now missing the characters and can't wait for Verity's story.

I was completely impressed with how organically Lisa T Bergen connected the elements throughout this story.
Keturah Tomlinson knows the depth of hurt and grief. What she is not prepared is how much this will influence her towards good when she is challenged to live in a society surrounded by prejudice, slavery, and injustice.

Loss has blackened the Benning household and the sisters decide the best is to sail towards the West Indies and salvage their father`s legacy there. But the land is enfolded by secrets which will test the girls to choose between bitterness or forgiveness, acceptance or isolation, rage or kindness.
The historical aspect was really well done and the love story grew sweetly and tenderly.
I`m surely looking forward to the next one,

In eighteenth century England, men and women had distinct roles in genteel society. Men provided, and women acted as showpieces. When Ketura, The recently widowed Lady Tomlinson, receives word that her father has passed away on his far away West Indies plantation, she feels as if she has just one choice. Her choice flies in the face of convention, though. She has vowed to never marry again, and so she intends to travel to Nevis herself and take change of the sugar plantation herself. He younger sisters decide to accompany her.

Gray Covington, Keturah’s childhood friend, offers to escort her and protect her on her journey. And only manages to anger Keturah. He finds subtle ways to help her on the long voyage to Nevis, and he discovers that the more he knows about his grown-up friend, the more he admires. He admires her enough to let her speak for herself and wait for her to seek a friendship with him. He just hopes that one day, maybe she’ll change her mind about men.

Will Keturah and Gray learn to trust God as they struggle to succeed in a new and dangerous land? A beautiful story of how God will restore the years the locusts have eaten if we willingly surrender to him. Fans of Roseanna M. White and Deeanne Gist will love this book.

Loved "Keturah" so much. What a delightful read! I fell in love with the characters and setting- getting invested in their struggles and triumphs and relationships. I loved every bit of it, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!! I think this series will have a special place in my heart :)

I have been hooked on Bergren’s writing since the River of Time Series, and Keturah did not disappoint. I appreciate the strong female characters and the sisters’ bond. As the Banning Ladies set sail to Nevis to bring new life to the sugar plantation left behind by their late father, you will be swept away in a world that will make it impossible to put this book down!