Everything I expect and want in an Elizabeth Camden book. Great story and relatable characters. This book kept my attention from beginning to end.

Absolutely stunning cover.
That is an plus, and the story was very good. I really enjoyed this historical romance.

I was fascinated by the turn-of-the (20th) century history of processed foods and imported spices. The national politics and economics surrounding the industry is something I hadn't previously considered.

Gray was a great hero - gruff, at times, but honest, loyal, hardworking, and competent. Annabelle was likable as well - practical, industrious, and trusting. I would've liked to have seen some more sparks between the two of the them as their relationship changed and grew, but whatever chemistry they had seemed to fizzle out in the second half of the book.

The minor characters really shined, from Gray's siblings, Caroline and Luke, to Annabelle's sister, Elaine, and her fresh-off-the-farm parents.

And the covers in this series - love them!

3.5 stars

I found the historical setting of this novel absolutely fascinating. As someone who is very interested in maintaining a pure food supply and avoiding frankenfoods and artificial preservatives, it was riveting to me to read some of the history behind how all of this came to be and the beginnings of the fight to regulate it. The parts in Cuba were also very interesting. I really enjoyed the characters of Gray and Annabelle, but I did find myself frustrated for much of the book because of the unwinnable situation Annabelle was forced into. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the secondary characters, especially Annabelle's family members, and I liked how so many of the storylines were necessary to the resolution.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, but I ended up listening to the audiobook which I checked out from my library. I will be checking out the next two in the series and reading or listening to them as soon as possible!

This book - I was torn. It had its pro and cons. I love the author's writing style, however, the plot can be even more exciting.

In the Spice King, Ms. Camden demonstrates her love for history and research. Her devotion to research gives her novels a depth that draws one in and causes one to lose all sense of time, only occasionally surfacing to tend to the family's needs. Gray and Annabelle are fascinating characters that lead each other on a merry chase. Both are honest to a fault and their devotion to family is quite admirable. I loved the plot and all of its twists and turns. and the fact that both Gray and Annabelle love God made the story all the better. So grab a mug of spiced chai and settle in for a great story.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley with no expectations and have since purchased my own print copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was nice, but it didn’t intrigue me as others have by this author. I had trouble getting involved with the characters a bit, but other than that it was solid. An interesting plot and well written

I have been putting off reading this for months since I was waiting for the third book to come up for review.

But I really needed a break and this was pulling my attention so hard I had to give it a shot.

The way Camden wove this spellbinding tale in 1900 in the capital of the United States is wonderful. I enjoyed seeing the families of the main characters were in the novel more than most romances have, though this is no ordinary romance with intriguing changes.

I am seriously upset about that cliffhanger though, because wow, not finding out what happens to some characters is so not fun.

No matter the topic, I always learn something new from Elizabeth Camden's well-researched historical fiction novels.

This one tackles the food industry around the turn of the century. We talk about the things companies are trying to "sneak" into foods now, but that's nothing compared to over 100 years ago when companies didn't even have to include ingredients! But this book also includes some side forays into the United States' history with Cuba, spying, and botany.

My only issue with the book is there was so much going on that I felt like the romance suffered a bit. It was there and the characters had chemistry and I enjoyed what was happening, but I always love a lot of romantic details. That's probably more of a personal preference, but reviews are based on personal preferences, so there it is. :)

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden is the first novel in the Hope and Glory series. This story is set in 1900 in Washington, D.C. where Annabelle Larkin has begun working at the Smithsonian Institution. She came to Washington with her blind sister, Elaine. Being in Washington allows Elaine to attend the Library of Congress’s educational program for the blind and access to the Braille books available there. If Annabelle cannot get a fulltime job, they must return to the family farm in Kansas. Gray Delacroix is a complicated man. He runs a large spice company, has two lighthearted younger siblings, has a strong work ethic, and has traveled the world. I thought The Spice King was well-written with developed characters. Ms. Camden captured the time period and I can tell she did her research for this book. It was interesting learning about spices, extracts, and food safety. We learn how the extracts, spices and other food items are processed and diluted. It was appalling what was in some of the products. I am amazed at what businesses did to products to make a buck. I had no idea how much work went into making vanilla (it is complicated and fascinating). Imagine how bland foods were before the introduction of spices. Good Housekeeping magazine and how their seal of approval came about is included. There is romance in The Spice King, but it is not the main story. There is politics, unsafe foods, intrigue, rebellion and botany. The author wove all the storylines together into one engaging book. I also liked learning about the Library of Congress and the program they had for the blind. The Spice King is a captivating historical novel.

I just loved,loved the book cover when it first came out! I was mesmerized as usual when it comes to Elizabeth Camden’s books and I hadn’t even read it at the time.

It was absolutely stunning!

I was very intrigued reading about the different spices and how the main character traveled the world to explore and acquire the many different spices we
take for granted today. It was amazing!

I also really liked how this novel gave us a glimpse of the different jobs that women worked hard to earn respect in way back when.

I also thought it was sweet to read the camaraderie between the siblings. It was funny and charming to read about.

I think it’s a brilliant story and I think all of Elizabeth Camden’s novels are just incredible to read. I’m always waiting to read any of her upcoming books. She’s awesome!

I also can’t wait to read Luke’s story I feel that his story will be a very interesting one. I highly recommend this book and series. I’m ready to start the next book after this,
“A Glided Lady” I cannot wait!

4 stars.

Scandal and intrigue bring unexpected romance...

I have to admit that I've been a little hit or miss with reading Elizabeth Camden's books in recent years. I'm really not sure why because I really enjoy them. But, anyway, I am glad that The Spice King was one of the 'hits'. Not only was I completely entertained by this story but I also learned a lot, about vanilla which is one of my favorite flavors, to something I hadn't really thought of because it is the norm now, the need for requiring food labels to fully disclose the contents.

Anyway, I was won over right away by the heroine's job, I'm a museum fan so her work in the Smithsonian was way cool! The hero's work as the head of an international spice company was quite interesting, I was even inspired to check out the history of vanilla because of him.

I found The Spice King to be interesting, intriguing, and a very good read. There's some great dramatic moments, a bit of danger, and definitely some romance. I think it's probably one of my favorite Elizabeth Camden books so far. There were some surprises and I couldn't help but wonder when the heroine had to make a difficult decision what I would do if I were in her shoes.

The Spice King was a an enjoyable story and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Elizabeth Camden has in store for the Delacroix family in the next book in the Hope And Glory series...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

EXCELLENT! I love the history and research that and Camden puts into her writing. I finished the book feeling extra proud to be raised in a farming community. I am also much more aware of the ingredients of the food I’m consuming and serving my family. The characters in this book seem so real to me. But the reality of the basis of this story is absolutely fascinating to me! This is an absolute must read for historical fiction fans!!!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

A little history, a little mystery and a lot of spying going on.. What started out as an interview and tour ended up a story if mistrust, deceit and the need to possess the vanilla orchid. I enjoyed the history lesson along with a wonderful mystery and unexpected ending.

This was such a solid read for me! I truly enjoyed this from beginning to end. Giving this a 4.5 star rating. The writing was flawless, I felt like I was in the story, the romance was great and the characters were funny.

Annabelle is botanist that starts working at the Smithsonian part-time. She's offered a permanent position if she can get a rare flower from Gray Delacroix, however she never imagined crossing paths with him would lead to something more. I loved Annabelle. She was a woman of virtue and power. When put in hard positions she went with the best answer. She always did what was right for the world even if it meant hurting herself and losing her happiness. She was witty, not a prude and not like other women in the story and time. I loved everything about her.

Gray Delacroix is a man that loves his family and protects all that he cares for. He's a workaholic and not much of a people person. He's a stuffy guy, but when you get to know him he's such a big teddy bear. Gray was such an amazing man from beginning to end. He cared for his family and tried hard to stick to his beliefs, but seeing him change throughout the novel was epic.

The romance was too adorable to me. I think they were the perfect mix! Annabelle softened his heart. Gray helped her build her walls. I adored their banter with one another. Especially that scene at Good Housekeeping -- I laughed so hard. They were upfront about their feelings, but dealt with real issues. I thought the romance was well done!

Luke, Gray's younger brother, was a hoot! I didn't care for him at first because he definitely had this mysterious feel to him. Even to the end, I still didn't get why he did, said or allowed towards the end. What is he really doing in Cuba?! I need answers LOL.

Caroline, twin sister to Luke & baby sister to Gray, is such an ANNOYING character. I loved her at first, but she started pissing me off when Gray and Annabelle had issues. She was sooooooooooooo aggravating. However, I'm excited to read more about her in the sequel.

Otis needs more of a spotlight cause he was loyal, loving, caring, protective, funny and everything in between. I loved him sooo much!

The Magruder family were evil. They just need to be arrested -- seriously.

The faith aspects, though few, warmed my heart. I loved how both Annabelle and Gray learned somethings about God along their "journey" to love. Epic moments and inspirational quotes for the perfect vibe and mood.

I am stoked for the sequel to come out so that I can see more of Gray and Annabelle, but also get to see a different side of Caroline. Would definitely recommend this novel.

I have really enjoyed books by Elizabeth Camden, but I was hesitant to read this book because of the title. I'm not big into spices. I consider salt my spice of choice and generally leave everything else out, so even though it's weird, that worried me about reading this book. I felt like I wouldn't be able to relate. My silly fears were unfounded, and while there was some spice stuff in the book, it wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be. Really it was more in the first quarter of the book, and it was interesting. But I digress.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think one of the reasons I liked it was because the romance was a little different than I'm used to. There wasn't any hemming or hawing about does he like me, is she interested. They were both open with their feelings and there wasn't any stress in that area. The conflict came from people choices, and how those choices affected families. It was different, and I loved it.
I also found the food regulations very intriguing. I will admit I'm not super picky about what goes into my food, so reading about what businesses would put in their food and try to pass it off as something different was very eye opening. The cost aspect of it for the general person was an area I'm glad was also brought out in the story.
This was definitely another winner in my book by Elizabeth Camden, and I can't wait for the rest of the series. Gray's siblings stories are going to be very good!

This is a book that I've heard so much good about, and I've wanted to read it since before it was released...and yet, somehow I kept pushing it back.
Well, no more! I finally sat down and read the entire thing today!
And my oh my, what a story!
I love books that have a bit of an educational feel to them...the ones where I can feel like I'm actually learning something worth knowing when I'm reading fiction, for fun... this is one of those.
The detail about plants, seeds, the history of them, the whole botany thing, I loved reading and learning.
I loved the heroine. Annabelle is such a perfect gal for this story!
Her spunk, courage, loyalty, honesty, and more. I loved how she wasn't afraid to do what she thought was right. I also greatly enjoyed reading about how she and Gray got to know each other.
This time period, the early 1900s, in DC, were very fascinating to read about.
I especially enjoyed how President McKinley and his wife were neatly written into the story.
The plot was intriguing, with a bit of mystery.
I eagerly look forward to the sequel!
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Gray Delacroix is a man not to be trifled with. As a spice merchant he has fought hard to ensure his kingdom/ business is the best it can be. Unfortunately Annabelle Larkin hasn’t seen the memo about not trifling with Gray. Her temporary job at the Smithsonian hinges on breaking through his defenses and getting him to agree to share his finds for the good of science. Without it, she will be dismissed at the end of her current contract, and she and her blind sister will be forced to return to Kansas.

Gray has ideas about his plants, and a system designed to protect them from interlopers. What he doesn’t count on is Annabelle’s pull on his heart.

The Spice King is another wonderful book by Elizabeth Camden, full of intrigue, plot twists, and charm. Her characters are so lifelike you’ll want to have tea with them, and be disappointed at the end when the story is over that you cannot invite them over to do just that.

Each novel Camden writes gets better and better. This one is no exception. Fans of Julie Klassen, Mary Conneally, and Jen Turano should definitely take a turn with The Spice King!

I live in rural Nebraska, but my interest in agriculture is ... minimal at best. I'm thankful for it, and I appreciate the work my farming relatives put in, but I don't really care about the science behind my food. So the fact that I was completely captivated by this novel, which is about a botanist and a spice tycoon who fight for purity in the food supply, speaks to Elizabeth Camden's skill at spinning a story.

While it took me a bit (probably 25% in) to get into the book, I soon couldn't fly through the pages quickly enough! Annabelle is spunky and determined, while Gray is reserved and set in his ways, and they make a perfect match. (I do have to say that Gray strikes me as more of a Darcy than a Colonel Brandon as Annabelle thought, but I suppose any Austen hero comparison is good!)

I loved the intrigue involving Gray's brother Luke, which looks to continue in a future novel, and the "war" with the rival food company was so fun to read about! There's also romance, of course, but the novel is much more than a romance. Rich with historical detail, it's sure to captivate fans of American history.

Elizabeth Camden has my heart ❤️
Ingenious, once again!!! She’ll never stop baffling me with her astute craftsmanship for history and science and twinkle of brainiacs mystery.

Seriously, I’ve never read a book quite like The Spice King and once again a Camden book has made it to my favourites.