Cover Image: The Tea Chest

The Tea Chest

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Member Reviews

In this story that interviews two timelines, you see a connection over hundreds of years over a tea chest. I enjoyed the story. It's been a while since I read the book, but I still remember how much I enjoyed it, but I guess I typically enjoy stories told in two different time periods.

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I loved reading this story. I love how it drug me in and made me feel I was walking alongside the characters as the history of our country unfolded before me! Thank you for a really great read.

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Heidi Chiavaroli has a gift for looking into history and finding gems. The Tea Chest is just such a gem. Set in both 1773 and in the present day, The Tea Chest captures the imagination from the outset, and builds to the stunning conclusion.

Lieutenant Hayley Ashworth is on track to become the first female Navy SEAL. She has been working with single-minded intensity toward that goal since joining the NAVY as a teenager. With a short break prior to BUD/S training, she heads home to Medford, MA to confront the mother who, due to the drug-addled haze she lived in, put her daughter in harm's way over and over again. All she wants is to clear the air and make any amends she needs to. She doesn't realize that her mother isn't the only "air" she needs to clear.

Ethan Gagnon put his life back together when Hayley left the first time. When she rescues a child he was watching from a dangerous rip tide, he realizes he isn't as "over her" as he thought he was. Offering her any item from his antique shop as a gift for her heroics, she chooses a wooden box. Concealed in the box is a historic treasure, and it turns out that the box itself is also a historic treasure. Can Ethan help Hayley discover the honor her family was founded on, even as she works to earn it?

Emma Malcolm has been a dutiful daughter. Her father is loyal to the crown, but her friends are Patriots, and her heart belongs to Noah Winslow, one of the Patriots. When her father promises her hand in marriage to cruel Samuel Clarke, can she find the strength to defy his order?

This is the second Chiavaroli book I've read, The Hidden Side being the first. I should have expected this to be emotional. I should have expected there to be some edge-of-your-seat suspense. I should have expected, but I don't think I expected enough. The historical portions were every bit as gripping as the present day, and in some cases even more so.

This was a WOW for me! I especially enjoyed the history contained in this story, but the present day storyline was every bit as good. I very highly recommend this book! It's a story of forgiveness and redemption and a love that is passed through the ages.

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Heidi does it again. She takes two timelines, two stories and weaves them together. Often when authors do this, I am only invested in one of the story lines and read the other as a means to the first. But in Heidi's books, both are equally interesting and the pages are turned as rapidly as possible. In this book, I was almost more invested in Emma's life, which took place during the Revolutionary War, than I was in present day Hayley's life.

This was a very interesting and engaging story line. Based on a few historical facts with a lot of fictional liberties thrown in, Heidi weaves a story of a rich British family whose father is cruel, but whose daughter, Emma, shares a heart with the rebels. And then there's Hayley, who is trying to become a SEAL in the US Navy, but who is also battling her own family history.

But this book was more than just historical fiction. Both main characters had to figure out which they were pursuing, liberty or loyalty and what that was going to look like in their lives. And, in many ways, to me at least, it came down to love. Emma put herself in harm's way out of love for her family, friends, and country. Hayley had to stop running and hiding behind her military family to find liberty and love. She needed to embrace that there was Someone bigger that she was and that He would help her face her past and prepare her for her future. She needed to trust God, not try to prove on her own that she was better than her mother.

I just really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Heidi's books.

I received this book from Tyndale via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I wasn’t optimistic that I would enjoy The Tea Chest. Reading a book in first person where the focus switched back and forth between two women in two separate centuries really didn’t appeal to me. But The Tea Chest quickly pulled me in and grabbed my attention. I loved the historical references. And the author did a fantastic job of balancing the switch between characters. I must admit I was more interested in reading about Emma Malcom. The historical aspects just fascinated me. But the entire novel was filled with fresh beginnings and forgiveness. This was the first book I have read from this author. But it wont be my last. I received a complementary copy of The Tea Chest with no obligations.

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Boston, 1773
Emma Malcolm’s father is staunchly loyal to the crown, but Emma’s heart belongs to Noah Winslow, a lowly printer’s assistant and Patriot. But her father has promised her hand to Samuel Clarke, a rapacious and sadistic man. As his fiancée, she would have to give up Noah and the friends who have become like family to her―as well as the beliefs she has come to embrace.

After Emma is drawn into the treasonous Boston Tea Party, Samuel blackmails her with evidence that condemns each participant, including Noah. Emma realizes she must do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means giving up the life she desires and becoming Samuel’s wife.

Present Day
Lieutenant Hayley Ashworth is determined to be the first woman inducted into the elite Navy SEALs. But before her dream can be realized, she must return to Boston in order to put the abuse and neglect of her childhood behind her. When an unexpected encounter with the man she once loved leads to the discovery of a tea chest and the document hidden within, she wonders if perhaps true strength and freedom are buried deeper than she first realized.

Two women, separated by centuries, must find the strength to fight for love and freedom. . . and discover a heritage of courage and faith.

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Heidi Chiavaroli is a master at parallel time fiction weaving a contemporary story with ties to American Revolution. shworth is determined to become the first female Navy Seal, but she stumbles on a tea chest that leads her to discover a forgotten story of the past during the American Revolution. Emma Malcolm's loyalty is torn between the love of her life and her parents complicating this story is a decisHayley Aion to remain loyal to England or support America's desire for freedom. Chiavaroli anchors this story with an exploration of the Boston Tea Party and adds romance, spies, and danger to have the reader finishing the novel in one sitting.

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Simply put, The Tea Chest took my breath away. Once again Chiavaroli has managed to pen a stunning, captivating, and poignant novel. It not only transports readers back in time, but takes them on a riveting present day journey as well. Readers will find themselves drawn to the vivid settings, welcoming characters, and extraordinary story lines.

I found Hayley’s story to be quite fascinating. First of all, I now realize that there is no way I would make it as a Navy SEAL. Chiavaroli’s ability to research, and put her findings in a story always astonish me. Watching Hayley go through training, and the rigorous regiment of daily life in a SEAL-in-training was something I couldn’t tear away from. But then as she started her journey in learning about the chest, I found out so much more about her character. She seemed to come alive, in ways that even surprised Hayley.

The romance factor was there, but that wasn’t what intrigued m in Hayley’s story. It was more of Hayley finding herself and what she wanted from the world. I think quite often people have this dream, that might not truly be their own dream, but something to yearn for. Only to discover that perhaps there is a little something more to life than that one goal.

Emma’s story just blew me away. The whole family versus beliefs story was one that really struck a chord with me. I can’t say I would have reacted the same as Emma. I’d like to think I would of course. But how many people are faced with that decision? If you think about it – everyone who has lost family members. You have to decide whether to follow the Lord, or follow your family. Reading Emma’s story reminded me how important it is to follow what you know is right.

To add to the depth of this already amazing novel, Chiavaroli effortlessly weaves a faith theme that will speak to your heart. You see a character relying on the only One who can truly help them in a situation. Not only is this encouraging, it’s enlightening. It reminds readers of how important it is to go to the Lord first. I love reminders like this in the novels I read.

The Tea Chest is a must read for 2020. It gives readers romance, adventure, history, second chances, and faith. Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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If you’re catching up on your reading these days, an intriguing new book to add to your list is "The Tea Chest" by Heidi Chiavaroli. Since the cover depicts a woman in a period dress and with a tea clipper in the background, a scene typical of historical fiction, readers may be surprised when they dive into the first chapter and meet Lieutenant Hayley Ashworth. Hayley is about to begin special training in California as she tries to become the first woman SEAL. Prior to the training, she heads home to Massachusetts to visit her drug-addicted mother. Hayley's mother is out of town, but while in Massachusetts, Hayley meets up with her old boyfriend, Ethan Gagnon, who is now running an antiques shop he inherited when his wife died. He encourages Hayley to choose an item from the shop as a gift, and she is inexplicably drawn to an old wooden tea chest.

Meanwhile, back in 1773, Emma Malcolm—the daughter of one of the king's agents in America—is dreading a future in which she seems destined to marry a young tea importer her parents think will make a good match for the family. The Sons of Liberty are stirring up trouble near her home, and despite what is expected of her, Emma gets caught up in the furor in ways she never would have expected, including her growing attraction to Noah Winslow, a young patriot whose honor and integrity capture her heart. Emma is even at the center of events on the night of December 16, 1773, when the infamous Boston Tea Party takes place, and the course of her life is set to take a very different turn from what she's imagined. An important document chronicling the events of that night lands in Emma's hands, and eventually, it makes its way into a tea chest she owns.

Chiavaroli does a terrific job of connecting Hayley and Emma across the centuries, and the many ways in which the women's lives are mirrored are fun to read. This is a novel that has something for everyone: history for those who love to learn about the Revolutionary War–era, a bit of romance for those who prefer a good love story, and of course the mystery of how Hayley crosses paths with Emma. A few scenes in the book seemed rather intense for a historical fiction novel from an inspirational publisher, so sensitive readers may find that the story makes them queasy in a couple of spots. (The scenes do move the story forward, though, so props to the author for having the guts to include them.)

For those who like both their tea and their women strong, it's hard to imagine a better escape than "The Tea Chest."

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I really liked this book!!
Heidi is a new-to-me author, and I really liked her writing and would like to read more of her books. She dealt with the dual timeline brilliantly, I thought. I love it when I can learn history through literature! And I gained insight into what the patriots suffered to establish a new nation.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

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With a deep sigh and at loss for words. That is how I always finish one of Heidi Chiavaroli's books.
Every single time.

I am always impressed by how she balances well two timelines, always captivating us in both.
And then beautifully connecting these two stories and reminding us of the power of history.
How it can teach us, shape us and restore us.

Stories in the past can help us find the treasures we have right in front of us ;-)

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Two women separated by centuries fight for love and their beliefs, connected by a tea chest.



Emma Malcolm is the daughter of a wealthy loyalist, engaged to be married to a cruel man that her father has chosen for her. But her heart belongs to assistant printer and Patriot, Noah Winslow.



In the present day, Hayley Ashworth is fighting for her dream to become the first female Navy SEAL, but painful memories from her past are holding her back. She reconnects with an old friend, which leads to the discovery of the tea chest and the secrets hidden within.



Hayley has always had to be strong, growing up the daughter of a single mom who went from boyfriend to boyfriend, she has had a tumultuous upbringing. She has always been close to her uncle who is the strongest person that she knows, and she hopes to follow in his footsteps with a military career. She loves the camaraderie that comes with the military, and security of being an important part of a team. I really like how her life changes over the course of the book, as well as her outlook on life and faith.



Emma is a courageous woman who must sacrifice everything for the ones that she loves. She must whether many trials for her beliefs and to protect the people she cares about. I admired her strength and how she holds on, even when things appeared darkest.



Overall an inspiring story of two women and their remarkable journeys of faith and determination, loyalty and hope. Realistically wrought, this was a masterfully written read, with great characters and well researched. Highly recommend.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This was my first Heidi Chiavaroli book and I loved it! I had to go find her on Amazon and see what else she had to read. I loved the parallel stories, the history, the romance, the very real life experiences that we were able to jump into through the power of story. Thanks Heidi for an amazing adventure!

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An amazing story of two women...centuries apart...beautifully written. Give yourself the gift of reading/savoring this story. You will not be disappointed. Five Stars!

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What an amazing story.
Two time lines, two fascinating women.

When I think of this book and what I liked most about it, I hardly know where to start. I like having time to think things over, to give an accurate review, one that captures, to the best of my ability, all the emotions the author invoked in me as I read.
Heidi Chiavaroli is quickly becoming a favorite historical author.
This book beautifully portrays two time periods. Hayley is the character in the present day time. She receives an old tea chest as a gift, and discovers a very old paper hidden in it. As she begins to search it out, things begin to be revealed that link her to the past.
Emma is the main character from the past. She had to choose where her loyalties lay during the days of the American Revolution. Her father was a staunch loyalist, and as such, she was also expected to be. Even to the extent that her marriage had been prearranged.
But she was very good friends with the Fultons, who were on the side of liberty.
As Emma is forced to choose her path, and then it seems as though her choice is taken away...for awhile, I just didn't know what to expect, or what destination she would arrive at.

Hayley's story is equally intriguing. She has been training to be the first woman SEAL in the US. She's determined to prove that she can do this. But in the meantime, this has caused her to sacrifice almost everything else in life. Then she also reaches a crossroads and must choose.

This book is a beautiful illustration of two lives. Two journeys. Difficult decisions. Family. Loyalty or liberty.

I love how that ancient tea chest is brought into both stories. How it ties the characters together.
I found this story to be so very rich. With history. With relationships. And much, much more.
For lovers of historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!
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

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The Tea Chest by Heidi is at times heartbreaking, encouraging and thought provoking. Liberty or loyalty. Heidi created two stories from centuries apart and wove them together beautifully.

Emma, Noah, Sarah from the 1700s and present day Hayley and Ethan. Emma is struggling with Liberty or loyalty. What do you do when your family are not good people. Heidi was able to bring the struggles of this time frame to life in a way I have not experienced before. We sometimes take for granted what it took for our freedom.

Hayley is present day and the story opens with her in the middle of Hell Week for the Seals. I was really not sure where the author would take this storyline. Admittedly there were times when I was frustrated with her and her inability to deal with her past. But overall I enjoyed her and Ethan.

Sexual content – kissing hugging,
Violence – war violence, scenes from the 1700s when the men were coming back and there was no modern medicine, a small scene of torture. It was well written and I did not have night mares or anything.
Drinking – someone has a drinking problem after the war
Language - none

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LOYALTY OR LIBERTY?

I’m a new reader of Heidi Chiavaroli’s novels. After reading THE TEA CHEST, I have become a fan! THE TEA CHEST is a time slip novel, detailing the lives of Emma Malcom in 1773 and her role in the Boston Tea Party and the present day life of Lieutenant Hayley Ashworth who is determined to be the first woman inducted into the elite Navy SEALs. Both of these women are strong, but due to circumstances that face, they become stronger than they ever thought possible. Chiavaroli created characters that are believable and the time slip story she weaves is one that will stay with you long after you’ve read the last word of this novel. Her writing is engaging and you will quickly find yourself deep into this novel with a “Do Not Disturb” flag posted around you! This novel will make you think about what choices you might have made if you found yourself in either one of these women’s situations as they fought for love and freedom. Also, I hope readers won’t miss the characters discovering a heritage of courage and faith. I highly recommend this book! It has become on of my Bright Stars of 2020!

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This story is an impressive work of art. Filled with emotion and bold characters who are unapologetic in their beliefs and relentless in their pursuit of liberty. The abundant life breathed into these characters and the authentic attention to historical details all came together to create a vibrant story that is sure to stick with you long after you’ve read the last words on the page.

I fully enjoyed my time spent with this dual-timeline story. If you had asked me early on I would have said that the historical timeline was my favorite. But after reaching the end of the book and getting to know and understand Hayley better, I’m not hard-pressed to give an answer because I find that I love both timelines equally.

A few times I had to put the book down and look up a historical detail just to assuage my curiosity. Now more than ever I want to take a trip to Boston and see the sites for myself. I highly recommend this fantastic story!

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)

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This is the first book I've read by Heidi Chiavaroli and I can tell you this it was a highly anticipated read for me and it lived up to and surpassed my expectations.
The author can really work that dual time line , each time period was fully researched with much attention to detail and the characters blend together perfectly from the dual time line.
The research was impeccable, which I always appreciate in a historical book because I learn a lot from reading them. The history behind the Boston Tea Party was very interesting.
The lead female characters in each timeline was an impressive woman, strong yet graceful and compassionate. These woman must fight an uphill battle for love and freedom without giving up the true sense of who they are, along the way they make discoveries about themselves that helps them grown in their faith and adds to the wonderful layers of the story.
Highly recommended book.

Pub Date 04 Feb 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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This is the first book that I have read by this author and it won't be my last. Heidi Chiavaroli has penned a marvelous dual time tale, lush with historical details and characters that you care about.
Emma's tale unfolds during the turbulent time of The Boston Tea Party. Her heart belongs to Noah but she may end up with another man in an effort to save him.
Hayley is a courageous young woman in present day who is training to become a Navy Seal. Will she succeed? Can she overcome a very dysfunctional family history? And what exactly is the secret of the tea chest?
The author included a historical note at the end of the book which added even more depth and meaning to this beautiful story. Thank you, Ms. Chiavaroli! There are also discussion questions making this an ideal book club selection.
In conclusion, this is a book to read slowly, savor the history and consider what choices you would make it you were in the characters places.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
@HeidiChiavaroli @TyndalePublishing #theteachest #bookstagram

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