Im not sure how i feel about this book. I didn't like the heroine much, i kept reading and hoping shed be better but she was a bit snobby. The books seemed to have stalled for a bit and got really interesting at the end and then it was over.

I love when historical fiction teaches me something new, especially if I feel like I already know a lot about the subject! This book introduced me to the start of the secret service and money counterfeiting/laundering, which I didn't realize was a big deal already in post-Civil War America.

A touching, if predictable, love story between an Irish immigrant in search of her missing brother and an undercover agent investigating a counterfeiting operation in Tennessee. The only reason this is a 3 instead of a 4 is that the story was very heavy with background details that didn't ever end up being truly relevant, and then the ending felt rushed still.

Great for fans of historical fiction and Christian fiction.

The best thing I liked about this story is that there was no division into the good North and the bad South, that it is good to put past away and move on. However, the story is not very dynamic, it takes half a book to go through about 4 days. There are many repetitions that go along the lines of tears pricked her eyes or he was looking at her curves in every other paragraph! I would enjoy more of the Southern culture, food, places, and almost anything else but going over and over Nora's bratty attitude or Catriona's pride and stubborness. This book is more for those people who like to analyze every sigh, glance, and smallest emotion. The ending is also pretty flat.

This is a beautiful story set in the South after the Civil War. Main characters Catriona and Wade became two of my recent favorites. They are unlikely allies, a United States Secret Service operative and an Irish immigrant, tied together in the middle of a counterfeit investigation. Tamera does a wonderful job with her depth of characters and weaving an intriguing story. Highly recommended.

Excellent book to read. Historical romance. Inspirational. Good character development. Romantic. Page Turner. You won't regret reading this one!

Colors of Truth is a well written inspirational book. Good plot with well developed characters. If you are looking for a good historical inspirational book. I recommend this one. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Classic Tamera Alexander at her finest. Her novels are exceptionally written ~ inviting you, the reader, to actively become a part of her stories. The continuation of this saga flows so smoothly. The characters are real. You can actually feel their emotions. I highly recommend COLORS OF TRUTH. I loved it...I am certain you will, too.

An excellent read! The Civil War era is one of my favorite genres to read. This story is set just after the Civil War comes to an end. Set at the McGavock plantation, in Franklin, Tennessee, the author weaves her story to include two Irish sisters, fresh off the boat, searching for their brother Ryan, and a former Union solider, Wade now working for the United States Secret Service, seeking to uncover a counterfeit ring.
Within a story of how Catriona, with her Irish stubbornness, and Wade, become acquainted and form an attraction, are the much darker truths of past. A fierce battle, where two thousand Confederate soldiers were left to lay in shallow graves. The blood stained floors in the McGavock home where the wounded and dying were brought. The horrors of slave families ripped apart and sold off like cattle. There are some scenes that remind us how the Irish weren't so welcome in America.
I highly recommend this read. It is long, but so well written you will keep turning the pages as several story lines run through the book.
I now want to visit the McGavock home and the cemetery close by where the Confederate soldiers are laid to rest. Maybe someday, I'll get that chance.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in the review are completely my own."

Once again, Tamera Alexander informs and delights readers with carefully crafted and highly-researched historical fiction. With the beautiful and painful background of Nashville and Franklin, the Reconstruction years leap off the page through the era's characters both real and fictional. The poignant history of Carnton, its history and family are the focus as Catriona O'Toole and Wade Cunningham collide upon meeting. Both keep carefully-guarded secrets and fresh grief as they navigate through new territory.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Colors of Truth is the latest in a long line of Christian historical romance novels by award-winning author Tamera Alexander and is yet another fine example of why her books are on my auto-buy and auto-read lists. Ms. Alexander is a master at her craft, weaving story, historical facts and events, and faith-based truths into a beautiful tapestry that leaves me feeling inspired and better off for having read her books. In Colors of Truth, Alexander explores the various ways that people lie or bend the truth, the reasons for doing so, as well as the consequences of such actions. I love the way I always learn something new about American history after reading one of her novels. Colors of Truth sheds light on the newly-formed U.S. Secret Service and the agency’s role in thwarting counterfeiting rings right after the close of the Civil War.
The slow but steadily-growing relationship between Wade and Catriona, their interactions with some familiar faces from the previous Carnton novels, as well as some unexpected twists and surprises evoked a range of poignant emotions that stayed with me long after reading the last page. This is such a well-written, emotionally-gripping and inspiring story that you do not want to miss! 5 stars!

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed here are my own.

#ColorsOfTruth #NetGalley #ThomasNelson #TameraAlexander

I loved this book so much, I just didn't want it to end! Catriona and her little sister, Nora have come to America after the death of their mother and sisters, in hopes of finding her twin brother Ryan. She meets Wade while he interviews for a overseer job at Carnton plantation in Franklin, Tennessee. As they get to know each other, she finds he is hiding things about his life from her. He can't let her know he is actually a member of the Secret Service. He promises to help her find her brother, who was last known to be near Carnton the day before a great battle was fought.. Will they find out what happened to Ryan? Will their friendship grow into something more? This is an excellent, clean story that I couldn't put down!

“…as hard as it is to face the truth, it’s even harder to live with a lie.” (Catriona O’Toole)

Having waited excitedly for this second book in the Carnton series, I was not disappointed! WOW! I love the first book in the series With This Pledge, but I love this one even more! Ms. Alexander with her expert storytelling skills has penned another captivating, inspiring, emotionally rich story. Set in 1866 on Carnton plantation in Franklin, Tennessee, this is historical Christian romance at its best. Ms. Alexander seamlessly meshes rich historical detail with the fictional narrative evidencing extensive research.
As formidable Irish immigrant Catriona O’Toole with her spunky seven-year old sister Nora struggle to find their brother in this new land, their lives intersect with an operative of the Secret Service Wade Cunningham who is hunting for counterfeiters under the guise of being overseer at Carlton. The result is a compelling journey to truth for both of them. I love both of these characters for their strength, courage, and determination. This hero and heroine as well as all the other characters in the book are well-developed and memorable. It was great getting reacquainted with characters from With This Pledge especially delightful, indomitable woman of faith Tempy who has a knack for “gettin’ a good read on people”. I love this quote from her: “Way I figure it, one way or the other give it enough time, and the truth always has its say”.
The romantic relationship between Catriona and Wade evolves slowly and sweetly overcoming secrets and trust issues. A bit of humor sprinkled in lightens the emotional pull of the story. This story is also a journey back to faith for Catriona. Spiritual truths are consistently and effectively conveyed. Vivid descriptive language and sensory imagery transport the reader to the scene.
This book kept my interest from the stirring beginning to the teary-eyed, satisfying end. Even though it is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone, and I highly recommend it as a must-read!

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Tamera Alexander has done it again! With her thorough research combined with phenomenal storytelling skills, she has woven a story full of history, romance, and a little intrigue. The setting is Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee just after the Civil War. President Lincoln's last act was to sign the law creating the Secret Service. The USA was on the brink of bankruptcy, so Wade, an operative working undercover at Carnton to uncover, if trying to ferret out a band of counterfeiters working in the Nashville area. His first day in Franklin, he meets Catriona and Nora, sisters who are just off the boat from Ireland, who are encountering some of the anti-Irish sentiment of the day. Catriona's twin brother, Ryan, had sent money for the whole family to immigrate, but their mother, father, and two sisters had died before they could leave Ireland. When Catriona learns the money Ryan sent was counterfeit, she and Nora are lift penniless. Who can the sisters trust in the new land? The McGavock's owners of Carnton and who, according to her father, stole their land in Ireland? Wade Anderson, who is charming, attractive, but Catriona senses something "off" about him?

While there, Catriona sees the fields where over 2000 Confederate soldiers still lay in shallow graves. They are planning the reinterment of these bodies to a new cemetery near the plantation. She learns that her brother was a soldier in the battle of Franklin. Can she find him alive and begin their new life together? Will Wade find the counterfeiters? Is Ryan working with them? Will Catriona and Wade acknowledge their growing feelings for each other? Colors of Truth is a romance woven through the threads of history. You won't want to miss this book! I was allowed to read it on NetGalley. It is scheduled for release July 7.

COLORS OF TRUTH by TAMERA ALEXANDER is an historical romance novel with an interesting plot and some very likeable characters. I particularly like the spunk of the two russet haired O'Toole sisters, who are not afraid of speaking their mind, Tempy the freed slave with her godly wisdom, and Wade Cunningham, the under cover Secret Service agent.
The story takes place at Carnton in 1866, near where the bloody Battle of Franklin had taken place two years earlier.
Because of his job as overseer at Carnton, where he hopes to uncover a counterfeiting ring, Wade tells General McGavock, the owner of the estate, that he fought for the rebels during the war, in order to gain favour with him and quietly investigate suspicious people in the area.
Catriona O'Toole and her little sister Nora arrive in Franklin from Ireland, looking for Catriona's twin brother, Ryan, who went ahead of them to America, sending them money to bring the family to join him. Catriona hopes to hear news about her brother from General McGavock
Catriona finds it hard to trust any man after experiencing how her outwardly charming father treated their family, and holds her cards pretty close to her chest where Wade is concerned. She also does not always tell Nora the truth, for fear of Nora worrying or, even worse, blurting things out to the wrong people!
It is a story about loyalty, familial and romantic love, trusting in God especially in hard times, and the horrors of slavery, racism and civil war.
It is a well told and well researched story in which we come across some of the characters in With This Pledge. However Colors of Truth can easily be read as a stand alone. It is a most enjoyable read and one I can highly recommend.
I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.