Review and Giveaway: "A Slave of the Shadows" by Naomi Finley

Synopsis: 

In 1850 Charleston, South Carolina, brutality and cruelty simmer just under the genteel surface of Southern society. In an era where ladies are considered mere property, beautiful and headstrong Willow Hendricks’ father has filled her life with turmoil, secrets, and lies.

Her father rules her life until she finds a kindred spirit in spunky, outspoken Whitney Barry, a northerner from Boston. Together these Charleston belles are driven to take control of their own lives—and they are plunged into fear and chaos in their quest to fight for the rights of slaves. Against all odds, these feisty women fight to secure freedom and equality for those made powerless and persecuted by a supposedly superior race.

Only when they’ve lost it all do they find a new beginning.

Book 1 presents Willow and Whitney—and the reader—with the hardships the slaves endure at the hands of their white masters.

 My Thoughts:  This book was such an unexpected surprise and I had no idea that I would enjoy it as much as I did.  It was such a good story with really well-rounded and lovable characters.  From the very beginning, I was completely sucked into Willow's world and could not put the book down.

I loved the idea of two intelligent, headstrong women banding together to fight against injustice.  Whitney and Willow were a fun pair and I admired the fact that they completely bucked the system that expected them to sit quietly and behave.  I would also add that Mammy and Mary Grace were the backbone of the story; they were really the strength behind the white people on the plantation.

There were a lot of secrets floating around throughout the story and once things were revealed toward the end, a lot of questions I had made much more sense.  It was kind of fun to watch everything be uncovered and there was a huge surprise toward the end that I loved.

Some of the story seemed problematic and a little unrealistic.  Life on Willow's plantation was a little too hunky dory at times; even under the kindest of masters, I'm not sure the slaves would have been as content as portrayed in the story.  That being said, I still enjoyed the story immensely. 

When the story ended, I was definitely left wanting more.  It looks like this is the first in a trilogy and I'm really excited to see what will happen next for Whitney and Willow.  A Slave of the Shadows was an excellent read! 4 stars.

I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Naomi lives in Northern Alberta. Her love for travel means her suitcase is always on standby while she awaits her next plane ticket and adventure. Her love for history and the Deep South is driven by the several years she spent as a child living in a Tennessee plantation house. She comes from a family of six sisters. She married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage children and two dogs named Ginger and Snaps.

Creativity and passion are the focus of her life. Apart from writing fiction, her interests include interior design, cooking new recipes, throwing lavish dinner parties, movies, health, and fitness.

A Slave of the Shadows is her first novel.

For more information, please visit Naomi Finley’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

  GIVEAWAY:

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a Kindle Fire HD 8″ 32GB & signed copy of A Slave of the Shadows! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form HERE.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US/UK/Canada only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.