Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher.  Post contains affiliate links; I may earn commission if you make a purchase. Opinions shared are mine.

You know when a store or restaurant goes completely rogue, and it throws you off? For example, IHOP becoming IHOb — how does a restaurant go from pancakes to burgers?  It’s not that the burgers are bad, exactly…just different from the expectation.  That’s how I felt with Freedom’s Light by Colleen Coble.  This book kind of caught me off guard, probably because I’ve been used to reading Coble’s suspenseful books instead of historical fiction.

It’s been a while since I read a book based in the Revolutionary period, and I definitely haven’t read anything about the Puritan movement in a while.  In that regard, Freedom’s Light had fresh content.  The contrast between the ways of the north and south really stood out.  I wonder if Coble will use this to lead into a future title?

I feel like it’s necessary to care at least a little bit about history or politics in order to appreciate this story.  Otherwise, you might feel bored or unmoved by the events in this book.

This isn’t a book for sensitive Christian fiction readers who prefer a totally clean story.  There’s a lot of rough undercurrent including sexual discussions and other adult content.  It’s not graphic at all, but I can imagine my grandmother wincing and tutting about some of it!

About the Book

USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble explores the mystery and the romance of the Revolutionary War.

A young lighthouse keeper must navigate the dangerous waters of revolution and one man’s obsession with her to find safe harbor with the sea captain she loves.

Hannah Thomas believes she’s escaped Galen Wright’s evil intentions by marrying an older lighthouse keeper. Seemingly safe in faraway Massachusetts, her world is upended when John is killed in one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Hannah is allowed to continue the difficult task of tending the twin lighthouses in John’s place, though she faces daily disapproval from John’s family. She thinks her loneliness will subside when her younger sister arrives, but she finds Lydia’s obsession with Galen only escalates the dangerous tides swirling around her.

A stormy night brings a shipwrecked sea captain to Hannah’s door, and though he is a Tory, her heart is as traitorous as the dark-eyed captain. Even though she discovers Birch Meredith isn’t the enemy he seemed at first, Hannah isn’t sure their love will ever see the light of freedom.