My review: The Warrior's Vow

The Warrior's Vow is Christina Rich's newest book!  It follows the story of Jesse, who we met in her previous book, The Guardian's Promise!  (anyone else going "yes!" when you read that?)

Description:
He Was Hers to Command

Swept away from her home and into the desert, Abigail is as much a prisoner as she is a princess. A ruthlessly ambitious captain of the palace guard intends to force her into marriage and rule Judah through her. Yet the badly beaten soldier Abigail rescues offers another choice—if she dares trust him.

She is royalty, yet Jesse is surprised by the gentle compassion Abigail shows him as he heals. In return, he will help her escape to Jerusalem, protecting her life with his own. But Abigail's rank and Jesse's deadly past makes any future impossible, unless forgiveness forged by love can triumph over all.

About the Author:
Christina Rich is a full-time housewife and mother.  She lives in the Mid-west with her husband and four children.  She loves Jesus, history, researching her ancestry, fishing, reading and of course, writing romances woven with God's grace, mercy and truth.
You can find more about her at www.authorchristinarich.com
(Book description from Amazon, Author Bio copied from book, and cover photo from Christian Book)

My review: 4 stars
Great sequel!
The Warrior’s Vow is Christina Rich’s second book for Love Inspired Historical, after The Guardian’s Promise. It picks up right after the first book ends, following Jesse’s story, whom we met in the previous book. While it is technically a sequel, you don’t have to read the first book to understand this one - they both standalone very well. I liked Jesse in The Guardian’s Promise, so I was very excited to read his book and am happy to say that I really enjoyed it!
I loved all the historical details Ms. Rich included in this book. It is set in Bible times, during the very early days of King Joash’s reign, and she brings this time to life, with interesting descriptions and compelling characters. While most of the characters in this book are fictional, they often felt so real that I had to remind myself they were not.
Abigail is the heroine in this book and I have to say that I really liked her. She has spent most of her life in the palace, locked in her rooms, and has a sort of childlike wonder about the world she has suddenly been thrust into. She learns strength, courage, faith, forgiveness, and love. I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the story. Her curiosity about the Lord also endeared her to me. She has heard little about this God that her mother forsook and desires to learn more. It is actually because of this desire that she helped Jesse in the first place - that and she is a softie who hates to see anything in pain. 
Jesse is also an interesting character. I confess that even though I know he was in the last book, I didn’t remember much about him. We are quickly reintroduced to him, though, so I didn’t feel like I was missing something by not rereading the first book. He is strong, stubborn, and sure of himself. When we first meet him, he has been injured, and Abigail decides to take care of him in order to learn about the God he serves. We are shown a softer side of him as he grows closer to Abigail and begins to teach her a bit about the Lord. I enjoyed knowing his thoughts and getting to know him and his family (I’m hoping they come back for another book).
The romance between them seemed a bit rushed at times, but looking back on it now, I can see where the author intentionally slowed it down or changed the focus. They know each other such a short time in this book, but considering all the time they spend together, it evens out. I adored how sweet it was and how almost poetic Jesse’s thoughts about her were. There were several times I wanted to sigh aloud because of something he thought or said to her. No worries though, he doesn’t come off as anything less than manly. 
The spiritual part was interesting. Jesse seems to teach more by deed rather than word, which I really liked. It made his witness to Abigail and the others more real. Abi also remembers a lot of things someone had taught her when she was a child, so that was woven into the story as well. Jesse struggles with letting go and trusting God - he would much rather rush into a situation, then pray about it. I was able to appreciate this struggle, as I’m sure many people can - we react first and think later. I liked watching him learn and grow in this area, as he had to let go over and over. 
The suspense was a nice touch too. It helped keep the story moving and didn’t drag on as some books are prone to doing. 
My only complaint about the book is that I felt the epilogue either should have either been longer or perhaps just left off. It seemed a little too pat an ending for me, I guess. I would have been very happy had the book ended at the last chapter and that final page been left out.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with down-to-Earth characters, a bit of suspense, and a very sweet romance!
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

 I hope you enjoyed my review!  If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the book I will add a couple links below, where you can preorder it.  Also, it can be found at most local bookstores, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart after July 1, 2014! 
Thank you for stopping by! :)

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Christian Book