Book Review: The Hidden Flame (Acts of Faith, Book 2) by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke

The Hidden Flame (Acts of Faith, Book 2)
by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
Copyright 2010
Bethany House Publishers
400 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0742-6
Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:
In first-century Judea, the followers of the Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored. Jerusalem is in turmoil as its religious leaders on one side, and their Roman rulers on the other, conspire to stamp out the fledgling Church. And Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces.

Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. Ezra, a successful Hebrew merchant and widower with important connections among the Sanhedrin, is looking for a mother for his children. The Roman soldier Linux is fascinated by her winsome charm and possibly could offer the sanctuary--maybe even the love--for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Will her faith and courage survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension as the followers face a gathering storm of persecution they never could have foreseen?

My Review:
First I should warn you that this is book 2 in the Acts of Faith series, so you may want to read book 1, The Centurion's Wife before you read this one.

The first part of this story was a bit boring and I felt a little detached from the main fictional character, Abigail. The only thing that I really learned about her was that she was an orphan with a younger brother, Jacob. Another thing that I did not like (probably because I'm such a hopeless romantic) was that of the two men vying for Abigail's affection throughout the book neither of them got what they wanted. Despite that however I ended up liking the book. The setting, Jerusalem in AD 33, was very realistic and the maps at the front of the book really helped to solidify the picture in my head. The real people who were also featured in this books Peter, Stephen, and even Saul of Tarsus were just as I always imagined them to be.

If you are interested in reading a fictional account about the early Church and who the first followers of Christ were you will enjoy this book. Although there isn't a whole lot of action or adventure at the beginning of the book, there are some really emotional scenes including the martyrdom of Stephen. I liked The Hidden Flame and recommend it to anyone, male or female, as it has a little bit of everything to interest both.


*I received my complimentary review copy from Bethany House Publishers.*