A light in the darkness . . . The youngest son of Anglesea, the once idealistic Henry has survived the Holy Pilgrimage, but lost all his deeply held beliefs in honor and nobility. Captured in battle, he is sold as a slave into the home of Alif Al-Rasheed, a wealthy Genovese merchant who has converted to Islam. Bereft of faith, imprisoned in a foreign land, Henry has lost hope in his ability to … lost hope in his ability to love again—until he lays eyes on his captor’s beguiling daughter.
A marriage of opposites . . .
To Henry, Alya is a beacon of beauty he cannot ignore. But the heart of this proud daughter of Cairo will not be won so easily. Divided by religion, language, and culture, Ayla has little in common with the disillusioned Englishman—and yet he has vowed to protect her life in exchange for his freedom. As they embark on a perilous journey to safety, their bond will grow—and be tested—in ways neither can anticipate. For their greatest challenges will arise where Henry least expects. With threats conspiring to divide them, will he find the strength to stand by Ayla—and together will they find a common ground on which to build a future?
“Sarah Hegger has a gift for storytelling that is not to be missed. She’s a personal favorite of mine.”
—Kathryn Le Veque, USA Today bestselling author
“Hegger answers every question readers may have . . . beautifully.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars Top Pick
more
I was beyond thrilled to read this final book in the Sir Arthur’s Legacy series. In each previous book, Hegger has written some phenomenal heroes and perfectly feisty heroines. This book promised much of the same, but with what I found to be an even more desperate and intriguing storyline.
The return of Newt was much anticipated and very humorous. He added such a terrific element to this book and the laughs were needed amongst some of the heavier and more heartbreaking content.
The clash of worlds seen in this novel was well written and had me eager to see how things would turn out. I felt for Alya as she struggled with feeling like an outsider, both in her new country and her marriage. I loved her character and wanted her to feel at ease and find her place, as well as find her way to the deeply hidden parts of Henry and help to free him from his past so they could both move forward together. This book had an incredible depth that was perfectly placed at this conclusion to the series.
Releasing Henry was filled with emotions and action that will stick with me long after ‘the end.’
Releasing Henry by Sarah Hegger
Sir Arthur Legacy #5
Have you ever read a book and found yourself immersed in and almost part of the story? That is what happened to me while reading the story of Alya and Henry. Why? Well, there was much that correlated with and paralleled my own story. In what ways you ask? Well…I married and moved to a foreign country, a country where the native tongue was not my own, where food was different, where culture was very different and where I was and will always be considered “ajnabeeyee” – or – foreign. Miscommunication can happen easily and in a marriage of two dissimilar cultures both husband and wife must want the marriage to work and then make sure that there is open honest communication and trust and commitment. As Alya and Henry found out…it is not always easy and pain can and will occur if for any reason one or more of these needed aspects of marriage are missing.
This is a story of a man who has suffered much and in so doing has changed in many ways but who has also managed to retain his honor. It is a story of a woman raised in Cairo who leaves but is unsure of what her future holds in store for her. It is a story of love that grows and a relationship that needs to be nurtured. It is also a story of pain of some sort for just about everyone in the story. And, it is a story of family – a strong family that starred in the previous four books and emerged again in the finale of the series strong and loving and all that family should be.
I loved this book for many reasons. I moved from California to the Middle East when I married and so understand Alya perhaps better than some might who read this book. It hits home in so many ways…both my home of birth and the one I moved to and now live in (Lebanon). And, the truths in this story are many if the reader is willing to see them and one of the most compelling is that no matter what their ethnicity or religious beliefs people are much the same and both good or bad and ugly spirited are found in throughout history and all cultures.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars