Are her superstitions working their magic…or is God sending a message?From USA Today bestselling author Josie Riviera comes the first heart-warming novel in the Romany Gypsy Seeking Series. A Golden Pen Winner, Seeking Fortune also got over 6000 nominations on Kindle scout.Losing his wife and daughter to influenza shook James Colchester’s faith in God. As another epidemic threatens, he’s torn … Colchester’s faith in God. As another epidemic threatens, he’s torn between what’s best for his fragile son: fleeing to his Welsh homeland, or staying put.
In a moment of weakness, the black-haired, green-eyed Gypsy’s delicate touch on his palm quells his fear…and her beauty ignites a warmth he hasn’t felt in years.
Desperate to return to her people, Valentina goes against every lesson her mother taught her to soothe the Englishman into a false sense of security. But as James’ quiet faith sparks a hunger to know it for herself, she realizes she’s made an unforgivable mistake. One that could rob James of his most precious gift—and destroy their chance for lifelong love.
There are lies more believable than truth.
˃˃˃ Read all the books in the Inspirational Regency “Seeking” Series!
Seeking Fortune –
Losing his wife and daughter to influenza shook James Colchester’s faith in God. As another epidemic threatens, he’s torn between what’s best for his fragile son: fleeing to his Welsh homeland, or staying put. In a moment of weakness, the black-haired, green-eyed Gypsy’s delicate touch on his palm quells his fear…and her beauty ignites a warmth he hasn’t felt in years.
Desperate to return to her people, Valentina goes against every lesson her mother taught her to soothe the Englishman into a false sense of security. But as James’s quiet faith sparks a hunger to know it for herself, she realizes she’s made an unforgivable mistake. One that could rob James of his most precious gift—and destroy their chance for lifelong love.
Seeking Charity – To escape her cruel father, Charity ran away with a tribe of Romany Gypsies, leaving the handsome young friend who made life bearable. When Daniel recognizes the woman he though long dead, his grief turns to joy. But he’ll need every ounce of his faith to overcome the barriers between them.
Seeking Patience – Half-Romany, half-English lord, he lives a perilous Gypsy life … until a sweet English rose saves his life, and perhaps his soul. Widowed by a cruel husband, she’s given up all hope of love. Brought together in peril, they dare to reach for a brighter future together.
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This is an excellent written work of historical
fiction. At that time the Romany people were
not considered to be respectable. They were
gypsies who stole, lied and would live hidden
on wealthy estates.
Valentina Rupa is a beautiful, hard working
gypsy woman who is very influential in the
gypsy tribe. After the death of her mother,
Valentina becomes concerned about the
health of her sister. The sisters travel to the
estate of a wealthy Welshman in search of
a physician.
James Colchester is the owner of this wealthy
estate. He is a widower and also has lost his
daughter. He is a brave soldier who is providing
for and raising a deaf young son. He takes the
sisters into his home to provide the necessary
care for the sick sister who also has a broken arm.
He feeds both sisters, makes sure they have the
proper clothes for living there and provides
beautiful, comfortable rooms fo them.
At that time, there was an influenza epidemic
in the region. Mr Colchester can not decide whether
to stay or flee to his Welsh estate.
Although against his religious beliefs, he consults
Valentina for a palm reading. She deceives him which
will be the source of conflict between them at a
later time.
James leaves the Bible in Valentina’s room. He hopes
she will read it and give up her gypsy beliefs.
There is an attraction between James and Valentina
but will circumstances keep them apart??
The setting was beautifully described. The reader
will feel a part of the workings at the estate, the gypsy
camp plus the nearby village.
The period details were well researched.
The characters were multifaceted, interesting,
colorful and intriguing.
The story contained hidden secrets, deceit, prejudice,
conversion to God, forgiveness, friendship that leads to love.
A wonderful entertaining book must read book.
A Very Highly Recommenced Read!!!
Read on Kindle Unlimited.
Seeking Fortune (Seeking #1) was a great read by Josie Riviera. James Colchester lost his wife and daughter to influenza and it shook his faith in God. Another epidemic is coming and he is wrestling with staying or leaving with his fragile son. During a moment of weakness a gypsy quells his fears and ignites some dormant feelings. Valentina Rupa is desperate to return to her people when she crosses paths with James. I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.
A thorough Romany – Gentry romance. An interesting juxtaposition of superstition/fortune telling and Christianity. Forgiveness and loss, family and culture. A lot of stuff packed within these pages. I have mixed feelings about some of it, I was unsure of where things were being taken. However, I have no doubts about a 5 star rating.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my favorite book I Have read of Josies so far. Definitely recommend. Can’t wait to read more of her books.
Great storyline with wonderful, well written characters. A lot of information about the Romany culture and history in the Regency period. Love, heartbreak and forgiveness abound in this story. Very inspirational. I highly recommend this one.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.
I really enjoyed this sweet historical romance about a gypsy girl and a Welsh nobleman who fall in love after he extends her and her sister the hospitality of his home after her sister is injured. Well researched, the story explore cultural differences and curiosities of two very different ways of life and expresses the belief that God and love forgive all sins.
An enjoyable story well narrated by Allyson Voller.
This is a wonderful story! It is the story of James Colchester, wealthy land owner, Christian, and widower with a deaf, young son who takes two Romany sisters into his home. Valentina, who has traveled to seek a physician for her sister, Yolanda. This is a story of the Romany beliefs and the prejudices the Romany people faced. But it is also a wonderful testimony to faith in God. This is an incredible story of faith, forgiveness and friendship. I received this book as a gift from Mrs. Riviera, and I recommend it to eveeryone!
Gypsies have always held a place of fascination and fear in the hearts and minds of non-gypsies. Valentina and James had many reasons to stay away from each other and yet they were drawn together. Josie Riviera has done a great job of showing us the conflict they each have with themselves and each other. These same conflicts exist today in mixing different cultures and backgrounds. I was drawn into their story. I think I will pass on the recipe for roasted hedgehog or nettle pudding.
So beautiful, but made me cry!
Josie Riviera’s knowledge of the Romani culture gives depth to this beautiful love story. Valentina Rupa, a Romany drabardi, has just lost her mother and her sister Yolanda may be next. On their way to seek care from a physician, they are attacked by men from the Colchester estate who assume the Gypsy women are there to steal from the owner. Trying to flee, Yolanda falls and breaks her arm and seeing this, the men take the women to the manor for care.
James Colchester, a commissioned officer in the King’s military, has just returned from battle exhausted in body and spirit. A widower, he is welcomed by his young son, Jeremy, who is deaf from birth. His steward, Geoffrey, informs him of their unexpected guests and that the older sister, Valentina, is a fortune-teller. James remembers the fortune-teller who warned of a danger to Jeremy’s twin, Beatrix, a few years ago. He ignored the warning and Beatrix died in a fall from the cliffs. He is a Christian but he is afraid for his son’s safety with influenza sweeping England and decides to ask the fortune-teller whether he should take his son to Wales. Confronting the Gypsy in his parlor, he realizes she is the one who warned him about Beatrix, and Valentina sees the rich, powerful man appearing in her dreams. At his request, she reads his palm and is afraid to tell the truth fearing that he will insist the sisters travel with his household to Wales so she tells him it is safe to stay in England.
While Yolanda is recuperating, James spends time with Valentina and she realizes that although gadje, he is a good man but she cannot confess her lie for fear he will throw them out before Yolanda is healed. The more time Valentina and James are together, the closer they become but after being introduced to God, Yolanda knows that a relationship cannot bloom from a lie, and James is afraid to love again after the betrayal of his first wife.
The plot is poignant; beautiful, but often so sad it made me cry. It is also a story of faith and hope that draws you in and makes it impossible to stop reading.
Gypsy girls travel to find doctor. Find love, health, faith. Great sty!
This is a wonderful book! If you like historical christian fiction, you will love this book. I loved how the author used christian values through out the story. This is a book that once you start reading it you don’t want to stop. Thank you Josie Riviera via NetGalley for the free copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Another wonderful story in the Seeking series. This is book 1 in this series and I loved this one as a lot of history about the gypsies is included and it is another story of the heroine’s strength and her gumption and her way of bantering with the hero a Welsh gentleman and his taking in two sister gypsies and getting them medical attention. They have to stay at his English manor for our heroine’s sister to rest and let her broken arm heal and to feed them both and have them rest inside instead of outside in a tent.
Our hero is delighted by our heroine and her fun way to banter and her beauty is has just grabbed ahold of his heart. They spend a lot of time together and start falling for each other but our heroine just can’t come to tell him her palm reading he wanted wasn’t what she really saw.
Her sister also falls in love with the blacksmith so they both love staying there and have been invited to stay as long as they want.
This is a good story with good Christian principles and scripture and our heroine starts reading the bible and starts to understand about a God that is in control. She starts praying and reading more and more.
Our hero has to leave for another battle. While he is gone our heroine starts to rethink what to do as he has asked her to marry him and she can’t do that unless she confesses her betrayal of the palm reading. She and her sister end up leaving the estate and our hero is very confused to why she left.
I highly encourage you to read this wonderful story of faith and redemption and of love between two completely different cultures. I loved this story as I did the second book. Now I can’t wait to read Seeking Patience the third book in the series and boxed set.
Seeking Fortune by Josie Riviera
Starts with praise and awards. This story also follows a gypsy and I’m learning a lot about that-things I didn’t appreciate before.
England 1811 and we find Valentina near her dying mother…she is a fortune teller and she was not able to save her mother.
Love learning of the customs of the gypsies so informative. Love how they travel to Ipswich to help get special medicine for her sister. Luca is leading them. Each chapter also starts with a Romany saying translated into English.
They are caught on James Colchester lands.
James has an ailing son and nothing is helping-he learns of the fortune teller and wonders if it’s the same one that told of his wifes future…
She doesn’t trust the English but she needs to sway them over to her culture-they like the medicinal things they are taught for daily ailments…
Story also follows James who seeks her out for help. Super love how others use their hands to survive: woman with sheeps’ wool, blacksmith, etc.
She explains all the customs of her tribe and they can’t marry outside the Romany line or the blood line would be polluted. Love hearing all the Bible quotes
Just as they are getting to know one another he’s called away to fight a war and leaves her with his son and there is death around…
Upon his return he wants to move them all to house in Wales to outrun the influenza outbreak-he learns the women are gone the next day and he sends others ahead…
So many tragic moments but there are great ones also. Other works by the author are highlighted.
I received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Learning of the Romany culture was fascinating. The research that went into this book had to be incredible. The love story between Valentina and James was heart wrenching and uplifting. Both had tortuous pasts and had faced horrible situations but came together through perseverance and God’s grace. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
This is both a beautiful and a heart breaking romance. It is heart breaking the way the Romany were treated. All the characters are richly portrayed. Lots of history is covered but in a fascinating way. Valentina is a feisty gypsy, a fortune teller and healer, who learns to believe in God. James, a landed gentleman and Christian thinks he might have averted the tragedy in his life if he had heeded the future told to his wife. This is a wonderful story of God’s unconditional love. I was captivated!
I didn’t really get into this story. While it moved along well and there were happy, sad and suspenseful times in it, I just didn’t get into the storyline; it was not what I expected.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Valentina is a beautiful gypsy who is known for her ability to read palms. But, presently, she must consider the health and wellbeing of her sister, Yolanda. Fearing that Yolanda is getting sicker, the sisters head to an estate where they believe a physician is nearby.
James Colchester is a wealthy, landed gentry and a brave soldier. He’s also a grieving father and widower. In an act of Christian charity, he welcomes the gypsy sisters into his home. But, his faith is weak at the moment and he asks Valentina to read his palm. Even though he’s allowed them to stay in his home, her Rom heritage prevents her from trusting him or his English ways. Therefore, in an act of spite and fear, she withholds possibly critical information from him. But, can the Rom spirits be trusted anyway, or are God’s ways higher?
As a romance, what begins with infatuation and intrigue develops over time into love. Yet, that love will be tested by class distinction and pride among other things.
What follows is a story of extreme emotions. You will want your tissues nearby because the emotions will get intense. But, when you finish, there will be a sense of peace that all has been made right.
Themes covered include – prejudice, deceit, forgiveness, love, true Christian character, and prayer. I loved how Valentina gradually learned and accepted the ways of God through reading the Bible.
If I were to add anything, I’d love for there to be an epilogue that connects this book with Seeking Patience. But, maybe the author can write a short novella that fills in the middle?
Romance – PG – kissing
Language – nothing offensive
My rating – 5 stars.