Reviews

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

benicerxd's review against another edition

2.0

1.5

thefamousjb's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. Took awhile to get into it (I’m not a big fan of historical fiction), but I did enjoy it.

christian_faith_and_fiction's review against another edition

4.0

The Spice King is set in Washington DC, in 1900, which is a setting and time period in American history that I knew nothing about.

I liked both Gray and Annabelle from the start. They were both strong, feisty and determined to succeed in their own spheres of life.

I liked that they both have close family ties and wanted to help and support the people that mattered to them the most. I particularly enjoyed seeing the way they sparked off each other.

I definitely felt for Annabelle who was caught up in a difficult situation.

I found the plot to be quite slow at the beginning. However, I enjoyed the second half of the book much more. The tension built up until the end and I couldn’t predict how it was going to resolve.

Overall I enjoyed the book and came away satisfied.

forestidylls's review against another edition

5.0

This book was delightful. I loved the characters, the plot, and the spices. The descriptions of food made me want to go make some myself, and somehow the book even contrived to make botany sound interesting! I can't wait to read the next one.

lynnuwatson's review against another edition

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed the Hope and Glory series. Great characters and enlightening story of the world of food additives, government control (or lack), elite families, spies, unexpected romance, and more. Book 2 begins a bit slowly, but stick with it. It's worth it.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden is the first novel in the Hope and Glory series. This story is set in 1900 in Washington, D.C. where Annabelle Larkin has begun working at the Smithsonian Institution. She came to Washington with her blind sister, Elaine. Being in Washington allows Elaine to attend the Library of Congress’s educational program for the blind and access to the Braille books available there. If Annabelle cannot get a fulltime job, they must return to the family farm in Kansas. Gray Delacroix is a complicated man. He runs a large spice company, has two lighthearted younger siblings, has a strong work ethic, and has traveled the world. I thought The Spice King was well-written with developed characters. Ms. Camden captured the time period and I can tell she did her research for this book. It was interesting learning about spices, extracts, and food safety. We learn how the extracts, spices and other food items are processed and diluted. It was appalling what was in some of the products. I am amazed at what businesses did to products to make a buck. I had no idea how much work went into making vanilla (it is complicated and fascinating). Imagine how bland foods were before the introduction of spices. Good Housekeeping magazine and how their seal of approval came about is included. There is romance in The Spice King, but it is not the main story. There is politics, unsafe foods, intrigue, rebellion and botany. The author wove all the storylines together into one engaging book. I also liked learning about the Library of Congress and the program they had for the blind. The Spice King is a captivating historical novel.

thefooddater's review against another edition

informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Nice light hearted and fast read. I liked learning about the spice industry and how spice quality differs with ingredients. It inspired me to go and buy real vanilla - no more imitation.

mzmagnolia's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

savharris15's review against another edition

2.0

Annabelle Larkin's blind patriotism and trust in the government was a bit nauseating. The historical backdrop of food safety was interesting, but I felt the chemistry between the two main characters fell flat. If you like Hallmark movies, you'd probably like this book.

rgyger's review against another edition

5.0

The wealth of research into the political and scientific climate of the time period in this book is amazing. I loved the concept of two people falling in love over a common interest, as well as a hero who suffers from a common disease from world travel in his time. Historic ways of preforming science has always fascinated me and this novel captured that.

The romance in this book is fun as well. While Gray is not a particularly romantic man, his earnestness more than makes up for his lack of charm. Though I never fully understood his dislike for the government programs which worked toward the same goals as him, I appreciated his willingness to put aside his distaste Annabelle's sake. And I also appreciated that Annabelle did her best to live by her conscience, even when it would have been easier to run away.

I think that The Spice King is a fun read which explores a unique aspect of history. If you love Camden's books, historical fiction with intelligent characters, or romance founded on uncommon hobbies and interests, then this may be the book for you.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ecopy of the book through Netgalley.