Daughter of Rome (2020) — Release Day + My Thoughts

♥♥♥ Happy Release Day ♥♥♥

About the Book

Book:  Daughter of Rome

Author: Tessa Afshar

Genre: Historical Romance; Biblical Fiction

Release Date: February 4, 2020

A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.

When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption.

With impeccable research and vivid detail, Daughter of Rome is both an emotive love story and an immersive journey through first-century Rome and Corinth, reminding readers once again why Debbie Macomber has said that “no one brings the Bible to life like Tessa Afshar.”

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts

As with all Tessa Afshar novels, I find myself at a loss for how to explain just how much I adore Daughter of Rome. This novel is exquisite. It is a beautifully deep and complex story. There is so much spiritual goodness contained in the pages of this novel I find one read is definitely not enough. The plot of Daughter of Rome is highly engaging, so much so the pages flew by! The characters are superb. Afshar did an outstanding job bringing Priscilla, Aquila, and Paul back to life. These are people I would love to personally converse with today. Can you imagine that conversation?! I also enjoyed how Afshar depicted 1st-century life in Rome and Greece. The crowded marketplaces, the wealthy homes of the Senators, the degradation of the rough city streets, the bathhouses — I was truly transported back in time. Afshar did her homework with this novel as the research is impeccable and quite enthralling. And, I love Afshar’s discussions about faith, love, and forgiveness. Afshar knocked this one out of the park; Daughter of Rome may be her best novel yet!

Priscilla is one of the most selfless and kind characters I’ve ever read. She is a role model for today’s women. If we had 1/10th of Priscilla’s selflessness as described in this book, our world would be a much better place. Throughout the novel, Priscilla is constantly squirreling away food. She only ever eats half of her meals, and she does this so she can save up food to give away to people less fortunate than her. In addition to being selfless, she is also incredibly wise. One day, gathered in a small group to discuss the Scriptures and Yeshua, Priscilla states, “The more we study, the more I realize it’s not so much about understanding or knowledge. Faith is trust. Trusting our future and our past into Yeshua’s keeping. Learning that the Christ is the beginning and end of all our needs.” What beautiful truth! Too many times our relationship with Christ is defined by how much we’ve memorized from the Bible. But how is the condition of our hearts? If we lost everyone and everything today would we cling to God in faith or raise our fist at Him in anger and fear?

Faith — real, genuine faith — means trusting Jesus with our entire lives. It means putting our lives, our loved ones’ lives, our finances, and our futures into God’s capable hands and saying, “Alright, Lord. I’m yours. Your will, not mine, be done.” It was such a blessing to me to watch Priscilla live out her beautiful faith in Daughter of Rome. It was quite inspirational, really. I long to live strong and sure in my faith. I know I have a lot of work to do in my life to get there, but Jesus is worth making the changes and putting in the hard work to be less of me and more of Him. Jesus is worth me losing what I don’t need so I’ll rely on Him more. He is worth pain, suffering, and weeping. He is worth my joy, love, and happiness. He is worth my everything!

Daughter of Rome is a 2020 must-read! It’s a story that will stick with me long after the final page has been read. I absolutely adore this story and cannot recommend it enough. Purchase a copy today. It will leave you with so much love for Jesus you won’t be able to keep from overflowing in His joy and thanksgiving.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author via her publisher, Tyndale House, through NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.