The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof
Was informed about this book by The Book Network Club (bookfun.org) and was able to get a copy for my BARD player.
Story starts out with a female voice and it's about Ella and where she works and she runs into a new patient: the man who's holding 7 month old daughter with high fever. The doctor gives his OK to find out her temperature and other information.
After she quickly gets drinks together for her the doctor allows her to watch after the baby. She's only at work and must leave but returns the next day to find the man is in an uproar about the circus people, of which he is one.
Alternate chapters with a male voice are from Charlie's side of things. He introduces her to the circus world when she shows up to tend to the child because she's left her spot at the doctors office.
He comes to find her to tend to the child again and then gives the baby a bath and he returns to work. She's able to watch him work with the lions while holding the child he cares for...
Love hearing how devoted she is to helping others with her knowledge.
Like hearing about the lions and everything about the circus so much to learn about.
Travel, romance, legends that also have religious connections, mysteries, secrets make this story well wroth the time to read it.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )

A sweet story that brings together two broken people. Charlie showed Emma that God can heal all. His patience was so sweet and her compassion for Charlie and Holland was so loving - although everyone but her knew it was love. The book gave so many happy endings and it took care of all the loose ends. A wonderful book - I highly recommend. ( )

Y'all, this book! I’m a bit behind on reading this. Many of the book bloggers I follow made a huge deal about this book when it came out-so much so that I made sure to purchase it as soon as I could. But then. Then I waited forever to read it. I think partly because I was afraid it might not live up to all the wonderful gushing that had occurred. But now I have read it. And I wish I had not waited so long. I did not want the book to end. And I wish there was another one. This was such an incredible book-beautiful and haunting and just so gentle and wild all at the same time. Words fail me in describing the story of this book. Charlie and Ella are just so vibrant, so real. Their story is heart achingly precious. This is one book that actually caused me to shed real tears (in a good way). There were times when I just had to pause in my reading and think about it. And when finished reading it, I couldn't stand the idea of reading anything else for a short while. I just wanted to linger in their world longer. Wonderful, wonderful, truly lovely book! ( )

Charming, enchanting, and romantic! Joanne Biscof creates a world and a romance that will forever leave its imprint on my heart.

Sometimes a book comes along and just makes you go *ahhhh* in a happy, contented sigh type of way. The Lady and the Lionheart was that book for me. It just made my end of 2016 favorites list (even though I cheated and finished it in 2017) but maybe that was because it needed to be on my favorites list for 2 years in a row.

I had heard such amazing things about this book - not to mention its rather impressive 5 star pick by RT Book Reviews, so I knew I was in for a treat when I first began it. But soon none of that mattered because I was lost in the world and falling in love with Ella, Charlie, and Holland's story.

In many books that I read, I find myself wanting more from the male characters portrayed--not so with The Lady and the Lionheart. Charlie is a wonderful, solid, complex, and masculine protagonist and I absolutely loved that about him. Ella was also complex and layered in a wonderful way that left me feeling the freedom to connect with her on a deep level. I felt sympathy, excitement, happiness, and curiosity with her as she made her way through the story.

I absolutely LOVED the story world as well. Joanne did such a fantastic job of portraying the circus in such a complex light. It wasn't all popcorn and happiness. She delved into the other, sometimes darker, sides of a later 1800s/early 1900s circus and what it would have been like for her characters. I will also admit that I fell in love with the lions (aka Charlie's brothers). Their personalities added so much to the book even though they played a smaller role.

I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil any of this enchanting story for you. Suffice it to say that you should read this. I highly recommend it to historical fans, fans of wonderfully crafted romance, and circus fans (like me), but I would also say that--if you aren't a huge fan of history--you will feel right at home reading this because the world is so well crafted. It's believable in that the historical context fits the story but isn't the sole focus of the story. I enjoyed that fact very much!

I am so thankful to have experienced this story. It will truly live on in my mind and my heart.
That...and my crush on Charlie 😉

Originally posted on my blog: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-lady-and-lionheart-by-joanne-biscof.ht...

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I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own. ( )

I have to admit that I didn’t know what to expect from The Lady And The Lionheart. Despite glowing reviews from fellow bloggers for this and other of her books, I had not read anything by Joanne Bischof before. The setting seemed interesting and frankly the buzz had me intrigued. So I jumped in and found that I would never look back! The Lady And The Lionheart is one of those books . . . the kind where the characters get under your skin and into your heart, the kind where the message of Christ is subtly told in a unique way you will never forget, the kind of book you can honestly say is a very highly recommended read!

Ella wants to be a nurse, to heal people even though her heart bears scars that remain sore and easily opened. When Charlie Lionheart, a gypsy circus performer shows up at the doctor’s office with a very sick child, Ella is drawn to the child’s plight as much as she is drawn to the intriguing man who seems to love the child with an unrestrained love. As she continues to treat Holland, her heart is drawn more and more to Charlie. Charlie in turn starts to believe in an unhoped for future, one where Ella can look past the scars he bears to find his heart.

The Lady And The Lionheart has a great setting. Who doesn’t love the circus? Joanne’s meticulous research is evident as she creates a magical world under the bigtop as well as the gritty and realistic life of the back lot. I could almost hear the cheers of the crowd, taste the popcorn and feel the nervous energy and anticipation of the circus acts. The story develops slowly with the plot unfolding with just the right timing. Main characters Ella and Charlie are complex and only reluctantly reveal their secrets. But when all comes to light, it is well worth the wait! Supporting characters add a depth to the story and the lives of both Ella and Charlie. Of course The Lady And The Lionheart is an historical romance, and fans of that genre will love every bit of it. But the spiritual themes were what touched my heart. The love and sacrifice of Christ is front and center and is depicted in a uniquely powerful way. I can’t tell you any more, because that would spoil the story. Let me just say that I was moved and awed by the way truth was portrayed. And I found myself shedding tears at the sweet finale.

The Lady And The Lionheart was a deeply challenging read for me. It expanded my view of not only the visible, but hidden scars that people bear. It also made me think of the insults and scourging Christ bore in a whole new way. Is your book club looking for a thought-provoking read, then this one is for you!

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: older teens to adults.

Great for Book Clubs.

(Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )