Jocelyn Green

“I will always be your safe place to land. I can’t give you wings, but I’ll be your solid ground.”

Another amazing book in the On Central Park series! The Hudson Collection whisked me back to 1920’s New York to Coney Island, the Hudson Valley, Central Park, the luxurious Ritz & 5th Avenue, & the American Museum of Natural History. I loved the romance, mystery, and fascinating history with a touch of faith. It’s a beautiful story of recognizing ones’ worth & accepting limitations show more combined with a compelling treasure hunt that kept me thoroughly engaged from the start.

Ornithologist Elsa Reisner’s been tasked with cataloguing a large donation of bird specimens at a deceased patroness’ Hudson Valley mansion. Struggling with new symptoms after surviving childhood polio, Elsa pushes herself to keep up despite her limp and weakened lungs. Her previously lonely job at the museum suddenly becomes an intriguing mystery as she makes new friends at the mansion and searches for a valuable missing medieval relic.

Luke Dupont’s an architectural salvage dealer who’s tearing out pieces of the mansion before it’s demolished. He bears the scars from WWI along with his friend and coworker Tom. As he gets to know Elsa, he finds himself helping in the hunt for the missing relic especially when he learns it’s supposed to go to the gardener’s delightful young daughter. It’s a race against time as they try to locate the treasure before the property’s sold and greedy relatives & other treasure hunters find it.

There were so many things I loved about this story! I loved Elsa’s and Luke’s meet-cute. Theirs was such a delightful, slow burn romance. I loved how he was such a protective hero and she easily saw past his scars. I loved the bird watching scenes & their heartfelt talks. I also loved Tatiana, the gardener and her sweet daughter Danielle, who’d probably be diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder. I loved the friendships between all the characters and how they helped each other.

The history was so interesting. I enjoyed learning more about rare species of birds and the painstaking process of cataloguing them in the 20’s. The dark history of eugenics was also included in a thought-provoking, sensitive way. I loved how the characters were such a brilliant rebuttal to all the throughly disproven claims. I loved the themes of recognizing and accepting limits & confronting causes of misunderstandings.

The mystery was so good and I loved all the clues leading up to a nail-biting conclusion. The treasure’s hiding place was absolutely perfect. Highest of recommendations to this lovely historical mystery/romance! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided. show less

The Hudson Collection lands as book two in Jocelyn Green’s On Central Park series. Like its predecessor, The Metropolitan Affair, this novel started slow but grew into an enjoyable story that had me rooting for the main characters. I admired Elsa’s competence and personal journey. Her friendship with Luke became a source of support and balance that turned into a beautiful romance. I love a humble, kind, supportive hero, so it was a pleasure to watch the development of their show more relationship.

Beyond the characters, while reading The Hudson Collection, I also enjoyed the mystery of the lost medieval aviary, the thought-provoking quotes, and the sensitivity with which the author handled PTSD, physical scars, and autism. These elements combined with other topics and themes to create depth and interest. Perhaps the overarching theme of the novel was dealing with adversity in a healthy way. This played out in Elsa’s life as she faced workplace discrimination, eugenics philosophy, and the physical effects of childhood polio. As always, Jocelyn Green’s extensive research showed in her depictions of the time and the formation of her characters.

I recommend The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green to readers who enjoy inspirational historical fiction with depth. 4.5 Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. show less

This book took me a good two weeks to finally finish -- but not for lack of desire, just book length. The size means it can't be read in an afternoon, but also that the author does the characters and plot justice. So much occurs throughout that anything shorter would not be sufficient.

A Refuge Assured combined many of my favorite things into one: French revolutionary history. Louis XVI and the Dauphin. Adventure. Romance. Mystery. YAY. I half expected the Scarlet Pimpernel to show up at any show more time -- and routinely reminded myself that he wouldn't!

Truly, though, Sir Percy aside (especially since he doesn't actually exist in A Refuge Assured), this book is wonderful. Recommended for fans of the time period (or those who want to know more about it). Also great for anyone looking for a book they can truly deep-dive into.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. show less

Jocelyn Green has once again penned a magnificent historical fiction tale—this time about the Chicago World’s Fair in the summer of 1893. I love how she entertains with a story while giving fascinating background on historical events and places. Filled with colorful, realistic, and engaging characters that come alive on the pages, this book kept me turning pages far past my bedtime. While the story evolves mostly on the relationship between Sylvie Townsend and the Polish immigrant girl, show more Rose Dabrowski, she has taken in as raised as her daughter, there is an added romantic element involving Kristof Bartok, a musician who seeks to help Sylvie when Rose disappears while at the Fair.

Green’s impeccable research, combined with her brilliant gift for storytelling made this a book bound for my keeper shelf. With lots of suspense, intrigue, a dash of romance, and inspiring truths woven through it, this tale has something for everyone. Themes of finding oneself, changing dreams, and trusting God give added depth and dimension.

“Just because you can’t control everything doesn’t mean it isn’t being handled. Trust the One who is far better at orchestrating every detail than we could ever be.”

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own. show less