Sandra's Book Club: Blog Tour: DESPERATE HOPE by Susan Leigh Furlong

Desperate Hope

by Susan Leigh Furlong

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

Revolutionary War soldier, Gavin Cullane, has desperate choices to make. He vows never to give up the fight for American freedom, but his role as colonial liaison between the Americans and the British brands him a seeming traitor to his own country. When he discovers the woman he loves is part of George Washington’s secret spy chain, his only choice is to expose his own lies so she can escape.

Tansy Carter risks her life to send messages to George Washington from the captured city of New York. When she is discovered, she must flee the city, and trusting her life to the traitor, Cullane, is the desperate chance she must take.

Will their freedom come at the cost of their love?

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Excerpt One:

“You can’t be seen with me. My orders include providing the evidence that will lead to your arrest, and Nate’s too. Please, let’s get off the street.”

Tansy lifted her skirts and started running away from him. Taking chase, he caught up with her two blocks later. After shoving her, none too gently, into a recessed doorway, he held her against the wall.

“I want to help you escape New York so Simon Duffy can’t find you or any of the family. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Who in the name of all the saints is Simon Duffy?” she asked with a sharp punch to his gut that made him double over, but he put up his arm up against the wall and stopped her from running off again.

“He’s the British officer I’ve been reporting to,” he choked out, knowing what he would say next would damn him to Hell. “He’s the one I’ve been giving information to about anyone not loyal to the crown.” From the look on her face, he knew she’d sentenced to him already. “He wants me to persuade Nate to send a coded message to George Washington that could be a turning point for the war in British favor.”

She didn’t respond.

“Then Duffy will arrest him and you, Daisy, and Charles and hang all of you.”

Her fist cocked. He prepared himself for her second punch to his gut by tightening his stomach muscles.

“Traitor!” she shouted.

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Review: As Gavin held on to his dying friend and heard the wedding ring rattling around inside his canteen, he thought of the woman that was his friend’s wife. One picture of Tansy showed Gavin the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Meanwhile, Alden’s wife, Tansy, was pregnant and awaiting her husband’s return.

Gavin and Alden were soon captured by the British troops. Before Alden died, he made Gavin promise to keep fighting and never give up hope. To escape the prison ship, Gavin had to turn into a traitor to the American troops and aid the British army. He was now labeled a traitor to his country.

Gavin arrives at Tansy’s home. They knew he was working with the British, so, naturally, they were all leery and wary of him.

“His was a double-edged sword, a patriot pretending to be a loyalist, a man despised on both sides while pretending to be a man true to both sides. Someone could easily slit his throat, and everyone would be glad for it.”

Needless to say, Gavin was in love with the lovely Tansy, another man’s wife. And she hated him. Eventually, Tansy sees a soft and tender side to the traitor. Helping out the people with money and supplies was not something a conniving traitor would do.

“His compassion for those people left in such dire straits moved her.”

Meanwhile, battle and treason wear on. Can they help Gen. George Washington achieve victory in this war? By the end, will Tansy see a friend, a lover…or an enemy?

Intriguing and well-written. The scenes were so vivid and captivating that you felt like you were right there in them. The story really brought to life the perils, decay, and suffrages of war. It really portrayed the fear and uncertainly of that time. Some areas were a little slow, like that long escape trek.

In a war, no one was safe. The fight for American freedom was certainly at a dangerous and bloody cost. It’s a tale of the cross and the double-cross.

A gripping historical romance with suspense and intrigue.

Rating: 4 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Susan Leigh Furlong knew she had a special connection with words since she was a child. When she was 9 years old, she wrote and directed her first play for the neighborhood children.

Susan’s love for history fuels her resilience against the sneezes and coughs that old books give her as she delves into research for unique historical events to inspire her historical fiction romance novels. Susan captures her readers’ imagination with a highly enthralling style, chronological events, and smoothly flowing narratives that keep one’s eyes glued on her novels from the first page to the last.

Susan has written two non-fiction books and three novels set in sixteenth century Scotland as well as several short stories published in national magazines. Her most recent release is Desperate Hope, a novel set during the American Revolution. When Susan is not combing through history piecing together her next novel, she writes, directs, and performs with a music and drama group.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook.com/SusanLeighFurlong

Twitter@FurlongLeigh

www.SusanLFurlong.com

Susanleighfurlongwriter@gmail.com

BUY LINK FOR DESPERATE HOPE

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0BGX9WXZK/ref=sr_1_4?crid=23MFNBIIZKMHX&keywords=Susan+Leigh+Furlong&qid=1664572163&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjI3IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=susan+leigh+furlong%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-4

UNIVERSAL LINK

https://books2read.com/u/bzVKjz

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GIVEAWAY :

Susan Leigh Furlong will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.