Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry

Return to Exile (Howard Books, January 2015)

About the book:

How far would you go to save the ones you love?

Six years ago, impossible circumstances forced Dr. Lisbeth Hastings to leave behind the love of her life, not just in another country, but in another time. Her work as a top-notch epidemiologist and parenting her little girl helps alleviate the pain, but at night when her exhausted head hits the pillow, images of her beloved Cyprian haunt her sleep.

Cyprian Thascius returns from political exile a broken man. He’s lost his faith, the love of his life, and his purpose. He attempts to move on, to face the danger that is looming over Carthage, but when Cyprian’s true love suddenly reappears, his heart becomes as imperiled as the fledgling church he seeks to save.

Have the years that kept Lisbeth and Cyprian apart created too wide a chasm to bridge? In the midst of a new epidemic and rising oppression, will their love be the most costly fatality? Filled with gripping action and raw emotion, this spell-binding adventure of star-crossed lovers captivates with every turn of the page in this electric continuation of The Carthage Chronicles.

Learn more and purchase a copy at Lynne’s website.

About the author:

Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications. She is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright. Lynne is an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.

Margie’s Comments: I have enjoyed reading Lynne Gentry’s The Carthage Chronicles, including the “e-shorts” A Perfect Fit and Shades of Surrender, and the first book in this series The Healer of Carthage. While these novels include a bit of time travel, putting modern women into ancient Carthage, I didn’t find it difficult to make that suspension of belief to enjoy the stories. The rich historical detail, the medical details, and the full body of characters in the series make for an entertaining read. Lisbeth and her mother Magadalena both are victims of a time portal but learn to adapt their medical training to deal with epidemics that had no cure in the ancient world. In Return to Exile, the second book in this series, Lisbeth makes the return to ancient Carthage when Cyprian, her husband, is released from exile where he’d been sent because of his Christian beliefs. Together they struggle to keep the church going as they begin to deal with yet another epidemic, this time typhoid fever. When their daughter contracts the deadly disease, they know the only way she will survive is for Lisbeth to take her back into the modern world. While the book is a standalone story, the book still ends with a cliffhanger, making the wait for the concluding book in the series difficult. But that is my only complaint about the book. For a rich reading experience, I highly recommend Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry.