The Queen's Cook is a Beautiful Story

Tessa Afshar is a new-to-me author who writes Biblical Historical Fiction. The Queen's Cook is the first book I read by this her and will not be my last. 

Roxannah is a young Persian woman whose family was once revered and respected delights in cooking and baking for her family. 

She and her cooking catch the eye of Adin, a young royal physician who opens the door for her to work in the Queen's kitchen as an assistant cook.

One aspect about Roxannah that I admired was her love for her family and how she wasn't afraid to work hard, didn't complain about paying off her family's debt.

Throughout the story, Roxannah learns to stand up for herself. Seeing this growth in her character made you want to root for her.

Adin is one of those heroes you fall in love with because of his character. He's a good, Godly man who cares about others. Meeting Roxannah he's drawn to her, but he wrestles with his attraction because he's a believer and Roxannah is a Persian woman who doesn't believe in God. He doesn't want to be unequally yoked. 

I liked how she slowly built Adin and Roxannah's relationship and that it wasn't solely based on the physical, but on their character. 

Before Tessa's book the only other Biblical Fiction authors I'd read were Francine Rivers and Connilynn Cossette. One detail I liked about The Queen's Cook was that she had Bible verses before each chapter. I think this really set the tone for the story. 

I'd give The Queen's Cook 4 out of 5 stars. The plot, pacing and character development were exceptional. I just wanted a little more romance. 

Reading is an adventure,

     Emilee