Freedom's Kiss by Sarah Monzon

About the Book

They were prisoners of the past. Could legacy be the key to set them free?
Florida, 1816
Propelled by a fleeting hope of freedom, Winnie and her family escape slavery and find refuge and new life with the Seminole Indians of Florida. But their future is still uncertain as threats of war, a return to slavery, and removal to the West shake their tentative grasp on freedom. Will they ever step out of the shadow of fear to leave a legacy of deliverance?
Florida, Present Day
Olivia Arroyo knows who she is and where she’s going—her sense of family responsibility a stepping-stone to her dream of becoming a chef. When her employer refuses her the chance to move from server to the kitchen, she makes another opportunity for herself with the owner of a new food truck. But her life derails when a hidden piece of her past suddenly comes to light, and she discovers everything she thought she knew about herself has been a lie.
A single decision can have innumerable consequences—a truth that has changed Adam Carrington’s life. A criminal defense attorney turned food truck owner, he is haunted by his role in an unpardonable act and driven by his need to make restitution. Unexpected help comes in the form of a feisty, raven-haired beauty, but she soon begins challenging his kitchen as well as his heart.

My Thoughts
I’m honestly sad that I have run out of released Carrington books and now have to wait with the rest of the world for book 4! I knew from the moment I first read this author’s writing that she was going to be a favorite of mine, and now seven stories in that is definitely still true!
Adam’s character was quite entertaining in the first two books and I could not wait to get inside his head! The case that caused him to leave the world of law really did a number on him and the guilt and pain he felt from it broke my heart. But while he struggled daily with his past he still remained the charming, teasing, and affectionate Adam we’d come to know and love!
I loved Olivia’s spunky nature and the way she bathed into Adam’s world had me smiling ear to ear! The two of them just clicked from the very beginning. They were very in tune with each other and they were exactly what each other needed. Both of them had some hard stuff to work through and the way they were just there for each other, whether it was a hug, a distraction, or a hard to truth that needed to be heard, they seemed to always know what the other needed. I seriously loved them as a couple and just wanted to keep reading scenes with them together!
Once again there was a historical story woven into the contemporary, and while this one didn’t grab me quite as much as the previous ones (with those I didn’t mind switching back and forth but with this one I found myself often wanting to get back to Adam and Olivia) I still did really enjoy it! It was a time of history I hadn’t really read about and I was intrigued by all the things that were happening. Winnie had not had an easy life but I admired the way she pressed through. Also her and Nokosi’s story was very sweet! I loved his nickname for her and the meaning behind it!
So yes this was another brilliantly amazing Carrington family story and I absolutely cannot wait for book four!

Meet the Author

A Carol award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain's wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.