The Mark of the King

Sweeping Historical Fiction Set at the Edge of the Continent
After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.

My thoughts: I was really looking forward to this book, since I love the idea that the main character is a midwife who is wrongly accused of a crime in France, so she is sent to New Orleans as a prisoner to help settle the new land. While the attention to historical details is incredible, I found it hard to like some of the characters and really get to know them. I know it was a hard time to live during, but there is just so many hardships in this story. That said, I think that Jocelyn is a wonderful author who writes well and really researches her stories.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.