About the Book

Book: The Lieutenant’s Secret Love

Author: Elva Cobb Martin

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 11, 2023

An exposed family secret changed her life forever and blindsided his Marine heart.

From the day Hannah was abandoned as a newborn, her adoptive parents have kept the truth of her origin from her and her siblings. But when that secret is exposed, a threat arises which forces her to leave the only family she’s ever known and the adoptive brother she adores. She must start her life anew in Charleston.

U.S. Marine Lieutenant Adam White, harbors a secret—more confidential than patrolling the Caribbean for French corsairs, more threatening than the fight against Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. Adam carries a personal, burning secret in his heart. He’s fallen in love with Hannah since discovering she is not his blood sister. And the thought that she might only ever see him as her loving big brother may be the greatest threat to him yet.

As the Charleston men seek to win Hannah’s heart, she never loses touch with the man who had been her older brother. The man her heart can’t help seeing him in a whole new light. But when Adam’s squadron sets out for the Mediterranean on the most dangerous mission of his life, only God can keep him—and their love—alive.

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About the Author

Elva Cobb Martin is a wife, mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband and a mini-dachshund. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. Connect with her on her web site at http://www.elvamartin.com.

Researching our true American history for this novel inspired me so much in a day when many are trying to ignore or wipe out our Christian foundations and heroic acts. I want to share two particular true stories which I use in my novel that should bless and inspire you, too.
First, I set my story the year after President George Washington died. He died December 14, 1799, after a bout of laryngitis following a horseback ride in the snow to check his plantation. But truly, his death was brought on by the horrid bleeding (phlebotomy) common in that day that three prominent physicians put him through. History records they bled eight quarts from his body in about thirteen hours. The physicians soon observed… “that he expired without a struggle.” –Of course he couldn’t struggle, with all that blood loss. I’ve told you this to tell you Washington’s last words.
Washington, at about eleven o’clock in the evening, uttered his last words: “Father of mercies, take me unto thyself,” and “tis well.”
On Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon is engraved: “I am the Resurrection and the Life; saith the Lord. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., which is 555 feet tall, has engraved on its metal cap the Latin phrase “Laus Deo,” which means “Praise be to God.”
The other true story of our history that inspired me proves the bravery and derring-do of the fledging Navy and Marines during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. Many don’t know that Washington actually disbanded the original Navy right after the Revolution as he had no intention of putting this almost penniless new nation into any more wars or try to find the money to support a Navy.
But Barbary Muslim pirates in the Mediterranean started plundering our merchant ships no longer under British protection and taking entire crews into slavery. We ended up paying huge sums of tribute for questionable protection and hefty ransoms to redeem any of our crews taken into slavery. President Thomas Jefferson saw the great need for a strong Navy and went about securing it during his two terms (1801-.1809). A famous byword of those days became: “Millions for defense, not a cent for tribute.”
Naval heroes like William Eaton, Edward Preble, Stephen Decatur, and Marine lieutenant Presley O’Bannon blazoned across our history during the turbulent wars against the Muslim Barbary pirates and sultans. One incident stands out that I decided to include in my novel with my fictional hero, Marine Lieutenant Adam White, added to the story and my heroine Hannah, awaiting letters from him.
Jefferson and Congress commissioned the building of a Navy frigate, the USS Philadelphia, the largest, most modern for the period, to do battle in this Barbary war. America was proud of this ship and it’s potential. But to everyone’s dismay, the Philadelphia got stuck on a sand bar near Tripoli’s harbor, and soon ended up captured by the Tripoli pirates, and its crew taken into slavery. Even though the American captain damaged the ship as best he could before being forced to surrender it, the horror was compounded when the Muslims bragged they would soon repair the ship and use it against us. President Jefferson, Congress, the Navy, and all America suffered some dark days indeed.
But naval hero Stephen Decatur came up with a daring, dangerous plan to slip into the well-guarded Tripoli Harbor where the ship was anchored while being repaired. He chose a few handpicked Marines (my novel hero included!) who would attempt to burn the Philadelphia and keep it from ever being used against us. They would have no Navy backup and would all end up in slavery if the Muslims discovered them.
You’ll have to read my novel (or do research) to find out how this ended!

My Thoughts

The Lieutenant’s Secret Love is book 5 in the Charleston Bride series that is written by Elva Cobb Martin. This has been such an amazing series to read and the author has done such an amazing job bringing history alive. This is the story of Hannah and Adam. They were raised as siblings, but they are not related by blood. Hannah was adopted and she had no idea until the secret is exposed - and this forces her to leave behind the only family she has ever known.

Adam is not sure that he is supposed to have fallen in love with Hannah. He is a U.S. Marine Lieutenant and I really enjoyed the peek into that life style that the author gave us. He cares deeply for Hannah. Hannah, who is adjusting to her new normal has the opportunity to meet the person that abandoned her. I think my favorite part was that she was given the opportunity to witness to them.

I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed this series. The author writes in a great reminder of forgiveness and surrendering yourself fully to God. The characters are well written - and the forbidden love story is pure. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.