Petken’s The Guardian of Secrets: And Her Deadly Pact is an incredible read. The author starts off with colorful descriptive sentences as she takes you into the lives of Celia and her husband, Joseph Dobbs. To say their lives, after a brief six months of marriage was remarkable, is an understatement. The things that take place in this story was so remarkable, it left me speechless. I was upset with Celia one minute and sorry for her the next. The book evokes so many different emotions in me, when I was done, I felt like an acorn in a wind storm, being buffeted all over the place. My emotions span the gamut... despair, anger, triumph, you name it, and I experienced it while reading this book. I can’t make up my mind what genre this book falls under; it’s an excellent blend of several. Well done!

I don’t want to give away any part of this novel, but I will say I thought the character Celia Dobbs was superbly written. The author’s writing style is clear and uncluttered, yet conveys the feel of the settings and characters very well. You will find yourself caring about the various characters and wanting to know what happens to them. The storylines are very compelling.

I haven’t read historical fiction for a long time and find myself drawn once again to this genre because of this book.

This story really blew me away. It's a great period piece that I found to be suspenseful and intriguing. It’s the kind of story that you can really get attached to. The writing was clear, crisp, and natural with a gripping story that kept me guessing all the way through. Before reading this book I had very little knowledge of the Spanish Civil war. This story was a real eye opener for me and I was absorbed in the history that was shared in an entertaining way.

This was the kind of book that was hard to walk away from. I ended up reading much longer than expected because I really wanted to know what was coming next. This emotional story touched me. The author has a real gift of telling a story that grabs you and pulls you in from start to finish.

I was emotionally absorbed into this saga that somehow felt real. It was easy to connect to the life-like characters, realistic dialog and ongoing drama. I would highly recommend “The Guardian of Secrets: And Her Deathly Pact."