The Betrayal

Ensnared in a religion she increasingly questions, Bronwyn faces an impossible choice.

When recently widowed Bronwyn becomes teh second wife to Gabriel MacKay, she promises her new sister wife and best friend, Mary Rose, that the marriage will remain platonic. But she finds herself falling in love with the man who has promised to keep her safe - even as her heart struggles with her promise to her friend. When Gabriel marries a third wife, and as the practice of polygamy increases and the age of brides decreases, Bronwyn begins to question the righteousness of this new religion.

Even as the Saints journey to Salt Lake Valley, their new promised land, Bronwyn and Mary Rose plot their escape. But when they are suspected of treachery by Brigham Young's secret army - whose mission it is to punish apostates - the two sister wives face the most difficult decision of their lives, one than mean the life or death for those they love.

In the second book in the Brides of Gabriel series, The Betrayal by Diane Noble, picks up where The Sister Wife left off. Now that the MacKay family is beginning to settle in their new lifestyle, Bronwyn and Mary Rose's relationship as friends and now sister wives at time is strained, especially when Mary Rose has complications during child birth and loses her child. She asks Bronwyn to step in and provide care for her and Gabriel while they attempt to build their family.

Yet when Bronwyn is torn between fulfilling her commitment as a second wife to Gabriel, he tells her that one of those duties is to have a child. Feeling torn between her feelings to Gabriel and those to Mary Rose, she sleeps with Gabriel only to feel guilty in the process. However Brigham Young's teachings are to provide full quivers of children in each of the men's households and unfortunately this means that even the 14-year old girls now are being considered for marriage.

This is when Bronwyn questions her faith she adopted from the church of England and what the Bible teaches versus what the prophets are telling Brigham Young. She soon realizes that she can't continue to be a part of this religion especially when Sarah is about to be married off, and if that means she has to be thrown out of the community and punished then she is going to do what's right not only in her heart but in the heart of God.

I received this book compliments of HarperCollins Publishers for my honest review. It's an interesting read into the history of the beliefs of Brigham Young's religion and his basis for polygamy that continues in some states even today even though its against the law. They believed in restoring the Old Covenant from the Bible and that meant the taking of many wives. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars and for those of you looking for more insight in the historical basis for polygamy based religions then this is a perfect introduction for you.

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The Betrayal by Diane Noble