Virtues and Valor

I just finished reading the Virtues and Valor Series by Halle Bridgeman. In this series, Seven valorous women — different nationalities, ethnicities, and social backgrounds — come together as a team called the Virtues.

As many of you know, I’m not a huge fan of fiction, however I am a fan of Ms. Bridgeman. And after reading this series, I continue. This is a do not miss.

I will be posting 7 different review links (my review’s on Amazon) here for each of the 7 novella’s that make up this series. To read each review, please click on the Amazon Link or scroll down the page to this page to read all of the reviews

If you are a fan of Historical Fiction, this is a must read. If you are a fan of great writing, backed up by impeccable research, this is a must read. But be forewarned… if you are anything like me, you will loose a couple of days reading this series. I couldn’t put it down!

ABOUT AUTHOR:

Hallee Bridgeman is a best-selling Christian author who writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on true to life characters facing real world problems. Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to challenging and from heart-racing and comforting. She is the author of the Jewels Series (contemporary Christian Romance), the Song of Suspense Series (contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense), and the Virtues and Valor Series (Christian Historical Suspense) set during the second World War.

Visit the Author’s website at: http://www.hallee.bridgemanfamily.com/

Book 1 – Temperance’s Trial http://www.amazon.com/review/RYW3AEVWQ294H/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 2 – Homeland’s Hope http://www.amazon.com/review/R1008O40S8UWNE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 3 – Charity’s Code
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2989KGCEJTP2Z/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 4 – A Parcel for Prudence http://www.amazon.com/review/R1KCUQ7I2JULSA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 5 – Grace’s Ground War http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SN827EG2E8RE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 6 – Mission of Mercy http://www.amazon.com/review/R159T287ZOVBI9/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Book 7 – Flight of Faith http://www.amazon.com/review/R190SEN902NMKJ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Temperance’s Trial: Part 1 of the Virtues and Valor Series by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Introducing the Virtues and Valor series part 1 of 7 serialized stories that tell the tale of a daring rescue and escape. Each part is told from the perspective of a different heroine, and each heroine is inspired by a true WWII heroine.

MARIE GILBERT and her elder brother flee from Vichy France after the Gestapo arrest her father for suspicion of aiding Jewish children to escape the oncoming fascist front. Once in London, Marie is recruited into an experimental all female cohort dubbed the Virtues, a collection of seven extraordinary women with highly specialized skills.”

I was totally captivated by this series right from the opening of Temperance’s Trial. The depth of the characters – while based on real life heroines – is truly a work of art. This set of 7 novella’s – The Virtue and Valor Series – set in WWII about a band of young highly and uniquely skilled women is remarkable. Filled with action and suspense, you are held spellbound until the next book. If you are a fan of historical fiction and great story-telling you will thoroughly enjoy this series.

This is not the first of Ms. Bridgeman’s book that I’ve read and once again, Ms. Bridgeman hits it out of the park. The way in which the author weaves together the lives, and war time missions of these women is really great story-telling. You will be taken in from the first story, and it will hold you until the last. This is a must read series.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

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Homeland’s Hope, a Novella by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The exciting Virtues and Valor serialized story continues with book 2. Stage and screen legend VIRGINIA BENOIT performs for standing room only crowds in her adopted home of France. When the Nazis roll into Paris, she flees to Casablanca, taking the heart of a enemy General with her. While in there, Virginia devises a plan to use her position, talent, and influence with the high ranking Axis officer to aid the Allied cause.

Virginia joins the Virtues team, assigned the code-name HOPE. Her keen mind trains in the craft of espionage. After staging a rift with the US, she returns to Paris, hiding undercover in plain sight, and spies on the enemy. All is well until the Third Reich imprisons the Virtues wireless operator, code named Temperance.

Homeland’s Hope is the continuation of the Virtues and Valor Series by Hallee Bridgman. Hope is the second of the specialized “Virtue” team that we are introduced to in this series. Her character, based on real life singer, Josephine Baker uses her talents and wiles to captivate a German General all the while using her skill to take advantage of this situation to facilitate the rescue of Temperance whom we met in Book 1.

Again, you are left wanting more. You will find yourself rooting for these characters as they come to life on the pages of the books. This is another fine work by Ms. Bridgeman. In my opinion, this is historical fiction at its best.

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Charity's Code, a Novella Charity’s Code, a Novella by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The exciting Virtues and Valor serialized story continues with book 3! DORTHY EWING never met a crossword puzzle that she couldn’t solve with shocking speed. As a loving wife and mother of three children, she had an idyllic life with her home and her puzzles – until she had to see her husband off to war. Then the bombing of the Blitz began.

Now her husband Tom is a POW in Occupied France, her children have been sent to the hopeful safety of her parents’ home in York, and she is working at Bletchley Park as an assistant to cryptanalysts. After cracking the code on an encrypted letter from her husband, she is recruited into a special team called The Virtues.”

Book 3… Charity’s Code – just as powerful and intriguing as book 1 and 2. I love this series. I’m not sure why, but I just love Charity. Perhaps it’s the wife doing her part for the war effort. Perhaps it’s her somewhat simple skill of being a crossword puzzle wizard that makes her so valuable to the team. I’m not sure the reason, but Charity is so far my favorite Virtue.

I continue to be amazed at the depth of research that went into the writing of these books. Be sure not to miss the appendix’s at the end of each book that goes in depth into the women that inspired each of these characters, as well as the explanations’ of the language, technical terms, and discussion questions provided by the author. Truly remarkable. Another don’t miss for sure.

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A Parcel for Prudence, a Novella by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The exciting Virtues and Valor serialized story continues with book 4. MURIEL TOLSON grew up with all of the luxuries life could offer. As the daughter of a duke, she married the second son of an earl and lived in style on his family’s estate. When her husband ships off to fight the Nazis in Africa, Muriel heeds his request to use her intelligence and language skills to help with the war effort. She approaches the British secret services and soon finds herself recruited into an experimental all female cohort dubbed the Virtues, a collection of seven extraordinary women with highly specialized skills.

Assigned the code name of PRUDENCE, her natural French allows her to infiltrate Occupied France where she works as a courier; carrying messages, money, and sometimes people through the secret resistance network aiding the allies to accomplish very dangerous missions behind enemy lines.”

A Parcel for Prudence, book 4 of the Virtues and Valor Series. It just keeps going and going and getting better and better. What a wonderful series. These characters truly do come to life on the page. And the ability of the author to continue to interweave these stories, is such a wonderful bonus. As each book unfolds, we are introduced to a new “Virtue”, her life and her mission as part of the team.

This is another wonderfully written novella by author Hallee Bridgeman. You will love this series…. Though I would recommend that you read all of the books, in order.

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Grace’s Ground War by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The exciting Virtues and Valor series continues! RUTH AUBERTIN’s father, a highly decorated veteran of the Great War, moves his family from British Palestine to the wild of Great Britain after the Hebron masacre in 1929. He has always known the Germans would return to France, and trained his children from the time they could walk, turning them into finely tuned weapons with multiple skills ranging in weapons training to hand-to-hand combat.

When the Germans roll into France, Ruth and her brothers volunteer with the British Special Services and Ruth joins the Virtues team under the code name of GRACE. Never knowing the bond of sisterhood before, Ruth grows close to the six other women on the team and learns to rely on them and their varied skills as she goes undercover in Occupied France. Working directly for the notorious Praetorian, she and her team plan the largest prisoner escape in the war to date.”

Grace’s Ground War is the fifth installment in the Virtues and Valor Series by Hallee Bridgeman. Here we are introduced to a member of the Virtues called Grace. The character of Grace is a bit more complex than the others in her group as she is the only character being of Jewish decent, yet is a believer in Jesus Christ. You can imagine that as a Jew, this war takes her commitment and dedication to another level.

In this installment, parts of the story that have so far only been hinted at start to come to light. Characters are identified and the pieces of the largest prison break in the history of the war – the break to save Temperance – start to fall into place. One thing to say about this series is that it’s all in the details. While you will so want to keep pushing forward to get to the end… don’t. Read it all. It’s all in the details.

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Mission of Mercy by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Doctor BETTY GRIMES, miraculously survives the Nazi bombing of her hospital but suffers the loss of her fiancé in the raid. She goes to the countryside to grieve and recuperate and there meets the leader of the Virtues team who recruits the brilliant surgeon. After months of training, Betty, code-named MERCY, now works in Occupied France as a nurse, where she garners information from patients and passes it to the Allies. Secretly, she tends to injured Resistance operatives, treating gunshots and other wounds that would otherwise draw the attention of the Third Reich.

When Betty is sent to the local prison to see to a prisoner who has taken ill, her shock at finding TEMPERANCE nearly blows her cover. Now Temperance is sick and Mercy needs to get her well enough for the coming rescue operation to succeed.”

Mission of Mercy is installment six in the Virtues and Valor Series by Hallee Bridgeman. Into this band of Virtues comes Dr. Betty Grimes. Her talents and gumption fit right into the team. Each of the virtues has been chosen for the unique talent, as well as their faith, and Dr. Grimes is no different. Her character is so strong and resilient in the face of overwhelming opposition. And her role is pivotal in the extraction and life of Temperance, another Virtue that is being held and tortured by the enemy.

Amazing. This entire series so far has been a wonderful read, I am looking forward the last remaining book. That being said, Mission of Mercy does not fail to add yet another layer onto this already complex story.

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Flight of Faith by Hallee Bridgeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“THE EXCITING CONCLUSION TO THE VIRTUES AND VALOR SERIES!!

HELEN MULBERRY, the youngest child and only daughter of a wealthy Texas oil tycoon, has always had her every wish granted immediately. When the Germans march into France, no one denies her request to fly her plane to England and help free up a male pilot for combat. Her father’s influence opens doors, and 19 year old Helen joins the Virtues team.

Now under the code-name FAITH, she flies between Britain and France, transporting passengers, supplies, or performing reconnaissance. The Nazis guard their skies with vigor, and Helen learns to fly in combat, land in a field with no lights, and evade the anti-aircraft fire. She masterfully takes on each mission, despite the perceptions and chauvinistic attitudes of many of the male pilots.”

Sadly, Flight of Faith is the final installment in the Virtues and Valor Series by Hallee Bridgeman. And just like the first 6 installments, this book does not fail to capture your attention and hold you until the last sentence of the last page. The Virtue team member Faith brings a whole other layer to this band of characters. Her sassy bold attitude is what her loveable and naughty. But it’s also those attitudes that bring her and those she is sent to rescue through it all to the conclusion.

To say much more would rob the reader of the conclusion of this amazing series. The twists and turns of the plot of these stories is so well thought out and researched. The attention to detail is what makes this book so good. The author bring so much reality to a work of fiction. I, for one, am sad to see it come to an end. But I look forward to future works of Ms. Bridgeman.

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