Fountains and Secrets by Lisa Betz Review

 Happy Monday Bookish Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading the first book in Lisa Betz's Livia Aemilia Mysteries series, and it was honestly one of the most pleasant surprises of my reading year. It was unlike anything I'd ever read before, and I truly ended up loving it.

You can check out that review here.

When she contacted me this month about reading the second book, I honestly jumped at the chance, and today I can't wait to tell you guys all about it.

Keep reading below for my full review.

Fountains and Secrets by Lisa E. Betz:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author

Publisher: Redemption Press

Publication Date: December 20th, 2021

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Series: Livia Aemilia Mysteries

Synopsis:

In bustling, affluent ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius, status matters—yet some dare to ignore it. And some dare to defy social conventions.

Inspired by Jesus’s radical views, unconventional Livia Aemilia cares little about stuffy Roman dignity. She’d rather help others and solve crimes. But when her new husband forbids her from sleuthing, she continues in secret and soon learns that dishonesty doesn’t work well in a marriage.

His face and reputation scarred from an old betrayal, Memmius Avitus cares about justice. Although from a respected senatorial family, he takes pride in helping underprivileged clients win legal battles over more privileged opponents, to the annoyance of his peers.

When Avitus’s mentor is murdered, Avitus investigates undercover because he doesn’t want his inquisitive wife to get involved. His attempts to conceal the truth only cause more problems for his reputation—and his marriage. Eventually the couple forms a tenuous alliance, but when Avitus learns the mastermind behind the crimes is a ruthless longtime enemy, he fears for Livia’s safety and orders her to stop. His reluctance to explain why only infuriates her into reckless action.

Fountains and Secrets, book 2 in the Livia Aemilia Mysteries, is quirky, fast paced, and clever, showing readers that trust and honesty are more important than winning the battle of the wills.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Very rarely has a book completely surprised me as much as the first installment in Lisa E. Betz's Livia Aemilia Mystery series did, and I've been anxiously awaiting the second book ever since. Fountains and Secrets did not disappoint, and is an excellent and worthy follow up. Readers everywhere will love following along newly married Livia and her somewhat closed off husband Avitus as they stumble upon a new murder-this time of Avitus's childhood mentor, and will stop at nothing to see justice served. 

The author's descriptive and whimsy writing style makes the reader feel like they are in ancient Rome, sleuthing right along with Livia and her diverse cast of household staff members. The historical detail and accuracy in this installment was spot on and intriguing-especially considering how it all ties into the developing mystery. 

We're shown a lot of character growth from the first book, and I loved how while each character has all of their quirky traits we've come to know and love, they've also each matured in their roles in this second installment. Roxanna was a hoot as always, we see the addition of a new bodyguard for Livia, we're given more insight into Avitus's chosen profession, and we get a more in depth look into the new marriage between Livia and Avitus.

The faith element is definitely an important part of the series, and I enjoyed Livia's heartfelt journey as she tries to both follow Jesus and honor her husband at the same time. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this journey will lead in future stories. 

This series is truly unlike anything I've ever read before, and I enjoyed this one just as much as I did Death and a Crocodile. It was one of those rare books that I could barely bring myself to put down, and yet wanted to take my time as I didn't ever want the story to end. I love when an author can completely immerse me in a story like that, and I can't possibly recommend this one enough.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Lisa E. Betz for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)