The Herbarium

Title: The Herbarium

Author: Pamela Chartrand

Publication Date: April 30, 2022

Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Time Travel

Rating: 4 cowboy boots 👢👢👢👢

Summary: The Herbarium, an enchanted sacred text written by the ancients, is safely hidden in a monastery outside of Chartres… or is it?

In present day California, thirty-something Paige Delaney is struggling to cope. Since the death of her husband, she’s felt lost, aimless and frustrated. At the urging of her best friend, she accepts an invitation to join a Wiccan ceremony.

And it’s a night that changes everything.

Haunted by the vivid apparition she sees in the bonfire, Paige is sent reeling when her mother reveals a long-kept family secret: that Paige is a descendant of a powerful line of witches. With the help of past life regression expert Jack Kaplan, Paige begins a heart-pounding journey to 600 years in the past.

There, two unlikely allies have been tasked with the ultimate mission: to save the gravely wounded King of France from certain death.

It's a race to deliver the sacred text that holds the key to his survival.
But more than that…
… it’s a perilous path that will lead right back to Paige, herself.

My thoughts: This was a lighthearted, quick, and enjoyable read. None of the character development is very deep but that doesn't impact the flow of the plot at all. The dual timelines were woven together in a visionary and creative way. Both timelines had their strengths. The past timeline had more characters which in turn allowed for a richer reading experience. Not only did the past timeline explore the animosity between the Catholics and the Huguenots, it also explored the value of the old beliefs and the knowledge that a connection to nature brought. The timeline with Paige and Jack was intriguing because of the unraveling of the deceptions that Paige encountered and the swiftness of the connection between the two of them. Readers who enjoy authors such as Paula Brackston, Patricia Davis, and Luanne Smith will likely gobble this one right up.

I received a copy of this title via BookSirens.