Goddess Fish Promotions Presents

1833 Brothers & Sisters
by J. A. Boulet

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $15 Amazon/BN GC – Enter Below

A peek into the Underground Railroad and the tumultuous period before the American Civil War.

In 1833 Philadelphia, the northern states of America were changing, and not everyone was keen on altering the status quo. Black slaves were being freed, and new slaves were no longer allowed.

But the southern states didn’t always agree. Natives were being thrown out of their homes for living too close to gold, and escaped black slaves were being hunted down. Jesse Eastman controls the affluent Eastman Empire and frees a former slave, his half-sister Georgina. But some family members don’t like it.

When an estranged brother gets the idea to let a ruthless gang of property buyers initiate a takeover, all hell breaks loose.

1833 Brothers & Sisters will pull you into an old western-style family saga, filled with greed, marital love, family conflict, and smoking gun shootouts

4 out of 5

This was an interesting book, a bit slow to start, but once it got going it was easy to get lost in it. My only real complaint is how big the cast of characters is – while I appreciate the cast of characters list at the start, it was still difficult to keep track of who was who at the very start. That said, I was impressed by Boulet’s ability to bring the past to life, and how complex the characters were. They felt real, like you could be reading a first-hand account of events that actually happened. The family strife and conflict, especially leading up to the civil war, echoes accounts of families being torn apart because of opposing views by the time the war happened. Some of the tension also highlights how bloody the starting of the US was, and how many wars occurred within a 100 year time period. Definitely recommend if you enjoy historical fiction, as the romance was a lighter element.

Jesse grasped the large oak front door. “You are no longer an Eastman,” Jesse stated angrily. “Get out.”

“I live here too,” Billy stated incredulously.

“Not any longer,” Jesse replied.

“I have my belongings here.”

“I will have the servants collect your belongings and deliver them to you by carriage.”

“You can’t do this!” Billy yelled, indignantly.

“I sure can!” Jesse shouted back, systematically rolling up his sleeves. “I noticed that you signed this agreement today, probably at Bartholomew’s office, and you came here right after. Big mistake, Billy. You are officially estranged from the Eastman Empire as of today. Get out and don’t come back. Your signature officially means nothing as of today.” Jesse straightened his shoulders and braced himself for the physical fight. “We have witnesses to attest to this.” Jesse waved his arms around the room.

Billy’s eyes darted toward the stairs where Zee was watching the entire event unfold, and to the hallway where several servants gathered from the kitchen. Almost ten people stared at Billy, waiting for his next move.

“You always were the one that Father hated,” Billy sneered, hoping that his brother would do something stupid.

Jesse leapt at Billy. The younger brother took a few steps back and narrowly escaped the range of Jesse’s arms.

Jesse came closer and growled in Billy’s face angrily. “If you don’t leave now, I will pick you up myself and throw you out.”

Amazon | Goodreads

J. A. Boulet is a passionate historical fiction novelist weaving tales with strong romantic themes. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with strong moral convictions, which she has stood behind all her life. Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to accounting. After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually. 

She lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Follow the tour here
The more posts you comment on, the more entries you get!