When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. Overall, The Heart of a King was an intriguing, gripping look into the life of one of history's most famous kings. Highly recommended for fans of well-written Biblical fiction. The author speculated as to which woman Solomon married first and chose Naamah for this distinction. Seeing her perspective as the first wife - how she would have reacted in finding out that Solomon was to marry again. And again. And again. Ouch! I absolutely adored this story. I'm a major fan of both Abishag and Nicaula 😍😍 Naamah was cool. As for Siti 😡⁣ King Solomon pissed me off quite a bit. For all his wisdom, he was a complete fool.⁣ I loved the cameos that King David and Queen Bathsheba had. Truly enjoyed this!! Award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith’s latest biblical fiction novel, The Heart of a King, is a fascinating look into the life of King Solomon, his incredible wisdom granted by God, his numerous foreign wives and many indulgences, which ultimately led to his downfall. Jill Eileen Smith is a master at bringing Scripture to life and realistically filling in the details which encourages readers to dig deeper into the Bible and discover more about the word of God.

I appreciated the uniqueness of each woman’s story, and how they intertwined, not only with King Solomon, but also with each other throughout their lives. I loved her nonfiction book, When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams, which I reviewed just a little while ago. My new favorite from this author, The Heart Of A King is a novel I think lovers of biblical fiction would very much enjoy reading! The former Prince of Wales has lived his whole life in the public eye, yet he remains an enigma. He was born to be king, but he aims much higher. A landmark publication, Charles: The Heart of a King reveals Charles in all his complexity: the passionate views that mean he will never be as remote and impartial as his mother; the compulsion to make a difference and the many and startling ways in which the Prince and now King of the United Kingdom and fifteen other realms has already made his mark.

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With tenderness and hopefulness, this story will wrap you up and put you in the center of a time, that is only read about in the Bible, of a time many have forgotten to remember. The rich historic detail is vivid and captivating and Smith has once again managed to make me fall in love with yet another amazing book. This is beyond 5 star worthy and I hope you, too, will fall in love with the story of Solomon and his loves. The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. The four wives and their characters showed the complex man Solomon was underneath his wisdom, love for beauty and women, and passion. Naamah, his first wife and mother of his heir, was his first political obligation and passion of his youth though he didn't love her as much as she loved him. Abishag shared his curiosity, joy in song and poetry, and offered him comfort and unconditional acceptance. Siti, an Egpytian princess, captured him with her exotic beauty and intelligence that challenged his belief in One God. Nicaula, the Queen of Sheba, sought to learn from Solomon's wisdom and, in return, learned about Solomon's One True God and sacrificial love. The incorporation of David and Bathsheba into the story at the beginning was also quite delightful.

Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. (pg. 186) It would please me best if, at the last, a marble stone shall record that this Queen having lived such and such a time, lived and died a virgin.’ I have not yet read the individual Loves of King Solomon books, but I thought this book read well by itself, although I may have received a more “rounded” view of the women had I read them beforehand. This is a balanced story about Solomon, showing both his mistakes but also his desire to stay true to God.

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Nicaula, the virgin Queen of Sheba who seeks Solomon's wisdom and a trade agreement. In her search, she finds wisdom for herself in a relationship with the God of Israel.