The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz Reviewed

 

About the book:

Title: The Rose and the Thistle

Author: Laura Frantz

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance

In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.

No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with the clothes on her back and her mistress in tow. He has his own problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction in the wake of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies--and those who pretend friendship may be enemies.

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My Thoughts

Laura Frantz is the Queen of 18th-century writing. I have been a fan since I read The Frontiersman's Daughter in 2009. Her prose and research are sublime and have become something this reader has come to enjoy with each new book.

While her stories have stayed close to home here in America this year she wrote about a Scottish rogue in a Scottish castle. Everard is the perfect Scottish swoony hero and Blythe is the perfect English heroine. A rose to his thistle, in so many ways.

There is something so swoon-worthy and comforting about a man who has a quiet inner faith like Everard. While we see his baroque-ness in the book it's his faith that really stands out.

I adored Blythe. Her frustration about being hidden away and worry about her father during this Jacobite time were real and palpable on the page. 

Everard's youngest brother, Orin, who Blythe tutors is a sweet addition to the cast of characters.

This book is beautifully layered from the moment we meet Blythe to the last word. It is richly detailed in not only the Scottish Lowlands but both the English and French countryside. Within those layers, Ms. Frantz includes family, political, and romantic tensions that keep the reader glued to the page. Reading her Author's Note at the end of the book makes the book a more personal read. 

I am always excited to read a new release by Laura Frantz and always sad when it ends. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Laura Frantz:

I was born and raised in Kentucky, living first in Ashland, Mammoth Cave, Bowling Green, and then Lexington. But my heart has always been in Berea, Madison County, the place my family has resided since the 18th-century. I came to know Christ there at the age of 12, was baptized, and spent my childhood roaming through the woods and swimming in the rivers of my books.

My earliest memories are of the public library, standing in front of shelves filled with those little biographies of famous historical figures like Daniel Boone and George Washington and Sacajawea. I began scribbling stories at age 7 and thankfully never stopped. My passion then and now is history and all the wonders of past centuries.

I attended college at Denison University in Ohio and also in England, living in a manor/castle and studying the American Revolution from the British perspective. Shakespeare and 18th-century literature form the backbone of my English degree. Strangely enough, I only took one creative writing class.

It was never a desire of mine to be published. I simply love to write for the sheer joy of writing – and that was enough. But as Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

I hope my books bless you.

You can find Laura on these platforms; Website || Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest || Twitter