The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz - a book review

 

Set primarily in Scotland in the early 1700’s, this historically accurate book is based on the author’s own family ancestry. That’s the first thing I loved about it.  The second is how the characters are totally reliant on their faith in God, even though they are different denominations.  Everard Hume, Lord Wedderburn, is protestant while Lady Blythe Hedley is a devout Catholic.  Through their love of God, they are able to accept and even embrace their differences. Besides the differences in their religions, they are also on opposite sides politically.  Her family supports the Jacobian cause while his is loyal to the monarch of Great Britain, King George I. Who, by the way, spoke German, not English, as I learned from this book.  The third thing I loved about this book was the author’s obvious attention to historical facts, customs, and language.

 

The plot of the story and the characters are very interesting.  You are slowly drawn into the story and become invested in the outcome.   That is my one “con” concerning this book.  It is very slow in the beginning.  This is not a book that you can pick up and read in a couple of evenings.  You have to devote a good amount of time to read it.  About half way through it tends to pick up.

This is from the publisher’s website:

"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, Blythe quietly awaits the crowning of a new 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 her maid 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. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

In this whirlwind of intrigue, ambitions, and shifting alliances, Blythe yearns for someone she can trust. But the same forces that draw her and Everard together also threaten to tear them apart.”

 Read an excerpt HERE

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a strong, faith based, historically accurate, Christian romance and who doesn’t mind devoting several hours to read it.

Learn more about Laura Frantz and her other books HERE  

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and Baker
Publishing Group through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”