The Lacemaker Book Review

SUMMARY:  It is the eve of a new age of freedom in the colonies.  But can a proper English lady dare hope for her own independence?
     Lady Elizabeth "Liberty" Lawson has nearly everything a lady of her position could want.  Daughter of the British lieutenant governor of the Virginia Colony and a darling of fine society in a rugged land, she is anticipating an advantageous marriage.  That her betrothed is a rake and love is lacking is of little consequence - or so she tells herself.
     Though her own life seems in order, colonial Williamsburg is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, and her fiance's cousin Noble Rynallt carries the flame of revolution in his heart.  Those with connections to the British nobility are suspected as spies, and Liberty soon finds herself left with a terrible choice.  Will she stay true to her English roots? Or side with Noble and the radical revolutionaries?

REVIEW:  Laura Frantz's latest novel transported me back to the beginning of our great nation and the difficulties that were faced by all citizens - both British and Colonial.  Liberty has to make a difficult decision - go with her father and wait for this uprising to end or support the locals she has grown up with in their pursuit of freedom.  I like how the author shows her reader Liberty's struggles and how she finds a way to support herself during this difficult time.  In doing so, she discovers a way serve her new country and show support for her fellow Colonists. 
     I like how Nobel Rynallt is a gentleman and a Patriot at all times. He helps protect Liberty when events turn ugly.  When standing for what he believes in comes at a great cost, Nobel doesn't hesitate.      As I read this story, I had envisioned some things I thought might happen with different characters and during certain events.  Ms. Frantz kept me on my toes and guessing as to how she would work things out.  I like that the story was not predictable but was engaging and kept my interest throughout.  This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.

This book was provided by Revell for review without any compensation.

Laura Frantz Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Mistress of Tall Acre, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

A Moonbow Night Book Review

SUMMARY:  In an uncertain time, she faces a choice that will change her life forever.
     After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River.  It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke . . . men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew, looking for an experienced guide.
     Though he balks when Tempe is appointed to lead his team through the wilderness, it isn't long before Sion must admit that her abilities may outmatch his own.  But can the tenuous tie they are forming survive the dangers waiting just around the bend?
     With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons you to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

REVIEW:  Set during the Revolutionary War, this story takes place on the western side of the Cumberland Mountains, away from the fighting British and Patriot troops .  The danger that faces the settlers of this area are Indians determined to keep these newcomers off their land and out of their territories.  Ms. Frantz brings to life a part of American history most people have forgotten about: the gradual move west, across the mountains into areas only occupied by Native Americans and the major hardships they faced.
     Having read all but one of this author's novels, I kind of knew what to expect.  As I went through this book, though, I found myself having a more difficult time following the conversations between the characters.  Quite often I had to reread passages because I didn't understand what was being said, or pick up on the subtle nuances that were being communicated.  Also, she uses a lot of terms and names of items that are no longer in use.  To get a better understanding of the scene or circumstances, I would pulled out my dictionary, but some of the terms weren't there.
     All that said, this story was an attention grabber.  I kept wondering what would happen next, how Sion and Tempe would get out of difficult situations, and how things were going to end.  Temperance, or Tempe as she is often referred to, is one strong girl who doesn't know when to give up.  She kept up with the men without complaint and kept her wits about her during difficult times.
     Laura Frantz does not disappoint with this novel.

This book was provided by Revell for review without any compensation.

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Mistress of Tall Acre, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

The Mistress of Tall Acre Book Review

SUMMARY:  There can only be one mistress of Tall Acre.
     The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news.  When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come.  But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost.  When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?
     Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal - you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz.

REVIEW:  Laura Frantz does a great job showing her readers what life after the American Revolution might have been like for those who served and for one who's loyalty to the cause is questioned due to familial choices.  Sophie was born in Scotland but raised in America, a land she loved.  But, because her father chose to side with the British and moved back to the familial lands in Scotland, Sophie is considered an outcast.
     I enjoyed reading how Seamus' daughter Lily Cate loved Sophie and was ready to accept her as her new mother.  I also liked how Sophie's faith played a big part in everything she did and how it affected those around her for the better.  The author threw a curve ball with the return of the woman from the general's past.  I was not expecting it and loved how everything worked out in the end.
     This is a great book.  Check it out!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

Love's Fortune Book Review

Ballantyne Legacy

Book Three

SUMMARY:  With two very different horizons stretched out before her, one young woman stands n the cusp of an unknown future.

     Sheltered since birth at her Kentucky home, Rowena "Wren" Ballantyne has heard only whispered rumors of her grandfather Silas's vast fortune and grand manor in Pennsylvania.  When her father receives a rare letter summoning him to New Hope, Wren makes the journey with him and quickly finds herself in a whole new world - family members she's never met, dances she's never learned, and a new side to the father she thought she knew.

     As she struggles to fit in during their extended stay, she finds a friend in James Sackett, the most valued steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line.  Even with his help, Wren feels she may never be comfortable in high society.  Will she go her own way . . . to her peril?

     With her signature attention to historical detail and emotional depth, Laura Frantz brings 1850s Pennsylvania alive with a tender story of loss, love, and loyalty.

REVIEW:  This book is a fitting end of this series.  I felt for Wren: going from the backwoods of Kentucky to the large city of Pittsburgh; from wearing homespun dresses to wearing silk dresses and corsets; from handcrafting excellent violins and playing passionately what her heart desired to playing in the drawing rooms and having to keep a rein on her emotions; from working beside her father making musical instruments every day to him traveling long distances for months on end.  The Ballantynes come along side Wren and tries to help her adjust to this new world.  I like how this book seems to tie up the loose ends and ends on a wonderful note.  

     To get a complete picture of the struggles of all the Ballantynes and how they affect each family members' past, present and future, you need to read the other two books.  If you don't, you should still be able to understand most of the dynamics.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Love's Reckoning, and Love's Awakening.  She currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.  Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net. 

Love's Awakening Book Review

The Ballantyne Legacy Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  The path to true love lies somewhere between two feuding families.

     In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburgh only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay.  Determined to stand her ground and find her place in the world, Ellie fills her time by opening a day school for young ladies.

     But when one of her students turns out to be an incorrigible young member of the Turlock family, Ellie knows she must walk a fine line.  Slaveholders and whiskey magnates, the Turlocks are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of the abolitionist leanings.  As Ellie becomes increasingly entangled with the rival clan - particularly the handsome Jack Turlock - she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future.  Will she betray her family and side with the enemy?

     Master storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love and loyalty.  This is the Ballantyne Legacy.

REVIEW:  This novel picks up about 20-25 years after the first book in this series, Love's Reckoning, ends and focuses on Silas and Eden's youngest daughter, Ellie.  To fully comprehend the rivalry between the Ballantynes and Turlocks, better understand the history of Silas and Eden's relationship, the conflicts with certain family members and how all this relates to this story, you really need to read Book One.  That said, this storyline was great, another Romeo and Juliet-type romance between Ellie Ballantyne and Jack Turlock.  Both Ellie and Jack know they cannot be together and try their hardest to fight any feelings they have for each other.
     This story is interesting and I liked how the author intertwined everything together.  You see how the conflict between the two families affects more than just them with their attitudes and decisions.  The Ballantynes help slaves escaping to freedom and the Turlocks try to expose their efforts, endangering both families and townspeople.
     This is a great book and I can't wait to read the third one, due sometime next year.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Laura Frantz is the author of several books, including The Colonel's Lady and Love's Reckoning.  A two-time Carol Award and INSPY Award finalist and a recent Christy Award finalist, she currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons. 

Love's Reckoning Book Review

The Ballantyne Legacy

Book One

SUMMARY:  On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Leige Lee in York County, Pennsylvania.  Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west.  But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep him in Lancaster by appealing to an old tradition:  the apprentice shall marry one of his master's beautiful daughters.

     Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning.  But are they truly who they appear to be?  In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future.  Which one will claim Silas's heart - and will he agree to Leige's arrangement?

     In this sweeping family saga, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come.  This is the Ballantyne Legacy.

REVIEW:  Silas wants to finish his apprenticeship and head west with no delay.  But, if Leige has his way, Silas will marry one of his daughters and continue to build his blacksmith business.  Elspeth, the oldest daughter is manipulative, conniving, loose with her morals and lies.  Eden is like her name: a little piece of heaven in the chaos of her household but abused by her father and sister and left to manage the house and help their mom take care of her younger brother and Elspeth's illegitimate son.  Silas and Eden fall in love and decide to leave to start a new life together in western Pennsylvania, but they are forced to face even more problems and revelations which changes everything. 

     This is an awesome book!!!  It is the first in a series with many possible storylines to tie into future volumes.  My heart went out to Eden and Silas and the many difficulties they had to face and soared when they finally find each other again.  I can't wait for the rest of the series to be completed and published!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Laura Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel's Lady.  A two-time Carol Award finalist, she is a Kentuckian living in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.  She enjoys connecting with readers on Facebook and at LauraFrantz.net.

The Colonel's Lady Book Review

SUMMARY:  Can love survive the secrets kept buried within a tormented heart?
     Roxanna Rowan may be a genteel Virginia woman, but she is determined to brave the wilds of the untamed frontier to reach a remote Kentucky fort.  Eager to reunite with her father, who serves under Colonel Cassius McLinn, Roxanna is devastated to find that her father has been killed on a campaign.
     Penniless and out of options, Roxanna is forced to remain at the fort.  As she spends more and more time wth the fiery Colonel McLinn, the fort is abuzz with intrigue and innuendo.  Can Roxanna truly know who the colonel is - and what he's done?
    Immerse yourself in this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness set in the tumultuous world of the frontier in 1779.

REVIEW:  Oh, my gravy!!!  This book had me spellbound within the first few pages.  At the very beginning of the book, the author lets you know that Colonel McLinn is loosely based on Colonel George Rogers Clark, a soldier during the Revolutionary War who had a tragic life.  She "felt compelled to give him a happier ending," giving him the life and love she thought he might have had if his life had turned out differently.  Mrs. Frantz did an outstanding job!  I felt like I was there with the characters watching everything as it happened.  I love how Roxanna's character looked after and helped the "ladies" (of the evening) she traveled downriver with, risking her reputation.  There were enough twists, turns and mystery to keep you guessing until the end.  The was a fantastic book and I look forward to reading other stories written by her.  BRAVO!

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for review without compensation.

Laura Frantz credits her grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history.  Frantz's family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in the late eighteenth century and settled in Madison County, where her family still resides.  Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.  Learn more about her books, read her blog, and learn fun facts at www.laurafrantz.net.