The Rose and the Thistle | Review

The Rose and the Thistle Published by Revell by Laura Frantz
on January 3, 2023
Genres: Christian, European Literature, Scottish, Romance, Clean, Cultural, Historical
Pages: 416
Format: ARC, Paperback
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads
Also by this author: Tidewater Bride, A Heart Adrift, The Seamstress of Acadie
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

ISBN: 080074067X
Rating:

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.

Laura Frantz is unequal in her ability to weave a beautiful, romantic, historical fiction. There’s no doubt that I always come away having learned more about whatever slice of history she’s chosen.

In The Rose and the Thistle, Frantz tackles the 18th century, Scotland, during the Jacobite Rebellion. And while we do get to learn more about this stage in history from Frantz’s perspective, I think I more appreciated seeing the situations from a more personal angle.

The characters were just–dare I say “flawless”, in this one. To the point where there wasn’t so much character growth–just more relationship growth by the end. Which is really okay. Because it was everything on the outside that the reader finds a challenge. The only real conflict between the main characters, Everard and Blythe, was their inability to trust each other fully at first–with good reason.

This story has really stuck with me in the end. It was inspirational and sweet. And even though it is Christian fiction, Frantz does an excellent job of staying just-this-side of preachy.

 

 

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