The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz

 

The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz - 3.5 (rounding up to 4 on Goodreads)

If you know me, you know I have LOVED the 2 Laura Frantz books I have read, The Rose and the Thistle and A Bound Heart. I adore her writing and the Scotland settings she brings to life. Although I found this book enjoyable, I personally struggled a little with the French dialogue/language. For those who appreciate a slow-burn romance, have an interest for all things French and are interested in delving into Acadian history, I recommend giving this one a read! The conclusion was particularly satisfying as it beautifully resolved the love story amidst the challenges they had faced.

Set in 1754 when tensions were high between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore (modern-day Nova Scotia), Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family end up caught up in the unrest as they prepare for the Christmas (Noel) season. William Blackburn, a British Army Ranger but also a Scottish hero, comes in and at first, they aren't too sure about his allegiance but he soon proves himself to be someone who can be trusted and becomes an ally. The story unfolds, portraying the hardships faced by the Acadians as they are forcibly displaced from their homeland, compelled to forge new lives for their families.

Laura Frantz brings to life this setting, as she usually does in her books. I did not know anything about the Acadian people before I started this book so it was very interesting to learn about all they went through. I did want a bit more of the romance together but overall, the ending made up for it. The faith thread in this was also nice to see and very naturally added.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6010521231
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vBeD5l
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542752

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A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz

A Bound Heart - Laura Frantz - 4.5 Stars - A Captivating Christian Historical Romance!

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz is a captivating Christian Historical Romance that will transport readers to 18th-century Scotland and Colonial Virginia. We have a richly detailed setting, complex characters, and a beautiful love story. As someone who found her love for Scotland through books like Outlander but am now looking for clean reads that have the same atmosphere, this gave me everything I was looking for in that regard. It’s so nice to read a story in 1700s Scotland, around the time of the Culloden War, plus on the brink of the American Revolution and have a story that is clean and have faith elements! Thank you, Laura Frantz, for bringing the characters and story to life!

This is the story of Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall. They grew up on the same castle grounds and Magnus is now the Laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is the keeper of the bees there and helps his wife’s fertility issues with elixirs and healing herbs. One day, his wife dies suddenly, and Lark and Magnus find themselves under some outrageous accusations. They are sent away from their island and start new in the Virginia Colony. Lark finds herself a caretaker of a newborn little boy and we see so many twists and turns in the story as they embark on this new beginning.

This was SO close to a 5-star read for me, I think many of you will LOVE it too! I wanted a little bit more of Lark and Magnus together, maybe an epilogue of sorts and while I didn’t love some of the love triangle bits, these moments definitely contributed to the emotional depth of the story with the ending. Overall, such a compelling historical romance that brought us a great Scottish love story!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5697409190
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rvSm6Z
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/39059 

YouTube Video Review: https://youtu.be/72VyCcYGEx4

The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz

 

The Rose and the Thistle - Laura Frantz - 5 Stars - LOVED this book! The setting. Characters. Romance. LOVE!

When I first read the synopsis of The Rose & The Thistle by Laura Frantz, I KNEW this book was going to be a new favorite of mine. I love stories set in Scotland, particularly during the 1700s and the added details surrounding the Jacobite Uprising, the Scottish Highlands/Lowlands, the Stuarts, the Scottish dialogue – were perfection! This was my first Laura Frantz read and it will NOT be my last! 5 big stars for such a stunning Christian historical fiction with a sweet, clean romance between a “Sassenach” Englishwoman and a hunk of a Scotsman!

Set in 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley, who is the daughter of a Jacobite sympathizer and enemy of the British crown, finds herself forced to flee her home in Northern England to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland. She is sent there for her protection when she meets the Scottish Laird, Lord Everard Wedderburn. Everard has recently assumed his position as Laird of Wedderburn Castle and proceeds to honor his father’s last wish to offer Lady Blythe protection since she was his father’s goddaughter. There is so much political turmoil going on during this time between Scotland and England so keeping her safe is going to be a task for Everard. The story takes off from here as we learn all about their families, history and how they get to know one another.

As I said, this book was right up my alley. I am a big Outlander fan, so I am already familiar with so much surrounding this time period in Scotland, the Jacobite rebellion, the Stuarts, Culloden War, and the Scottish dialogue. Laura Frantz truly transports you right in the middle of this phenomenal historical setting in Scotland and you truly root for the characters in each situation. The romance is a slow burn that made my heart SO happy at the end. I love a Scotsman in a book and this book did NOT disappoint! I also loved the faith messages interweaved throughout the story.

For those that struggle with Historical settings at times, I think this would still be a good book for you because I was not bored in any way. I feel like she truly brought to life the history of Scotland during this time with our characters.

Overall, my Scottish loving heart was SO happy to have read this and I hope many of you will pick this one up! I can’t wait to read more of Laura’s books this year! Thank you to Baker Publishing, Revell and NetGalley for a copy of this book to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4840572436
Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3OdHmUI
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465055
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmUXgZGhqm4&t=64s