Review: The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

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--readers find it all in the rich pages of this newest historical novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz. Her careful historical details immerse the reader in the story world, and her emotional writing and finely tuned characters never cease to enchant fans both old and new.

My Review

There's something about Laura Frantz's writing that transports me to the setting of the book and I am completely immersed! There are so many rich historical details from a time period I don't often read about- post American Revolution. I was surprised to learn about much of the turmoil that was still going on after the war was over. The characters were easy to envision and had many layers to them. Sophie is so strong and dignified but her desperate circumstances are humbling. She immediately develops a loving relationship with the general's young daughter which provided brightness and showed Sophie's maternal instincts. Seamus and Sophie have an interesting dynamic which is constantly in flux as they deal with the pressures and dilemmas of the time. Even though it seems like their relationship is one step forward, two steps back, once an eye-opening scare compels them to communicate the feelings that each had developed for the other, they have some very sweet romantic moments in the midst of overwhelming trials. The ending was not wrapped up quickly which I appreciated, I felt like there was a fullness to the story as I finished it. Highly recommend!

(Thank you to Revell Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)