The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

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.

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Lacemaker,and A Heart Adrift. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and a career firefighter. A direct descendent of George Hume of Wedderburn Castle, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion, Laura lives with her husband in Washington State. Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

While I enjoy historical fiction very much... stories that take far THIS far back in history (the 1700s) are a bit hit and miss for me... and require that I am in a particular mood to read them. The cover and title on this one caught my eye though, and having been familiar with the author as well I decided to give it a chance. 

This definitely took me some time to get into... perhaps it got off to a slower start, or perhaps it's just those previously mentioned factors at play... or a combination of both. Either way, a bit of a slow start. Even still though, the author did a great job of drawing the reader into the setting. I've not read a lot of books with a Scottish setting, but this certainly made me think that perhaps that should change. Despite the slower start and pace than I normally prefer, once the story really took off, it was quite intriguing. I found it to be a good blend of history and romance.

If you enjoy historical romance, this is certainly one to check out.