Book Review: The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz

Sandra Ardoin @SandraArdoin

What a simple, but elegant, cover.

The 18th century has never been one of those eras I believed would make an interesting setting for my reads, but over the past three or four years I’ve discovered a growing list of novels and authors who have made the time period come alive for me. 

Laura Frantz’s books are quickly becoming some of my favorites. I found The Mistress of Tall Acre amazing. Now, we have The Lacemaker with the sweet Lady Elisabeth Lawson and the, well…noble…Noble Rynallt—a Sons of Liberty hero worthy of the status.

Quickly she [Elisabeth] calculated what little she knew of him [Noble]. Welsh to the bone. Master of a large James River estate. Recently bereft of a sister. A lawyer turned burgess. The Rynallts were known for their horses, were they not? Horse racing?

 ———–

She was certain of only one thing.

Noble Rynallt was here because Miles was not.

Raised in luxury in Williamsburg, Virginia, Elisabeth is the daughter of the Lieutenant Governor (a King’s man) and a female, rabble-rousing Patriot. Noble, the cousin of Elisabeth’s no-good intended, risks his life and everything he owns for Liberty (more than one meaning there  🙂 ). When Elisabeth’s world is turned upside-down, she’s stuck in the middle between two sides on the verge of war.

Besides the look into a turbulent time in American history, the heroine echoed the cause through her attempt to move from being her father’s doormat to finding freedom in becoming Liberty.  The interaction with Patrick Henry was fun and provided a bit of enlightenment into the “Give me liberty, or give me death!” historical figure. Having toured Williamsburg in the past, the setting felt familiar. I saw in my mind the Governor’s Palace—especially with the description of the walls with the weapons. 

The romance is sweet with Noble’s effort to protect Elisabeth from both sides. However, I’ll admit I felt impatient with them at times. (No spoiler. After all, this is a romance.) And Noble is the kind of man you’d want your daughter to marry—courageous, compassionate, and self-sacrificing.

I know it’s only the beginning of 2018, but I’m predicting this story will be among my favorites for the year.

So, what era doesn’t appeal to you—one you absolutely, or are not likely, to enjoy reading about? What would change your mind?