Review: The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz |New Release

History, romance, and suspense all combine with Laura Frantz’s poetic writing style to bring readers another captivating novel filled with characters that quickly become the dearest of friends.

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:

Laura Frantz has been one of my favorite authors ever since I stumbled onto a copy of The Colonel’s Lady and then discovered Courting Morrow Little.  Those two books completely entranced me – the characters, the romance, the settings, all the history I ingested by default. Especially the Kentucky history – being a resident of this beautiful state, I was fascinated by the glimpses into its rich frontier heritage.  (Did y’all know that, outside of the 13 original colonies and Vermont, Kentucky was the next state to become part of the Union? Yep. #15.) I’ve since gobbled up every other book penned by the beautiful Laura Frantz and squealed like a teenage fangirl when the mailman brought me her latest hit, The Mistress of Tall Acre. 

I only have one problem with Laura’s books – I always find myself in a reading-speed dilemma. On the one hand, I want to exercise all of my reading superpowers and turn those pages as fast as I can because I must find out what happens next. On the other hand, I feel the need to force myself to slow down and savor each gorgeous, poetic word.  I usually just compromise and read each book at least twice.  Such a hardship 😉

Anyway, I have digressed.

“On this day, 8 August, 1778, a child was safely delivered… Nay, not safely. Anything but safely.” And with that line, readers are invited on a journey that will take them through twists (including some stunning surprise ones!) and turns, over mountains and into valleys, in turn both heart-wrenching and heartwarming.

The Mistress of Tall Acre is more than your typical marriage-of-convenience story. Rife with tensions from every side, this is a touching story of history – of healing, of new beginnings, and of friendship.  It tells of a fledgling country, just waking from a hard-fought birth. Of a widowed war hero returned home with a daughter who may as well be a stranger, embroiled in a custody war that should have no merit but does.  Of a young woman betrayed by those she trusted, on the brink of homelessness, in love with a man who can only offer her rescue. Of a precocious little girl in need of a mother, uncertain of her father, frightened of danger she sees lurking in the distance. 

These characters are so poignant, so lifelike, that I could easily relate to them despite our worlds being centuries apart.  In fact, yesterday my husband and I ate at an historic tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky (opened in 1779) and I half-expected Seamus and Sophie and Lily Cate to be there at the next table. I did keep an eye out for them, as this inn was their contemporary, but alas… I couldn’t bridge the time-space-fiction continuum long enough to spy them 😉

Speaking of Lily Cate – I just adored her! A little bit sweet, a little bit sassy, a whole lot of cute. The way she champions Sophie won me immediately, and her slow warm to her father melted me in every possible way. Near the end when she and Sophie share a secret, oh my goodness – the adorableness!

“Theirs was a safe, suitable arrangement. She was in love with someone else. He had no wish to love again. What could possibly go wrong?”

Famous last words, Seamus? Aye.  But oh what a delicious, breathless, romantical adventure awaits them – and each reader – along the way.  Capturing the soul of Post-Revolution America, Laura Frantz has written another story of sweeping scenery, beloved characters, and sweet, toe-curling romance. Don’t miss this one!

Bottom Line: If you have loved any of Laura Frantz’s previous books, The Mistress of Tall Acre will quickly become a new favorite.  If she is a new-to-you author, well… first, correct that ASAP! You are decidedly depriving yourself of something special! The Mistress of Tall Acre would be a beautiful place to start.

5 out of 5 stars!

Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/1EKvTED

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(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for only my honest review.)

About the Author: 

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and the Ballantyne Legacy series.  She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky. Learn more at her website!