The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz Review

 Happy Monday Bookish Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you decided to stop by The Preppy Book Princess for another book review today.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Yesterday was actually my birthday, and after an extremely rough start to it, I ended up getting to go to the city for a few hours with my husband, my mom and stepdad, and my nephew. We had a wonderful Chinese food dinner, got to soak for a couple of hours at a lovely mineral spa, and finished out the evening with ice cream before heading back home. I was thankful for such a relaxing way to get to spend my birthday, and now I'm thrilled to be back blogging today to share with you all about a wonderful Christian historical fiction title that I recently finished.

This was another one of the titles from my 2023 Most Anticipated Releases Post, and I can't wait to tell you guys all about this one, so keep on reading down below for today's full review.

The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz:

Source: Publisher as Part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

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, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned 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 the clothes on her back and her mistress 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 in the wake of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies--and those who pretend friendship may be enemies.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Laura Frantz is truly a masterful storyteller, and it's becoming a tradition for me to start off each January with diving right into her newest release. I was intrigued by the synopsis of this one, the setting sounded beautiful, and I was interested in the historical time period it covered. It ended up being everything I could have hoped for and more, and I'm so thankful it lived up to all my expectations.

Set in Scotland in 1715, readers follow our two main protagonists on opposite sides of a developing war over religious rights and freedoms. Lady Hedley is a British devoted Catholic woman who has recently had to flee her family's home for her own safety. Her refuge is none other than Wedderburn Castle in Scotland. Lord Wedderburn is a devout Protestant, and a charming but perhaps slightly arrogant Scotsman, who is definitely not prepared for the likes of Lady Hedley. As sparks fly between the two, and alliances begin to shift, both will have to rely on their Heavenly Father like never before, and trust that no matter what may come their way, His plans are always the best ones we could ever imagine.

The Rose and the Thistle is one of my favorite Laura Frantz books to date, and I loved the rich emphasis on historical details, and learning about a time period that I knew very little about beforehand. This author never skimps on her research for her stories, and the reader definitely feels like they're right there with the characters, experiencing the tumultuous situations in France, England and Scotland at the time. 

The faith element was beautiful, the romance was slow burn and kept me wanting to come back for more, the characters were well developed and personable, and the setting was exactly what I was hoping for. It was dripping in atmosphere, and idyllic at the same time. The absolute perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's night in front of the fireplace with a hot cup of tea. 

I'm starting to believe that this author couldn't write a bad book if she tried, and I love how lyrical and mesmerizing her prose truly is.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Another five star read for me from this author, and another title that I can't possibly recommend enough.

I will be anxiously awaiting her next release!

Thanks so much to Revell publishing for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! I pray you all have a great rest of your day, and I hope you'll stop by again on Wednesday for another fun bookish post.

God Bless!