Reviewer's Bookshelf: The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz

Book Summary (from Goodreads): 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 thoughts....Once again, Laura Frantz has captured my heart and undivided attention with her newest novel, The Mistress of Tall Acre.  With each of Frantz' other books, once I started, I couldn't put it down. Let's just say a day later when I finished it, I was disappointed that I was done.  I wanted more!  

Frantz has a way of drawing you into a story through the setting and characters.  Her use of detail makes you feel like you've stepped through the pages of the book and back in time.  When an author can use the language of the time period without taking away from the flow of the story...it just makes it even better.  It felt natural to be drawn in to Sophie's world, step through the rooms of her broken down estate, and experience her heartfelt emotions.  

Another strength of Frantz  is her ability to create romantic tension.  Wow.  You know that feeling...when your heart and stomach are fluttering like crazy when two characters are trying to figure out how they feel about each other.  Oh yes...you've got that in this book!  Both Sophie and Seamus had their reasons for being uninterested in any romantic attachments.  The internal and external conflicts between them were fantastically written...and done in a very clean and appropriate way.  It takes skill to create that level of tension.  

I think I want to read this book again...now.  : )  If you're reading this...go get it.  Historical Christian fiction at its finest!
**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review...which I gave.**