The Lacemaker (2018) + Giveaway

The Lacemaker (2018) by Laura Frantz is yet another stunning stand-alone novel. Today is release day, and it can be purchased wherever books are sold. This novel is available in all forms including eBook, and is 416 pages in length. With a full-time job and a precocious five-year old at home, this book took me three days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from Revell Books. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this book 5+++ STARS. The Lacemaker is a Historical Christian Romance set in 1775 colonial Williamsburg at the cusp of the wars between England and the Revolutionists.

About the Book

When colonial Williamsburg explodes like a powder keg on the eve of the American Revolution, Lady Elisabeth “Liberty” Lawson is abandoned by her fiance and suspected of being a spy for the hated British. No one comes to her aid save the Patriot Noble Rynallt, a man with formidable enemies of his own. Liberty is left with a terrible choice. Will the Virginia belle turned lacemaker side with the radical revolutionaries, or stay true to her English roots? And at what cost?

Historical romance favorite Laura Frantz is back with a suspenseful story of love, betrayal, and new beginnings. With her meticulous eye for detail and her knack for creating living, breathing characters, Frantz continues to enchant historical fiction readers who long to feel they are a part of the story.

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 My Thoughts

Laura Frantz has done it again! The Lacemaker is a stunning story. From page one, I was hooked and I could not put the book down. The characters are beautifully crafted, the setting is so realistic I felt like I was in 1775 Virginia, the romance is sweet and heartfelt, and the social upheaval of the day is excellently portrayed.

The main characters are Liberty and Noble. I absolutely love their names, and found them to be perfectly fitting.

Liberty is amazing. Her world gets turned upside down in one night, and instead of giving up and whining about her change in circumstances, she picks herself up by her bootstraps and forges through the hard times. She is so resilient and strong! I don’t know if I would have been able to make it like she does (on her own!!!) if I had been in her shoes. Liberty has true grit and tenacity, and she loves God so much. Liberty’s faith is solid, which she falls back on time and time again. What I loved the most about her is that she is able to self-correct her thinking. An exhausted moment will hit her, and she starts to doubt herself, her choices, her circumstances, but by her next thought, will chide herself and shut that line of thinking down and bring it back to God. This is a great example for me. I tend to get stuck in the exhausted, whiny moments a little too long. I need to be more like Liberty!!! I need to “liberate” myself from those bellicose moments that lead to negative, and focus  more on God and the positive.

Noble Rynallt is the perfect hero. He, too, is brave. He, too, has a steadfast faith in God, and really sticks to his principals. He is a man’s man who stands up and fights for what is right. Noble knows when to give Liberty the space she needs to grow into the independent woman she wants to become, but he also knows when to warn her of trouble. He is thoughtful of Liberty’s wants and desires. He definitely lives up to his name! And, he is quite swoon-worthy. There is a moment in the story where Noble is frustrated because as just a friend there is very little he can do to protect Liberty the way he wants to protect her. In a very exhausted moment, where he sort of lets his guard down, he confesses to Liberty that he wants to protect her but he doesn’t know how because he isn’t her husband or family member. His admission and his vulnerability in this moment made me fall in love with him!!! He is such a great character. I definitely rooted for his and Liberty’s relationship to blossom into a happily-ever-after.

One aspect that I found really interesting is the similarities between the chaotic political upheaval of 1775 America and modern-day America. There are several moments in the book where the parallels between then and now are staggering. I found myself really relating to Liberty and the sense of foreboding she feels. At one point, she states, “Twas a normal day in Williamsburg, yet [she] sensed an undercurrent of tension, of something tearing at the very fabric of their ordinary lives” (212). I, too, feel this tearing. I feel like America is sitting on a ticking time-bomb that is mere seconds away from exploding. Like Liberty, I fear this explosion is just around the corner, but I don’t know what to do. So, I will do what Liberty does — I will keep praying to God and trusting that He’s got it all under control.

The Lacemaker is a phenomenal story — one that will stick with me long after I’ve finished reading. I am very sad that my time with Liberty and Noble is over, but I am so very blessed to have had the opportunity to read this book. I truly cannot recommend this book enough. Ms. Frantz, you are an amazing writer, and I pray God blesses you with many more fabulous story lines.

Giveaway

I am giving away ONE (1) paperback copy of The Lacemaker published by Revell Books. The giveaway begins today, 1-2-18 at 3:15 pm and ends on Friday, 1-5-18 at 12:00 pm. To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

***Please Note: Open to Continental U.S. mailing addresses only.***  Winner will be notified via email at the end of the giveaway, and will be announced here on this page.

Congrats to Joy H.!!!

You have won this giveaway. Thank you for your participation.