Lacemaker

New historical novel by Laura Frantz

The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz takes readers back to 1775 in the Virginia Colony. Lady Elisabeth Lawson is the only child of the Earl of Stirling who is the lieutenant governor for the area. Lady Elisabeth is betrothed to Miles Cullen Roth which was arranged by her father. Lady Elisabeth has led a privileged and sheltered life with her path laid out before her by her dictatorial father. The night before her wedding, she wakes up to glass breaking and a crowd of men (rebels) in her home. The revolution has started, and her father has fled along with the Lord Dunsmore (his wife, children, and their servants). The one bright spot is Miles calls of their engagement (the cad). Elisabeth must now find a way to make it on her own. Patriot Noble Rynallt takes Elisabeth into his home while she decides on her next move. She changes her name to Liberty and obtains a position as seamstress at the Raleigh while selling her handmade lace at the local market. When an opportunity to aid the war effort presents itself, Liberty must make a decision. Will she stay loyal to the British or will she side the Patriots? How will Liberty fare during these tumultuous times?

The Lacemaker is nicely written and the author captures the time-period with her descriptions of the town, clothing, mannerisms, attitudes and speech. You can tell that Ms. Frantz did her research for The Lacemaker. The author provides vivid and detailed descriptions. It allows me to picture the scenes in my head. While I enjoy the historical details, it does slow down the pace of the novel (she needed to find a balance). I was happy to see the pace pick up in the second half of the book. I thought the characters were realistic and well-developed. I liked how the author incorporated her fictional characters with famous historical figures (Patrick Henry, George Washington). Liberty found herself in a difficult position. She is caught between two worlds. One wrong move and Liberty could have found herself in jail (or much worse). The romance between Liberty and Noble does not progress beyond friendship until later in the book. The attraction between them is visible from the moment they meet, but circumstances prevent them from moving forward until later in the story. The romance between the pair is heavily featured in the latter half of the novel. The ending felt incomplete and rushed. We live through each day with Liberty and then in the end months go by. Also, the historical details are missing. I found it deficient. It seemed like the author ran out of steam. The end did not live up to the rest of the book. The cover for The Lacemaker is just lovely. It caught my attention right away which led me to read the excerpt and ultimately, the book. Readers who enjoy historical romance novels will be delighted with The Lacemaker.