Ellie Ballantyne, youngest child of Silas and Eden, has left finishing school. But back at her family home in Pittsburgh, Ellie finds that her parents are away on a long trip and her siblings don’t seem to want her to stay. When she opens a day school for young ladies, she begins tutoring the incorrigible daughter of the enemy Turlock clan. The Turlocks are slaveholders and whiskey magnates, … envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly tangled with the Turlocks, she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future–and Jack Turlock, a young man striving to free himself from his family’s violent legacy. How can she betray her family and side with the enemy? And will Jack ever allow her into his world?
Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love, loyalty, and the makings of a legacy. With rich descriptions of the people who settled and civilized a wild landscape, Frantz weaves a tapestry of characters and places that stick with the reader long after they turn the last page.
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Endearing, complex characters, gorgeously drawn setting, and enough history to satisfy me without it ever coming across as dense. I love getting to know Pittsburgh in its early days through the Ballantyne family. (Silas is even dearer as a father than he was as a strapping young blacksmith in the previous book.)
Like the first book in the Ballantyne Legacy series, I absolutely loved this second installment. Author Laura Frantz never fails to keep me turning pages, plus I love her lyrical writing style. Am looking forward to reading the next in the series sometime soon. Have a few more on Laura’s backlist to catch up on too so more of her good reads ahead!
Author Laura Frantz continues her involving, inspiring series, “The Ballantyne Legacy”, with “Love’s Awakening”. The story line evolves and deepens as new family members and friends are added to the beloved characters from the first book, “Love’s Reckoning”, in which we met Eden Lee and Silas Ballantyne. The long journey to happiness was often a spiritual test for Eden and Silas, but their abiding faith offered an ultimate reward–a love beyond measure and a family of their own to cherish. Successful and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, their children are grown and finding life’s adventures all their own. When their daughter Ellie returns home from finishing school in Philadelphia, she arrives in the middle of a devastating storm, and is escorted to her family homeplace, New Hope, by the notorious Jack Turlock, son of a neighboring family who are rivals to the Ballantynes. While the Ballantynes are devout and do not approve of slavery, the Turlocks are slaveholders who made their fortune in the whiskey trade. With her parents away in New Orleans, Ellie and her siblings are left to deal with the ravages the storm has dealt New Hope. Ellie moves forward to being a woman in her own right by opening a day school for young ladies, one of whom is an unruly member of the Turlock clan. As Ellie finds herself increasingly involved with Jack and the Turlocks, political unease continues its fateful rise as the abolitionists and slaveholders face off. Love between a Ballantyne and a Turlock is impossible–or is it? What the heart knows cannot be erased by man’s manipulations, but will love and faith allow Ellie and Jack to find their way to a happy future? Laura Frantz is a superb storyteller, and she writes with meticulous attention to historical detail, and, as always, with the grace of beautiful, living faith. All of her books are lovingly placed on my keeper shelf and highly recommended.
Book Copy Gratis Revell Books
A really great historical, inapirational romance.
EXCELLENT!!
The Ballantyne Legacy series is my all time favorite.
Such a sweeping romance & family saga. I listened to this on audio & the narrator for the series is equally fabulous. Characters are written wonderful, layered, and flawed. I love actual history woven into the story. There’s a lot going on in the story but Laura Frantz connects everything seemslessly and the plot flows well. I listened to this on audio & the narrator for the series is equally Characters are written wonderful, layered, and flawed. There are definitely twists but the writing is so wonderful, expressive & vibrant.
I was thoroughly convinced that Love’s Awakening wouldn’t come close to the first book, Love’s Reckoning, but I quickly realized that was a wrong assumption! Laura Frantz always writes such sweeping stories – Ellie returns home from being “finished” at school, eager to do more than be a pretty pawn in a marriage. Though quiet and genteel, Ellie has a strong spirit. From her to decision to opening a day school to her realization of her families abolitionist activities, the plot points of the story was beautiful and steeped in historical detail.
Ellie Ballantyne might be my favorite lead of all of Frantz’s book – never did she imagine that she would fall in love with the son of her father’s enemy. “Gentleman” Jack is Ellie’s opposite in every way, and their relationship is never easy or conventional. Jack is a somewthat reformed son of the roguish Turlock family and is caught up in the schemes of his family, but longs to change. Though the story is about their relationship, it is also about them as individuals. They both carry their own burdens and must ultimately must make decisions that carry heavy consequences.
I was so happy that Eden and Silas played a big part in the story – I loved them in Love’s Reckoning and was glad to see them back. The other surrounding characters were multifaceted as well, especially Ellie’s siblings. I love how Frantz weaves hints of whats to come in the final book with Ansel’s part in the story. And I’m not sure if Andra was supposed to remind me of the dangerous Elspeth Lee, but either way, I loved that slight similarity in their personalities (though I don’t think Andra would ever deliberate harm Ellie in the way that Elspeth did Eden!).
Frantz penned another beautiful romantic historical – full of lush period detail – the river landscape of Pittsburgh in the 1800s, the gorgeous details of Ellie’s birthday ball and a climatic courtroom scene – this has all of the elements that I look for in the historical fiction I read. I am so eager to read the conclusion to the Ballantyne Legacy – I almost didn’t read the sneak peek in the back of the book. I knew it would leave me wanting more, but I read it anyway because I couldn’t stand not reading it!
Superb world-building, gorgeous historic details and a love story that both broke and repaired my heart – Love’s Reckoning will definitely be a favorite of the year!