In 1780, Loyalist Rowena Marsh insists on spying for the British during the American Revolution. As a girl, she must dress as a boy, plus endure devastation and murder as she decodes messages for a mysterious Welshman. The tide has turned in the rebels’ favor. General George Washington appears to be winning. The loyalists are bombarded by threats and lost battles. Rowena stays determined to aid … determined to aid the British cause and preserve her family as they’re chased from their Pennsylvania home.
She struggles with possible defeat and permanent exile, plus her growing love for the Welshman who may have little need for affection. Will the war destroy both their lives?
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A sweeping romantic adventure that carries the reader through the tumultuous years of the Revolutionary War in America.
The author has the gift for creating characters that the reader quickly develops strong feelings for. Rowena is a superb leading lady. The complexity and depth of her feelings is done in a first-rate manner. Her cousin James is a complete idiot who the reader can detest from almost the moment he first graces a page. He was my candidate for eating a musket ball almost from day one.
Possibly the finest and most likable character in the whole book is Sam. Selfless, deeply moral, brave and true. His character was a joy to watch grow in the book.
The adventures are compelling. The exciting parts keeps the reader on edge throughout. The romance is heartwarming.
Fans of the movie ‘The Patriot’ and even fans of the miniseries ‘The Blue and The Gray’ will love this book.
A book that rewards the reader for the effort made in reading.
My Rating: 5 stars
Wow! Be prepared to time-travel back to the American Revolutionary War. I could smell everything, and boy that war was foul. I could feel the cinching of my clothes and taste the bitter tea. Miss Scott incredibly showed what it must have been like to be on the losing side, with unwavering resolve and fighting the good fight to the end. More like this one, please.
Rowena Marsh, 17 years and mature beyond her age gets left behind by two brothers and a cousin who’ve joined the military for the British as Loyalists against the American Rebels a.k.a. Patriots. She’s beyond brave and adventurous, she’s a heroine in her own right.
Derec Pritchard, early 20’s, a dark force, a.k.a. Black Devil. He’s a rogue, a Welshman – fighting for the king…or is he? Trusting him throws Rowena into a world beyond her wildest imagination…and her belief in him continues to be her downfall, most notably to her cousin James.
My gracious does Ms. Lewis weave an amazing, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair, historical adventure of war and survival, deceit and honor, heartache and trust, loss and gain, and love…all rolled into a magnificently well-written, image-rich novel.
I sat on Rowena’s shoulder through the entire story, aware of her senses and emotions, and Wow! What a feisty spitfire spirit:) Bold and brash beyond her time.
If you enjoy a fast-paced historical romance, this one will most definitely satisfy. Highly recommended.
A wonderful epic story of a young woman’s courage.
At just 17, Rowena Marsh witnesses her father being tortured by Bluecoats and thus is determined to fight for the Loyalists. Dressed as a boy she becomes embroiled in the war that rages across her country. This is a story of courage and determination as Rowena struggles to cope with her family’s exile when their land is confiscated, and the ensuing murder and mayhem in a war that seems endless. Then there is her growing attraction to the enigmatic Welshman who aids them along the way, always seeming to be there when she needs him most.
With Her Vanquished Land, Lewis offers a story of the American Revolution from a perspective not often taken into account on this side of the Atlantic. Rowena is a spirited young woman whose family happens to support England, an unpopular position in Revolutionary Pennsylvania.
Brought up by parents who made sure she was well educated and independent. They might have regretted it if they’d known it would lead her to Don boy’s clothes to become a loyalist spy. But no one including her proper, over-protective aunt not her overbearing cousin can stop her.
Rowena draws on her innate bravery and intelligence along with her understanding of Greek and her hard won skills at pretending to be someone she’s not to get herself into and out of some difficult situations.
Romance, adventure, and history merge in this story to give the reader a sympathetic view of the Revolution from the Loyalist side.