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.
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Excellent book.
The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz
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REVIEW:
Oh, how I wish I could read this book again for the first time. I read this book months ago, and I’m still not over it! Once I picked up The Mistress of Tall Acre, I was hooked and could barely put it down.
The only way I can describe Laura Frantz’s writing is it is simply phenomenal.
The story follows Sophie Menzies and Seamus Ogilvy’s lives after The American Revolution. This book was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020. The characters, the phenomenally written story, and the romance will capture your heart. She has penned a truly delightful story. You will never want to read the words THE END, when it comes to this book.
Sophie is nearly destitute. She agrees to a convention marriage to her newly widowed neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy. The friendship between Sophie and Seamus grows from a mutual concern for his daughter to a lovely friendship and soon love. I cannot praise this book enough. This book found a special place in my heart right from the beginning.
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BOOK BLURB:
The American Revolution is finally over and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her closest 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 and 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 point of breaking. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?
I really enjoyed this engaging story of post-Revolutionary War life in Virginia. Looking forward to my next Laura Frantz book!
I enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting to hear about the Revolutionary War and how divided the people were on their views about England.
I thought the author did a great job developing the characters.
There were quite a few crazy turns in the book that I didn’t see coming and I wasn’t sure how the author would wrap it all up nicely. In the end she pulled of a happy ever after.
There were some religious and scriptural parts, but not an overwhelming amount that detracts from the story.
I was able to listen to the audio version of this book and thought The narrator was amazing. She did a good job on the accents and different voices for all the characters. She was great with her male and child voices too.
An enjoyable book that I found to be hard to put down. When I finished, I found myself wanting to know more… What happens next. Guess I have to wait for the next book to come out
A great read based on late 1700s in Virginia with inspiring, strong characters possessing Christian values.
Spoilers Below
I enjoyed The Mistress of Tall Acre for the most part, especially the development of characters and such. My main complaint is that some parts were just too drawn out through the book before they finally marry. I was glad when they finally were honest with each other and admitted their love for each other. I saw the twist of the presumed dead wife appearing coming. I was more than a little annoyed that that part drew out the way it did and that Sophie left during it. They had done nothing wrong. In fact at one point, she even says to Anne that they were “married in the eyes of heaven . . . “ but her leaving made it not seem so. Also found it absurd that a court would decide to uphold a marriage in which a woman had faked her death, abandoned her family, and then kidnapped her daughter and showed in many ways that she had no interest in actually being a mother to her daughter. I was also more than a little frustrated that Sophie withheld the info she knew about from the diary. Had she told Seamus of it when Anne appeared, the might have been able to do some productive digging about her time in London to know Anne’s connection to Tobias earlier. But instead, she never gave that information.
I enjoyed this book! It was an easy read and somewhat unpredictable.
Excellent
I read this book a few years ago and I thought it was so interesting and well-written with a different plot. At times surprising, and always entertaining.
Laura Frantz does it again. Haven’t had a bad read from her yet! Always looking for the next book and deal!
I’m a fan of historical fiction. Gained some insight into the relationship issues following the Revolutionary War. Good reading!
One of the best I have read!
This book was a frustration and a type of torment to read, yet I could not put it down. Am so glad it worked out in the end, but it felt like my emotions were shot by then. It was good enough that I was compelled to continue on through to the last word. I was so thankful when it was over! Peace at last.
Great read! Enjoyed every page.
I really enjoyed this read. Great Characters. Good story.
Excellent book, enjoyed the the time frame of the book and how hard people become in war times. Liked the intrigue and was glad it had a happy ending.
I really liked the characters in this book.It gave me some interesting insights into events following the Revolutionary war. Sophie was a loyal woman with compassion. I was surprised by the plot twist. It was a clean read with a happy ending.
The Revolutionary War has finally ended, and Sophie Menzies, though nearly destitute at her once-prosperous home of Three Chimneys, is hopeful that life will rebuild and her brother will return home from war. When her neighbor General Seamus Ogilvy returns to Tall Acre, she believes that it is a sign of happier times to come. The general is now a widower with a small daughter to raise on his own. When Sophie’s home at Three Chimneys is threatened, she is left with very few options and agrees to marry Seamus to become the mistress of Tall Acre and mother to his five year old Lily Cate as well. However, war is not easily forgotten, and the events that took place while Seamus was away have lingering effects that strain their already fragile, newly-formed family, as well as Sophie’s tenuous hold as mistress of Tall Acre.
It’s often said that some things only get better with time, and I can’t think of a better saying to epitomize Laura’s novels. Laura is one of my all-time favorite authors, so naturally I was excited to read The Mistress of Tall Acre, but I did wonder how it would compare to her most recent books, particularly those in the Ballantyne Legacy. I held those characters and their stories to such a high standard, but that standard was completely surpassed with this novel. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Laura’s previous books, but The Mistress of Tall Acre has all of the charm, detail and prose of those first novels, with the exceptional skill and artistic ability of the seasoned author she has since become. Laura has such richness in her writing, such a deft way of stringing her words and sentences together, that I found myself enthralled from the very beginning. I read quickly and slowly in turns – quickly because I couldn’t bear not knowing the next thing, yet slowly because I knew I would be sad when I reached the end. Full of fascinating detail of a nation in its infancy, the story focuses on one woman, man and child desperate to hold onto happiness and become a family during this precarious time.
Endearing characters go a long way to making a book special to me. I loved the gentle strength and determination that Sophie Menzies possesses, and the same can be said of General Seamus Ogilvy. Seamus is battle-hardened, yet has a quiet strength. A wound sustained during battle serves as a permanent reminder of all he lost in the war; the insecurities that he feels about this make him relatable and add such a depth to his character and the story itself. It’s hard to remember that others don’t always view you in the harsh light in which you view yourself. Sophie’s character reminds me of the quote, “comparison is the thief of joy.” She struggles to flourish under the shadow of the former mistress of Tall Acre, yet doesn’t see her own value. Both Sophie and Seamus learn this lesson throughout the story – though war has wrought havoc in their lives, there is healing and new hope to come. Seamus’s daughter, Lily Cate, is as sweet as her name, and though her early year’s spent with her mother’s family have formed her into a serious little somebody, under Sophie’s nourishment, she blooms. I loved their interactions together, as well as the tender moments between her and Seamus.
Laura weaves so many threads together in a way that all seems completely organic and natural to the story. I hesitate to even classify this as a marriage of convenience because the story is so much more than that, but readers that love this storytelling motif will find it presented here is top quality. Not once did the romance outweigh the core plot of the story, yet accompanies it beautifully. The progression of the romance has such a slow build. That is not to say that the portrayal of their relationship lacked in any way – the journey was in turns heartbreaking, poignant and always exhilarating. Despite their stops and starts, their interactions together are laced with an exquisite tension, and it made the moment when everything comes to fruition that much sweeter and poignant. I appreciate when authors are not afraid to put their characters through difficult, realistic situations, and although my heart hurt for them at times, I knew that hope and redemption would ultimately win the day.
The Mistress of Tall Acre is truly a balm to this reader’s soul. Laura creates such an atmosphere in her stories, whether it is the wild Kentucky frontier, or the more genteel Tall Acre of Virginia. Her sense of place is impeccable, and she provides the details that I often find lacking in other books. Few historical romance writers compel me to read their novels the way that she does. Fans of historical, inspirational romance look no further than Laura Frantz. Whether you’ve read her previous books, or have the immense pleasure of discovering her stories for the first time, you are in capable hands. The Mistress of Tall Acre ranks high on my list of favorite books for 2015, and I highly recommend it!
Another gem in Laura Frantz’s repertoire! The Mistress of Tall Acre is gripping from the first page to the last, and not just because of the suspense that appears halfway through. Told in Frantz’s eloquent prose, the tale is a beautiful story of love and its perseverance throughout all of life’s storms. Filled with charming characters and gorgeous scenery, Tall Acre and its mistress present as stunning a story as Love’s Reckoning, leaving me to wonder which one is my favorite. And as much as I love Silas and Eden, I’m captivated by the beautiful Virginian plantations and Sophie’s simplistic ways, a perfect match for a war hero in rebel blue. However, it wasn’t the depth of the sweet, lovable characters, or Seamus and Sophie’s tender romance, or even Frantz’s intricate details of a post-Revolutionary war landscape that made this story a success. But, it was the way she weaved them together with her poetic prose, painting a portrait of hope, heartache, and home amidst the Virginia countryside in the way only a master storyteller can that made The Mistress of Tall Acre shine.