Lady Elisabeth Lawson has not seen her betrothed, Miles Roth, for many months. He does not write often, but instead sends her lavish gifts such as an ornate carriage. He is her father's pick, but she has no feelings for him. She hardly knows him, but as she has always done, she will follow her father's directive. It is the eve of the celebration to announce their upcoming wedding, given at the palace by Lady Charlotte in her mother's absence. Fully dressed and awaiting Mile's appearance, his cousin Noble Rynallt is announced. He apologizes for Mile's tardiness and offers to escort Elisabeth to the ball until Miles can arrive. He is a handsome, well groomed man that has recently come out of mourning from the death of his beloved sister. He is a bachelor, owns two vast estates, is wealthy and charming. When Miles appears he is drunk, disheveled and rude. Elisabeth's father is aware of his appearance, but ignores it. This engagement is a good business arrangement. A Loyalist faithful to the king, he has sent his firebrand wife to England as she refuses to disavow her preference for the Patriots and continues to use her pen and quill to write about them.

Several nights later, alone and unable to sleep, Lady Elisabeth is awakened by glass breaking and loud voices. Her world is shattered. Her home is destroyed, along with the garden. Her father, and servants have fled. No help is offered from neighbors or friends until Miles arrives, sees the damages and breaks the engagement. The cocoon of ignorance that she has lived in her whole life is unraveling. No longer can she remain neutral. Time for her to pick a side and she picks the Patriots. It is time for her to make a new life on her own.

Noble Rynallt becomes her protector and takes her to his beautiful estate Ty Mawr. She adores the home and befriends the staff. Little by little she becomes closer and closer to Noble as he is patient, caring, and always there for her. Elisabeth, now called Liberty, becomes a spy for the Patriots and spies on her father who is still aboard a ship on the James River. Her missions are filled with peril and risk.

Laura Frantz knows how to tell a sterling story of danger with a touch of romance. It is a story about love, country, freedom, and family. Set in 1775 in Colonial Williamsburg, Lady Elisabeth "Liberty" Lawson becomes a strong heroine. The hero, Noble Rynallt is a superhero. Suspense, lies, betrayals, family, faith, and new beginnings fill the pages in a book you will not be able to lay down. The gorgeous cover sets the tone for an adventure that touches on lacemaking and a slow building love that is sweet. There are cameo appearances by Patrick Henry and many references to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Well researched, Ms. Frantz describes an important time in history. I loved THE LACEMAKER. Huzzah!

Book Summary

On the eve of her wedding, Lady Elisabeth Lawson's world is shattered, as surely as the fine glass windows of her colonial Williamsburg home. In a town seething with Patriots ready for rebellion, her protection comes from an unlikely source--now if she could only protect her heart.

When colonial Williamsburg explodes like a powder keg on the eve of the American Revolution, Lady Elisabeth "Liberty" Lawson is abandoned by her fiancé 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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