The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz

There can be only one mistress of Tall Acre . . .

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--you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz.

Review: I went into, The Mistress of Tall Acre, with full expectations to love the book. Why? Well, first of all, I've never read a book that's less than amazing by Laura Frantz. Second, it's set during the American Revolution, and that's always interesting. My prediction was prophetic, for these reasons and many more…the book was indeed fabulous. 

The cast of characters in, Mistress of Tall Acre,  are as loveable and interesting as those in the Ballantyne Legacy series. In particular, Sophie Menzies is fascinating. A noble woman by blood, the revolution has ruined her father's estate "Three Chimneys". Left alone on the dilapidated property with only an aged cook and caretaker left to help her, Sophie Menzies is in just as bad of shape as Three Chimneys. The villagers in the nearby Roan despised Lord Menzies, her father, who was an imperial sympathizer and treat Sophie cruelly even though she is staunchly on the side of the Americans. 

As the war comes to an end, things for Sophie are not looking up as she and her two loyal companions are nearly starved to death and threats from the village are getting worse. Her neighbour, General Seamus Ogilvy from Tall Acre returns to Tall Acre after eight years at war. His little daughter, Lily Cate, takes an instant liking to Sophie and a tentative relationship begins. General Ogilvy is a good man, but scarred by the war. Having seen and gone through too much, he has stepped away from his faith in God rather than letting the hardships draw him nearer to his Lord. Rough and uncertain how to be a father to his sensitive young daughter, General Ogilvy reaches out to his neighbour, the kind Miss Menzies, for help.

Sophie Menzies brings love and faith into Lily Cate and General Ogilvy's lives. No matter how bad her own circumstances get, how fearful something is, she is forever turning to God, her author and creator, to carry her through. 

As I said, the characters in this story are wonderful. I'd love to read another book about Sophie, Seamus, and Lily Cate one day. They are an irresistible trio, and I'm already missing them.

In addition to the characters, the plot in "Mistress of Tall Acre" is surprisingly full of a couple dramatic twists, which completely thrilled me. While a character driven story for the most part, the unexpected bombs that Laura Frantz drops into their lives will keep you flipping the pages to the very last page… and then will leave you in my sad state: wishing very much that the book was longer. 

I give this book a very high recommendation. 

I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group in exchanged for my honest opinion and review.