Review and Giveaway of Laura Frantz' Love's Reckoning

Again, Laura Frantz has skillfully crafted a story that will not only makes your heart pound, but will transport you back in time.

Here's a blurb about the book:

On a bitter December day in 1785, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of master blacksmith Liege Lee in York, Pennsylvania. Just months from becoming a master blacksmith himself, Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship and move west. But Liege soon discovers that Silas is a prodigious worker and craftsman and endeavors to keep him in York. Silas becomes interested in both of Liege's daughters, the gentle and faith-filled Eden and the clever and high-spirited Elspeth. When he chooses one, will the other's jealousy destroy their love?

In this sweeping family saga set in western Pennsylvania, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come.

I get giddy when one of Laura's books arrives in my mailbox. She truly is a delight to read, and is one of those authors whose newest book I don't hesitate to snag. Love's Reckoning is the first book in her Ballantyne Legacy series, which means that I've got three more to look forward to!

Eden and Elspeth personify the relationships between so many sisters out there. Completely opposite in temperament and personality, they approach life from different poles. Silas is a man on a mission, and getting sidetracked by either of these lovely ladies isn't on his to-do list.

One of the things I liked best about Laura's book was the portrayal of the Lee family, in all its glorious dysfunction. It was real. I could imagine this family pottering about in their home, in the smithy. Back in a day when arranged marriages were the norm, I liked reading about one that didn't go so well. (Because, let's face it, they couldn't all be storybook endings.)

Their father is a hard man, one who has his own closet full of skeletons, and saying he has a relationship with his daughters is a huge overstatement. He treats them as little more than property o be bartered. The mother is largely scared of her husband. She cowers to him, even knowing that by doing so, she's not saving her children from themselves, putting them at risk. But she's powerless, which is exactly how so many women feel out there in their marriage.

Laura doesn't shy away from real issues affecting people today. Love gained, love lost, love found. Truth, lies, pride, misunderstandings, faithfulness...this book has a universal appeal.

Plus, I got to learn a lot about the time period, which I always consider a bonus. It's like a history lesson wrapped up in a beautiful cover and fictional story.

Giveaway Details

I'm giving away my review copy to one lucky blog reader this week! Because I like my giveaways to be a perk for my readership, please click on the JOIN THIS SITE button to the right. Just leave your email address below (EVEN IF YOU THINK I HAVE IT) to be entered. Giveaway runs until Sunday the 9th. US only.

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, 

a division of Baker Publishing Group.