If You Love Books Set in Scotland, You’ll Love the Rose and the Thistle

Every since I visited Edinburg, I’ve loved books set in Scotland. Check out this new release from one of my favorite inspy authors.

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Books Set in Scotland, Yes, Please!

I spent my second year of college attending school in Spain. The summer before returning to the United States, I attended classes in London and Edinburg. Ever since, I’ve loved reading books set in Scotland. The mist, the romance, the moody weather, and the rich history all draw me in like a crackling fire and a comfortable chair. The Rose and the Thistle will draw you in and enchant you. Find out why!

The Rose and the Thistle

By Laura Frantz, Fleming H. Revel Co, January 3, 2023, 416 pages.

The Rose

Lady Blythe Hedley has little hope of finding true love, much less a suitable marriage partner. While the French court of Louis XIV praises voluptuous and vacuous, Blythe’s slim figure towers above most men, and her academic talents match the most learned in England and France. Men looking to make an advantageous marriage with the Duke of Northumbria’s only child and heir could overlook her physical and mental disadvantages—but they hesitate to wed the daughter of the notorious gilded harlot, Clementine Hedley.

The emptiness of the Stuart court in exile leaves Blythe longing to return to her beloved father and the family seat in northern England. But when her father arranges for her return, Blythe discovers everything has changed. Her dream of a peaceful home and return to her studies has vanished in the turmoil of a Jacobite uprising.

The Thistle

Everard Hume, Lord Fast, has his hands full with his father’s illness, his second brother’s Jacobite activities, and supervising the activities of his five other brothers. In his early thirties and heir to the Earl of Wedderburn, any titled lady would welcome his suit. But he has yet to find a lady—first because he spent time soldiering for Queen Anne and now because his duties with his father’s large estate take all his time.

When his parents’ goddaughter arrives uninvited at Wedderburn Castle in the middle of the night, Everard must choose. Should he send her away or honor his father’s dying wish to provide shelter for the daughter of a notorious Jacobite? His conscience rebels at the first choice, and his heart quails with the ramifications of the second.

From the moment of their first encounter, Blythe and Everard both feel a spark. Will it lead to love or disaster?

What I Loved About This Book

Frantz weaves a luscious tale set in 18th-century Scotland. Her attention to historical detail will delight history buffs, and her powers of description will sweep the reader to heather-covered hills and drafty castles.

As the child of a notorious woman, Blythe has struggled her entire life with feelings of guilt by proxy. As she gets to know Everard, he affirms her identity as a child of God, not the offspring of a sinful parent. For the first time, a man looks at her for who she is, not what she can do for him.

Fans of Michelle Griep and Julie Klassen will enjoy this book.