FALWELL'S HONOR

Author: Sandra Livingston ISBN: 9780803498877 4/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVALON
Time Period: England, 1559

As the Tudor princess Elizabeth ascends the throne, the affairs of England hold little interest for Mercedes Lavois. The young French heiress has problems of her own, including staying one step ahead of her wealthy aunts' insistent plans for her to marry. When a messenger arrives with urgent news, the solution seems at hand; Mercedes' estranged father is ill and requests that she journey to see him. The unexpected request presents a welcome escape, but little does Mercedes realize that fulfilling it will carry her straight into the middle of a plot to seize the English throne. Deep in the forests of Essex, Sir Edward Thompson thinks his situation is already as complicated as it can get. His father, the Earl of Falwell, has been falsely accused of treason. Edward and his trusted followers must find a way to prove his father's innocence and expose the real culprit, but time may be running out when a black-haired beauty discovers their camp.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

FALWELL'S HONOR is a tale filled with greed and vanity, as well as courage and adventure. This Tudor story also has a generous helping of romance, although in the early stages it is well hidden!

Mercedes Lavois is a heroine whose determination and commitment see her through several obstacles, and is so well written I forgot she was merely a character. The opening pages find her on a journey, on her own but with a steadfast plan to make her way to her ill father. Unfortunately she finds herself held against her will, an unwitting player in a game that may, before it reaches a conclusion, be very expensive indeed. Mercedes is, of course, attracted to the handsome man who commands those in his camp, and when she learns his true identity, she realizes that in order to continue on she just may have to assist Sir Edward.

Treachery, surprise attacks and unscrupulous villains fill the pages of Sandra Livingston's FALWELL'S HONOR. Rarely have I been as intrigued by Tudor England as I was while reading this book. Love and honor are the central focus and brought history to life with vivid clarity. I spent a long, lazy afternoon with this book, and enjoyed every minute of it. I think any fan of this period in time will also find FALWELL'S HONOR highly entertaining.

Kay James