Lady in Waiting is the perfect marriage between an historical novel and a modern day romance, but in this instance romance isn't the focal point of the story. Instead Meissner focuses on the Faith, strength, and courage of the two leading ladies and in so doing creates an exceptional read. In fact, I read this book – all 332 pages of it – in one day. Well, technically not, since I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it. I kept thinking I should put the book down and go to sleep, but first I had to read one more page ....

I didn't want to put this book down. Watching as the lives of 2 ladies unfold and seeing how their lives were intertwined, although they lived decades apart, was enthralling. The mix of truth and fiction was perfect. I loved just imagining that this story could be true. The relationship between Lady Jane Grey and Lucy Day was exciting and intriguing. Reading this book, I felt like I was watching them mature and grow up. The life of Jane Lindsay was like that of so many others in our current world. You see families struggling with divorce and the possibility of divorce entirely too often. Reading how they realized that they had the ability to control their lives, and they could make decisions and also had to live with the consequences was like watching them take control of their lives. I would recommend this book to anyone male/female, middle school age and up.

This is a very different book than any I remember reading. There are two different stories in two different centuries, both involving a women named "Jane" and a ring that joins the two of them.

There is the modern day Jane, who runs an antique store, and whose marriage is in a difficult place. Her husband needs some "time off", leaving Jane in a desperate and lonely place. Then in the course of her business dealings she comes across a 15th Century ring with her name engraved in it.

Then we are taken to the court of King Henry VIII and meet Lady Jane Grey, a young girl whose life is being volleyed about by her parents and other interested parties. In the course of her story she is given an unusual ring with her a message, and her first name engraved inside it. It comes from the young man she loves and hopes to marry. But the nobles have other plans for Jane.

The writer takes you back and forth into the lives of the two Janes. She skilfully weaves the two stories into one truly wonderful book. She really takes you into the hearts, fears and joys of these two different women. It is a book for a mature reader - even a man will find this interesting, to which my husband can testify. I do not feel it is appropriate for younger readers, as some of the situations are very adult.

This is not what I would call a traditional Christian Fiction book. There are many opportunities for prayer, godly advice & teaching to have been incorporated, but were not. However, it is a beautiful story that I enjoyed thoroughly, and was written in very good taste. Every time I put it down, I couldn't wait to come back to it.

I truly loved it!

The story focuses on two main characters: Jane Lindsay, who is an antiques shop owner and is recently separated from her husband; and Lady Jane Grey, a young woman whose marriage and fate is determined by those around her. Susan weaves both their stories together, as an old ring brings them together and for a purpose. Susan's writing allows the reader to become immersed in each of their own stories and allows these central characters ample opportunity to share their journey with us, while also bringing closure to the mystery of the ruby ring.

Through their journey, both Jane's come to realize that they still have a voice and are in charge of their own destiny. Throughout the story, both Jane's gain inner strength and a deeper faith. While Lady Jane Grey is ultimately executed, as history reports, Susan brings to life this woman who in the end did not compromise her values. Jane Lindsay, through a series of events and discussions with her therapist, family, and friends, realizes that she is ultimately in charge of her own happiness and also can decide the fate of her marriage. While I will not give away her ending, I will note that Susan doesn't tie everything in a sweet little bow for readers. This allows the reader to imagine what her decision is and the course of her own happiness.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, Christian fiction, and enjoys reading about self-empowerment for women and their relationships.

The only complaint I have is that I wanted more of both stories!! I wasn't too sure about the connection between the two tales, other than the ring, of course. However, Mrs. Meissner crafted two wonderful stories where one was truly needed by a character in the other, as you will see when you read Lady in Waiting. Mrs. Meissner brought to life two totally different times with completely different characters even though there were two accounts of "Jane" sharing the space of a single novel. Because she did that so well, I am looking forward to reading another book of hers, in which she uses a full novel to tell just one story. As you can tell, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read!

I loved following Lucy in the sixteenth-century and craved a friend like her. Also, my heart went out to the Jane in that story. However, I felt like I could connect more to the Jane in modern Manhattan. My favorite quote from the book is said concerning Jane's marriage by her mom, "You don't give up on someone just because that person is unhappy. And you don't let them give up on you."

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Blogging for Books, Waterbrook Multnomah Publisher's book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."