The Mistress of Tall Acre is Laura Frantzs most recent stand-alone novel, and is a book that I am so completely and utterly glad that I bought recently. I absolutely LOVE every single part of this book, and am actually seriously tempted to just turn around and read it again today. It really was that good, plus I didnt expect hardly anything that happened throughout the course of this book! There were so many wonderful twists and turns to this story, and I didnt realize any of them were coming, but they made this novel all that much more amazing. Ive already been a fan of Lauras since I read The Colonels Lady a while back, but I love The Mistress of Tall Acre even more, which is hard to believe since The Colonels Lady is already on my all-time favorites list.

Sophie Menzies stole my heart from the very beginning. She is so sweet, and has struggled so much by the time we reach her at the start of this novel, that I couldnt help loving her and longing for things to get better in her life. Besides that, I absolutely loved the way she seemed to love Seamus right from the start. Theirs was an absolutely adorable and extremely hardship-ridden relationship, but I absolutely loved every second of it. Along with that, I just loved Sophie even more for how she immediately took Seamus daughter Lily Cate under her wing, and how she handled all of the terrible situations that were thrown at the three of them.

General Seamus Ogilvy was another character I loved from the very beginning. Although he is definitely a little rough around the edges, he had gone through some of the worst situations you can imagine in his past, and he does have a heart of gold inside. His devotion to his little daughter was by far the sweetest thing, and I loved watching his feelings for Sophie grow and develop. Besides that, it was just enjoyable to watch his hurting heart heal through Sophies care and the love of his daughter, and I just overall really, really enjoyed this story and his part in it.

All in all, as if you couldnt already tell, I absolutely LOVED this book. I love the story, and I loved the unexpected events that filled it and the way that it worked out in the end, and I cannot imagine not giving it all five bookshelves. It also has a permanent place on my all-time favorites list, and I am so, so glad that I decided to buy it. Laura does a wonderful job, as usual, of weaving together a story that will touch your heart and keep you turning every page, and I cannot imagine this story being any better than it was. Clearly I highly recommend it!

This is the best book I've read in a long time. It has so many of the elements I love... mystery, faith, love, family and intrigue. I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the history, the houses and so much more! It has been a long time since I felt like I couldn't put a book down, and this one did that for me! Loved every page!

Wow, now I know why people sing this author's praises! After reading the last part of this book late into the night, I confess, it was well worth the lost sleep to find out if this couple would have a happy ending after all. It was a heart wrenching journey at times!

The historical setting of this well told tale is very interesting, starting in the years before, then picking up after the Revolutionary War, when America was emerging as a new nation. From plantation owners to slaves, Patriots to British Loyalists, to the families left behind waiting for their loved ones return, just about every perspective was touched on in some way. Life on a plantation was anything but idle, especially after the deprivation of war. Everyone had a job to do--no sitting around sipping mint juleps!

I loved Sophie's character, her patient sweet interactions with little Lily Cate, and her efforts to bridge the gap between father and daughter. Clinging to her faith and encouraging others, even in her dire circumstances, she is a shining example of a gentle and quiet spirit. Sometimes I wished she would have taken more of a risk and be open how she felt, but it added to the tension and made for an interesting story.

Highly recommend for fans of historical Christian romance fiction! Looking forward to reading more books by this fine author.

(Book provided by The Book Club Network and Revell Publishing in exchange for my honest review.)

The Mistress of Tall Acre captured me with the first scene and hasn't let go of my heart even after the unexpected, yet perfect ending. Richly grounded in the post-Revolutionary War period, this novel offers everything you expect from Laura Frantz: characters so true you ache with their sorrows and long for the fulfillment of their hopes; a plot that keeps you breathless with suspense and at times fear; descriptions that submerge you in a world so real it engages all your senses; themes whose depths leave you still pondering when you finish the story. The Mistress of Tall Acre amply demonstrates why I always eagerly look forward to Ms. Frantz's next book and wish she could write faster!

I am still languishing on my fainting couch as I try to pen this review. I'm blaming Seamus for my discombobulated state. I fear I swooned my way through The Mistress of Tall Acre. Yes, I fell fast and hard for Tall Acre's hero. In fact, I was pretty much a goner by page fifteen. Melted into a puddle on the floor and haven't been quite the same since.

Frantz is an exceptional storyteller with a distinctive cadence to her writing. Her words seem to flow through my mind like the sweetest piece of music. I'm carried away to a different time and place and begin living someone else's story. And what an absorbing read this one was!

From Sophie's desperate attempts to salvage what is left of her ancestral home and family honor after the Revolutionary War to Seamus's return to Tall Acre with a daughter he barely knows, there's plenty of fodder for drama and romance and even a bit of suspense. Theirs is a story of heart and hope amidst nearly insurmountable odds. I couldn't read fast enough even though I wanted to slow things down so I could savor every word.

Riveting. Captivating. Breathtaking. Achingly sweet. The Mistress of Tall Acre is the kind of book you want to live in forever. And now that it's over? Well, it's official. I'm in mourning. You know those I-can't-believe-it's-over-already blues that wash over a reader when she reaches the end of a particularly scrumptious read? I need some quiet time, perhaps a few condolence cards and chocolate. Yes. Definitely chocolate. Much preferable to smelling salts. I might recover. Eventually.