Review & Giveaway: Written in their Stars by Elizabeth St. John


Written in their Stars by Elizabeth St. John

Publication Date: November 19, 2019
Falcon Historical
eBook & Paperback; 384 Pages

Series: The Lydiard Chronicles, Book 3
Genre: Historical Fiction


London, 1649. Horrified eyewitnesses to King Charles’s bloody execution, Royalists Nan Wilmot and Frances Apsley plot to return the king’s exiled son to England’s throne, while their radical cousin Luce, the wife of king-killer John Hutchinson, rejoices in the new republic’s triumph. Nan exploits her high-ranking position as Countess of Rochester to manipulate England’s great divide, flouting Cromwell and establishing a Royalist spy network; while Frances and her husband Allen join the destitute prince in Paris’s Louvre Palace to support his restoration. As the women work from the shadows to topple Cromwell’s regime, their husbands fight openly for the throne on England’s bloody battlefields.

But will the return of the king be a victory, or destroy them all? Separated by loyalty and bound by love, Luce, Nan and Frances hold the fate of England—and their family—in their hands.

A true story based on surviving memoirs of Elizabeth St.John's family, Written in their Stars is the third novel in the Lydiard Chronicles series.

Available on Amazon | Other eRetailers


Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The King must die."

Written in their Stars is the 3rd in Elizabeth St. John's Lydiard Chronicles series, which is based on her family's history during the English Civil War. I haven't read the first two books in the series but that didn't dampen my enjoyment of it at all. In fact, I will be picking them up soon so that I can start it all at the beginning.

The book is told from the perspectives of three women - Nan, Luce, and Frances. It starts off with John signing the death warrant for the execution of King Charles I, and Luce finally getting revenge for her family. Luce's brother Allen and his wife Frances don't agree with what they did and the family, like the country, is split apart. We follow the family and see the effects of the King's death as Cromwell takes over.

With impeccable research and exquisite writing, Written in their Stars is an exemplary piece of historical fiction. I don't know anything at all about my ancestors so I am envious that Elizabeth has so much information on her family and we're lucky that she chose to share it with us. It was captivating and I look forward to going back and reading the first two books. Ms. St. John has done her family proud!

About the Author

Elizabeth St.John spends her time between California, England, and the past. An award-winning author, historian and genealogist, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, to the Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story...

For more information, please visit Elizabeth St. John's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, December 9
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, December 10
Review at Jackie & Angela's Book Reviews

Wednesday, December 11
Review at Books and Zebras

Friday, December 13
Review at @ya.its.lit

Saturday, December 14
Review at Liberty's Literary Loves

Monday, December 16
Review at Red Headed Book Lady

Tuesday, December 17
Review at Impressions In Ink

Wednesday, December 18
Review at @bookishbellee

Saturday, December 21
Review at Tales from the Book Dragon

Monday, December 23
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Friday, December 27
Review at Historical Romance Lover

Sunday, December 29
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Friday, January 3
Review at Hoover Book Reviews

Monday, January 6
Review at Reading the Past

Tuesday, January 7
Interview at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, January 8
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Review at I'm All About Books

Thursday, January 9
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Friday, January 10
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at A Darn Good Read

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two signed copies of Written in their Stars! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on January 10th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Written in Their Stars


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