Lady Katherine Turner was never meant to be the Countess of Leicester, but when her brother William dies suddenly, she must take on the mantle of power. Unfortunately, with power comes responsibility, and in medieval England, women in power could not hold onto that power unless they married. That does not sit well with Katherine, who is a very independent woman. However, a choice must be made between two suitors, Lord Henry Tyrell, Earl of Dornton, and Lord James Stanford. Who will Lady Katherine Turner choose, and can she maintain her independent spirit while falling in love? Laura Johnson-Smith explores Lady Katherine’s love story in her debut novel, “The Rose Amongst the Thorns.”

 

I would like to thank The Book Guild and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I enjoy reading novels that are set during the Wars of the Roses, and I like to read debut historical fiction novels. When I read the description for this novel, it sparked an interest in me to give it a try.

 

We begin with Katherine and her brother William, who is about to go on a mission for King Edward IV in France. William is engaged to be married to Isabelle, but things come crashing down when William is killed in France. Now, the title of the Duchess of Leicester has been passed down to Katherine. We flash forward a few years, where we see Katherine adjusting to her new role. Now, her aunt and uncle are pushing Katherine to marry, even though she has no desire to marry. That is, until she meets her two potential suitors. Lord Henry Tyrell is the first man to sweep Katherine off her feet, but she soon realizes that he has nefarious plans for her. And then there is Lord James Stanford, whom Katherine truly falls for. 

 

As a debut, it was a fine novel, but it was hard for me to figure out when it was supposed to take place. If it wasn’t for the description, I would have felt completely lost as the story felt like it could have been placed in any time period. It didn’t have a distinct feeling of being in the middle of King Richard III’s short reign. I also felt like this plot was pretty predictable for me, and it didn’t give me a wow factor. That being said, I can sense that the author does have a passion for the past, and the novel is pretty well-written for her first novel. If you want to give a new reader a try and enjoy a good historical love triangle, you might enjoy “The Rose Amongst the Thorns” by Laura Johnson-Smith.