From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd

Author: Sarah E. Ladd

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Date of publication: April 10, 2018

Kate’s loyalties bind her to the past. Henry’s loyalties compel him to strive for a better future. In a landscape torn between tradition and vision, can two souls find the strength to overcome their preconceptions?

Loyalty has been at the heart of the Dearborne family for as long as Kate can remember, but a war is brewing in their small village, one that has the power to rip families asunder — including her own. As misguided actions are brought to light, she learns how deep her father’s pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed.

Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war hoping to find a refuge from his haunting memories. Determined to bury the past, he embraces his grandfather’s goals to modernize his family’s wool mill, regardless of the grumblings from the local weavers. When tragedy strikes shortly after his arrival, Henry must sort out the truth from suspicion if he is to protect his family’s livelihood and legacy.

Henry has been warned about the Dearborne family. Kate, too, has been advised to stay far away from the Stocktons, but chance meetings continue to bring her to Henry’s side, blurring the jagged lines between loyalty, justice, and truth. Kate ultimately finds herself with the powerful decision that will forever affect her village’s future. As unlikely adversaries, Henry and Kate must come together to find a way to create peace for their families, and their village, and their souls – even if it means risking their hearts in the process.

I was pleasantly surprised with The Weaver's Daughter. It's a perfect mix of slow burning romance, mystery and history. It involves Kate and Henry who grew up in dueling families. Henry is back from the war having been presumed dead. He is set to take over his grandfather's mill business. Kate's father is a clothier and against the progression of industry to streamline cloth making.

I did end up enjoying the story. The characters were interesting and well fleshed out. Henry has been changed by the war and I was glad the author didn't gloss over that. I think we tend to forget PTSD from war isn't a new thing and goes back centuries. I loved Kate's struggle with loyalty to her family and wanting to venture into the changing industry. I really loved how Henry and Kate's affections grew over time. I was rooting for Kate and Henry and loved going on their journey to each other. The book isn't bogged down in the romance though as there is some mystery. As an aside, I really don't like when people compare romances like this to Romeo and Juliet. There was nothing romantic or healthy about that story. I know I'm in the minority when I say that, but it's how I have always felt.

I didn't know much about the real life history of the conflict between the mills and the weavers. I did a little research after starting the book and I'm happy I did. It gave me more context for the story, I was a little confused in the beginning, but the brief history lesson cleared things up for me. This is a nice clean historical romance and I highly recommend giving it a try.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Sarah E. Ladd

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky Golden Retriever.

Connect with Sarah

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Sarah E. Ladd’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, May 14th: The Library of Mrs. Gardner and @mrs.literarylovely

Monday, May 14th: Running Through the Storms

Tuesday, May 15th: A Bookish Way of Life

Wednesday, May 16th: The Caffeinated Bibliophile and @thecaffeinatedbibliophile

Thursday, May 17th: Read. Eat. Repeat.

Monday, May 21st: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Reviews

Tuesday, May 22nd: Blooming with Books