Review and Giveaway: Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland

Title: Mistress Firebrand
Author: Donna Thorland
Format: ARC
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publish Date: March 3, 2015
Source: I received a copy from the author; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "British Occupied Manhattan, 1777. American actress Jennifer Leighton has been packing the John Street Theater with her witty comedies, but she longs to escape the provincial circuit for the glamour of the London stage. When the playwright General John Burgoyne visits the city, fresh from a recent success in the capitol, she seizes the opportunity to court his patronage. But her plan is foiled by British intelligence officer Severin Devere.

Severin’s mission is to keep the pleasure-loving general focused on the war effort…and away from pretty young actresses. But the tables are turned when Severin himself can’t resist Jennifer Leighton…

Months later, Jenny has abandoned her dreams of stage glory and begun writing seditious plays for the Rebels under the pen name “Cornelia,” ridiculing “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne and his army—and undermining the crown’s campaign to take Albany. By the time Severin meets up with Jenny once again, she is on a British hanging list, and Severin is ordered to find her—and deliver her to certain death. Soon, the two are launched on a desperate journey through the wilderness, toward a future shaped by the revolution—and their passion for each other…"

My Two Cents:

In "Mistress Firebrand," our main character, Jennifer, is both an actress and a playwright in Manhattan. It is the 1770s and the colonies are an ever changing and sometimes dangerous place as it does not take long for Jennifer to find out. Jennifer gets herself entangled with infamous British general, John Burgoyne, but it is his intelligence officer, Severin that falls for Jennifer. What follows is a story of a burgeoning romance set against a very exciting time in American history.

I really liked Jennifer's character. Here is a woman who know what she wants. She has a passion for theater and writing. She is able to be pretty successful in her own right, which was not always the case for women during this time period. I really liked that aspect! I also really liked the romance between her and Severin. Their romance is definitely of the forbidden kind, which made it pretty exciting for me.

The storytelling took me a little while to get into as the characters and story were really being introduced. Once we get to the developing romance between Jennifer and Severin and the dealings with Burgoyne, the story really hit its stride and the writing began to feel a little more flowing and natural to me.

I like historical fiction and I love historical romance. This book really bridges the gap between both genres. There is all of the rich historical detail and grounding in actual historical events that are hallmarks of traditional historical fiction. There is also a really great romance with a lot of passion and a good dose of heat to appeal to those who like historical romance. I really liked that both sides were included in this story. Overall, this was a good story with a memorable romance!

Giveaway:

Thanks to the publisher, I am excited to be able to give away a copy of this book! Want to read it? Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! (U.S. only)


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