Promised to the Crown (Daughters of New France, Book One) by Aimie K. Runyan Review #PromisedtotheCrownBlogTour #HistoricalFiction # Twitter Tags: @hfvbt @aimiekrunyan @KensingtonBooks

Promised to the Crown (Daughters of New France, Book One) by Aimie K. Runyan

Publication Date: April 26, 2016

Kensington

Paperback & eBook; 352 Pages

Series: Daughters of New France

Genre: Historical Fiction

Bound for a new continent, and a new beginning. In her illuminating debut novel, Aimie K. Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of three young women who, in 1667, answer Louis XIV’s call and journey to the Canadian colony. They are known as the filles du roi, or “King’s Daughters”—young women who leave prosperous France for an uncertain future across the Atlantic. Their duty is to marry and bring forth a new generation of loyal citizens. Each prospective bride has her reason for leaving—poverty, family rejection, a broken engagement. Despite their different backgrounds, Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth all believe that marriage to a stranger is their best, perhaps only, chance of happiness. Once in Quebec, Elisabeth quickly accepts baker Gilbert Beaumont, who wants a business partner as well as a wife. Nicole, a farmer’s daughter from Rouen, marries a charming officer who promises comfort and security. Scarred by her traumatic past, Rose decides to take holy vows rather than marry. Yet no matter how carefully she chooses, each will be tested by hardship and heartbreaking loss—and sustained by the strength found in their uncommon friendship, and the precarious freedom offered by their new home.

“An engaging, engrossing debut.”—Greer Macallister, USA Today bestselling author of The Magician’s Lie

“An absorbing adventure with heart.”—Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

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About the Author

Aimie K. Runyan, member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Women's Fiction Writers Association, has been an avid student of French and Francophone Studies for more than fifteen years. While working on her Master's thesis on the brave women who helped found French Canada, she was fortunate enough to win a generous grant from the Quebec government to study onsite for three months which enabled the detailed research necessary for her work. Aimie lives in Colorado with her husband and two children. For more information please visit Aimie's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

My Thoughts

Between 1663 and 1673 approximately 800 women emigrated to Canada to marry and have children to protect the land for King Louis XIV from any country trying to steal the land from him. The 'New France' was mostly populated by men and natives. The women known as filles du roi, meaning that the women were recruited by the government and their passage was paid by the King, gave up what they knew or escaped to start a new life in an untamed land.

The women in Promised to the Crown were Nicole, who was set to marry but her betrothed married another and her father felt that this would be a good way for Nicole to marry well with no dowry. Rose, is an orphaned woman who must decide between becoming a Daughter of France or the stay at charity hospital she finds herself in, she decides to become a nun rather than marry and Elizabeth, is the daughter of a Parisian baker but after he dies, her mother sets up an arranged marriage and Elizabeth refuses.

These women are housed in a convent in Quebec when they arrive and men would come to pay court to the young women. These men would then decide on whom they wanted to marry, and have a family with. Almost like a mail order bride concept. 

Elizabeth had worked with her father in the family bakery and she was skilled at baking. A baker asks for her hand and she agrees. Nicole marries a young man and they go to his cabin but she finds that it was not what she expected or what he promised her. He is killed accidently by the Huron and she is left a widow and pregnant forcing her to move back to the town and back in the marriage pool. Rose is scared to death of the prospect of intimacy that would be part of a marriage and wishes to become a nun. She has a year to see if she changes her mind.

Life in a new country begins for these three women and soon they are married and with children. Not everything is rosy, there are mean spirited people in the town but they persevere amongst heartbreak and loss. 

I found this story to be quite interesting, I am sure I learned about the early history of Canada back in the day, but I don't remember this particular time. Definitely well researched and engaging characters will keep you interested until the end. I definitely look forward to the next in the trilogy, Duty to the Crown (Daughters of New France) which comes out in October of 2016. So if this is an era that you are interested in reading about, then this trilogy is one to read!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 26 
Review at Historical Fiction Addicts 
Wednesday, April 27 
Review at Let Them Read Books 
Thursday, April 28 
Interview at Book Nerd 
Interview at Books and Benches 
Friday, April 29 
Review at A Chick Who Reads 
Saturday, April 30 
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 
Monday, May 2 
Review at A Book Drunkard 
Tuesday, May 3 
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review 
Wednesday, May 4 
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews 
Interview at A Literary Vacation 
Thursday, May 5 
Review at Reading Is My SuperPower 
Friday, May 6 
Review at Puddletown Reviews 
Monday, May 9 
Review at Cynthia Robertson, writer 
Tuesday, May 10 
Review at A Bookish Affair 
Wednesday, May 11 
Review at Creating Herstory 
Thursday, May 12 
Interview at Creating Herstory 
Interview at Author Dianne Ascroft's Blog 
Monday, May 16 
Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog 
Tuesday, May 17 
Spotlight at Passages to the Past 
Thursday, May 19 I
Interview at The Book Connection 
Monday, May 23 
Review at CelticLady's Reviews 
Tuesday, May 24 
Review at A Holland Reads 
Wednesday, May 25 
Review at Curling up by the Fire 
Thursday, May 26 
Review at Just One More Chapter 
Friday, May 27 
Review at Bookramblings 
Monday, May 30 
Review at Broken Teepee 
Tuesday, May 31 
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Giveaway

Two copies of Promised to the Crown by Aimie K. Runyan are up for grabs! To enter, please use the GLEAM form below. 

Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter. – 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 suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Promised to the Crown