The Lady of the Loch by @JudyLeighWriter Blog Tour and Review!

 

 

The Lady of the Loch

‘Although I believe I will die here in this castle, my spirit will never be silent.’

Ravenscraig Castle, Scotland. 1307

When the castle she works in is sacked by the army of Prince Edward of England, kitchen maid Agnes Fitzgerald manages to escape north of Inverness to throw herself at the mercy of the Lord and Lady at Ravenscraig Castle. Although safe for now, the people of Scotland are fighting hard for their independence, and the threat of the English hangs heavy over the land.  But when Agnes spies Cam Buchanan swimming in the loch, her mind turns away from war and towards love.  Agnes even dares to dream of a happy future, until she learns that Cam must go and fight alongside Robert de Brus.

Present day

Twins Leah and Zoe need a change, so caretaking at Ravenscraig Castle is the perfect opportunity to get away from it all. Surrounded by rugged Highland countryside, and bordered by a loch, the picturesque setting is everything they dreamed of. But the locals are reluctant to visit Ravenscraig, and there are whispers of ghosts and lost souls. The sisters quickly dismiss such superstition, but soon the overwhelming sadness they feel coming from the tower grows too hard to ignore.

Can the sisters finally right the wrongs of seven hundred years of heartbreak, seven hundred years of betrayal…

USA Today bestselling author Judy Leigh writing as Elena Collins, brings you this heart-breaking and unforgettable timeslip novel, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Diana Gabaldon and Louise Douglas.

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Elena Collins is the pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Judy Leigh writing unforgettable, heart-breaking timeslip novels. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

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My Thoughts

Lady of the Loch by Elena Collins is the story of women, told in a dual timeline. Twins Zoe and Leah Drummond and Agnes Fitzgerald. The book starts in 1307 in Scotland and we learn about Agnes, where she is living, and what she does. She works in the kitchen of a castle. The Kildrummy castle in Aberdeenshire is besieged by the English and the King of Scotland's son is disemboweled and a friend of hers has his throat cut. Agnes and another girl Effie, that also works in the kitchen, escape the castle and head to Ravenscraig Castle where they seek refuge.

Zoe Drummond has a successful job that she does from anywhere, plus she is very social. Whereas her twin sister Leah is more of an introvert and feels that she fails at everything that she tries to do. When Leah starts looking for a job, she comes across a position as a caretaker in a castle, Ravenscraig she is so excited. One caveat, she has to be part of a couple so she enlists her sister as the other half of the couple. Zoe agrees but only for a 3-month trial

Alternating chapters continue the story of Agnes and Effie, Agnes meets a soldier, Cam, whose mother also works at the castle and they form a relationship and eventually are handfast. This is with all the fighting that is going on between Robert de Brus, who is King of Scotland, and Longshanks, then the proclaimed King. This fighting culminates in the Battle of Bannockburn. A lot of lives were lost on both sides, including Agnes' husband Cam. His body was thrown into the Loch. Agnes is the ghost in the modern time, forever wandering looking for Cam.

When Zoe and Leah learn the story of the two lovers, they want to do the right thing by Agnes. They have both seen her wandering the castle. Zoe meets and becomes lover to Daniel, the owner of the castle and Leah enters into a relationship with Christie, the man who is remodeling the castle for Daniel.

Ghostly sightings, cold rooms, and other ghostly manifestations lead Zoe, Leah, Daniel, and Christie to the tower in an unused wing of the castle. There they find that someone had been walled in and left to die, starving alone. Such a horrible thing to do but we are dealing with medieval times and that is what they did to people that they either feared or that they wanted out of the way.

I am part Scottish and love this kind of story, mixing the past with the present. The cover of this book is beautiful, the research impeccable, and a solid storyline. You will love the ending! If you love historical fiction, give this book a try, you will not be disappointed. 

I give the book 5 stars!