Look for Love, War and Intrigue In The Magnolia Duchess

Fiona Lanier was riding her horse Bonnie on the beach that August day in 1814 when suddenly the horse stopped in front of a pile of seaweed, refusing to go on. "Wait, not seaweed. Material. Clothing. A body. A roll of surf washed up, stirred by the folds of cloth, but the body did not move.  Dead?"

Our story begins here on the beach where Fiona finds a badly injured young man lying face down in the sand, barely alive.  After a struggle, she manages to get him home where she will ultimately nurse him back to good health.  The mysterious young man, however, is not entirely unknown to Fiona.  He is Charlie Kincaid, whom she met years ago while visiting England.  

When Charlie regains consciousness, Fiona quickly realizes he has lost his memory. What was he, an Englishman, doing at Mobile Point so far from his home?  Set in the midst of the War of 1812, the Magnolia Duchess brings to life fictional characters whose stories intertwined with historical places and events of that era.  The book mentions General Andrew Jackson several times leading up to the Battle of New Orleans and the ultimate surrender of the British that ended the war.  

As the war rages, though, we are still faced with Fiona and Charlie.  As they meet challenges brought about by the war, they both grow in ways unexpected. The Magnolia Duchess is the third book in the Gulf Coast Chronicles, by Beth White. The series follows the Lanier family for over one hundred years where men and women of courage helped shape our country.

The Creole Princess:A Review

I spent the weekend at my favorite place reading an advance copy of The Creole Princess by Beth White for review.  Set in Mobile Alabama in 1776, the author reeled me in like a fish off the bayou.  I love American history and this setting is a new perspective in that war for independence in the deep south. Major players were the Spanish and the British.

Our heroine is Lyse Lanier of French Creole descent and incomparable beauty. The story is first and foremost a romance with some intrigue along the coast to aid the American cause. Lyse's best friend Daisy Redmond is the daughter of the Commander of Fort Charlotte. The fort plays an important part in the story as unrest after sentiments the Declaration of Independence spreads, forcing Major Redmond to seek the Oath of Loyalty to the crown from the townspeople.  

In the midst of the building tension a young Spanish dandy named Rafael Gonzales (Rafa) has immersed himself into the society of Mobile and  most of all the confused heart of Lyse Lanier. Rafa is not taken seriously by Lyse who believes him to be insincere.  He flirts openly and seems to disappear only to resurface in unlikely places. She is torn by the excitement when Rafa is near and the safe attentions of a young British officer of a rather staid nature.  Is it better to marry someone just because he is safe or love a man who is handsome, exciting and living on the edge?

Rafa has his reasons for disappearing and it is not because he is toying with Lyse. It all comes out in a plot that shows us what risks Spain took to support the American cause. In the midst of some dangerous plots, we experience the cruelty of slavery, prejudice, jealousy and deception.  Things are definitely not as they seem. I recommend you take some tea and begin this book for some down time that will keep you guessing what will happen next to our Creole Princess. I think you will agree, she is one courageous, inspirational woman.