Some Rise by Sin is an outstanding historical romance novel that takes us back to 16th century England. Back to the days of Lords and Ladies, and a Queen that history seldom mentions. (Actually, it’s still the day of Lords and Ladies but, I needed an opening for my review.)
The Lord, in this case, is Cade, the Earl of Easton and the lady is Lady Samara (love her name), the eldest daughter of the Earl of Brentford, and Cade’s neighbor. The reigning Queen is Mary I, of the Tutor family.
As Cade returns to Easton, having served the queen as her representative (and some believe spy) in Rome, he finds his father’s and brother’s passing has left him Easton. An estate in shambles, with almost no staff and one that he has no idea how to run.
Seeking help from Lord Brentford, he runs into Lady Samara. A red-haired beauty with a mind of her own and, few if any, wifely skills. Lord Brentford agrees to help him, in exchange for Cade’s mothers Glenwood estate in Shropshire and his agreement to escort Lady Samara to London, so that she may find a husband.
From here, Courtney weaves two wonderful tales. One that builds the relationship between Cade and Samara and the second that covers the rich history of the time.
It’s at this point that I must confess to my bias. Having lived in London, visited Leeds Castle, (home of the Tutor family), being a romance writer and English history nut; Courtney had me glued to her story and page-turning well into the night. Both of which, I attribute mainly to her excellent story building and writing skills.
Having laid a wonderful foundation for what happened in the young lives of Cade and Samara and, an England full of turmoil, Courtney takes the couple (and the reader) to the Queen’s court in London. From there, she weaves her love story, full of twists and turns, in with the rich and confusing history of the time. A time when England’s religion was the religion de jour; depending on who was in power and who they were married to.
If it’s not obvious by now, I loved this book! Courtney could not have picked a better time in history to write about. A time rich with history and a Queen, most people know little about. To that, she builds two characters (actually more than two) that you can’t help falling in love with, and then, intertwines them in a wonderful, perplexing and confusing relationship: One so realistically complicated by the unwritten rules of the era.
To that I will add that, as a writer, I am in envy of Courtney’s skills as a storyteller, historian, and author.
My rating? On a scale of one to five – a Ten!