The Heart of the Rebellion by Sian Ann Bessey ~ Blog tour with a #giveaway. #historicalfiction

The Heart of the Rebellion by Sian Ann Bessey
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source:  Received to review
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  September 1400

King Richard II of England is dead. And after three years in His Majesty’s service, Rhys ap Tudor and his brother Gwilym are finally free to return to their ancestral home in North Wales. Their long-anticipated homecoming is overshadowed, however, by the harsh changes they encounter in their once peaceful land. The new king, Henry IV, rules with an iron fist, and the country is ripe for rebellion. Instantly thrust into the forefront of the conflict, the proud Tudor brothers enter the fight for their freedom.

Lady Catrin Buckley is alert to the unrest swirling around her. As the daughter of an English father and a Welsh mother, she knows too well the trouble her lineage poses. Her own battle, however, is one of the heart: she is to be married to a man she neither knows nor loves. Then an unexpected encounter with the enigmatic Rhys ap Tudor changes everything. Soon, Catrin finds herself swept into a rebellion that could not only change history but also rewrite her own future.


My thoughts:  This book is beautiful inside and out. I love the cover and the book is fascinating. Sian Ann Bessey has presented a story and setting that are well done.

This book is set during the Welsh rebellion in the early 15th Century. When a book is well written I tend to start looking up the people and events portrayed in the story. I spent a fair amount of time Googling Rhys ap Tudor and the capture of Conway Castle. Sian Ann Bessey really brought the events and people to life. I could almost imagine myself there with them.

This is a bit of a love story between Rhys and Catrin. There is an underlying attraction that is present from the moment they meet. The story focuses more on the struggles of Wales to be free from Britain than on romance.

This book is a work of fiction loosely based on events in history. I loved the time I spent reading it.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon *  Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

About the Author:  (Taken from Goodreads)  Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, but grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend Brigham Young University in Utah, where she earned a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in English.

She began her writing career as a student, publishing several magazine articles while still in college. Since then she has published historical romance and romantic suspense novels, along with a variety of children's books. She is a USA Today best selling author and a Whitney Award finalist.
Although Sian doesn't have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, she can still wrap her tongue around, "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch." She loves to travel and experience other cultures, but when she's home, her favorite activities are spending time with her family, cooking, and reading. 

Visit her WEBPAGE!

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