IMG_20210209_071520Hello and welcome to my stop on the blog tour The Puritan Princess by Miranda Malins. Thanks so much to Alex at Orion for the invite and for my lovely paperback copy. Before we get to my review  here’s what the book is all about:

cover186798-medium“ London, 1657
The youngest daughter of Oliver Cromwell, eighteen-year-old Frances is finding her place at England’s new centre of power.
Following the turmoil of Civil War, a fragile sense of stability has returned to the country. Her father has risen to the unprecedented position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, and Frances has found herself transported from her humble childhood home to the sumptuous palaces of Hampton Court and Whitehall, where she dreams of a love match that must surely be found at court.
But after an assassination attempt on the Cromwell family, Frances realises the precarious danger of her position – and when her father is officially offered the crown, Frances’ fate suddenly assumes diplomatic and dynastic importance.
Will she become a political pawn, or can Frances use her new status to seize control and further her own ambitions?“

Available from: Bookshop (affiliate) – Hive – Waterstones – Amazon

************

My Review

Well, this was a different book to what I expecting. As you know I love historical fiction and this book is jam packed with so much history that I didn’t know about. In fact when I first started reading I was a bit confused, as the Cromwell mentioned in these pages is definitely not the Cromwell I know about. Instead here is a Cromwell who seemed like a perfectly normal man who liked music, theatre, horse racing, good food and wine. Well basically anything good that I’d enjoy these days. He was definitely not the monster I was expecting! I was so shocked that I had to look at the historical note at the back of the book before I continued to make sure I wasn’t reading an alternative history novel. 

I liked Fanny and her sisters a lot, especially Mary, who was closest to her. They were intelligent women used to talking politics with men of State and knowing what was going on in the court. They weren’t just there to look pretty and be married off to strengthen political ties, at least that’s what Fanny hoped.

Her story was quite fraught at times, and I really hoped she would be able to marry for love. Of course I can’t say much more as it will spoil the book for you.

If you enjoy historical fiction that is extremely well researched, and that will open your eyes to a different side of history, full of drama, romance and tragedy, then this is the book for you! 

************

About The Author

20039359Miranda is a writer and historian specialising in the history of Oliver Cromwell, his family and the politics of the Interregnum period following the Civil Wars. She studied at Cambridge University, leaving with a PhD, and continues to speak at conferences and publish journal articles and book reviews. She is also a Trustee of the Cromwell Association. Alongside this, Miranda works as a commercial solicitor in the City and began writing historical novels on maternity leave. She lives in Hampshire with her husband, young son and cat Keats. 
You can follow Miranda on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and via her website