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Lady
In the year 1464, while England recovers from the devastation of the War of the Roses, Baron Alexander FitzRoland is dying in his northern castle. His young wife, Rosalynde, recovering from the stillbirth of her first child, succumbs to despair like a dutiful lady should.
When the castle gates are threatened, only Alexander's reputation as a brutal fighter is enough to frighten off their opportunistic enemy. The proper thing for Lady Rosalynde to do is to pray and submit to devastation. Instead, she puts on her husband's armor and rides to the gate disguised as the baron.
From there, things only get more complicated. Between mastering the art of war, meeting with witches, struggling with self-doubt and maneuvering her complicated relationship with Alexander's lover, Robert, Lady Rosalynde balances on the razor thin line between duty and destiny.
When the castle gates are threatened, only Alexander's reputation as a brutal fighter is enough to frighten off their opportunistic enemy. The proper thing for Lady Rosalynde to do is to pray and submit to devastation. Instead, she puts on her husband's armor and rides to the gate disguised as the baron.
From there, things only get more complicated. Between mastering the art of war, meeting with witches, struggling with self-doubt and maneuvering her complicated relationship with Alexander's lover, Robert, Lady Rosalynde balances on the razor thin line between duty and destiny.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2024
About the author
L.C.W. Allingham
17 books16 followersLCW Allingham is a Philadelphia area author, artist, and editor. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies. She is the co-founder and executive editor of the indie press, Speculation Publications. Her horror novella MUSE is coming out in April 2024, and her debut historical novel, LADY, will be out in September, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 6, 2024
When I read a “debut novel” I always take a deep breath because, no matter how great the subject, new writers often have issues with story confusion, character overload, and/or just a general meandering of subject and dialogue. This book had none of these!
Set in 1464 during the time of knights, castles, and blood-letting, Lady Rosalynde is married to Baron Alexander FitzRoland and their marriage is a unique one since he already has a lover. Despite their unique start and relationship, they forge a deep and strong friendship that, based upon mutual respect, and a desire and need for an heir (hopefully male), theirs turns out to be the kind of love that gets tested when Alexander becomes seriously ill and Rosalynde suffers a late term miscarriage. Their castle, lands, town, and safety are being threatened and Lady Rosalynde must step up and take charge, all while hiding the fact that her husband is so dangerously ill. Since I hate people who give away too much of the story, I'll stop here!
Just know that I adored this book and am so excited to read more work by this incredible author. Thank you to BookSirens for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
Set in 1464 during the time of knights, castles, and blood-letting, Lady Rosalynde is married to Baron Alexander FitzRoland and their marriage is a unique one since he already has a lover. Despite their unique start and relationship, they forge a deep and strong friendship that, based upon mutual respect, and a desire and need for an heir (hopefully male), theirs turns out to be the kind of love that gets tested when Alexander becomes seriously ill and Rosalynde suffers a late term miscarriage. Their castle, lands, town, and safety are being threatened and Lady Rosalynde must step up and take charge, all while hiding the fact that her husband is so dangerously ill. Since I hate people who give away too much of the story, I'll stop here!
Just know that I adored this book and am so excited to read more work by this incredible author. Thank you to BookSirens for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
September 24, 2024
Lady is a brilliantly told historical fiction novel. Lady Rosalynde is alive during a time when men reigned supreme and women were not regarded as highly. She's in a marriage union suitable for her and Baron Alexander FitzRoland of Casstone. Not one borne of love but of respect, necessity, and friendship. Alexander's boyhood friend throws an uncomfortable monkey wrench in their blessed union but Lady Rosalynde calls for him when Alexander is taken ill shortly after the stillbirth of their child. When rumors start swirling through the realm, enemies begin appearing at the gate, circling the castle like packs of hungry wolves. Rosalynde does what she feels is necessary to protect her land and people.
This novel is so much more than a historical fiction romance novel. Not all inside the covers are matches made in heaven, perfect relationships, and easy lifestyles. This story is brutal yet tender, normal in terms of the time period yet full of lovable misfits, emotional yet stoic. Lady Rosalynde is such a strong female lead character. She's resilient despite every hit she takes from the very first paragraph. She's strong even when she's healing both her mind and body, supporting her ill husband, and defending the barony from those with evil intent.
Rosalynde's love for her husband, his lover, their attendants, and her people flows through the pages. Unconventional love in some circumstances, conventional love in others, but a lot of love threaded throughout the story. The author wrote three-dimensional and realistic characters. LCW Allingham's ability to infuse her novel with emotion that is felt by the reader gives Lady even more depth.
There are so many passages that had me tearing up. So much loss, so much agony, but even more love and understanding. Lady Rosalynde's losses seem insurmountable, yet there are times through the book that I teared up not because of sadness, but because she had the support of those around her. When she's before the King and all he says to her is to stand up I couldn't help but get emotional. Her self-professed oddities are not seen as bad things by those with intelligence. Love abounds and in a more profound way than a classic romance.
As the author states in the post on her website dated September 20, 2024, "Lady is a love story, not a romance." https://lcwallingham.com/2024/09/20/l...
This novel is so much more than a historical fiction romance novel. Not all inside the covers are matches made in heaven, perfect relationships, and easy lifestyles. This story is brutal yet tender, normal in terms of the time period yet full of lovable misfits, emotional yet stoic. Lady Rosalynde is such a strong female lead character. She's resilient despite every hit she takes from the very first paragraph. She's strong even when she's healing both her mind and body, supporting her ill husband, and defending the barony from those with evil intent.
Rosalynde's love for her husband, his lover, their attendants, and her people flows through the pages. Unconventional love in some circumstances, conventional love in others, but a lot of love threaded throughout the story. The author wrote three-dimensional and realistic characters. LCW Allingham's ability to infuse her novel with emotion that is felt by the reader gives Lady even more depth.
There are so many passages that had me tearing up. So much loss, so much agony, but even more love and understanding. Lady Rosalynde's losses seem insurmountable, yet there are times through the book that I teared up not because of sadness, but because she had the support of those around her. When she's before the King and all he says to her is to stand up I couldn't help but get emotional. Her self-professed oddities are not seen as bad things by those with intelligence. Love abounds and in a more profound way than a classic romance.
As the author states in the post on her website dated September 20, 2024, "Lady is a love story, not a romance." https://lcwallingham.com/2024/09/20/l...
September 7, 2024
During the early days of the War of the Roses a young noblewoman living in a remote castle is mourning the miscarriage/stillbirth of her son when her husband Baron Alexander falls ill. To make matters even worse a neighbour's son keeps attacking the castle. Uncommon in this kind of novels this is a very layered story and not a romance although there is all kind of love between the group of main characters. Our heroine survived a very traumatic event when she was still young and her warrior father knew only one way to deal with that to give his daughter confidence: he trained her to fight. She is a very androgyne tall woman with an unusual upbringing what made her very unpopular at court. Still, handsome and kind, fierce warrior Alexander marries her because he wants heirs but he has a dangerous secret to keep.
It is a story that has a genuine and realistic feel to it. It handles diversity but in a natural way. Also in the Middle Ages people fell in love with people they could not marry. And there would also have been people from far places.
The author said in her final comments "I realised in the end the story was about love" and that is exactly it. Not just sexual attraction, no hanky panky, love. In all kind of forms.
I was very impressed and went to bed late in the hope to finish the story. Failed. And then in the morning I hated reaching the end.
Keep up this quality!
It is a story that has a genuine and realistic feel to it. It handles diversity but in a natural way. Also in the Middle Ages people fell in love with people they could not marry. And there would also have been people from far places.
The author said in her final comments "I realised in the end the story was about love" and that is exactly it. Not just sexual attraction, no hanky panky, love. In all kind of forms.
I was very impressed and went to bed late in the hope to finish the story. Failed. And then in the morning I hated reaching the end.
Keep up this quality!
May 30, 2025
I just finished reading Lady, by LCW Allingham. In this story, the author opens up the mind of Rosalynde, lady of Castle Casstone as she deals with a series of deadly crises.
First of all, her husband and the love of her life, Baron Alexander FitzRoland is dying. Lady Rosalynde has to find ways to stay strong as he wastes away in front of her eyes.
Second, she just delivered a stillborn child. Her body is still recovering from the trauma of childbirth as her mind tries to deal with the guilt of not providing an heir for her dying husband.
Third, and most immediate, their enemies are at the gate, and there’s no one to defend the castle.
Lady Rosalynde does what any good military officer would do. She improvises, adapts, and overcomes.
As with all of Allingham’s works, Lady is beautifully written and wonderfully executed. The story is action-packed, and the tension feels real. The author’s descriptions and imagery pull you into the unsettled year of 1464. A time when it isn’t safe to be either a woman or a soldier.
Lady Rosalynde is both.
Definitely 5 stars!
First of all, her husband and the love of her life, Baron Alexander FitzRoland is dying. Lady Rosalynde has to find ways to stay strong as he wastes away in front of her eyes.
Second, she just delivered a stillborn child. Her body is still recovering from the trauma of childbirth as her mind tries to deal with the guilt of not providing an heir for her dying husband.
Third, and most immediate, their enemies are at the gate, and there’s no one to defend the castle.
Lady Rosalynde does what any good military officer would do. She improvises, adapts, and overcomes.
As with all of Allingham’s works, Lady is beautifully written and wonderfully executed. The story is action-packed, and the tension feels real. The author’s descriptions and imagery pull you into the unsettled year of 1464. A time when it isn’t safe to be either a woman or a soldier.
Lady Rosalynde is both.
Definitely 5 stars!
November 1, 2024
First of all, I loved the opening line: “My lips formed prayers, but they were poor tethers to hope as the pit seemed to open in my chest.”* It was an interesting study (of sorts) of medieval gender roles and had well written characters with believable viewpoints; one of the most striking to me was how everyone was sensitive to the husband's feelings regarding a lack of heir but not the MC's physical and emotional pain at having lost a pregnancy early on in the book. The descriptions were vivid, both senses and also just the overall vibe of the era.
I spent a lot of time looking up images of medieval garb and weapons and finding recipes of dishes described. I know a book is good when I go on side-quests while reading. 🤓
Definitely a good read and I learned some along the way as well.
*Excerpt From: Lady by LCW Allingham. This material may be protected by copyright.
I spent a lot of time looking up images of medieval garb and weapons and finding recipes of dishes described. I know a book is good when I go on side-quests while reading. 🤓
Definitely a good read and I learned some along the way as well.
*Excerpt From: Lady by LCW Allingham. This material may be protected by copyright.
September 18, 2024
LCW Allingham is the rare kind of author in that pretty much everything she writes leaves a mark. I've read a lot of stories from this author, most of it in the horror genre. While there are elements of horror in LADY (as there are in just about every story ever told), this one is straight-up historical fiction. Histfic is not a genre I usually read, but it's an LCW Allingham book so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Anything but, in fact. Highlights: a strong-as-steel female protag, taut dialogue, and boatloads of well-drawn conflict. What I think I enjoyed most about the story, though, is the fact that it's a love story at its heart. And who doesn't love a timeless love story? Kudos to the author on a kickass debut.
March 18, 2025
I can't put into words how much I loved this book. The characters were so nuanced and interesting, each one had their own personality and story and they felt so real. The main character especially impressed me. Rosalynde is courageous and righteous. She defends those around her, but is also flawed. She struggles with her self image and the role that society puts to her. She's wonderful. I feel like the ending was somewhat abrupt and I wish that the ending hadn't been included. I would have been personally more satisfied imagining a future for the characters myself. Still I think that this is a very fresh and intricate historical fiction. I loved it that's all I can say.
September 7, 2024
I was hooked from the first page and really enjoyed the medieval element of this story, it uses the time-period perfectly and was hooked with what I was hoping for. The concept worked overall and enjoyed how the love story was going on, it was realistic and enjoyed the overall feel of this. LCW Allingham has a great writing style and was engaged with what was going on and can't wait for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 5, 2025
Very well written. Incredible heroine. Perfect battle scenes and historical detail. Some aspects of the story did not appeal to me, but absolutely no complaints on the writing, character development, and story structure. Roz is the perfect balance between knight and lady. Her story and strength is inspiring. Great first read for 2025. I was pleased to receive an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 8, 2024
A compelling and strong female lead with a great cast of supporting characters. Loved the time frame of the 1400's. This was listed as a first novel but the writer is not new to the skill and it shows.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 22, 2025
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Lady is a historical fiction novel about Rosalynde, a too-tall, too-strong woman on whom femininity has never sat comfortably. She's secretly trained in the sword from a young age, and when her husband is bed-bound with a mysterious illness just as neighboring lords start sniffing around his lands, she finally finds a reason to put her skills to use. Meanwhile, she's also grappling with infertility and interpersonal conflicts within the castle, most notably with her husband's lover, Robert, who is jealous of her, and with her cousin/lady-in-waiting, who disapproves of her knightly disguise.
The narrative is slow-paced and can at times feel a bit circular: Rosalynde fights off an encroachment from the neighboring lord, frets about her infertility, has tense interactions with her dying husband, argues with Robert and her cousin, then it all repeats. But she is an engaging heroine, and anyone who becomes sufficiently invested in her well-being will find the book compelling nonetheless.
The author clearly has some interest in approaching Rosalynde's gender-nonconformity and chafing against patriarchal oppression in a period-appropriate way, which I appreciated. Reasonably for her time and place, she largely frames things in terms of her Christian faith, and looks to Joan of Arc and various female saints as role models and as evidence that her actions and desires are not truly wrong or harmful. However, modern frameworks did slip in occasionally--there's a reference to "being outed" (vis-a-vis her crossdressing) and a number of references to "women's agency", and those felt quite anachronistic as ways for this character to conceptualize her experiences.
But these are ultimately minor quibbles, and the book is otherwise a solid character study of a woman struggling to find happiness in a society that has boxed her into an ill-fitting role.
Lady is a historical fiction novel about Rosalynde, a too-tall, too-strong woman on whom femininity has never sat comfortably. She's secretly trained in the sword from a young age, and when her husband is bed-bound with a mysterious illness just as neighboring lords start sniffing around his lands, she finally finds a reason to put her skills to use. Meanwhile, she's also grappling with infertility and interpersonal conflicts within the castle, most notably with her husband's lover, Robert, who is jealous of her, and with her cousin/lady-in-waiting, who disapproves of her knightly disguise.
The narrative is slow-paced and can at times feel a bit circular: Rosalynde fights off an encroachment from the neighboring lord, frets about her infertility, has tense interactions with her dying husband, argues with Robert and her cousin, then it all repeats. But she is an engaging heroine, and anyone who becomes sufficiently invested in her well-being will find the book compelling nonetheless.
The author clearly has some interest in approaching Rosalynde's gender-nonconformity and chafing against patriarchal oppression in a period-appropriate way, which I appreciated. Reasonably for her time and place, she largely frames things in terms of her Christian faith, and looks to Joan of Arc and various female saints as role models and as evidence that her actions and desires are not truly wrong or harmful. However, modern frameworks did slip in occasionally--there's a reference to "being outed" (vis-a-vis her crossdressing) and a number of references to "women's agency", and those felt quite anachronistic as ways for this character to conceptualize her experiences.
But these are ultimately minor quibbles, and the book is otherwise a solid character study of a woman struggling to find happiness in a society that has boxed her into an ill-fitting role.
September 29, 2024
Lady was fantastic! The main character was a strong female who didn’t fit into the typical mold, but who was also someone I could relate to. I became emotionally invested in the characters and even cried at the end. I absolutely loved this book and enjoyed that it took place in England in the 1400’s. I will be reading this book again and recommending it to my friends and family.
~Laura S.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
~Laura S.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews