The Lady Bornekova

The Lady Bornekova #1

by Sara R. Turnquist

The red-headed Karin is strong-willed and determined, something she inherited from her father. She tries to keep her true nature a secret to avoid being deemed a traitor by those loyal to the king. Karin and her father butt heads over her duty to her family and the Czech Crown. She is then sequestered to the Royal Viscount’s hunting lodge.


Not aware of everything that is happening, she becomes the target of an individual with murderous intent. Her heart soon becomes entangled though her father intends to wed her to another. The turmoil inside Karin deepens and reflects the turmoil of her homeland, on the brink of the Hussite Wars.

Genres: Historical Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2015

About the author

I’m a coffee lovin’, word slinging, clean Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. I love those odd tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That’s what inspires me. Well, that and a good love story.

Visit https://saraturnquist.com/leaving-wav... and sign up for a FREE book!

Reviews

[Carole Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest I do not know much about the history of Kingdom of Czech, especially during the Hussite Wars. I have heard of it, but my knowledge was limited. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to read this! A new location and an interesting part of history. This takes place shortly before the Hussite Wars. Many people are tearing themselves away from the Roman Catholic influence over the government and following the teaching of Jan Hus. Karin is one of these followers. However, it is quite dangerous to be noble and believe these thoughts. To protect her, her parents have taken her to exile to the Royal Viscount's hunting lodge and away from society. Honestly....I would not complain about that exile. Could be a lot worse....like a nunnery. ;) Maybe they should have done that instead.

Poor Karin. She had a lot of issues throughout the book with getting hurt and almost dying. Unlucky, I say. Also, she falls in love with someone, but she is meat to marry another. Truly unlucky and I felt bad. Plus, she is pretty much in "prison" at the lodge and is being watched and tattled on by her poor maid. I felt bad for the maid in a way too.

I wanted to kick Stepan, but he did make the story more interesting.

I'll be honest...the few chapters bored me. It was so slow and nothing was really happening or being revealed. BUT after a certain event transpired things turned around quickly and I could hardly put the book down! I had to find out how everything was going to end. This is not a historical romance, so the love between Karin and Pavel was a hard one to obtain. Again, tis not a HR, so I will not spoil if they end up together or not. However, I was worried and scared for them!

Also...I'll be honest...I did not like Pavel to begin with. Same with Karin's parents. They upset me, but they proved themselves and I liked all three near the end.

UGH the ending. It was a cliffhanger, but not really. It was an odd ending. I liked it, but it bummed me out that it left so cliffhanger-ish. I hope there is a sequel or a short story, because I NEED TO KNOW. But yes....mixed feelings, but it was good and made me happy, but there were so many questions and not a solid conclusion to Karin's tale. It needs a short story or something.

In the end, I liked it. I needed a nice historical fiction set in a location I've never read before. Also, it was interesting to learning more about a war and a situation I have limited knowledge on. Of course I googled the war and learned more. Can't help myself. ;) The beginning was a little slow and the ending I had a love-hate relationship with. However, the story was good and I was entertained! I need to know more! I highly recommend this for those that love historical fiction with a touch of romance involved. Out of 5 stars, I stamp this with 3.

[DeniseF · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lady Bornekova is a delightfully entertaining read. It has a great plot, interesting characters and the just the right touch of romance as well as a unique historical backdrop. I had never heard of the Hussite Wars prior to this book and after finishing it, had to resort to Google and Wikipedia to learn more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book set in a country you don't normally see in historical fiction and set in an era that is new to me. It's so refreshing (and exciting) to read such a good story that is so 'out of the box' in comparison to other works of historical fiction.


Lady Karin Bornekova is the main character of the novel and she was such an intelligent and likable character. In a time when women weren't allowed to have opinions, she had strong convictions that were outside the mainstream and she was willing to sacrifice everything for those convictions. I definitely admired her strength and tenacity as she stood up to her father and other people in her life who tried to prevent her thinking and believing the way that she did.


The story had a bit of a mystery to it and while I could easily see who the perpetrator was, I still enjoyed the strange occurrences that seemed to plague Karin. Even when everything was revealed, I was still a bit shocked by the cause and impetus for all that she had to endure. Also, there was, what in my mind seemed like, a cliffhanger ending to this story. It seemed to me like the author might have more to say about Karin's life during the Hussite Wars and I'm very hopeful that she does. 3 stars.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going into this book, I didn't know anything about the Hussite Wars. When I finished this book, I didn't know anything. I had no idea WHERE this occurred, WHEN it took place, and only a passing understanding WHY it happened. Although I don't expect historical romances to be heavy with the historic details, I should at least be able to get an idea of SOMETHING about the time period written.

There were modern phrases that made me flinch. The narrative bounces around from character to character, hardly giving the reader time to know any of them. While no doubt this is done to keep the "villain" of the story from being too obvious (it doesn't work), I had no reason to like anyone.

I would say there was a good story here. However, it is hidden almost completely from view.

[Marcy G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the story was written in the 14 hundredths about the Hussite wars
the topic is still relevant to today’s Religious Freedom. People still have to fight
or hide who they are and worship to.
Being aJew I personally have experienced this my whole life. I can relate to
Karin and Pavel for what they went through. The Author gave them there love and
Gods strength to get through the many obstacles they had in there journey.
This story is an about Faith, Commitment, Inner Strength, and Love. A story to make
you think and be grateful for what you have.

[Kelly Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this book, I loved it! I loved Karin and Pavel and the deep belief they shared that bound them together. How they loved one another with a love that endured.

The book has action, suspense, romance, and keeps the reader engaged. The characters are wonderfully endearing. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this couple in The Lady and the Hussites.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read a book about the Kingdom of Czech, which is actually part of my heritage. That's why I really had to read this novel.

First let me say that the cover for this book is beautiful. It really drew me to the story. I only wish I liked the story as much as the cover.

~sigh~

Karin was a likable character. She was a strong heroine and her story was fascinating. This story involves a time when many people are breaking away from the Catholic church. That always makes for an interesting story, except that Karin didn't really come across as very devout, nor did Pavel, both who were following Jan Hus' beliefs.

There was more telling of the story than showing, which made things difficult at times, when it came to character development. If I heard the Royal Viscount referred to as "The Royal Viscount" a few more times, I might have broken my kindle, because it would have been thrown at the wall.

The romance in the book could have been a little more warm as it was one of many plot lines, and probably the only one that didn't cause this reader frustration. The other two involved incidents that happened at "The Royal Viscount's" summer home.

The novel was a bit slow at times, but enjoyable, with an ending that left me feeling a bit stunned, because it means there will likely be a sequel. I would have preferred it being shortened, because the parts that were slow really seemed to drag, especially at the beginning where there was little explanation for the action in the story.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

copy received from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.
The minute I heard about this book and saw it's cover I was interested. I couldn't wait to read it and learn about the Czech Crown, although I love the Tutors it was a nice change to learn about the Hussite Wars, which I unfortunately knew very little about. At first, the pacing of the story seemed a little slow but once it picked it I was instantly interested in Karin and her struggle to be her own person but at the same time hold true to her duties to the crown. I absolutely loved Karin and found her to be a very interesting heroine. She was strong and vulnerable which I thought was a great combination. This is the first time I read Sara R. Turnquist but I would be interested to read more by her. Finally, I'm not sure if the author plans to add to this story but if she did I think I would feel better about the ending. Overall, I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the story, the setting and the time period covered were refreshing and interesting to read about. I wouldn't necessarily characterize this as a romance although there were some romantic elements. If anyone is looking for a refreshing and interesting read about the Czech crown this is a very worthwhile read.

[Lana Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent blend of suspense, romance, and history

Set in the Czech Republic just before the Hussite Wars, this novel provides a masterful blend of history, romance, and suspense. The mystery elements were well crafted and intriguing. The characters were likeable and believable. Overall, this is a delightful, well written book.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the love connection as well as the little bit of mystery in it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. When I thought I had the story plot figured out, the author spun it in a new direction. It was a great story w both intrigue and romance. I wish it had a part 2!!