The Petticoat Letters

Rebels of the Revolution #1

by Kelly Lyman

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, Nora Bishop’s home is burned to the ground—along with her dreams, plans and all her family members except one. At 20-years-old and still unmarried, she moves to Manhattan to live with her Loyalist uncle, hoping to find her brother who has joined the Patriot cause against her late family’s wishes. But, battle breaks out and she finds herself at the mercy of one American ranger, Alex Fos-ter, who is the only person in a position to bring her to safety.

Her growing feelings toward Alex and his passion for freedom help her reevaluate her stance on the case for independence and makes her question her loyalties further. When she is asked to spy for the rebels, she agrees. But can she partake in the act of treason and do what is asked of her when the sadistic Captain William Roth seems to watch her every move and threatens the life of her brother who has been captured? And how can she grow closer to Alex when the war threatens to tear them apart?

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, American Revolution, Amazon, Romance

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2017

Reviews

[Shawna Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of historical romances, but to be honest I tend to read the ones that take place Europe. When the author reached out to me and I found out her book would take place during the revolutionary way i became intrigued. All I can say is that this book exceeding all of my expectations.

This book was a nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end. I was constantly on the edge of my seat from chapter to chapter not knowing where the danger would come from or who would be safe. Kelly did a a great job of thrusting Nora and Alex into the dangerous world of a young country at war, both fighting to survive and be free.

Nora is a girl who has lost everything and everyone she has ever loved to this war, she is alone and directionless as she just tries to survive her grief. What Nora knows all too well that the world can a cruel and unforgivable place; and if she is going to thrive she has to take her destiny in her own hands.

What i loved about Nora is she felt real. She was a girl and the cusp of womanhood, who suffered great loss and is just trying to navigate life when she is thrust into the dangerous world of war. Even though she is hurting, she refuses to let the grief consume her. She is strong and independent and is willing to fight for what she wants. But is she is a still a person learning to navigate her new world and no matter how strong she thinks she needs, she still understands that sometimes she needs the help of others if she is going to survive.

Alex is very swoon worth, I will say that this book is really Nora's story so we don't get as much of Alex as I would like, but what we do get is pretty darn amazing. Alex is on a similar journey to Nora's and while he is a little more versed on the dangers of the world he is still a man struggling to find his place in the middle of a war for freedom.

I always love a good villain and Kelly created a deliciously evil one in Captain Roth. He is truly an evil man who enjoys the cat and mouse game and playing with his prey. He is the perfect foil to Nora and Alex, a dangerous man who will stop at nothing to win the game.

The Petticoat Letters is great book that will keep you on your toes. Full of intrigue, danger and romance that will keep you engrosses from page and have you desperately turning pages to see what happens next.

*********Author provided a review copy***********

[Emmy]

So my expectations were super high for this because the synopsis sounded right up my alley and I can never find books set during this time period that sound good to me. But there was little to no scene setting, the villain was a caricature he was so evil, and there were so many unlikely situations and circumstances.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very beginning I was pulled into this book never knowing what would happen next. When most of Nora Bishops family dies in a house fire she finds herself living with her Uncles family in Manhattan. Nora isn't the typical 1776 young lady with her outrageously inappropriate language and her head strong inability to stay put in dangerous situations she only makes the reader love her more.

Filled with drama, danger and treason this isn't your typical historical romance. If your looking for the normal lighthearted plot of a romance novel this may not be your cup of tea but with a Revolutionary War backdrop this one of a kind romance is a must read. Historical Romance is the only romance books I enjoy and The Petticoat Letters did not disappoint.

[Tiana]

If you love historical romance, you need this on your shelf. This is the perfect blend of history, action, swoons, and gorgeous writing.

Edited to add: There is sex in this book. I️ don’t normally review books at this heat level but am making an exception here.

[Romancebooksandmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Petticoat Letters
3. 5stars
I was sent an kindle arc of this book for an honest review.
Nora Bishop loses most of her family in a house fire, and is forced to move in with her Tori Uncle. Her brother is off fighting with Washington and everything goes down hill for Nora almost from the second she moves in with her uncle.
She meets the evil Captain Roth. She tries desperately to find her brother, she ends up causing other’s to be in bad situations that could have been avoided if she had just listened. It’s really kind of a mess.
She meets Alex Foster in the forest as she is hiding from the army after feeling a battle she found herself in the middle of.
Because of certain circumstances and Nora’s need to just do what ever she pleases no matter what anyone else says they need to marry.
Well I enjoyed most of this book parts of it were very intense for a romance novel even one sat in a war. Deaths and attempted rapes around almost every corner.
I did like Alex and Nora’s scenes and I loved Alex’s cousins but Nora’s disregard and the way it played out causing everyone in her path to be harmed, even though she did feel bad and didn’t mean for it to happen left a bad taste in my mouth and caused me to give this book a lower rating then I really wanted to.
This book isn’t for the romance reader that wants to get lost in a happy world or even a world with a little drama but that you know will end okay. This is a book for people who like the intense, who don’t mind not knowing if there will be a HAE or who will die next.
Over all this book was okay just not my cup of tea.

[Periwinkle Wisteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know what to say. No amount of praise is sufficient to describe this masterpiece. I'm simply awestruck! I've always been a fan of historical romance, and this book became my instant favourite. The cover and the title literally lured me to delve into the depths of the story and I simply couldn't turn down it's appeal.

This story is a perfect blend of adventure, mystery, suspense, excitement, betrayal and of course romance. So many flavours packed into a single story! I actually found myself crying and laughing at the same time!

The characters have been so well designed! Both the characters of Nora and Alex are strong and passionate and have been crafted with utmost delicacy. The dynamic chemistry between Nora and Alex has added a charm to the story.

The backdrop of the Revolutionary War seemed quite relatable to me as the history of Bengal and India have witnessed such wars. I found a great similarity between both, including Nora's spying for the rebels.

Certainly, I'm overwhelmed to have read such a wonderful story. Looking forward to read more from the author. A highly recommended read!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in a few hours. I found the heroine annoying: most of the men she encounters want her, she doesn’t have any meaningful interactions with other female characters, and she is stubborn and foolhardy to the point that it causes harm and devastation to others. The love interest, Alex, is pretty dreamy. I appreciate that he wasn’t written as a typical hot-blooded romantic hero, and that their romance was more of a slow burn. The villain is a straight-up caricature. Some of the story’s details seem like nods to the TV series Turn: Washington’s Spies, but I admittedly haven’t read much historical fiction set in this era, especially romance, so I’m not sure if some of these details are simply tropes common to the genre. All in all, reading this was a decent way to pass an evening during quarantine, but I don’t think it will be a re-read for me.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed The Petticoat Letters. I absolutely adored the hero. He was sweet and funny and almost beta, but not quite. My very favorite kind of hero! The heroine was strong and smart, and I thought the author did a good job of walking the line between making her brave but not beyond what would be realistic.

Definitely hoping to see more of these characters in the future, so I'm hoping there's another book that follows!

[RomanceReaderLisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s nothing objectively wrong with this book, I just couldn’t get into it. I skimmed the 2nd half and am not sorry. It’s kind of a romance and kind of a historical war drama. The war drama wasn’t my thing. If you like lots of action and people dying right and left, this book might be for you!

[Spunky N Sassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunky N Sassy Rating: 4.0

~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Historical romance is one of my favorite sub-genres of romance. This is an awesome book that will take you to a different time and a different place! It's fantastic!

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author.

Story was good and kept moving forward at a nice pace. Likable characters with an evil villain that I suspect will reappear in the future. Looking forward to reading more.

[LD · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first chapter I was pulled in to the story by Nora Bishop and her somewhat unique situation. I say somewhat unique because an unmarried woman suddenly finding herself bereft of immediate family and under the protection of some other branch on the family tree is not in and of itself a unique situation in historical times, especially not during one of war. There are a million ways Lyman could have developed the storyline from this particular starting point, the one she chose - fascinating.

For a debut historical romance I think it's safe to say that Kelly Lyman hit a home-run with The Petticoat Letters. I'm also feeling pretty confident in saying that if you give it a chance, you'll probably love Nora and Alex, and their story, just as much as I did.

See the full review on my blog.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down and read it in two days! So many plot twists that kept me guessing!! I loved the characters, especially the heroine Nora. The story was a fantastic glimpse into the Revolutionary War and I felt completely immersed in that world. Definitely would recommend!

[Deidre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in a little more than three hours. Such a great book. Nora’s a little spitfire and feisty - she made me laugh a lot in this book. I had a knot in my throat the entire time I was reading this. Highly recommend!!!

[C.D. Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting journey to 1776!

Filled with real characters from the period, The Petticoat Letters transforms you back to a place and time in history with excitement and passion! Loved it!!!

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this! The characters were well developed and the storyline followed that of the revolution. Well written, and we'll researched.