Promised to the Crown

Daughters of New France #1

by Aimie K. Runyan

Bound for a new continent, and a new beginning.

In her illuminating debut novel, Aimie K. Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of three young women who, in 1667, answer Louis XIV’s call and journey to the Canadian colony.

They are known as the filles du roi, or “King’s Daughters”—young women who leave prosperous France for an uncertain future across the Atlantic. Their duty is to marry and bring forth a new generation of loyal citizens. Each prospective bride has her reason for leaving—poverty, family rejection, a broken engagement. Despite their different backgrounds, Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth all believe that marriage to a stranger is their best, perhaps only, chance of happiness.

Once in Quebec, Elisabeth quickly accepts baker Gilbert Beaumont, who wants a business partner as well as a wife. Nicole, a farmer’s daughter from Rouen, marries a charming officer who promises comfort and security. Scarred by her traumatic past, Rose decides to take holy vows rather than marry. Yet no matter how carefully she chooses, each will be tested by hardship and heartbreaking loss—and sustained by the strength found in their uncommon friendship, and the precarious freedom offered by their new home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Canada, Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, France

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2016

About the author

Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a three-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next books, The Castle Keepers (in collaboration with J'nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan) and A Bakery in Paris will release in 2023 from Harper Collins. Also from Harper Collins, Aimie's contemporary Women's Fiction debut, The Memory of Lavender and Sage, will release in early 2024. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable kitties, and a dragon. To learn more about Aimie, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com.

Reviews

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

guys guys guys! I loved, loved, loved this book! Loved it! LOVED IT! Seriously, loved it.

17th Century: France was a major power who wanted to extend their influence by populating and securing New France. The King offered young women of various stations a dowry and an opportunity. Called The Filles du Roi these women of breeding age and strong constitution would sail to North America, marry the settlers already colonizing this brave, treacherous land and increase the population for the good of their home country.

The Filles du Roi have always fascinated me as we studied them in school. Peeling back the curtain on the indubitably harsh and trying circumstances forging a life here in Canada amidst its terrible winters and harsh terrain, my imagination sought out romantic prospects. It’s not unlike an early form of “The Bachelor.”


These women were marriageable commodities, yes, but also strong. The women who survived were the ones who grabbed life by the reins and decided to use this strange new opportunity to secure a sense of purpose and happiness. For other women, what better way to escape?


A trio of women and a supporting cast of nuns, lovers, brothers, enemies, townspeople, husbands, populate the exceptionally written Promised to the Crown which is by far my favourite read of 2016 thus far. Painstaking research, a lyrical tongue and an impressively sure handle on each of the three distinctive narratives as they intertwine and intersect are just a few of the reasons Runyan has weaved such a luscious canvas.

Rose, Elisabeth and Nicole forge a lasting friendship. For this is a woman’s space and what better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than with an example of women who were the stronghold and survival of a new populous. There is a decidedly feminist aspect to a tale that could easily fall into a puddle of straight domesticity. For while women were very much homemakers and baby carriers, they were also the backbone of a culturally and socially developing society. A favourite thread followed Elisabeth who marries Gilbert, a baker, because he will offer her equal business standing in his enterprise.


Each woman is fully developed from their treacherous sea passage and the nods over their shoulder as they look behind on the life they leave: sometimes trailing its tragic ramifications with them. From their earliest days in Quebec: entertaining suitors with pastries and cider to their marriages and growing families, Runyan has developed a woman’s sphere.

I gobbled this book up: it had funny, strong moments and tragic, painful sighs of moments. It perfectly adapted a foreign historical experience to a readable, accessible page. Runyan sets you back centuries so you can smell the crackling hearths and feel the tang of the settling winter. I cannot remember enjoying a historical experience this acutely … not for a long, long time.


I really encourage you to expose yourself to a time period in history not often pursued in fiction. Runyan's research make her the perfect authoritative pen to transpose this experience to fiction and you will not be disappointed. Friendship, romance, hardship and adventure dot each fabulous page!

[Jenny Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few novels set in French Canada, or New France, as it was known back then, and it's a setting that really appeals to me, so I was looking forward to Promised to the Crown, especially since the focus is on the little-known story of the courageous women who ventured into the unknown to settle the colony for their king.

The story follows Rose as she decides to leave behind a life of service in a charity hospital in Paris for the chance of a brighter future, and Elisabeth and Nicole, two women she meets on the ocean crossing. All three settle in Quebec City and have each other to rely on as they establish their new lives. They and their fellow brides have no shortage of suitors to choose from, and Elisabeth and Nicole are soon paired off with young men who appeal to their hearts as well as their practical needs. But Rose is not as fortunate, realizing that she doesn't really want to be a wife and mother, and she contemplates a life devoted to God. Over the course of the next seven years, Rose, Elisabeth, and Nicole forge new paths for themselves. Far from their families, they form new ones, both with their husbands and with each other. Though they will face adversity, tragedy, and disaster, the strength of their friendship remains a constant in a shifting new world.

Unfortunately, this story didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped. For historical fiction, it feels rather light and superficial to me. It sort of reminded me of "chick lit" from time to time. Even though our heroines each have their share of hardship and heartbreak, the story quickly moves on and skips forward from one woman to the next, so we often miss important moments in their lives and learn about them after they happen. I didn't feel like I got to spend enough in-depth time with each heroine to truly form a connection with them. At times they exhibited more modern behavior, and most of the supporting characters were fairly one-dimensional. I also found it lacking in the deep sensory description that really brings a setting and time period to life.

This is by no means a bad book. It is getting rave reviews from others, so don't let me dissuade you from reading it if it piques your interest. It is ambitious in its structure and scope, and I was invested enough to keep reading to see what would happen, but it just doesn't quite reach the level of depth and substance or have that transporting effect that my favorite historical fiction has. But if you like strong female characters and are looking to try a different time period, Promised to the Crown may be worth checking out.

[Kate Moretti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't consider myself a big historical fiction reader. Mostly I like books with bite and I always thought hist fic was kind of...nice.

I was wrong.

Promised is a historical fiction book WITH BITE. First of all, I had no idea how Quebec was colonized. I'd never given it a thought. The history is completely fascinating. This is a book about 3 women who were ostracized in France sent to Colonial Quebec to POPULATE THE COLONY. This was their only directive. Think about this. Marry and have babies: that's your only job. OR you'll be sent home and either die in route or go back to prison/mental hospital/nunnery. It was riveting.

The journey is harrowing and Runyan doesn't shy away from the tough stuff. Her descriptions are visceral, the characters are unique and their hardships are theirs alone. I couldn't put this book down. There's love, sex, death, unbelievable hardship, births, and through it all runs the thread of a devoted friendship.

This is the first in a trilogy and I can't wait to read the others.

[📚 Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I ended up skimming the last part of this book. I just couldn't do it anymore. So this review is mostly for the first 60% rather than the entire book.
If you're looking for a book about young women who go from France to Quebec in the 1660s and get courted by different men, have babies, and sew a lot, this book is for you.
If you're looking for real historical fiction that teaches you about an underrepresented time and place in history, this book is not for you.
I fell in the latter category. I've always been fascinated with the settlement of Quebec since I learned it was one of the first European settlements in North America. I wanted to learn more about it from the point of view of everyday people, not historians. But the women in this book could be anywhere. They could be in Boston, Albany, even Maryland or Europe.
After this book, I can't tell you how big Quebec was at this time, what the politics were like, or even what kind of shops there were in the market square. I don't know if the streets were dirt, cobblestones, or other. I don't even know who was in charge of the place. But I can tell you what ingredients go into baking bread and how to do a curtsy. I can tell you young women were afraid of giving birth, big surprise.
There's nothing inherently wrong with this book. If you like reading about cute husbands and sweet babies and women who don't do much with their boring lives, that's fine. I can understand the appeal in a beach read sorta way. But very little happens at all. They all just kinda... live. They walk around and eat and talk and that's about it. There's no real story, no cool history, and very little excitement.
It just wasn't for me. It makes me sad because I was so so excited to find a book about this area. I guess I'll have to stick to history books if I want to learn more.

[Joanna Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

What a lovely story of three women who venture to New France (Canada) in the 1600s to find husbands and help colonize the settlements there. They were strangers, but become lifelong friends as they cross the Atlantic. The story follows them through heartache and love and loss and challenges over the course of several years.

The historical details were wonderful, and the pacing was spot on. Because there were three heroines, it was not a formulaic story. This is a romance where sexual activities were not explicit, and while religion featured prominently in the settlement, it was not a Christian Historical Romance. It showed love grow between the couples through commitment and consideration of their partners, which is what I love to read about.

I listened to this and I thought the narrator was decent when listening at 1.25 speed. My only issue was from the beginning where I cringed at the incestuous rape because those types themes are unpleasant (obviously) and seem to be overdone in HR. It’s worth the read regardless.

I would recommend to HR readers that like a different setting, are tired of the formula, and like good historical detail.

[Cookie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a descendant of one of the filles du roi, the 17th century French women sponsored by the Crown to emigrate to New France (Canada), to become wives for the men already there.

These young women were not, as some people claim, prostitutes or women of loose morals, but girls of good families who were in financial difficulty, or who, for one reason or another, would have trouble making a good match in France.

Aimie K. Dunham has written a sweet novel about what life might have been like for some of these women. She does a good job of imagining some of the hardships and struggles, the joys and challenges they experienced.

I would have, perhaps, liked a bit more depth, a more complex storyline. It read like a book aimed at dewy eyed teenagers. However, it was pleasant, and it did help me to feel a closer connection to my however many times great grandmother, and for that it was worth it.

[Jamie Raintree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really love about Promised to the Crown is that it gives us a look at a time in history that is often overlooked. The women in New France had such a challenge in being the first settlers and I think the author does a beautiful job of illustrating those. I think each of the women brings a certain charm to the novel, but Elisabeth was totally my favorite. I love a strong women who can hang with the boys! The portrayal of the women's friendship was realistic and their adventures sometimes gritty. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, but especially those who enjoy history from a woman's perspective.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore fiction that teaches me something while it sweeps me into a story. Aimie K. Runyan’s beautifully written debut Promised to the Crown is one such novel. But Promised to the Crown is so much more than an intriguing look at history. It follows three women as they forge a lasting friendship with each other, one that begins on their journey across the ocean and endures long after they arrive in New France. The glimpses into their backstories, each varied and tragic in their own way, enhance the poignancy of their present circumstances and make their quests for happiness all the richer.

Rose, Elisabeth, and Nicole – three distinct women, three distinct narratives, three intertwined stories. My favorite was perhaps Elisabeth. Though her story at times was the most heartbreaking to read, she also was the character who consistently displayed the most strength. Her relationship with Gilbert, in my opinion, was the healthiest and most authentically loving out of the three friends. She also knew her worth – not only as a woman but as a businesswoman – and I thoroughly enjoyed watching she and Gilbert build their business as well as their relationship together.

Bottom Line: Rich with intriguing history, vivid characters, and a captivating style, Promised to the Crown is a stellar debut for Aimie K. Runyan. Readers will invest in Rose, Elisabeth and Nicole, rooting for them and crying for them and hoping for them. In parts both romantic and tragic, Promised to the Crown always carries an air of poignancy that engages and inspires. A novel which will cause every woman’s heart to swell in pride, solidarity, and gratitude for those who forged the path ahead of us.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

Reviewer’s Note: This is a general market novel, not the typical Christian fiction which I review here. As such, there is a bit of “general market languge”, though it’s very minor and sporadic.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Canadian, I had learned bits about this period in history, but this book brought it alive for me. I absolutely loved this story and am looking forward to the next one: Duty to the Crown.

It is 1667 and France wants to secure it's colony in North America known as "New France". To do this, the King offered young women of various stations a dowry and passage to the colony in order to marry one of the settlers and raise families. The belief was that once entrenched in New France, the settlers would protect it, in the event of an attack by the British or the Indigenous People. These women were known as The Filles du Roi. They were orphans or from families down on their luck. They might have been women fleeing from a bad match their parent's made and they did not want to follow through on but they all had to have a letter of comportment from their priest.

The story is told from the point of view of three of these strong women, Rose, Nicole and Elisabeth. Each came from a different background, yet on the ship over, forged a friendship that enabled them to survive the harsh conditions and trying circumstances of the colony. The other characters in the story included the nuns who assisted them upon arrival, the future husbands, clergy, government officials and other settlers. They all added to the descriptions of the land, the struggles faced, the society that developed and the prejudices that followed them from France. Even though this was a new land, the expectations of women was still drawn from the French culture. They were helpmates, mothers, homemakers not equal partners in the marriage. The three brave, strong and independent women who tell this story were fortunate to meet and marry men that felt differently and in private at least, they had much more freedom than others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were some humorous moments as well as tragic and sad ones. There is some romance and adventure as well. Watching the relationships develop between the women, the sisters (nuns), the spouses and the adopted children kept me reading long past my bedtime. This is one period of history that I had not really read about and the amount of information imparted in this fictional story was excellent. The excellent research was evident in the story and has peaked my interest in this period of my country's history. I invite all of you to read this story and learn about these women, the hardships of the ocean voyage and the life of an early settler. It will not disappoint.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being Canadian I am always on the lookout for historical fiction taking place in this beautiful country. It's sometimes hard to find and this being the first in series means more to come. This is Aimie K. Runyan's debut and I feel she is off to a really good start.

Following the lives of 3 young women, Elizabeth, Nicole and Rose, all with different backgrounds and various reasons for going to Canada. The author kept my attention throughout this book, she didn't sugar coat the crossing or the struggles these women faces in making decisions. It wasn't hard to get to know them, feel their plight and sympathize with what life throws at them.

I found this book to be character driven and it would have been nice to learn more about the culture, lifestyle and see more interaction with the natives. But then again this is the first in series so we'll see what comes next. I still ended up giving this book 4 stars, being captivated in this story it was hard to put down and I am interested in the next chapter.

[MAP · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SO disappointed in this book. The “plot” follows three daughters of the crown, Elizabeth, Nicole, and Rose, from France to French Canada. Except there really wasn’t any plot, just a bunch of mini plots that didn’t really connect with each other. And everything that wasn’t a mini plot was a trope we’ve all encountered a million times before. Sinister Minister? Yup. Adopting the poor abused/orphan child? Not once, but twice! And of course, my favorite trope - writing a fluff piece of historical fiction and then having the gall to put a GROUP GUIDE at the back.

To top it all off, the men in the 3 women’s lives are all weirdly perfect and caring, while the three of them are seriously unpleasant. Seriously Nicole, boo hoo. Oh Rose, did it take him more than 3 seconds to process your passive-aggressive complaint? You poor thing!

2.5 stars. Not an auspicious start to the new year.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promised to the Crown is the story of three young women who are King's Daughters - women sent to New France (Quebec) to be wives. Each women comes from or is fleeing a different circumstances. Elizabeth fleeing an arranged marriage, Rose to escape froma sitution without end, and Nicole because her family is poor. The women adjusted to life in early Quebec.



It's true that at times a few of the characters, in particular the men, feel a bit too modern. And the term shotgun is used, which is particularly jarring.



Yet, there is something compelling about the book, and the characters are not perfect. The conflict between Elizabeth and the priest is very well done. The interactions with Indigeous people is also dealt with somewhat, and there are hints that such will be dealt with more fully in the next book.



Despite the almost too modern feel, the story is entertaining and enjoyable. In particular, I like the dangers of childbirth at the time.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughters to the Crown Between 1663 and 1673 approximately 800 women emigrated to Canada to marry and have children to protect the land for King Louis XIV from any country trying to steal the land from him. The 'New France' was mostly populated by men and natives. The women known as filles du roi, meaning that the women were recruited by the government and their passage was paid by the King, gave up what they knew or escaped to start a new life in an untamed land.
 
The women in Promised to the Crown were Nicole, who was set to marry but her betrothed married another and her father felt that this would be a good way for Nicole to marry well with no dowry. Rose, is an orphaned woman who must decide between becoming a Daughter of France or the stay at charity hospital she finds herself in, she decides to become a nun rather than marry and Elizabeth, is the daughter of a Parisian baker but after he dies, her mother sets up an arranged marriage and Elizabeth refuses.
 
These women are housed in a convent in Quebec when they arrive and men would come to pay court to the young women. These men would then decide on whom they wanted to marry, and have a family with. Almost like a mail order bride concept. 
 
Elizabeth had worked with her father in the family bakery and she was skilled at baking. A baker asks for her hand and she agrees. Nicole marries a young man and they go to his cabin but she finds that it was not what she expected or what he promised her. He is killed accidently by the Huron and she is left a widow and pregnant forcing her to move back to the town and back in the marriage pool. Rose is scared to death of the prospect of intimacy that would be part of a marriage and wishes to become a nun. She has a year to see if she changes her mind.
 
Life in a new country begins for these three women and soon they are married and with children. Not everything is rosy, there are mean spirited people in the town but they persevere amongst heartbreak and loss. 
 
I found this story to be quite interesting, I am sure I learned about the early history of Canada back in the day, but I don't remember this particular time. Definitely well researched and engaging characters will keep you interested until the end. I definitely look forward to the next in the trilogy, Duty to the Crown (Daughters of New France) which comes out in October of 2016. So if this is an era that you are interested in reading about, then this trilogy is one to read!
 

[Andrea Catalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rare gem of a book, set in a fascinating, yet often overlooked, period of history. The story focuses on a group of young women who, for various reasons and motivations, decide to make the brave journey to 17th century Quebec to become wives of French settlers. Each woman's story is so well crafted--it's quite obvious that the author put much painstaking thought and research into creating these young women. Each woman, despite her intrepid decision, is very human and relatable, despite the distance of almost 400 years. Each character's point of view was interesting and revealing, and "stuck" with me long after I'd finished the novel. A wonderful and extremely enjoyable read, Runyan is a truly skilled historical fiction author. This novel was one of the best historical fictions I've read in the past year.

[Gwen Florio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promised to the Crown is a gripping tale of young women thrust into almost unimaginable circumstances—plucked from France and sent to Quebec to become brides to strangers, the rough men settling the New World. Aimie Runyan’s compelling characters, including members of the local Huron tribe, are drawn with sensitivity and authenticity. Runyan deftly weaves in details of life in New France, illustrating a time in North American history with which many U.S. readers might not be familiar. The novel traces the interwoven stories of three women. I hated to turn the final page and see my time with them come to an end.

[Cathy Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history and I loved this fictional tale.

Three women, all coming from across the Atlantic, from France, in 1667, to marry/live.

Their journey, lives, their heartbreaks, how tough life here is.

Great book.

[Pam Jenoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific debut, focusing on three women who heed the French king's call to travel to the Canadian colony and start a new life. Great storytelling and a look at a lesser known period of history.

[Mirta Trupp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strong start with so much potential! The story follows three women as they immigrate to "New France," where they are meant to marry and help populate the king's colony. I am ALL for light, entertaining historical fiction, but this one, unfortunately, comes across as 17th century "chick lit." The narrative skips about from one heroine to another—from one heartache, or hardship, to another— in such a manner that it's difficult to fully connect with the individual woman. Issues are too easily resolved; there is no real sense of place—no depth, if I am being honest. The modern behavior and language dropped the rating from 3 to 2 stars for me.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!
I was fortunate to be in Quebec City just after reading 'Promised to the Crown.' A look at the Ursuline museum and other places that depict the French arrival in this part of the world certainly added gravitas and depth to Runyan's fictional account of those early days of the colony.
The filles du roi, or “King’s Daughters”, were young women who in 1667 answered the King's call to leave France for the new world of the northern american continent in Quebec. They were to become brides of the colonists, helping to populate the land and turn an outpost into a thriving colony. The king provided a dowry for the brides. The brides were housed with the Ursuline order until their marriage. (I found the courting afternoon teas under the eyes of the nuns interesting. It is a picture of controlled getting to know you. And how were the young women able to verify the conditions they might be going into was a big question for me? If a settler was outside the city who knew the condition of his living quarters? This was a huge gamble for some of these women--although in the days of arranged marriages perhaps not as big as I think).
For some of the women it was a chance to escape their current situation, for others a chance to start afresh. For whatever the reason, it was not an easy task. Experiencing the bitter winters, the loneliness of a frontier place, the increased threat of illness; the brides were either brave or women with nothing to lose, or perhaps a bit of both.
This is the interwoven story of three such women, Elisabeth, Nicole and Rose. Three women from very different backgrounds who become fast friends. Their journeys reflect the aspirations and sometimes desperation of the young women who took up the challenge. And the challenges are many! The friendships forged by these women on the journey would come to stand them in good stead.
A fascinating look into the French past of Canada. The characters are believable and Runyan has woven a compelling story around each of these women's lives and their intersection.

A NetGalley ARC

[Mary Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Louis XIV's colony in Canada needs women.
Surrounded by the British, the King needs to tie his settlers to the land with farms, wives, and children to defend in the event their enemies should invade.

The King's ministers advised a plan by which young, strong women of good character would be sent at the King's expense to wed the soldiers, farmers, artisans, and fur trappers who popluate the colony.

History would remember them as the King's Daughters and the Daughters of New France."

History doesn't have to be boring and Runyan has proved that point. As I read PROMISED TO THE CROWN I couldn't help wondering why my history classes mentioned nothing of these brave women, women who left behind families and traded their familiar homeland for months aboard a dirty ship and a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic, only to arrive in a frozen land with the intention of marrying a complete stranger. It takes a brave woman to head in this unknown destination. Runyan delivers an absorbing saga of three young and very different women. Aimie K. Runyan's fifteen years of French and Francophone Studies pays off as she delivers a story that is historical fiction at it's finest. Beginning in France and ending in New France, PROMISED TO THE CROWN is filled with heart and adventure, bringing the courageous Daughters of France to life once again. I was enraptured with the incredible journey of Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth. This novel has earned its top spot in my all time favorites and Best Books of 2016. Word for word perfection. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!!

Readers are rewarded at the end of this book with an exciting sneak peek of Aimie K. Runyan's next novel DUTY TO THE CROWN, Book Two in the Daughters of New France series which is set for release in November 2016 by Kensington Publishing.



For more info on Aimie, find her on her website www.aimiekrunyan.com and Twitter @aimiekrunyan.



*I was provided with a copy by the author through the 2016 Around the World blog tour. Opinions are my own and uninfluenced.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. "Promised to the Crown" is the story of three women from France who seek to make their futures in Canada, called New France at this time. Nicole, Elisabeth, and Rose are three very different women from very different backgrounds who believe that they are better off going to someplace where they really don't know anyone and marrying a man in the colony. I did not know much about New France and the settlers there before this book but this historical fiction gives a fascinating glimpse into a new world filled with risk and men who could make or break these young women.

All three stories are good and kept me into the book but I was most drawn to Rose's story because of both the tragedy she goes through and the redemption she eventually has. The three main characters are so different and I thought that the author did a really good job of making them and the secondary characters feel really real. I got very attached to the characters and was thrilled to see that there will be a sequel to this book! There are so many ups and downs that the characters go through and we get to see the main characters both at their best and their worst, which really helped to endear them to me!

I've mentioned this again and again but I love how historical fiction allows you to visit a different place and time. I really haven't read much about this time period and I definitely have not read a lot about New France and its settlers. The author adds a lot of really good detail that really made the settlement come to life. I can't wait to get back to this place and these characters! This book is such a treat for histfic lovers!

[Andrea Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promised to the Crown is a novel of the women the came to settle in New France. I've not read anything about the history of Canada's settlement, so I was really excited to read this book. It figures around three women, Elizabeth, Nicole and Rose, all who have had different trials that have brought them thousands of miles from home.

It is the kind of book you can't put down. If you judge by the cover you might dismiss this book as just another fluffy historical novel. It isn't. Aimie Runyan doesn't forget the hardships that these women dealt with in New France. She didn't forget them as she created the characters. Each woman had a hardship that sent her two the new world.

I loved the friendship between Elizabeth, Rose and Nicole. Each woman came from different backgrounds in France and when they arrive in New France they end up in different circumstances. Each woman has a different set of challenges to deal with, most of them deal with loss and others deal with dramas that are stirred up because of family in France.

I was pleasantly surprised at how things ended for Rose, as things that were part of her past seemed to be pushing her in directions other than marriage.

This book could have easily turned into fluff, since the book focused on how these women came to the New Word to be brides, but Ms. Runyan gives so much more and the characters really grow into admirable women.

This was a fabulous book. I can't wait for the second book in the trilogy. I can't wait to find out what happens to the characters in the next two books, particularly the native girl that had lived with Nicole for a time, Manon.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have an overwhelming knowledge (or interest for that matter) in US history history and I have absolutely NO knowledge of Canada’s history. This is one of things I love most about reading – I learn the most interesting things by virtue of the novelization of a tidbit of history. My third 5 star book of the year takes the historical fact of young women being sent from France to help colonize what became Quebec.

The book takes place starting in 1667 when the French crown was concerned that the British were going to take over their holdings in what we know as Canada. There were a dearth of women to keep the men settled on the land so the idea was to send some over to marry the settlers to start families and create more loyal citizens for France.

The book focuses on three young women each with a reason for leaving her country behind. They survive the long journey to New France and are taken in by the nuns where they are kept until chaperoned meetings can be arranged. Each girl finds an answer but the future is not going to be easy for any of them. The only constant for all of them is their friendship.

I was completely fascinated by this book. In fact I had the world’s worst time putting it down. The story was very original for me – an area of history I hadn’t been before so the feeling of discovery was delightful. The stories were compelling and the characters were all well drawn. They grew with their experiences as opposed to remaining the same throughout the book. The plots lines were unique and well drawn weaving in and out of each other very smoothly. It is the first in the series and I will look forward to the next book with enthusiasm.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1667, three women—Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth—heed King Louis XIV's call to leave France and populate New France/Canada.

After a 3 month long and perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, the women were expected to marry strangers and produce offspring loyal to France. Living and weather conditions were harsh. Housing was primitive. The terrain was rough. So, why did they do it, you ask? Well, be sure to read this compelling novel and its sequel, Duty to the Crown (5 stars), to find out!

Since I don't recall reading anything about this time period or location, I was immediately engrossed in the story. I also loved all of the characters, their trials and their tribulations, and their friendships. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it evoked fond memories from my childhood of devouring the Little House on the Prairie series!

I am amazed this was the author's debut! If you're looking for more great books written by her, then I would highly recommend Daughters of the Night Sky (4 stars) and Girls on the Line (4 stars)!

Location: 1667-1672 Quebec City, New France/Canada

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be categorized as "fictional history" rather than "historical fiction". I nearly stopped reading after chapter 2, but I since am interested in this historical period (and because it had such great reviews which I am completely baffled by), I willed myself to keep reading in spite of the *cringe* dialogue and blantant historical inaccuracies, but by page 240 or so I just coudln't anymore. Imagine taking 20th century women, and transporting them to 17th century France/Canada, and that is what this book is like. For example, on the sea voyage to Canada, Rose- one of the main characters, is nursing the seasick women on the ship. However, when one of the seasick women develops a fever another women tells Rose she should rest, because she will need the rest if she catches the illness. This story takes place nearly 200 years before germ theory was known and accepted, and so there is no way these women would have none that when a seasick woman developed a fever she had contagious. illness. Later in the book, one of Rose's suitors delights her by giving her a book of poetry. At that time in history, only 1 in 10 women, could sign their name, let alone read, poetry. I am no historian so I can't imagine what other historical inaccuracies are in the book but I image there are many when there are several such glaring ones. And I haven't even gotten to the dialoge, both spoken as well as the women's "thoughts" which was soooo cringey, soundsing like something in one my middle-school daughter's tween novels. I don't have any idea why this book has such a high rating I found it grossly inaccurate historically with cringe-worthy dialogue.

[Ms. Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review...

This was a decent book. It had a strong start... then slowly started to go into this downward spiral towards a dreadfully boring book.

I did enjoy how the author captured the era and generation of these three women---how they talked, thought, worked, struggled, married, etc. Their fate was based primarily on who their husband was and their status was gained by how many healthy, surviving children they gave birth too. They did try to gain far more independence then the average woman of their time by studying, learning, building up their work ethic skills, etc. Yet, woman who didn't marry as soon as possible were frowned upon and shunned, and it was even worse if they were married and didn't immediately become pregnant (such as being disowned from the families heritance). The author did a steadily decent job capturing all of this.

Yet, everything else about the book was dull, bland, and incredibly boring. The storyline was slow and agonizingly repetitive. The plot was almost non-existent. There was zero mystery, zero suspense, zero excitement as it traveled along with these woman's lives and marriages. There wasn't anything entertaining to keep the pages turning and I'm honestly surprised that I finished the book in the end.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s difficult for me to imagine the limited opportunities available to women here in America 100 years ago (even 50 years ago), so it’s truly fascinating to follow the journeys of three women traveling from France to what we now call Canada, but they called New France when the story begins in 1667. It’s great to learn about a time in history I previously knew nothing about through an entertaining fictional tale told from the points of view of three young women who set off on a grueling three-month trip across the ocean for a life in an unknown-to-them world. They were orphans or poor or were being set up with men unsuitable to them in their native country, so they mustered their bravery and took an enormous risk. I genuinely worried about what kind of men they would marry. The marriages weren’t arranged, but it wasn’t far off.

The writing is beautiful and the descriptions vivid. In just a few pages I was fully immersed in a different world and eager to find out how these women fared. I wasn’t disappointed. If you like historical fiction, you’ll love this book.

[Ella Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the women in this story: Rose, Elisabeth and Nicole! After finishing PROMISED TO THE CROWN they’re my sisters. Together we’ve celebrated marriages, mourned wrenching loss, baked bread, and ministered to the ill. All consequences are more extreme, all tasks more difficult, due to their surroundings - the uncompromisingly rugged (yet breathtakingly beautiful) world of New France (aka Quebec) in the 1600s. This story illustrates a period of history (and a place) I knew nothing about, yet after reading this novel, these characters are real and richly complex – I can taste the food they ate, appreciate the décor in their homes, understand their politics and religion, sympathize with their insecurities and worries, and take joy in their enduring friendships!

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice surprise! I purchased this ebook a month ago on sale and what a find. I love historical fiction and this is definitely what I like: engaging story lines, characters with layers and historical context. Young unmarried women in France were given passage to come to Canada to marry and produce children. The french government needed to expand its hold in this new territory with settlers who stayed. With this premise, our 3 main characters come to new France, marry, have children and are anchors for modern day Canada. Love the story and cant wait to read the next one.

[Susan Chapek]

A story set in a fresh setting and time--I didn't even know the King's Daughters were a thing, and I read a lot of 17th century historical fiction. Thank you, Aimie K. Runyan!

Thanks, too, for the realism, the details of daily life (baking, sewing, farming, etc.) worked so gracefully into the story, the romances I could believe in, and a solid cast of strong female characters.

I've been looking for lesser-known young adult historicals with strong romance elements and settings and situations that haven't been done to death. This is a splendid example.