Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

When I saw the chance to review a book for free by Susan Meissner, I was quick to sign up! Not long ago, I had read Why the Sky Is Blue by this wonderful author and can honestly say that it is one of my favorite books. I highly anticipated getting Lady in Waiting because I had already experienced Meissner's beautiful writing.

Lady in Waiting blends the lives of two Jane's, one from the present day and one from the sixteenth century. The story is wonderfully written and the two time periods are woven together in a fluidity that captures your attention from the start. Both women learn about their choices in life despite the hardships that they are faced with.

Present day Jane Lindsay had been with her husband of 22 years only to have him walk out of their marriage unexpectedly, leaving her many questions about the decisions she has made in her life. He moves to another town and asks her for time. Jane manages an antique shop and comes across an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale. The ring has a Latin inscription inside the band and one recognizable word ~ Jane. Jane instantly feels a connection to the ring and goes on a journey to learn more about the ring and in return learns more about herself.

Sixteenth-century Lady Jane Grey is a young woman that is going to be betrothed hopefully to the man that she truly loves. In a twist of fate, everything changes in her life. She has always had decisions made for her but realizes that she does have a choice. Political and religious scandal comes into her new life as a married woman and the life that she knows comes to an end. Her trusted friend and dressmaker of many years, Lucy Day, is the only person that she can confide in and trust with her beloved ring.

I would highly recommend this book and any other book by Susan Meissner. I look forward to reading her other work because I have been greatly impressed with the two books that I have read. She knows how to tell a heartbreakingly, beautiful story!



This book was provided to me free of charge from Waterbrook Press for review purposes through their Blogging for Books program. The opinions in this review are my own and were not influenced.