Lacewood

by Jessica James

Genres: Christian Romance; Civil War Era; Small Town & Rural; Women's Fiction; Historical Romance; Christian historical romance; small town romance; clean romance; contemporary fiction; Civil War; romantic heroines historical

Synopsis

Every house has a story to tell...

Award-winning Civil War romance author Jessica James returns with a powerful book club novel about love and loss, roots and belonging...and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

Winner of the 2020 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction

Two people trying to escape their pasts, find a connection through an old house and a destiny through the secrets it shares.

MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across Lacewood, an abandoned 200-year-old mansion in small-town Virginia, she's enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning she finds there. Katie buys the house on a whim and throws herself into befriending the colorful characters in the southern town of New Hope.

THE PAST AND PRESENT converge when military veteran and hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping restore the memory-filled Lacewood house to its former glory.

As Katie delves deeper into the mystery of the beautiful "widow of Lacewood," her ownership of the acreage around the estate comes into question. When developers begin work to destroy the beautiful rural landscape, the southern charm of New Hope is threatened...and the townsfolk see her as the cause.

But destiny has bigger plans for Lacewood. To fulfill them, Katie and Will need to piece together the previous owner's heartrending story, uncover secrets the house has held for centuries, and find the faith to accept their own painful pasts.

Part contemporary romance and part Civil War historical romance, Lacewood: A Novel of Time and Place is an unforgettable book club novel about love and loss, roots and belonging...and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

A haunting story that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.

"Strong storytelling prose." - The BookLife Prize

"Highly recommended for lovers of romantic stories full of history, mystery, faith, and most of all, true hearts." -Virginia Campbell, Goodreads reviewer

"What a wonderfully absorbing read! The story is very good as it masterfully unfolds and draws the reader into the past history of an old abandoned home." - Jan, Amazon reviewer

"This is a lovely story of healing & hope with a hint of spiritual guidance in the paranormal as well as Providential sense." - BookBub reviewer

Release date: June 18, 2019

Publisher: Patriot Press

Print pages: 340

Sample

Turning in a circle, Katie studied the room again. Faded wallpaper curled and peeled above the dusty wainscoting, but the walls themselves appeared sturdy. On the far side of the entryway, and dominating the wall, stood a mammoth fireplace with an ornately carved hearth. Her attention was immediately drawn to a painting of a woman in nineteenth century dress that hung prominently over the mantel.

“Who is she?”

The sheriff turned to the dusty, sun-bleached portrait in the heavy carved guilt frame. “One of the previous owners, they say.” He shrugged. “The family history kind of got lost with the house. Everyone around here calls her the Widow of Lacewood.”

Katie stood spellbound. The woman was clothed completely in black, but the magnificence of the gown gave the impression of sophistication and class. Her chin was slightly elevated as if to project strength, yet there was more than a hint of sorrow and pain in her eyes.

“She looks so sad.” Katie spoke without removing her gaze. “And so young. How could she be a widow?”

The sheriff had already started to walk away, but he turned back and glanced at the painting. “Not sure, but they say she never remarried.”

Katie’s heart suddenly struggled to beat. The anguish in the woman’s eyes kept her riveted. She could see the pain. Feel a heart ripped apart. Something was missing that could never be replaced. Katie had felt such loss before. In a way that’s why she was here.