Review: Her Own War by Debra Borchert
I'm delighted to welcome back author Debra Borchert, showcasing her brand new release – Her Own War. The third in the exciting Château de Verzat series, Her Own War continues the story of a small group of characters as they veer from the terror of the French Revolution straight into Napoleonic France. Find the first two books in the series featured HERE!
Her Own War is currently on Blog Tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Make sure to check out all the other fascinating posts HERE!
Her Own War
Château de Verzat Series, Book #3
Debra Borchert
I haven't read the first two books in the series, though I'm planning to remedy that omission at some point, so I wondered how it would work out, diving straight into Book #3.
Well, I needn't have worried!
Right from the beginning, we are thrown into a whirlwind of events that carry us along with the book's main characters, Geneviève and her husband, Louis. A terrible thunderstorm hits the vines of Château de Verzat, and the workers must hurry to rescue any surviving saplings.
Once the weather has had its turn, other events unfold, some unexpected, and some linked to the past, which is infused cleverly into the narrative, so readers don't lose track.
With Napoleon Bonaparte in charge of France, the infamous Terror of the French Revolution may be over, but the persecutions of nobles and their families continue. No one was safe from denunciation.
Gen and her noble-born husband Louis live their life under cover in a cottage on the vineyard of Verzat. He had his own family manor turned into an orphanage, looking after children who'd lost their parents. The staff there don't know he is married, which leads to complications later on. But I jump ahead...
A new proclamation announces that all émigré nobles must leave France, or face execution. Those include Gen's friend, Henri, the heir to the vineyard, who had clandestinely returned. His sister, Joliette, was on her way back from America with her young son, unaware of the new laws. While Henri goes into hiding, Gen and Louis and Henri's wife, Aurélia, a former African slave, head to the port to warn Joliette. There, they encounter the Capitaine, Aurélia's slave trader from whom Juliette had bought the woman's freedom. Sending him on his way, the group returns home to Verzat. A day later, they wake to discover that the Capitaine has abducted Aurélie from her chamber and taken here to a high-class brothel in Paris.
Louis, Henri and Gen devise a plan to rescue her, but with the new 'prize whore', Aurélia, being watched closely, Gen – dressed as a man pretending to be a customer – manages to get to her, but Aurélia's actions place them all into grave danger.
Well, I recommend you read the book to find out!
Sentenced to eight months in an insane asylum for the crime of impersonating a man, Geneviève LaGarde fears giving birth in a filthy cell will mean certain death for her and her unborn child. Desperate for her release, her husband, Louis, trades his freedom for hers and must join Bonaparte’s army in Egypt.
Her Own War is a completely immersive, fast-paced historical adventure that throws you straight into a world of political intrigues, personal vendettas, and dangerous sacrifices. I found the setting utterly compelling, as Ms Borchert brought the unpredictability of the era vividly to life. There is a continuing sense of threat, and when secrets long kept hidden are revealed, our protagonists are facing grave danger.
I just loved Gen! She is an adventurous tomboy (something I can fully empathise with) with a penchant for wearing men's clothing , and a short fuse, which often gets her into trouble. But she's also highly intelligent and fiercely loyal to her husband, friends, and estate workers. She suffers from insecurities about her lack of femininity, which make her even more endearing. Her secret support for Royalists – something punished by death if uncovered – signifies a constant thread of danger in her daily life, and she's hardly ever at ease.
Like her husband, she has false papers, which she appears to have used successfully in the past (must read the first 2 books!). Gen is a passionate woman, but also prone to jealousy due to her insecurities. But she doesn't hesitate to help her friends when needed, especially Aurélie, who is like a sister to her.
There is some background story between her and her step-mother, which isn't further explained, but it doesn't matter for the plot of this book.
Louis is a clever, intelligent character, a compte from a noble French family beneath his assumed ordinary persona, and he can switch back and forth easily, if required. In Egypt, his loyalty towards his men leads him into a trap, but one he'd willingly take rather than sacrifice one of the others. He's the ideal guy, of sorts.
The fast-paced narrative never loses is sense of danger, which many citizens must have felt, torn between loyalties, and always at the mercy of political squabbles between their leaders. Denunciations were rife, showing how precarious life was, even if you tried to continue as normal, as they do in the vineyard.
Her Own War is a fabulous adventure, with some romantic elements, political scheming, and incredibly brave characters on all levels of French society at a time of continuing upheaval. The novel can be read as a standalone, but reading the first two books would certainly give you the full back story. And I hope there will be more books in this riveting series that should appeal to readers who love historical fiction in an authentic, intriguing setting.
Highly recommended.
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Blurb:
As Napoleon Rises from the Ashes of The French Revolution, One Woman Dares to Spy Against Him
Sentenced to eight months in an insane asylum for the crime of impersonating a man, Geneviève LaGarde fears giving birth in a filthy cell will mean certain death for her and her unborn child. Desperate for her release, her husband, Louis, trades his freedom for hers and must join Bonaparte’s army in Egypt.As Geneviève wages her own war against the tyrannical general, she not only risks her own life but also those of her children and the four hundred families who depend on the Château de Verzat estate. Knowing her desperate actions could cause the government to confiscate the entire vineyard, she sacrifices everything to save her husband and protect the people who become her family.
A captivating tale of the power of love, hope, and courage, and the strength of community.
Buy Link: Universal Buy Link
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited for 90 days!
Château de Verzat Series Links:
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About the Author:
Debra Borchert
Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. She has been honored with a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick, and many other five-star reviews.
Wow, thank you so much for the insights and love of the story. I hadn't intended on writing another in the series, but children of Gen and Louis, and Joliette, and Henri and Aurelia will probably be old enough to get in a lot of trouble after Napoleon crowns himself! Thanks so much for having me! Debra
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, Debra. I really enjoyed reading it.
DeleteOoh, and those kids would have a lot of stories to tell... :-)