1587, England is at risk of invasion by the Spanish Armada, following the death of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic rival to the throne and cousin to Queen Elizabeth.
A Navy is being prepared, men are being trained to use weapons, uniforms are needed, ships constantly patrol the shores of the south coast and a network of beacons is erected to give an early warning of attacks. The Navy is under the leadership of Sir Walter Raleigh, a favourite of the Queen and a local man.
At Dartington Hall, war preparations are under way on a more modest scale. The women are sewing makeshift body armour, small pieces of metal sewn into padded jackets, herbs are pounded into liquids and salves to treat wounds, and the harvest must be gathered in to provide food for the winter.
Lady Roberda is in charge, her estranged husband is fighting in Ireland. She has five children to raise, whilst also caring for the estate and reassuring the workers. Dartington is too close to the coast for comfort.
This novel vividly shows the day to day life that confronts these women, left behind by their husbands. It demonstrates the resourceful ways they go about these extra duties, their strength and powers of persuasion needed to keep loved ones safe in these troubled times. Who to trust is a key element in this novel, when those closest can cause the greatest upsets.
I enjoyed this novel very much. The roles of women in wartime, no matter what century being discussed is sadly neglected and made light of. This novel demonstrates the fears, exhaustion and grim determination that is needed to survive in these situations. The story has its roots in factual people and accounts, which have been well researched.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Troubador, for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I gave this 5 stars.
I have recommended this to my local library and book group. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a new author to me
I found the write up description intriguing

I really enjoyed this
Loved the writing style and very easy to read

Highly recommend

Once again Rosemary Griggs takes us to Devon in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I as the Spanish Armada prepares to attack.
At last a well-informed author looks at what women were doing to protect their homes, their children, their livelihoods and their men. It wasn't just Drake and Raleigh and a handful of Elizabethan heroes who kept England safe from the invasion.
The characterisation is compelling, albeit a lot of it by necessity fictional. I certainly had empathy for Roberda and her family. Love and loss; grief and hardship frame the narrative, but there's also friendship and loyalty; romance and love.
Few authors manage to bring Tudor England to life with such vivid reality and reading this novel felt almost like taking a step back in time.
Elizabethan Devon is drawn in multi-layered detail and paints a colourful picture which is endlessly fascinating.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

One of the greatest threats to England during the reign of Elizabeth I was the Spanish Armada, under the orders of King Philip II of Spain. In the year 1587, the Spanish ships were spotted off the coast of Devon. Fear grips the country, but one woman is up to the task of keeping her beloved Dartington Hall and its inhabitants from harm. Roberda Chapernowne knows what it means to fight for those she loves and is willing to do it again while her husband, Gawen, is away in Ireland fighting for the Queen after he almost divorced Roberda. Roberda’s life turns upside down when Gawen returns home. Can they rekindle their relationship, or will they fall into despair and ruin? Rosemary Griggs concludes Roberda and Gawen Chapernowne’s stories in her latest novel, “Mistress of Dartington Hall.”

I would like to thank Troubador Publishing and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed Griggs’ previous novels, so when I saw that she had another novel coming out to end Roberda Chapernowne’s story, I knew I had to read it to see how Roberda’s story ended.

We are thrust straight into the action with this novel. It's 1587, and rumors of Spanish ships have been spotted off the English coast. Fear grips the inhabitants of Dartington Hall, but the mistress of the house, Roberda Chapernowne, is ready to take control of the situation. She has been in charge for the last three years, following her husband, Gawen, who left her and his family to fight in Ireland for Queen Elizabeth I. Now, Gawen has returned home, which makes things extremely awkward as Gawen tried to divorce Roberda. Now, he is back and wants to reconcile their relationship, but Roberda’s faithful maid Clotilde, who has stood by her side every step of the way, is hesitant.

Gawen and Roberda reconcile while raising their children while dealing with the threat of a Spanish invasion. Unfortunately, their brief return to normalcy is dashed when Gawen is injured while hunting and dies, leaving Roberda to take care of the children and the estate. But being a widow who has mostly daughters and only one son is difficult. We see how Roberda deals with her children’s inheritances, her family in France, and a budding romance for Roberda.

I found this an enjoyable conclusion to Roberda Chapernowne’s story. I liked how this book series and this novel in particular focused on lesser-known figures in the Tudor age, instead of the typical royals. If you are a fan of the previous novels in this series, I recommend you read “Mistress of Dartington Hall” by Rosemary Griggs.

This is the sequel to The Dartington Bride, which should be read first. Although this is a very good historical tale, I did not feel it had the depth of The Bride. Roberda at times behaved very spoilt especially to her hardworking maid, Clotille. Griggs has obviously done a comprehensive search of the time bringing in lots of historical facts. A very enjoyable read. I look forward to her next novel.

Not a bad historical fiction book. It is an easy read. Fans of historical fiction will like this book.