A Splendid Defiance

By: Stella Riley

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

For two years, England has been in the grip of Civil War. In Banbury, Oxfordshire, the Cavaliers hold the castle, the Roundheads want it back and the town is full of zealous Puritans. Consequently, the gulf between Captain Justin Ambrose and Abigail Radford, the sister of a fanatically religious shopkeeper, ought to be unbridgeable. The key to both the fate of the castle and that of Justin and Abigail lies in defiance...but will it be enough?

A Splendid Defiance is a dramatic and enchanting story of forbidden love, set against the turmoil and anguish of the first English Civil War.

©2012 Stella Riley (P)2016 Stella Riley

Critic reviews

“A rich sweeping and instantly involving tale ... a rare pleasure to narrate.” - Alex Wyndham

I tried but couldn’t finish

This is awesome, it why I chose this book. There’s much I liked about the story, predictable as it is. Most of the characters I liked, very good development. The war scenes are drawn out a bit too much. But the heroine is just an idiot, She’s just too hard to like. I don’t see how anyone likes her.And I’m not buying that her mother is no more protective over her than she is. But I just couldn’t finish the story ... I tried, it just got to be too silly.

Very well written

For someone who knows very little about English history around this time period there were small areas where I was completely lost in names and locations but overall it didn't detract from the story. The only thing I was disappointed about was the lack of epilogue.

Not as Good as her Rockcliffe Series

Although not as good as her rockcliffe series, this book is still decently entertaining. Stella is writing is excellent.

Our moral hero becomes immoral.

I have loved and recommended Stella Riley's previous books and Alex Wyndham is so excellent. But each book added more and more sex sizzle with less and less story. This one finally (predictably?) put the honeymoon before the wedding. I had hoped for more from Captain Ambrose. Sigh.

loved it

awesome story and performance. history and romance but told in a way that intrigues. my favorite of hers, so far.