Garland of Straw

Roundheads and Cavaliers, Book 2

By: Stella Riley

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

The marriage of a well-bred Royalist lady and an illegitimate Roundhead Colonel is less a match made in heaven than a union doomed to hell. Unfortunately, Sir Robert Brandon's last will and testament leaves Venetia Clifford and Gabriel Brandon with little choice in the matter - deeply though they both resent it.

Their tempestuous relationship is reflected in the stormy events buffeting the nation as England slides inexorably into a second Civil War. Gabriel continues to serve in the New Model Army whilst, behind his back, Venetia engages in clandestine activities on behalf of the King; and the lives of both of them are further complicated when Gabriel's half-brother - to whom Venetia was formerly betrothed - returns from exile.

While the Army and Parliament argue over the fate of the King, Gabriel realises that he has a dangerous enemy and Venetia finally begins to see the man rather than the Roundhead Colonel. As events gather pace, bringing the King to trial, the tangled web of danger and deceit surrounding both Gabriel and Venetia slowly tightens its grip.

Set against the compelling times which led to the execution of Charles l, Garland of Straw is the story of a seemingly impossibly love an also provides further chapters in the lives of characters previously encountered in The Black Madonna and A Splendid Defiance.

©2013 Stella Riley (P)2020 Stella Riley

FANTASTIC - but listen to Black Madonna 1st

Stella Riley is the best spinner of historical, romantic novels around, and at least in the US relatively unknown. I highly recommend ALL her books. However, those that are parts of a series really need to be enjoyed in order. Her stories are so deeply layered and intertwined that maximum appreciation of her characters and their lives is best achieved by following them from their beginnings. Alex Wyndham's voice and performance style are Apollo's gifts to historical novels set in Britain and France.

Turbulent love in turbulent times

This is the second book of Stella Riley’s Roundheads and Cavaliers series, featuring the turbulent period of the English Civil War era through a series of romances. This novel describes the story of Venetia Clifford, daughter of a Royalist family, forced to marry Gabriel Brandon, a colonel in Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army. To add insult to injury, Gabriel is the illegitimate half-brother of Venetia’s previous betrothed, Royalist Ellis Brandon, now a fugitive, and receives the inheritance that should have gone to the legitimate son as well as the bride. The relationship starts off badly, with mutual dislike and disdain at first sight – and only goes downward for quite a while. In spite of the conflict, the integrity of the Roundhead officer is starting to impress even rigidly prejudiced Venetia, but the machinations of Ellis and certain mistakes by the heroine result in a catastrophic conflict (I must say I had a hard time forgiving Gabriel, and some readers may find his actions disturbing) between the protagonists – and then it is time for Gabriel’s unreasonable emotions to be changed by the demonstration of Venetia’s loyalty and integrity. While they work towards resolving their personal difficulties, political conflict culminates in the trial and execution of King Charles I, and Gabriel is pursued by a mysterious enemy who tries to harm him by every possible means.
Besides the usual great points in Stella Riley’s favour (a passionate and deep romance, vivid and well researched historical background with even the complexities made understandable through the characters’ eye, believable and complex character descriptions) I especially enjoyed in this book the fact that there are decent people on both sides of the political conflict – and they are able to turn toward each other with respect and try to mitigate the cruelty and vindictiveness of the extremists on each side.
Alex Wyndham’s talented storytelling brings out the drama and the turbulent feelings in the story, displays the diverse set of characters and their feelings faithfully and gives the listener a vivid and gripping experience.

Everything you could want in HR!!

Stella Riley has fast become my favorite HR author! Her amazing storytelling coupled with Alex Wyndham's irresistible narration is everything I long for in this genre. I just wish all her books were were on Audible already!

Stella Riley continue to write remarkable stories

This is a wonderful story, full of history and rich in characters. Gabriel and Venetia’s story is set in one of the most significant and politically charged periods of English history and it does not disappoint. This book delves into that history and gives personalities to the names of men who changed history. Within that background we see the struggle of a marriage arranged for two strong characters who seem as widely divided as possible. One is a Colonel in the Roundhead army, the other a passionate monarchist and spy for the King. As we meet again other characters from her other books, we see how destructive this civil war has been, pitting friends against friends and splitting families to pieces. Each person in their own right is struggling with years of conflict and then the aftermath of an uneasy peace. There is push and pull tension throughout this book, creating an atmosphere of suspicion and anger. In the end the history is gripping, but as we follow the course of Gabriel and Venitia’s marriage, we are immersed in their struggle to find the peace they are both looking for Venitia is a strong, independent woman, who naturally takes charge of situations and follows her own beliefs and decisions. Gabriel equally is a commanding presence so sparks fly, misunderstandings arise and tempers flare. A strong cast of supporting characters round out the narrative. Stella Riley’s gift for rich characters and intricate stories continues to shine. Her well written prose and meaty plots make you just want more.

As always Alex Wyndham shines in his powerful and compelling narration, giving life to both the era and the people. He is a master story teller and again leaves you wanting more. This is truly a perfect union

Another excellent story

Can’t go wrong with this author/narrator combination. My favorite of the series is The Marigold Chain, but this is a must read to continue the series and hear about some of the previous characters. Aside from a scant handful of anachronisms in this series, Stella is an outstanding researcher and writer—far above the crowd. Her storytelling, characters, and relationships are all well-developed and interesting. I’ve read all her works. This book is a page turner with a slight lull midway while it focuses on new main characters that were smaller players up to that point and catches us up on new political and battle updates. I started missing the H/h interactions and progress.

A minor frustration was the narration. Alex is an excellent, well-loved narrator. Especially with atmosphere, mood, setting. He reads the intent of the scenes superbly. No question there. What I notice, especially in these long books, is that character voices sometimes start sounding the same. He absolutely has a wide range but often defaults to repetition of two to three cadences and tones. Even between men and women. And characters sometimes change voices. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to have a voice for dozens of characters and keep track of them for twenty hours, but more variation between characters and consistency for each main character would be helpful. Otherwise, well done—these nuances are easy enough to overlook for the joy of listening to such a phenomenal book, rich with history and excellent writing.