The Book Bandit's Library : Book Review - Lady of Lincoln (The Nicola de la Haye Series, Book 1) by Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Lady of Lincoln
(The Nicola de la Haye Series, Book 1)
by Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Publication Date: February 27th, 2026

Publisher: Hedgehog Books

Page Length: 462

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction / Medieval Historical Fiction

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.

Praise for Lady of Lincoln:

"Joyce’s vivid prose and masterful storytelling immerse the reader deeply into the emotional landscapes of her protagonists, making their struggles and triumphs resonate long after the final page has been turned. This debut is not only impressive in its narrative depth but also remarkable in its ability to evoke thought and reflection long after the final page is turned."

~ The Coffee Pot Book Club 5* Editorial Review

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend it.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

Lady of Lincoln

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

I’ve always been drawn to historical fiction that focuses on real people—especially the ones you don’t tend to hear about. The figures who weren’t turned into legends, but still lived through extraordinary circumstances in quieter, less recognised ways. Lady of Lincoln feels very much like that kind of story. It doesn’t try to make Nicola larger than life—it just lets her be human, and that’s what makes it so engaging.

Nicola is easy to connect with from the start. She’s young, hopeful, and quietly determined to have some say in her own future, even if the world around her isn’t set up to allow that. It’s not loud or rebellious—just a steady sense that she wants something more than the path already laid out for her.

William comes into her life at exactly the moment where that kind of choice feels possible. He’s charming, unpredictable, and offers something that feels like freedom. And for a while, you can see why she chooses him. But there’s always a slight unease there. Things never feel entirely secure, and when they begin to unravel, it happens gradually—through poor decisions, pressure, and consequences that are hard to undo.

What really works is that the story doesn’t treat this as a simple mistake or a dramatic fall. It focuses on what comes after. Nicola has to live with her choices, and that brings complications—financial strain, shifting loyalties, and the growing weight of responsibility. It’s not just her life being affected anymore, and that realisation changes her.

That shift—from wanting independence to having to manage everything—is where the story really settles. Nicola doesn’t suddenly become strong; she grows into it. Slowly, realistically, through experience and necessity. There’s something very believable about the way she adapts, even when things are difficult.

The people around her add to that journey. Gerard, in particular, offers a steady contrast—reliable, patient, and quietly present. He represents a different path, and that lingers in the background without ever feeling forced.

There’s also something quite moving about knowing this is based on a real woman who history hasn’t given much attention to. The book doesn’t try to overstate that—it simply shows her life, her challenges, and her growth. In doing so, it gives her a kind of recognition that feels well deserved.

By the end, Nicola feels changed—not in a dramatic way, but in a way that makes sense. She’s more grounded, more aware of what her role requires, and more capable of carrying it.

The ending doesn’t wrap everything up neatly, which works well. It feels like a continuation rather than a conclusion—which makes sense, as this is clearly just the beginning of her story. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where book two takes her next.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Rachel Elwiss Joyce

After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history neglected, or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life.

Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring.

Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand.

There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England,” Rachel knew she had found her heroine, and a story she was destined to tell.

Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages.