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The Falcon and the Sparrow

by M.L. Tyndall (Goodreads Author), MaryLu Tyndall

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 395 ratings · 50 reviews

The intrigue and passion of The Falcon and the Sparrow will leave you breathless. Follow the trail of Dominique Dawson, a reluctant spy who is forced to betray England or never see her brother again. As she takes a position as the governess of a Rear Admiral's son, her real mission is to gather intelligence information for Napoleon. Chase Randal, irresistibly drawn to his...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published August 1st 2008 by Barbour Books

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An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

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Feb 04, 2009 Frank rated it 5 of 5 stars

M.L. Tyndall’s The Falcon and the Sparrow

Winner of the Road to Romance Reviewers Choice award for her novel The Redemption, MaryLu Tyndall deserved it—and more. Her fiction made her a 2007 nominee for the prestigious Christy Awards. The fact that she did not win means there are some judges due some slaps!
Now that her Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is concluded, Ms Tyndall’s newest offering, The Falcon and the Sparrow, came available in August. Expect to see her name again on the list of C...more M.L. Tyndall’s The Falcon and the Sparrow

Winner of the Road to Romance Reviewers Choice award for her novel The Redemption, MaryLu Tyndall deserved it—and more. Her fiction made her a 2007 nominee for the prestigious Christy Awards. The fact that she did not win means there are some judges due some slaps!
Now that her Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is concluded, Ms Tyndall’s newest offering, The Falcon and the Sparrow, came available in August. Expect to see her name again on the list of Christy nominees in 2008. If it’s possible, MaryLu’s powerful literary skill is like fine wine: it gets even better with time, and can be intoxicating when sampled. She takes you there like nobody else.
Walk through the port city of Dover in 1803, a time when Great Britain ruled more of the planet than any other empire before or since. Drink in the accurate sensory imagery of the era through the eyes, ears, and nose of, her main character Dominique Dawson. Poor Dominique is forced to spy for the French at a time when Napoleon seeks to destroy the British fleet.
With the twists and turns typical of Tyndall’s fiction, Dominique’s stressed arrival has her thrown immediately into a dinner party with London’s high society. By page thirty, Dominique lurks and eavesdrops to learn whatever she can to save her brother, who’s held hostage by the French.
Like no other author I’ve read, Tyndall’s research into her historical setting paint the people and issues of 1803 in amazing colorful detail. This novel’s intrigue depends on the customs and social etiquette of her characters, the affluent ruling class. What could easily be tedious to a twenty-first century reader, is another page-turner.
Rather than my poor attempt to communicate what Tyndall does so well, I prefer to just give samples so you can see for yourself:

“Dominique’s pulse battered her ears. She dashed around the marble statue at the bottom of the stairs just as heavy boots hammered into the hall. Squinting into the darkness, she rushed into the cover of the murky shadows toward the back of the house, praying no one had seen her. Soon, however, the men’s boots echoed like claps of thunder up the stairs as they went to join the ladies, letting out a sigh, she leaned against a set of thick double doors and laid a hand upon her heaving chest. Lord, I can’t even listen in on a conversation without being petrified to death. What kind of spy am I?”

Christian fiction can easily be preachy. MaryLu never goes there. Characters’ faith are all part of the subtext, like the following scene, which takes place just after Dominique is treated horribly by an English Lady:

“”May I ask why you forgave my sister so easily? Her behavior toward you was beyond reproach.” The gracious act still baffled him. Why, if they had been men, a duel would have resulted from such a scurrilous affront.
She pressed her shawl against her chest. “Who am I not to forgive others when I have been forgiven so much?”
Chase grunted. He assumed she meant by God. “And what horrid things could someone so young have done that required forgiveness?”
“’Tis not so much what we have done, but the condition of our hearts, Admiral. A wrong motive can be just as spiteful as an evil act.”
Forgiveness. Chase had taught about God’s forgiveness at church all his life, but he had never felt he was forgiven, had never witnessed anyone else receive forgiveness in a way that changed him, and had never really seen true forgiveness in action.
Until that night.”

It’s all about Tyndall’s characters. You can’t help but care for them. Like you and I, they’re real flawed people. Let MaryLu take you to their world as only she can, and enjoy her newest offering: The Falcon and the Sparrow.

Frank Creed is a novelist and manuscript critiquer for thefinishers.biz(less)

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Jul 15, 2010 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adventureous romantics

Recommended to Margaret by: CFBA, FIRST Wild Card

Shelves: christianfiction, historical, own, suspense-thriller, barbour-books, favorites

Absolute on the edge of your seat, page turner, with unexpected twists and turns full of wonderful action until the end! The Falcon and the Sparrow is a masterful book taking place in London during the Napoleonic wars with France. The imagery presented by Tyndall is incredible. I could picture every scene, the people, places, and the food. I could smell the sea water and rain as well a hint of the other not so pleasant smells. London was given a full picture that agrees with all history I have k...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

MaryLu Tyndall creates another romantic historical fiction masterpiece in “The Falcon and the Sparrow”. This tale of espionage, intrigue and romance will take the reader captive from the first page! In the time of Napoleon’s rise to power as Emperor or France, Dominique Dawson is caught between two worlds: her homeland of England and the homeland of her Mother, France. When her brother is captured by Napoleon’s men, she is forced to return to England to spy for France. She secures employment in...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Natalya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, historical-fiction

I love a good christian/ historical fiction, but this was not good christian/historical fiction. Oh it wasn't the writing, or the plot so much. It was the characters and their relationships and the way they handled situations. The characters never looked for an alternate way to fix their problems, never examined the way they kept making the same stupid mistakes. The romantic angle felt stilted and set up. The lead man and lady always fell into these really awkward situations and neither of them...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-historical-romance

This single novel, "The Falcon and the Sparrow", written by MaryLu Tyndall has lots of action, trickery, and romance. The sparrow, Dominique Dawson, is forced to become a spy for France by them keeping her only brother captured. The falcon, Admiral Chase Randal, needs a governess for his son, William, after three years of his deceased wife, so he can still be out at sea. Dominique becomes the governess William needs, but in the process she is also sent to steal the Admiralty documents from Chase...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Margaret Metz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I want to write a review about this one too... but I haven't slept in two days and I'm not nearly "brainy" enough to do it justice at the moment.

Let me just say it makes my absolute favorites list. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up! The romance was incredible. I could hardly breathe at moments wondering what would happen next. The title was awesome because I could just see them as those two birds at the beginning.

The writing here was... so wonderful. I could see, hear, smell, and feel...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars

M.L Tyndall draws you in quickly in The Falcon and The Sparrow. I believe this is by far my favorite from Tyndall. The Falcon and The Sparrow seems different than her other books to me. I have enjoyed all of her other book, but this one had me feeling it in the pit of my stomach. Dominique and Chase are such amazing characters. Chase is bitter after his wife’s death and becomes cold and almost heartless. He avoids his son like a plague because he reminds him of his wife. Chase and his friends dr...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Falcon and the Sparrow is not part of a series.
Dominique is forced to become a spy for France, in order to save her brother. Chase is still affected by his wife's death and finds it hard to be a father to their son. He also has to battle the advances of Ms. Markham, whom he does not love. Dominique becomes Chase’s son’s governess.
Chase falls in love with Dominique, and she with him. Chase is informed there might be a spy in his household, which he cannot believe. Chase starts to lay traps to...more

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May 24, 2011 Queen Susan the Gentle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, had-a-sad-part

"The Falcon and the Sparrow" by M.L. Tyndall is now one of my favorite books. When I first started it, I had no idea that I was to instantly fall in love with the characters, and stay motivated to read it. But I got all the way through. Now there were some things in this book I found a little inappropriate...Mrs. Barton's rude attitude toward Dominique in the beginning, and some other things. But I did however like the fact that Dominique was a Christian, and stayed faithful to God through the w...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Lynnda Ell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not every book requires the highest calibur of writing to be enjoyable. The Falcon and the Sparrow lacks the depth and sparkle to be a memorable book, and it sags a little in the middle. Still, it is an enjoyable story with a strong sense of time and place, a plot that works, and nicely developed characters. My favorite aspect of the story is the skill with which Ms. Tyndall shows the way God works in even the shyest person who commits her ways to Him. I reccomend The Falcon and the Sparrow to h...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Heather Manning rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is another wonderful book of MaryLu Tyndall's! I was entertained through the whole book and I absolutely loved all of the characters. It was written so well that it almost felt as if I were going through the same emotions and doubts as Dominique, the heroine. I admired Chase and his son, William. Dominique was a great character, and different from a lot of the stereotypical characters you sometimes see in historical fiction. This book kept me up at night, anxious to read about Dominique and...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Renee rated it 3 of 5 stars

From the pen of MaryLu Tyndall, best known for her pirate romance comes The Falcon and the Sparrow. A quiet but beautiful governess and a tortured Admiral meet in this fascinating tale of espionage, secrets, and love. The characters make you fall in love and the drama tears at your heart.

Dominique Dawson, daughter of a British naval officer has no choice but to spy upon the household of Admiral Chase Randal under the guise of a governess. In order to save her brother Marcel from the grasp of a t...more From the pen of MaryLu Tyndall, best known for her pirate romance comes The Falcon and the Sparrow. A quiet but beautiful governess and a tortured Admiral meet in this fascinating tale of espionage, secrets, and love. The characters make you fall in love and the drama tears at your heart.

Dominique Dawson, daughter of a British naval officer has no choice but to spy upon the household of Admiral Chase Randal under the guise of a governess. In order to save her brother Marcel from the grasp of a terrifying French cousin, Dominique vows to get the information she needs and escape the Randal household unscathed. Thanks to Randal’s sweet son, William and the surprising vulnerability and gentleness in Chase’s own eyes, betraying the Crown becomes more difficult than she could have ever imagined.

On top of it all a London society and a scorned sister who despise all things French, challenge Dominique’s faith and strength of spirit. With few friends to confide in she is in danger of being discovered as a traitor by the British and seeing her brother left to fend for himself at the hands of Lucien Bonaparte.

Our hero, Chase Randal is not without his own difficulties. Drowning out the sorrow of his wife’s death in drink, a matchmaking sister along with her scheming friend, and a seemingly unrequited love for a certain governess all are challenges to his life to say the least. His life, his career, and his family’s well being are at stake if he cannot uncover the identity of the spy within his own household. The only thing is his heart may be in danger if he does find the guilty party.

MaryLu Tyndall with her usual grace and style has tackled many serious issues in The Falcon and the Sparrow and has still managed to pen an entertaining and uplifting story. While there are really no high seas escapades this story more than makes up for its lack of pirates with seedy London alleyways and its nefarious citizens. The lush romance and heavy doses of Christian and moral issues make this a must-read for inspirational romance fans. Some of the twists in the conclusion were a bit hard to take in but still, The Falcon and the Sparrow should please all Tyndall fans(less)

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Aug 06, 2008 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour-book, christianfiction, historicalfiction, forreview

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mademoiselle Dominique Dawson sets foot on the soil of her beloved homeland, England, she feels neither the happiness nor the excitement she expected upon her return to the place of her birth. Alone for the first time in her life, without family, without friends, without protection, she now faces a far more frightening prospect, for she has come to the country she loves as an enemy-a spy for Napoleon.

Forced to betray England or never see her only brother alive again, Dominique...more ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mademoiselle Dominique Dawson sets foot on the soil of her beloved homeland, England, she feels neither the happiness nor the excitement she expected upon her return to the place of her birth. Alone for the first time in her life, without family, without friends, without protection, she now faces a far more frightening prospect, for she has come to the country she loves as an enemy-a spy for Napoleon.

Forced to betray England or never see her only brother alive again, Dominique has accepted a position as governess to the son of Admiral Chase Randal, a harsh man, still bitter over the loss of his wife. Will Dominique find the strength she needs through God to follow through with the plan to rescue her brother? Will Chase find comfort for his bitter heart in God's arms and be able to love again?

And what new deceptions will they both find in France when they arrive to carry out their plan?

My review:

I really enjoyed The Falcon and the Sparrow . The story contained all of the distinct Tyndall elements of depth and mood that I've grown to love and expect from her books. Intrigue, romance, suspense, and passion are always part of Tyndall's plot, which makes them page turners for me. The author successfully tortures her characters by getting them into the worst predicaments, and that always makes for incredible tension. Plus the spiritual element was tightly woven into the story's theme and into characters' lives.

I love how people actually changed in the story because they were around Dominique. She was like a light in the house full of nothing by heartache and pain, which is what Christians are called to be--light. This aspect of the story was done amazingly well. The romantic tension rocked as did the kissing scenes! That's often my favorite part of Tyndall's novels. She does a great job of pairing up two very unlikely people with intense conflict between them, which makes for some serious electricity. I dare say the pages of this novel smoked with constrained passion and deep affection. I loved how the Admiral's heart began to thaw and how his son played a key role in the entire story. As usual, this was well done! I've never read a Tyndall novel I haven't thoroughly enjoyed!

The Falcon and the Sparrow was published by Barbour and released in Aug 2008.

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Feb 07, 2013 Ellise Weaver rated it 5 of 5 stars

At first I was really worried. This book is SO MUCH like my book, The Governess, that page after page I worried and worried. I'm so glad to say that it's as unique and different as mine, but with so many similarities. Obviously, MaryLu is a woman after my own heart. I'm guessing we read a lot of the same books growing up. :)

I enjoyed The Falcon and the Sparrow and the twists and turns and the romance. I always enjoy the spiritual guidance and strength MaryLu's characters have. Wonderful read!

~El...more

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Dec 06, 2011 CM rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books of all time after Jane Eyre! Reminiscent of the Scarlet Pimpernel, this book delves into mystery, romance, blackmail, spies, and faith. Dominique begins as a frightened yet believable character and grows into a real heroine who faces her obstacles with faith in God. Chase is a wonderful match for her, and his son is adorable. I definitely recommend this book and all of Tyndall's writings!

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Apr 03, 2009 Jennifer Fluegge rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book as well as I liked the other one--The Red Siren, I think was the name. It seemed to plod along a bit. I found myself wanting to urge the heroine to just tell the Captain and he could help her out of her circumstances. But she is a good author and in general, I enjoy her writing and her descriptions of her characters' emotions, etc.

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Nov 27, 2010 Sheila rated it 2 of 5 stars

The novel had a good story line which, unfortunately, wasn't as well executed.
Call me conservative, but I found the author's constant reference to white breeches and bosoms too suggestive and the characters a little shallow for the genre of Christian fiction if that is what the author purported the novel to be.

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Aug 06, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! The author had an amazing way of making me feel like I was in the room with Miss Dawson and the Admiral. I could feel the tension and I read! I felt the moral confusion of the character and not sure I fully agreed with her choices. But it was a great story, unique and challenged the reader - while making it delightful to read.

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Mar 18, 2011 Jasmine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, nookbook

I was sucked into this book in a way that rarely happens with Christian romance. I truly cared for the characters and had a burning desire to see them happy together. It is the perfect blend of faith, romance, and conflict with just a hint of danger.

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Mar 30, 2013 Nidah (SleepDreamWrite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dominique works as a governess for William, whose the son of an Admiral. But Dominique is there for a reason.

I liked the writing style and the descriptions of the setting. The book was an interesting read.

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Mar 12, 2011 Pattiwan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I thought this book was excellent! I just wish there was an epilogue or a longer ending. I did get teary at the end. I was very surprised by the turn of events.

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Mar 16, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a really good book. The only reason I gave it a 3 instead of a 4 is that I found too many similarities with The Sound of Music. It just didn't seem original.

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Aug 08, 2012 Ali rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

The Falcon and the Sparrow kept me nose deep in pages, that's for sure! MaryLu Tyndall never disappoints me, and she is one of the best writers in Christian fiction. I have read this book twice now and will gladly do it again thirty more times! Domonique was such a sweet, and endearing character that I greatly admired. The Admiral was the hero every girl likes, but he also had a past that haunted him, which made him even more intriguing. There were parts in this book where I held my breath, lau...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Sandie Mixa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it. So much adventure, intrigue, danger, and of course romance mixed with faith in and reliance on Heavenly Father.

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Sep 05, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kind of cheesy at times and parts were a bit rushed. Overall a worthy enough read but not on my list of favs.

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Nov 12, 2011 Priscilla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, christian-fiction

Cannot RAVE ENOUGH about this book!!!!! Pirates, romance, dancing..what more could a girl ask for?!!

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Feb 05, 2010 Slumbering Rose rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, historical-fiction

Kind of disappointed with this one. Loved the Legacy of the King's Pirates series, so I guess I expected a little more.

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Dec 09, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great "Jane Eyre" type book...love the storyline.

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Sep 11, 2010 Toni Miranda rated it 2 of 5 stars

great story - just too sappy! If I had to read one more discription of the admiral in his "tight pants" I was going to puke!

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Apr 27, 2009 Justina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not that great to much reference made to inappropriate actions.

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About M.L. Tyndall

M.L. Tyndall (MaryLu) grew up on the shores of Southern Florida dreaming of romance and adventure upon the sea. She now lives with her husband, six children, and four cats in Northern California where she writes inspirational adventure romance novels. MaryLu's novels have been praised for their fast-paced action, strong inspirational messages, and incredibly vivid settings. Her first novel, The Re...more

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Books by M.L. Tyndall

Surrender the Heart (Surrender to Destiny, #1)

The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles, #1)

The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles, #2)

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