Lady of Lincoln:

A Novel of Nicola de la Haye, the Medieval Heroine History Tried to Forget

(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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I thought I was settling in for a familiar kind of historical fiction—measured, elegant, and safely contained within the usual rhythms of duty, decorum, and predictable romance.

It did not stay comfortable for long.

Because Lady of Lincoln quickly reveals itself to be far less interested in comfort than in consequence. What begins as a young woman pushing gently against expectation turns, rather swiftly, into a story about what happens when those expectations push back.

At the centre is Nicola de la Haye, who begins with what feels like a reasonable hope: that her life might involve some degree of choice. Not a radical ambition, you might think—but in 12th-century England, this turns out to be wildly optimistic.

Her father, naturally, has other plans. A sensible marriage. A secure future. A man of stability and reputation. All very practical. All very… not what Nicola wants.

Instead, she chooses William FitzErneis.

Which, as decisions go, is not her best.

At first, William has all the expected qualities—charm, confidence, the sort of presence that suggests life with him might be exciting rather than merely tolerable. Unfortunately, excitement quickly translates into financial chaos, questionable decisions, and a series of consequences that ripple far beyond Nicola herself.

What’s particularly well done is that he isn’t written as a simple villain. It would be easier if he were. Instead, he’s frustratingly human—reckless, desperate, occasionally sincere, and often spectacularly unreliable. You can see why Nicola falls for him. You can also see, with increasing dread, why that choice is going to cost her dearly.

And it does.

A lot.

What follows is less a romance and more a gradual, painful education in responsibility. Nicola’s early ideals—love, independence, a life shaped by her own choices—collide headfirst with the realities of land ownership, political tension, and the unpleasant fact that other people’s livelihoods now depend on her ability to hold everything together.

She adapts. Not instantly, and not without mistakes, but steadily.

There’s a clear shift from girlhood to something far more formidable. By the time she begins to take control of her lands in earnest, it’s not out of ambition, but necessity. And that makes her far more compelling.

Meanwhile, hovering in the background (and occasionally stepping forward with quiet persistence) is Gerard de Camville—the man she didn’t choose. He represents stability, loyalty, and a kind of steady respect that Nicola is far too young, at first, to fully appreciate.

It’s not a love triangle in the usual sense. It’s more a study in timing, perspective, and the painful clarity that often arrives just a little too late.

The historical backdrop is handled with a confident, unobtrusive hand. You feel the instability of the period—the shifting loyalties, the tension between crown and church, the ever-present threat of conflict—without ever feeling like you’ve been dropped into a lecture.

Instead, it’s woven through Nicola’s experience. The fines, the rebellions, the sieges—they’re not distant events, they’re immediate problems. Problems that have very real, very human consequences.

And the book does not shy away from those consequences.

There are moments here that are genuinely difficult to read. Not for shock value, but because they’re grounded in the harsh realities of the time—war, illness, punishment, loss. It’s unflinching in a way that makes Nicola’s resilience feel earned rather than ornamental.

What I appreciated most is how the story builds. It doesn’t rely on a single dramatic turning point. Instead, it accumulates pressure—bad decisions, external threats, personal loss—until Nicola is forced to become someone capable of withstanding all of it.

By the end, she is almost unrecognisable from the girl we first meet.

Not hardened exactly, but sharpened. More aware. More deliberate. And fully conscious that survival, in her world, requires far more than hope.

This is ultimately a story about growth forged under pressure—about a young woman who is given very little room to fail, and yet somehow learns, adapts, and persists anyway.

I finished it with a deep respect for Nicola, a lingering sense of the cost of every choice she made, and a strong urge to immediately pick up whatever comes next in the series.

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

You can find your copy of Lady of Lincoln Here, and get this, if you have #KindleUnlimited you can read for free.

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.