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Nicola de la Haye
The inspiration of Brienne of Tarth, Nicola de la Haye saved England twice. Watch the video below and discover the legend. (Spoilers alerts!).
And when you’ve finished, it’s time to find out more about the medieval heroine, the world she lived in, the corrupt men she had to deal with, and how the medieval badass sorted them all out!
Buy the first book in the Nicola de la Haye series, Lady of Lincoln, here.
LADY OF LINCOLN is available on NetGalley!
For a limited time only, Lady of Lincoln is available for Netgalley reviewers and librarians to read and review.
If you love immersive historical fiction based on real characters and strong women protagonists, then this novel is for you!
Get your copy here: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/787763 or click the image above.
More on Lady of LIncoln:
1173. Nicola de la Haye will inherit great estates and Lincoln Castle—one of England's most strategic fortresses, but the medieval world is a man's world and her father arranges a marriage to secure her estates. She chooses love instead, causing her world to collapse. King Henry II punishes her. Her husband betrays her and joins a rebellion. Powerful men circle her inheritance like wolves.
LADY OF LINCOLN is the award-winning first book in the true story of Nicola de la Haye—the woman who would become England's first female sheriff and, years later, save the realm from a French invasion. But that triumph is still distant. This is where it begins: with a young woman learning what defiance costs, and what it takes to survive.
"A towering, epic saga… one of the greats in this genre." — Readers' Favorite ★★★★★
LADY OF LINCOLN scoops up another Gold Medal Award!
Lady of Lincoln, the historical novel about Nicola de la Haye, has won the Reader’s Choice Gold Medal Award
LADY OF LINCOLN Wins Book of the Year Award!
I can’t quite believe I’m posting this, but besides winning the Gold Medal for Historical Biographical Fiction, LADY OF LINCOLN won the Book of the Year Award in the Coffee Pot Book Club annual awards!
I’m so honoured that my novel has been recognised amongst such great fiction, and so pleased to have done the memory of NIcola de la Haye proud! 😀
LADY OF LINCOLN wins the Gold Medal Award!
I’m absolutely thrilled that LADY OF LINCOLN has won the Gold Medal in the Historical Biographical Fiction category in the Coffee Pot Book Club ‘Book of the Year’ awards!
I cannot thank the committee enough for recognising the novel, the hard work in putting it together, but also Nicola de la Haye’s story!
Finalist in Book of the Year! 🥳
I was overwhelmed last night to receive this surprise email:
“I am pleased to announce that your book, Lady of Lincoln, is a Finalist in The Coffee Pot Book Club Book Of The Year Awards 2025.”
Lady of Lincoln is a finalist for Book of the Year Award with the Coffee Pot Book Club
I’m overjoyed and delighted. 🎊🎊🎊🎊🥂🥂🥂🥳🥳🥳
In particular, I’m so pleased that Nicola (Nicholaa) de la Haye’s story is gaining recognition! 🏰
Lady of Lincoln Receives a 5-Star Review from The Coffee Pot Book Club!
I’m absolutely delighted, and a little bit overwhelmed, to share that Lady of Lincoln has received a 5-star review from the highly respected Coffee Pot Book Club!
For those who don’t know, The Coffee Pot Book Club is one of the most trusted and independent voices in the historical fiction community, known for its thoughtful, in-depth reviews and support for authors who bring history vividly to life.
As a debut author, it’s both humbling and thrilling to have Lady of Lincoln recognised by such an esteemed platform.
The Secret Is Out: The Heroine of Rachel’s Upcoming Novel is… Nicola de la Haye
My protagonist is Nicola (Nicholaa) de la Haye: the woman who saved England.
Nicola isn’t a creation of legend or folklore. She was real — a formidable 12th- and 13th-century noblewoman who defied the expectations of her age. She inherited power in her own right, commanded a castle garrison, and twice (at least) defended Lincoln Castle from siege.
Most famously, in 1217, when England teetered on the edge of conquest by Prince Louis of France, Nicola — then nearly seventy years old — refused to surrender her castle. She held the fortress until William Marshal’s army turned the tide in what chroniclers called the Battle of Lincoln Fair (or the Second Battle of Lincoln). Without her, England’s story might have ended very differently.