Charleston, SC, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Palmetto Publishing has released Whispers of Freedom, a Victorian historical romance by debut author Lori Whalen. The novel weaves together three love stories set against the rigid social hierarchies of 1887 London, where clever women use their wits, their courage, and each other to forge paths of their own.
The story centers on Vivienne Whittaker, an orphaned young woman raised under the guardianship of her uncle Thomas after her parents died in a tragic carriage accident. Vivienne has learned to navigate high society with poise and silence, never revealing too much beneath her carefully composed exterior. But her world fractures when her uncle, drowning in gambling debts, promises her hand in marriage to Lord Cecil Crane, the formidable Earl of Thornrose. Disturbing whispers about Crane’s past soon reach Vivienne: former wives erased from society, their lives reduced to rumors of madness, confinement, and early graves.
With the wedding days away and every respectable path barred, Vivienne makes a single reckless decision: to vanish. Help arrives from unexpected quarters. Steadfast friends willing to risk scandal and a principled solicitor who values justice over aristocratic command join her cause. Under the cloak of darkness, she slips beyond London’s glittering ballrooms, exchanging grand salons for mist-laden docks and a dangerous crossing toward anonymity. But freedom carries its own price, and Vivienne is not the only one running toward a new life.
Lori Whalen stated, “I wanted to write about women who use their brains and the skills they have learned to forge their own way. This is really about three love stories, not just one, and about what happens when obedience is no longer an option and defiance becomes the only path forward.”
The novel is positioned for readers who love clean historical romance set in Victorian England, with slow-burn, fade-to-black intimacy and a suspenseful escape narrative. Fans of Julianne Donaldson, Julie Klassen, and Sarah Ladd will find familiar ground in its atmospheric storytelling and courageous heroine. Whalen built her career as an executive assistant in Fortune 500 and public safety corporate environments, experiences that sharpened her eye for power dynamics and social hierarchies. Those observations inform every layer of her fiction debut.
Whispers of Freedom is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of their social media platforms.
Facebook: Lori Whalen – Author
TikTok: @ljwhalenauthor
About the Author: Lori Whalen built her career navigating high-stakes corporate environments as an executive assistant at a Fortune 500 company and a market-leading public safety company. That professional life sharpened her eye for power dynamics, social hierarchies, and the quiet strength required to thrive within them, all of which inform the richly layered world of her historical romance debut, Whispers of Freedom.
Lori’s writing journey began in the stillness of late nights, when the day’s noise faded and stories demanded to be told. Drawn to historical romance by its blend of atmosphere, emotion, and resilience, she crafted Whispers of Freedom as a celebration of women who rely on intellect, loyalty, and daring to reclaim their futures. The novel weaves together three distinct love stories, offering readers the sweep of Regency-era London alongside intimate, fade-to-black romance that trusts the reader’s imagination.
When she is not writing, Lori can be found indulging her love of reading, traveling, and cooking. A certified Sommelier, she brings the same curiosity she applies to exploring the world of wine to building vivid fictional worlds. She lives in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, Scott, and their Husky, Jade. Find Lori Whalen at Facebook: Lori Whalen – Author, TikTok: @ljwhalenauthor.
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Available for interviews: Author, Lori Whalen