In an age when you may be put to death for marrying without the King's consent, the lovely Minuette Wyatt must negotiate with the affections of an already betrothed King (William is betrothed to a princess of France), deal with the politics and implications of the King's affections in a polarized court, and also manage to conceal the affections of her heart for the King's right hand man and best friend, Dominic Courtenay.
The Concept
People are so gullible it makes me sick!
Just because a couple of old farts calling themselves historians say something happened doesn't mean it did. Burn your so called history books and prepare to self flagellate. Queen Anne Bullen never had any miscarriages. She had a son and he lived to be king!
This is part of his-story!
Go punish yourselves now.
The Writing
It is written in a sharp and concise language. Definitely not spare, but as befits the telling of true history no unnecessary words have been used.
Switches between the viewpoints of Minuette, Dominic and Elizabeth (yes, the Elizabeth you think you know).
There're even excerpts from Minuette's journal/diary, translated into modern English for your easy reading.
The Story
To appease Catholics who still feel that Mary, daughter of Katherine of Arragon, is the rightful heir to the throne, eighteen year old William commits to marry Marie (a princess of France) when she reaches an appropriate age.
In the now however, he only has eyes for Minuette (main character) - his sister Elizabeth's attending gentle woman (or whatever they're called), and friend. Minuette likes William but loves Dominic. Dominic likes William but loves Minuette.
How soon before William discovers that the apple of his eye and his best friend believe they have been arrowed together by Cupid.
Dun dun dun du-dunnn.
The word about town is that William is thinking only with his little head and intends to follow in the footsteps of his father (King Henry the Eighth), and break a royal union just so he can marry his mistress. Somebody has to dissuade William, dissuade Minuette or eliminate Minuette. Somebody will try all three, but to what degrees of success though?
Dun dun dun du-dunnnn.
Then there's the added intrigue of the politics of ambitious families and gentlemen at court.
Of course if you've had the pitiful pleasure of being plied with the story of that time according to your dour historian, the similarities between the events chronicled in this book and the happenings of King Henry the Eighth's court may lessen your enjoyment of this Laura-story.
The Resolution
The ending is an end, and a good ending too but it is hard to not notice that what it really is, is a set-up for the final book of the trilogy.
The Verdict
When I thought the author had invented the majority of the history in this book, I rated it as a great book, but then a dour historian got to me and succeeded in souring my elation.
So this one is only a good book.
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