Book Review: THE CAPTIVE QUEEN OF SCOTS by Jean Plaidy

During civil war in Scotland Mary Queen of Scots fled her country for her own safety with high hopes that her queenly cousin Elizabeth I of England would aid her in regaining her throne. Mary had just escaped imprisonment at the hand of her bastard born half brother the Earl of Moray and she was desperate to recoup her losses. England was the closest escape possible. England’s virgin Queen was her only hope of saving her rule in Scotland. Mary would come to regret her decision everyday for the next eighteen years of her life.

Upon arriving in England Mary was treated with the highest respect fitting to her rank. Elizabeth later decided to go against Mary and align herself with the evil Earl of Moray. In the end it was best for Moray and Elizabth if Mary never saw Scotland or her young son ever again. Queen Elizabeth was a shrewd woman and she never forgot a slight towards her and the time had come for her to enact her revenge on Mary for proclaiming herself the “true” queen of England. It was said that Elizabeth was extremely jealous of her fair cousin and her wild love exploits. The two cousins were like night and day, Elizabeth needed no one and Mary needed to be loved by all. Mary had this quality that enchanted everyone that she came into contact with. She inspired men to do outrageous deeds for their love of her and yet it was never enough to save her from her English prison.

Plot after plot would follow Mary all of them were unsuccessful and she remained Elizabeth’s royal prisoner. Both women were Queen’s in their own right yet Elizabeth could not just do away with Mary with out a full-blown religious war because Mary was always a devout Catholic. The Catholic league of the world wanted Mary to claim England as hers and return the country back to its Catholic roots. Elizabeth could never let that happen it would literally have to happen over her dead body. A dilemma that only had one solution Mary must die but how could Elizabeth justify executing her own cousin and a royal queen like herself because if she did execute Mary an anointed Queen, Elizabeth could also be victim to the same fate. Elizabeth would be forced into quelling the Catholic uprisings in Mary’s name and there was only one way to end it all.

4/5 I waited a long time to read this novel because a whole novel on Mary’s years of imprisonment really did not seem appealing to me at the time. I was wrong, leave it to Jean Plaidy to make 18 years of imprisonment exciting and not overly drawn out. I have nothing but praise for Jean Plaidy like most historical fiction lovers. I can finally say I finished the whole Stuart series! I would recommend that this novel be read in order of the series and the sooner together the better because you tend to forget the details when you wait a long time in-between novels in any series. Together the two novels “Royal Road to Fotheringhay” and “The Captive Queen of Scots” are the complete tragic story that was Mary Queen of Scots.

PG-13 Rating for violence.
FTC- this novel is part of my personal collection.

Amazon: THE CAPTIVE QUEEN OF SCOTS by Jean Plaidy

~Lizzie~

Mailbox Monday: Elizabeth Chadwick

The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick
"In the summer of 1140, Oliver Pascal returns home from a long pilgrimage to discover England ravaged by civil war and his family lands forfeit to the conflict between Henry I's daughter Mathilda, and her cousin Stephen of Blois, who has seized the crown at her expense. Riding to the Earl of Gloucester's keep at Bristol, Oliver stumbles upon the aftermath of a mercenary attack on an isolated village. Among the survivors are Richard, an illegitimate royal son and half-brother to the Earl himself, and the boy's young nurse Catrin. Widowed, stubborn and proud, she has much in common with Oliver, a man still grieving for a wife lost in childbirth.At Bristol, Catrin meets Ethel, a wise woman and midwife, who begins to train her in the healing arts and is instrumental in bringing Oliver and Catrin together as lovers. But the endurance of that love is threatened by the perils of injury in battle, the danger of childbirth, the upheaval of continuing civil war, and the risk of loving in exchange for nothing but heartbreak. In the end Catrin must decide where her true loyalties lie".~Lizzie~

Hot Historical Fiction April & May 2014

5.6.2014

A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III by Janice Hadlow
"The surprising, deliciously dramatic, and ultimately heartbreaking story of King George III’s radical pursuit of happiness in his private life with Queen Charlotte and their 15 children
In the U.S., Britain's George III, the protagonist of A Royal Experiment, is known as the king from whom Americans won their independence and as "the mad king," but in Janice Hadlow’s groundbreaking and entertaining new biography, he is another character altogether—compelling and relatable".

5.6.2014
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
"From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.

In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure".

5.6.2014
Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Stephanie Thornton
"Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course.
Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Horus Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.

Once, Hatshepsut anticipated being free to live and love as she chose. Now she must put Egypt first. Ever daring, she will lead a vast army and build great temples, but always she will be torn between the demands of leadership and the desires of her heart. And even as she makes her boldest move of all, her enemies will plot her downfall...."

5.27.2014

Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Sally O'Reilly
"A TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON—WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE

The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth’s royal court. The Queen’s favorite, she develops a love of poetry and learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and quick tongue. Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, but her position is precarious. Then she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned but ill-fated affair.

A decade later, the Queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her young son Henry takes ill, Aemilia resolves to do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will—or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself.

In rich, vivid detail, Sally O’Reilly breathes life into England’s first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Full of passion and devilish schemes, Dark Aemilia is a tale worthy of the Bard".

5.27.2014
The Queen's Exiles by Barbara Kyle
"1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ...
Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.

But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember".

4.1.2014
Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor bradford
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic saga of intrigue and mystique set in Edwardian England. Cavendon Hall is home to two families, the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray, lives there with his wife Felicity and their six children. Walter Swann, the premier male of the Swann family, is valet to the earl. His wife Alice, a clever seamstress who is in charge of the countess's wardrobe, also makes clothes for the four daughters. For centuries, these two families have lived side-by-side, beneath the backdrop of the imposing Yorkshire manor. Lady Daphne, the most beautiful of the Earl’s daughters, is about to be presented at court when a devastating event changes her life and threatens the Ingham name. With World War I looming, both families will find themselves tested in ways they never thought possible. Loyalties will be challenged and betrayals will be set into motion. In this time of uncertainty, one thing is sure: these two families will never be the same again. Cavendon Hall is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best, and its sweeping story of secrets, love, honor, and betrayal will have readers riveted up to the very last page".

4.1.2014
The Island of Doves by Kelly O'Connor McNees
"Vivid and enthralling, Island of the Doves tells the story of a courageous woman who is desperate for freedom and of those who will risk everything to help her…
Susannah Fraser lives in one of Buffalo’s finest mansions, but her monstrous husband makes the home a terrible prison. When a local nun offers to help her escape, Susannah boards a steamship headed for Mackinac Island and a chance at freedom.

Magdelaine Fonteneau has seen her share of tragedy—a husband murdered before her eyes, two sisters lost—and she sees offering Susannah refuge in her island home as atonement for her many regrets. This act of kindness changes Susannah in ways she never could have imagined as she finds solace in the company of others who carry their own secrets and scars. Only together can they untangle their pasts—and find a future bright with the promise of new life…"

4.1.2014
The Medici Boy by John L'Heureux
"The worlds of art, politics and passion collide in John L’Heureux’s masterful new novel, The Medici Boy. With rich composition, L’Heureux ingeniously transports the reader to Donatello’s Renaissance Italy—directly into his bottega, (workshop), as witnessed through the eyes of Luca Mattei, a devoted assistant. While creating his famous bronze of David and Goliath, Donatello’s passion for his enormously beautiful model and part time rent boy, Agnolo, ignites a dangerous jealousy that ultimately leads to Agnolo’s brutal murder. Luca, the complex and conflicted assistant, will sacrifice all to save the life of Donatello, even if it means the life of the master sculptor’s friend and great patron of art, Cosimo de’ Medici. John L’Heureux’s long-awaited novel delivers both a monumental and intimate narrative of the creative genius, Donatello, at the height of his powers. With incisive detail, L’Heureux beautifully renders the master sculptor’s forbidden homosexual passions, and the artistry that enthralled the powerful and highly competitive Medici and Albizzi families. The finished work is a sumptuously detailed historical novel that entertains while it delves deeply into both the sacred and the profane within one of the Italian Renaissance’s most consequential cities, fifteenth century Florence".

4.1.2014
The Red Lily Crown: A Novel of Medici Florence by Elizabeth Loupas
"Elizabeth Loupas returns with her most ambitious historical novel yet, a story of intrigue, passion, and murder in the Medici Court...
April, 1574, Florence, Italy. Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici lies dying. The city is paralyzed with dread, for the next man to wear the red lily crown will be Prince Francesco: despotic, dangerous, and obsessed with alchemy.

Chiara Nerini, the troubled daughter of an anti-Medici bookseller, sets out to save her starving family by selling her dead father’s rare alchemical equipment to the prince. Instead she is trapped in his household—imprisoned and forcibly initiated as a virgin acolyte in Francesco’s quest for power and immortality. Undaunted, she seizes her chance to pursue undreamed-of power of her own.

Witness to sensuous intrigues and brutal murder plots, Chiara seeks a safe path through the labyrinth of Medici tyranny and deception. Beside her walks the prince’s mysterious English alchemist Ruanno, her friend and teacher, driven by his own dark goals. Can Chiara trust him to keep her secrets…even to love her…or will he prove to be her most treacherous enemy of all"?

4.8.2014

The Collector of Dying Breaths: A Novel of Suspense by M.J. Rose
"A lush and imaginative novel that crisscrosses time as a perfumer and a mythologist search for the fine line between potion and poison, poison and passion…and past and present.
Florence, Italy—1533: An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fragrances and potent medicines—and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the potential to reanimate the dead. In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country but the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. But while mixing herbs and essences under the light of flickering candles, Rene doesn’t begin to imagine the tragic and personal consequences for which his lethal potions will be responsible.

Paris, France—The Present: A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile, is trying to recover from personal heartache by throwing herself into her work, learns of the 16th century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomes obsessed with René le Florentin’s work—particularly when she discovers the dying breathes he had collected during his lifetime. Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Florentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection. A woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir… a purpose for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means. This mesmerizing gothic tale of passion and obsession crisscrosses time, zigzagging from the violent days of Catherine de Medici’s court to twenty-first century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit chateaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind".

4.8.2014

The Shadow Queen: A Novel by Sandra Gulland
"From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy, comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King.
1660, Paris

Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. From an impoverished childhood wandering the French countryside with her family’s acting troupe, Claudette finally witnesses her mother's astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theaters. Working with playwrights Corneille, Molière and Racine, Claudette’s life is culturally rich, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she's socially scorned.

A series of chance encounters gradually pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athénaïs de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athénaïs offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant.

Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed.

Indeed, Claudette's "reputable" new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs, becomes ever more desperate to hold onto the King's favor, innocent love charms move into the realm of deadly Black Magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her own life—and the family she loves so dearly—at risk.

Set against the gilded opulence of a newly-constructed Versailles and the War of Theaters, THE SHADOW QUEEN is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France".

4.8.2014
The Venetian Contract by Marina Fiorato
"In 1576, five years after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto, a ship slips unnoticed into Venice bearing a deadly cargo. A man, more dead than alive, disembarks and staggers twoards the Piazza San Marco. He brings a gift to Venice from the Turkish Sultan. Within days the city will be infected with bubonic plague - and the Turks will have their revenge.
For months the plague wreaks havoc on Venice. In despair, the Doge summons the architect Andrea Palladio and offers him a commission: the greatest church of his career, an offering to God so magnificent that Venice will be saved. Palladio's own life is in danger too, and it will require all the skills of Dr Annibale Cason, the city's finest plague doctor, to keep him alive. But what Dr Cason has not counted on is the other passenger who disembarked from the Turkish ship - a young and beautiful harem doctor whose skills will more than match his own".

4.12.2014 

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan
"There are so few established facts about how the son of a glove maker from Warwickshire became one of the greatest writers of all time that some people doubt he could really have written so many astonishing plays. We know that he married Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant and six years older than he, at the age of eighteen, and that one of their children died of the plague. We know that he left Stratford to seek his fortune in London, and eventually succeeded. He was clearly an unwilling craftsman, ambitious actor, resentful son, almost good-enough husband. But when and how did he also become a genius?
The Secret Life of William Shakespeare pulls back the curtain to imagine what it might have really been like to be Shakespeare before a seemingly ordinary man became a legend. In the hands of acclaimed historical novelist Jude Morgan, this is a brilliantly convincing story of unforgettable richness, warmth, and immediacy".

4.29.2014

Stolen Remains by Christine Trent
"After establishing her reputation as one of London's most highly regarded undertakers, Violet Harper decided to take her practice to the wilds of the American West. But when her mother falls ill, Violet and her husband Samuel are summoned back to England, where her skills are as sought-after as ever. She's honored to undertake the funeral of Anthony Fairmont, the Viscount Raybourn, a close friend of Queen Victoria's who died in suspicious circumstances--but it's difficult to perform her services when his body disappears. . . As the viscount's undertaker, all eyes are on Violet as the Fairmonts and Scotland Yard begin the search for his earthly remains. Forced to exhume her latent talents as a sleuth to preserve her good name, Violet's own investigation takes her from servants' quarters, to the halls of Windsor Castle, to the tombs of ancient Egypt--and the Fairmont family's secrets quickly begin to unravel like a mummy's wrappings. But the closer Violet gets to the truth, the closer she gets to becoming the next missing body. . .
Wrought with both heartfelt bravery and breathtaking suspense, Stolen Remains is a captivating tale of death and deception set against the indelible backdrop of Victorian London".

~Lizzie~

Late Mailbox Monday: Deborah Swift

The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift
"1660. King Charles II has returned from exile, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. There are old scores to settle, and religious differences threaten to overturn a fragile peace. When Alice Ibbetson discovers a rare orchid, the Lady’s Slipper, growing in a wood belonging to Richard Wheeler, she is captivated by its beauty— though Wheeler, a Quaker, is determined to keep the flower where God intended it to grow. Knowing that the orchid is the last of its kind, she steals the flower, little dreaming that her seemingly simple act will set off a chain of events that will lead to murder and exile, and change her life forever…"
~Lizzie~

Historical Jewels Reinvented by Louis Vuitton

Recently I came across an article in Marie Claire’s February 2014 issue called “Royal Crush”. The article brought new jewelry news about Louis Vuitton's new inspiration from centuries old royal jewelry. I was elated when I saw that they are modeling their new line titled “Chain attraction” after famous jewels worn by royal heavy hitters like Mary Tudor and Catherine the Great. 

Jewelry News Royal Crush

Throughout history, chains and medallions have been symbols of power reserved aristocratic men. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha had his Golden Fleece, and France’s King Louis XVIII wore an ornamental garter belt, or jarretière. Over time, regal women like Catherine the Great and Mary Tudor and, later, society blue bloods, rock stars, and downtown It girls took on the decadent style. It’s this interpretation that inspired Louis Vuitton’s Chain Attraction, a collection accented with precious gems like neon-blue tourmalines from Brazil, Welo opals from Ethiopia, and Mandarin garnets from Burma. “Through Drawing from the past, the pieces represent a modern and effortless way to wear fine jewelry”, says Lorenz Bäumer, the label’s artistic director of high jewelry. That’s one way to rock and rule.-Jessica Minkoff

Check out the beautiful collection from Luis Vuitton they truly are beautiful. Fit for a modern day Queen!

A sketch of another high jewellery necklace in Louis Vuitton's Chain Attraction collection, with the greenish-blue tourmaline, morganites, emeralds and diamonds that will be used in the design.

Louis Vuitton white gold necklace, set with a 20.42ct greenish-blue tourmaline and a star-cut diamond alongside morganites, emeralds and diamonds, from the Chain Attraction collection.

A 20.01ct mandarin garnet and garnet beads sit alongside the sketch for a high jewellery necklace in Louis Vuitton's Chain Attraction collection. 

Louis Vuitton white gold necklace with a 20.01ct Mandarin garnet and star-cut diamond, alongside opals, mandarin garnet beads and diamonds, from the new Chain Attraction collection.

Louis Vuitton white gold necklace set with a 21.07ct imperial topaz, moonstones and diamonds from the Chain Attraction collection.

Louis Vuitton white gold necklace from the Chain Attraction collection, set with a star-cut diamond, emeralds, onyx, diamonds and Tahiti pearls, which have been arranged to recreate the classic Louis Vuitton flower motif.

Louis Vuitton white gold ring, set with a mandarin garnet, opals and diamonds, from the new Chain Attraction collection.

For more on the Louis Vuitton collection,

New Chain Attraction collection Review by The Jewellery Editor

The Telegraph

Louis Vuitton

~Lizzie~

Mailbox Monday: More Elizabeth Loupas

The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas
"With her dying breath, Mary of Guise entrusts a silver casket containing explosive secret papers to the young Scottish heiress, Rinette Leslie. She makes Rinette promise to keep the casket hidden and only to give it to Mary, Queen of Scots, now on her way home from France to ascend the throne.

But Rinette makes a terrible mistake - she cannot resist showing it to her beloved young husband, before consigning the casket to its hiding place. This fatal decision will lead them into a maze of conspiracy and murder, in which they - and the beautiful castle by the sea, which is Rinette's inheritance - become the targets of ruthless men who seek to possess the casket at all costs.

Unable to tell friend from foe at court, and desperate to protect the queen's secrets, Rinette has one powerful weapon which may save her - the ancient art of floramancy, through which she can interpret the language of flowers and sometimes predict the future. But if the flowers should stay silent, who can she trust then?
~Lizzie~

E-Book Sale THE PARIS ARCHITECT by Charles Belfoure

Featured Daily Deal on Sourcebooks, "The Paris Architect" by Charles Belfoure will be $2.99 on THURSDAY AKA TODAY 4~2~2014 ONLY! I highly recommend this novel and if you would like to check out my 5 star review of it please do so. If you do not get this on Thursday it will be $25.99 for he e-book and it is currently only available in hardback for 25.99. Later this year in July the paperback will be released.

"A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war."—Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of The Tipping Point and Outliers

“If you enjoy fast paced, graphic, and fascinating historical fiction, I recommend you read THE PARIS ARCHITECT.” – Erika Robuck, author of Hemingway’s Girl

"Lucien Bernard didn’t expect to join the French Resistance. It starts out as a game—an architectural puzzle. When a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris, Lucien can’t resist the challenge.

He begins a secret life, designing expertly concealed spaces invisible to the untrained eye—all while working with the Germans on the other side.

Set during the roundups and deportations of 1942, The Paris Architect is a powerfully human novel of survival, self-knowledge, and the challenge of sacrifice in the midst of uncertainty and fear.

Charles Belfoure is a former lecturer at Goucher College whose writing has appeared in the Baltimore Sun and the New York Times. An architect specializing in historical preservation, he is the author of several award-winning works of nonfiction. This is his first novel. He lives in Maryland".
~Lizzie~

Mailbox Monday: Elizabeth Loupas

The Red Crown Lily: A Novel of Medici Florence by Elizabeth Loupas

Elizabeth Loupas returns with her most ambitious historical novel yet, a story of intrigue, passion, and murder in the Medici Court...

April, 1574, Florence, Italy. Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici lies dying. The city is paralyzed with dread, for the next man to wear the red lily crown will be Prince Francesco: despotic, dangerous, and obsessed with alchemy.

Chiara Nerini, the troubled daughter of an anti-Medici bookseller, sets out to save her starving family by selling her dead father’s rare alchemical equipment to the prince. Instead she is trapped in his household—imprisoned and forcibly initiated as a virgin acolyte in Francesco’s quest for power and immortality. Undaunted, she seizes her chance to pursue undreamed-of power of her own.

Witness to sensuous intrigues and brutal murder plots, Chiara seeks a safe path through the labyrinth of Medici tyranny and deception. Beside her walks the prince’s mysterious English alchemist Ruanno, her friend and teacher, driven by his own dark goals. Can Chiara trust him to keep her secrets…even to love her…or will he prove to be her most treacherous enemy of all?~Lizzie~

Hot Historical Fiction March 2014

3.4.2014
A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman
"From the New York Times-bestselling author of Lionheartcomes the dramatic sequel, telling of the last dangerous years of Richard, Couer de Lion’s life.

This long-anticipated sequel to the national bestseller Lionheart is a vivid and heart-wrenching story of the last event-filled years in the life of Richard, Coeur de Lion. Taken captive by the Holy Roman Emperor while en route home—in violation of the papal decree protecting all crusaders—he was to spend fifteen months chained in a dungeon while Eleanor of Aquitaine moved heaven and earth to raise the exorbitant ransom. But a further humiliation awaited him: he was forced to kneel and swear fealty to his bitter enemy.

For the five years remaining to him, betrayals, intrigues, wars, and illness were ever present. So were his infidelities, perhaps a pattern set by his father’s faithlessness to Eleanor. But the courage, compassion, and intelligence of this warrior king became the stuff of legend, and A King’s Ransom brings the man and his world fully and powerfully alive".

3.4.2014

Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck 
“Without sin, can we know beauty? Can we fully appreciate the summer without the winter? No, I am glad to suffer so I can feel the fullness of our time in the light.”

Upstate New York, 1928. Laura Kelley and the man she loves sneak away from their judgmental town to attend a performance of the scandalous Ziegfeld Follies. But the dark consequences of their night of daring and delight reach far into the future.…

That same evening, Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and her indulgent husband hold a wild party in their remote mountain estate, hoping to inspire her muse. Millay declares her wish for a new lover who will take her to unparalleled heights of passion and poetry, but for the first time, the man who responds will not bend completely to her will.…

Two years later, Laura, an unwed seamstress struggling to support her daughter, and Millay, a woman fighting the passage of time, work together secretly to create costumes for Millay’s next grand tour. As their complex, often uneasy friendship develops amid growing local condemnation, each woman is forced to confront what it means to be a fallen woman…and to decide for herself what price she is willing to pay to live a full life.

“Lovers of the Jazz Age, literary enthusiasts, and general historic fiction readers will find much to love about Call Me Zelda. Highly recommended.” –Historical Novel Society, Editors’ Choice.

3.4.2014
The Harlot's Tale (Midwife Mysteries, #2) by Sam Thomas
It is August, 1645, one year since York fell into Puritan hands. As the city suffers through a brutal summer heat, Bridget Hodgson and Martha Hawkins are drawn into a murder investigation more frightening than their last. In order to appease God’s wrath—and end the heat-wave—the city’s overlords have launched a brutal campaign to whip the city’s sinners into godliness. But for someone in York, this is not enough. First a prostitute and her client are found stabbed to death, then a pair of adulterers are beaten and strangled. York’s sinners have been targeted for execution.

Bridget and Martha—assisted once again by Will, Bridget’s good-hearted nephew—race to find the killer even as he adds more bodies to his tally. The list of suspects is long: Hezekiah Ward, a fire and brimstone preacher new to York; Ward’s son, Praise-God, whose intensity mirrors his father’s; John Stubb, one of Ward’s fanatic followers, whose taste for blood may not have been sated by his time in Parliament’s armies. Or could the killer be closer to home? Will’s brother Joseph is no stranger to death, and he shares the Wards’ dreams of driving sin from the city.

To find the killer, Bridget, Martha, and Will must uncover the city’s most secret sins, and hope against hope that the killer does not turn his attention in their direction.

3.4.2014

The Mapmaker's Daughter by Laurel Corona
A sweeping story of 1492 Spain, exploring how what we know about the world shapes our map of life Valencia, 1492. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issue an order expelling all Jews who refuse to convert to Christianity. Amalia Cresques, daughter of a Jewish mapmaker whose services were so valuable that his faith had been ignored, can no longer evade the throne. She must leave her beloved atlas, her house, her country, forever. As Amalia remembers her past, living as a converso, hiding her faith, she must decide whether to risk the wrath of the Inquisition or relinquish what''s left of her true life. A mesmerizing saga about faith, family and Jewish identity.

3.18.2014
Queen Elizabeth's Daughter: A Novel of Elizabeth I by Anne Clinard Barnhill
From the author of At the Mercy of the Queen comes the gripping tale of Mary Shelton, Elizabeth I’s young cousin and ward, set

against the glittering backdrop of the Elizabethan court.

Mistress Mary Shelton is Queen Elizabeth’s favorite ward, enjoying every privilege the position affords. The queen loves Mary like a daughter, and, like any good mother, she wants her to make a powerful match. The most likely prospect: Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford. But while Oxford seems to be everything the queen admires: clever, polished and wealthy, Mary knows him to be lecherous, cruel, and full of treachery. No matter how hard the queen tries to push her into his arms, Mary refuses.

Instead, Mary falls in love with a man who is completely unsuitable. Sir John Skydemore is a minor knight with little money, a widower with five children. Worst of all, he’s a Catholic at a time when Catholic plots against Elizabeth are rampant. The queen forbids Mary to wed the man she loves. When the young woman, who is the queen’s own flesh and blood, defies her, the couple finds their very lives in danger as Elizabeth’s wrath knows no bounds.

3.18.2014

The Midnight Rose: A Novel by Lucinda Riley
Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . . .

In the heyday of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impov­erished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of Indian royalty. As the princess’s official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of WorldWar I. There, she meets young Donald Astbury—reluctant heir to the magnifi­cent, remote Astbury Estate—and his scheming mother.

Ninety years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. But when her turbulent relationship with her equally famous boyfriend takes an unexpected turn, she’s relieved that her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, will take her away from the glare of publicity to a distant cor­ner of the English countryside. Shortly after filming begins at the now-crumbling Astbury Hall, Ari Malik, Anahita’s great-grandson, arrives unexpectedly, on a quest for his family’s past. What he and Rebecca discover begins to unravel the dark secrets that haunt the Astbury dynasty . . .

A multilayered, heartbreaking tale filled with unforgettable characters caught in the sweep of history, The Midnight Rose is Lucinda Riley at her most captivating and unforgettable.

3.20.2014
Diamond Pitt: The Regent’s Diamond by Ann Wardlaw

Piracy on the high seas, shady dealings in imperial outposts, serial infidelity and a life-changing friendship with a Nawab prince provide the unlikely material for a novel about the grandfather of one of British politics’ most respected statesmen.

Starting in 1653 and spanning a century, this is the turbulent tale of Thomas Pitt, Grandfather to William Pitt the Elder, an adventurer whose exploits were bound up in the turmoil and glamour of Restoration and Georgian England.

Nicknamed ‘Diamond’ for procuring one of the world’s most extraordinary and valuable gems, Pitt was envied, feared and in some cases respected as a great entrepreneur of his time, with a hearty reputation for wealth and women.

3.25.2014
Empress of the Night: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak
The follow-up to the #1 bestseller The Winter Palace--perfect for the readers of Hilary Mantel and Alison Weir.
Catherine the Great, the Romanov monarch reflects on her astonishing ascension to the throne, her leadership over the world's greatest power, and the lives sacrificed to make her the most feared woman in the world--lives including her own...
Catherine the Great muses on her life, her relentless battle between love and power, the country she brought into the glorious new century, and the bodies left in her wake. By the end of her life, she had accomplished more than virtually any other woman in history. She built and grew the Romanov empire, amassed a vast fortune of art and land, and controlled an unruly and conniving court. Now, in a voice both indelible and intimate, she reflects on the decisions that gained her the world and brought her enemies to their knees. And before her last breath, shadowed by the bloody French Revolution, she sets up the end game for her last political maneuver, ensuring her successor and the greater glory of Russia.

3.25.2014

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones
“Outstanding . . . A thrilling history of royal intrigues, violent skullduggery and brutal warfare.” Eva
— Simon Sebag Montefiore

The first Plantagenet king inherited a blood-soaked kingdom from the Normans and transformed it into an empire stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic history, Dan Jones vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world.

We meet the captivating Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; her son, Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and King John, a tyrant who was forced to sign Magna Carta, which formed the basis of our own Bill of Rights.

This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year’s War. It will appeal as much to readers of Tudor history as to fans of 'Game of Thrones.

~Lizzie~

Book Review: ISABELLA BRAVEHEART OF FRANCE By Colin Falconer

Like all royal princesses Isabella of France was married off young. Edward II King of England became her husband and she had no idea what to expect from him. Old for her years Isabella fell head over heels in love for new husband. Her love would never be returned in the way she rightly deserved. Edward had married Isabella out of necessity of getting an heir. It was speculated that Edward was gay because he did have his favorites and Piers Graveston was his “one true love”. Over the years Isabella was tolerant of this relationship but it all became a bitter pill for her to swallow everyday of her life she was always second in Edward’s affections. 

Edward was eventually forced into giving up Piers on multiple occasions and the last time Piers was illegally executed. His grief for Piers was all consuming for years he paid for prayers to be said in his name daily. Hugh Despenser became a new favorite of Edwards and he was handed a wealth of power with his new position. The new favorite set out to strip Isabella of her power, wealth and dignity. This time had been especially hard for Isabella because in the years after Graveston’s death her and Edward had become closer. It hurt her deeply that Edward would let his new favorite supplant her in his affections.

Striped of all her rights Isabella was of no consequence until Edward needed her to negotiate with her brother the King of France over a land dispute. Taken from her lock down Isabella was sent to her native France and on her arrival she became determined not to ever go back to way things were with Edward in England. With the help of her loving brother and the notorious English outlaw Rodger Mortimer, they out smarted Edward and had her young son sent to her in France. Her son was to pay homage to the French King for the land in his fathers place. It would be the beginning of the end for Edward. There is nothing worse in this life than the scorn of an ill treated wife and Isabella would have her revenge because Edward would not give her the one thing she so desperately needed; his love.

4/5 Loved this one! It was short to the point and broke down into little chapters that kept up to the pace of the story line. Recommended for historical fiction lovers alike because the wrath of a powerful queen always makes great reads.

FTC-This novel was sent to me by the author for review. I received no compensation for my review.
PG-13 Sexual References

Amazon
Isabella Braveheart of France by Colin Falconer
Colin Falconer
~Lizzie~

Book Review: COURTING HER HIGHNESS by Jean Plaidy

Queen Anne is part of the dying infamous Stuart lineage. The throne of England became hers after her brother in law William of Orange passed away leaving her with no more close blood relatives. Anne's life was riddled with tragedy after tragedy and since her only surviving child died young she had no heir. The Stuart curse did not leave Anne unscathed. Anne's greatest attribute was that she had a big heart and she decided from the beginning of her reign that she wanted to be known as "good Queen Anne". The people of England became her children and she mothered them the best way she knew how by being a loving devoted ruler.

Her tyrant best friend from childhood, Sarah Churchill, ruled Anne. She held all the real power in Anne's court because Sarah easily manipulated Anne since they were children. Sarah had long been training Anne to follow Sarah’s rule. The Churchill star was at a high point they ruled England in all but name. Sarah's handsome husband John led the English army to victory in numerous battles making John a legendary English war hero highly valued by the Queen. Sarah felt secure with Queen Anne's affection also but Sarah began to secretly despise her own best friend Queen. She even went as far as to constantly complain of the Queen in her family home very openly. The life long relationship hit a turning point when Sarah crossed the line with her treatment of Anne in public and in that moment the Churchill’s fall from royal favor began. A new star in Queen Anne’s court was on the rise at Anne's court. The new star in Anne's affections was brought to court by Sarah to be a chambermaid to the queen. Ironic as it is to have the mighty Sarah Churchill replaced by Abigail Hill. Abigail was a poor relation of Sarah's and she was the polar opposite of her cousin. Abigail was quiet, polite, reserved, and faithful to her religious beliefs unlike Sarah who only believed in herself. Abigail’s soothing personality was the balm Queen Anne sorely needed after the mistreatment Sarah Churchill had given her over the years. Anne removed the rose colored glasses and finally saw Sarah Churchill for who she really was.

There was one question that was on everyone's mind in England. Who would succeed the childless Queen Anne to the throne of England? There were two possibilities: George of Hanover or Anne's exiled younger half brother. Her younger brother was firm in his Catholic faith just like thier father James I was and he might not be willing to convert. If Anne could persuade him to convert to The Church of England then and only then could the coveted crown of England be his upon her death. The decision weighed heavily on Anne in the end and only she could make the final choice in her darkest hours.

4.5/5 I enjoyed Anne's story but Sarah Churchill almost ruined it for me. She was a nasty woman and this reader was sick and tired of her high and mighty attitude. I would recommend this novel to anyone who that would like to have more background history on the last of the Stuarts Kings and Queens.

FTC-this novel is from my personal collection
PG Rating
~Lizzie~