Book Review: THE KING'S CONCUBINE by Anne O'Brien

Dumped off at the doorstep of a convent as an infant, Alice Perrers belonged to no one. As she grew it became obvious that a nun’s life was not meant for Alice. Her first taste of another life came when the Fair Maid Joan of Kent came for an extended visit to the nunnery. Hand picked for her ugliness because Joan could not stand anyone competing with her beauty, Alice waited on the royal guests every request. Alice was quick to discover not only was Joan a vain woman she was also cruel and much later in life she would also know the depth of her true malicious character. When Joan departed the nunnery Alice begged to be taken with her. It was her only chance at escaping taking her holy vows to become a nun. Cruelly refused Alice took Joan’s advice and pushed herself to excel at her studies until one day she was unexpectedly hauled off to the city to become a merchant’s servant.

The life of a servant at least was an escape from the convent and her vows. Fate had always been overly cruel to her but her new master decided to elevate to the status of wife. A sham of a marriage gave Alice her new name Perrer’s and the first gift she ever received, a bride’s gift in the form of a big fat purse of silver. Never owning anything of her own in her whole life Alice took a chance and turned her new wealth into an investment in property. She had a bit of help from one of her husband’s advisors that was a savvy businessman. Her good fortune had turned to ill fortune when her husband suddenly became ill and died. When he died she lost everything except her secret investment. With no other choice Alice returned to the convent.

Miserable to the core Alice waited for her opportunity to escape. Graced by an unexpected royal visit to the convent. Alice expected another woman like the cruel Joan of Kent instead it was the ailing queen Philippa.  Alice was once again chosen to serve the queen. She was kind where no one else had ever been and when she left Alice again begged to be taken with her but she was refused. Alice fell into a deep despair until a man suddenly appeared to fetch her and take her to the beloved Queen.

The Queen in her kindness had elevated Alice to a new position as companion to the queen. Alice from the beginning had questioned her good fortune but as time passed on it was apparent that the Queen’s motives in bringing her to court were not entirely as innocent as it seemed. King Edward III was regal and handsome in his mid years he was adored by everyone. He was the war hero that had many heirs and was especially loved by his wife. Alice though had caught the king’s eye and since his ailing wife was further more unable to do her bedroom duties the king sought a lover with his wife’s blessing. Alice was Philippa’s pick for position of the king’s liaison. It was a dangerous path to take. Full well knowing the dangers she could face. Alice realized from that moment on her only ambition was to live a better life and if that happened to be by being the king’s whore than so be it.

4/5 Enjoyed this one but I felt in some areas it dragged. This was a tumultuous novel on Alice Perrer’s life that was full of court intrigue and I have to admit O’Brien’s Joan of Kent sure was an evil witch to Alice through out the years. I enjoyed seeing Joan through another perspective that was not a lovesick man. I would recommend this novel to historical fiction lovers alike because nothing beats rags to riches historical fiction novel.

FTC ~ this novel is part of my personal collection

R ~ Rating for sexual references and language

Amazon ~ THE KING'S CONCUBINE by Anne O'Brien

S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Book Review: THE KING'S CURSE by Philippa Gregory

 Margaret Pole was a true survivor in every sense of the way. She had had made it through her uncle Richard III’s rule, Henry VII’s conquest of her closest confidant Elizabeth of York, and again she survived the wrath of Margaret Beaufort, which is no easy task. Margaret was one f the few royals that had survived the War of the Roses and the transition to Tudor England. The war came to an end with Henry VII’s marriage to her cousin Elizabeth. The cousins through the years had been very close. They shared every tear and heartbreak up until Elizabeth’s death.

The biggest tragedy to strike the cousins was the loss of Elizabeth’s son Arthur. Henry VII had executed Margaret’s own brother to finalize the agreement between Spain and England for the marriage of the infant of Spain: Catherine of Aragon to Arthur. After the marriage took place the new couple were entrusted to their mothers closest friend Margaret for their care and managing. Margaret had already cared for Arthur most of his life and loved him like he was her own son. Shortly after the marriage Arthur's health had suddenly started to dramatically decline and he was gone with in a day. Greif stricken Margaret knew then that the curse on the Tudors was still very real. Arthur’s own grandmother, and mother had cursed who ever had murdered their lost princes that would have been Arthur uncles. There had always been rumors of the Woodville women being witches even his great grandmother Jaquetta had been put on trail for witchcraft during the war. The Woodville women wanted revenge and cursed “those that had murdered our princes” and had inadvertently cursed their own future line because Elizabeth had been forced to marry the enemy. Margaret had lost the prince she loved but had gained a princess. Catherine of Aragon had become a close confident of Margaret’s over the years and even closer yet after Elizabeth’s tragic death.

After years of tragedy bestowed on Margaret’s family everything changed in the blink of an eye when young King Henry came to the throne upon his father’s death. Her family’s fortune was reversed and she was back in the lime light because the new queen was Catherine of Aragon her closest friend. The new courts blissful happiness was slowly chipped away by the Tudor curse when Catherine of Aragon gave birth to dead child after dead child. Devoted to Catherine and her only surviving child princess Mary, like Prince Arthur Margaret had been asked to care for Mary though the years and had also loved her like her own daughter maybe even more than that. King Henry had sworn to love Catherine until death do them part but the nagging question of the curse weighed heavy on him. Eventually he turned from Catherine to another leading the whole country into civil out cry over the unjust treatment of Catherine his legal wedded wife. Margaret had survived many trials but her friendship with Catherine would lead her to the greatest tragedy of her life, protect the princess or sacrifice all to a deranged King that sought to destroy all in his path.

5/5 I LOVED this one out of all of the books in this series this one is now my second favorite. My first will always be “Lady of the Rivers” but this one comes right after now. Margaret’s story is tragic to say the least but I really enjoyed how the author wove Margaret’s alliances and intriquet relationships with her many many children. This one I think could be read as a stand-alone novel but if you do it that way you will loose all of the back history of the curse, which I would not really, recommend because what leads up to the curse is great historical fiction reads. I would highly recommend this to Tudor lovers because Margaret’s story is one of the most dramatic cases of the times.

FTC ~ this novel is from my personal collection

PG ~ 13 For mild violence.

Amazon: The Kings Cure by Philippa Gregory

S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Book Giveaway: THE FLYING CIRCUS by Susan Crandall

The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall Paperback Advanced Readers Edition

"From the bestselling and award-winning author of Whistling Past the Graveyard comes an adventure tale about two daredevils and a farm boy who embark on the journey of a lifetime across America’s heartland in the Roaring Twenties.

Set in the rapidly changing world of 1920s America, this is a story of three people from very different backgrounds: Henry “Schuler” Jefferson, son of German immigrants from Midwestern farm country; Cora Rose Haviland, a young woman of privilege whose family has lost their fortune; and Charles “Gil” Gilchrist, an emotionally damaged WWI veteran pilot. Set adrift by life-altering circumstances, they find themselves bound together by need and torn apart by blind obsessions and conflicting goals. Each one holds a secret that, if exposed, would destroy their friendship. But their journey of adventure and self-discovery has a price—and one of them won’t be able to survive it.

As they crisscross the heartland, exploring the rapidly expanding role of aviation from barnstorming to bootlegging, from a flying circus to the dangerous sport of air racing, the three companions form a makeshift family. It’s a one-of-a-kind family, with members as adventurous as they are vulnerable, and as fascinating as they are flawed. But whatever adventure—worldly or private—they find themselves on, they’re guaranteed to be a family you won’t forget".

Good luck everyone drawing ends 5.13.2015 US and Canada only.

ARC Giveaway for "The Flying Circus" by Susan Crandall S T A Y  C O N N E C T E D  W I T H  M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪

~L I Z Z I E~

Book Review: THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER by Mary Lawrence

Bianca Goddard daughter of an almost executed alchemist chose a slightly different path from her traitorous father. Herbs and healing the people of Southwark were her only goal in life. She made salves, cures, and dispensed rat poison for the greater good of the people. Being the solitary type of person that she was Bianca had few friends because her work was her only focus. With only a few close friends in her life Bianca found her world turned upside down when her close friend Jolyn came complaining about an upset stomach. With in minutes of giving her friend a stomach aid Jolyn began to have a seizure that ended with her sudden death.

Given the circumstances of Jolyn’s sudden demise the constable immediately deducted that Bianca was the prime suspect. Constable Patch had named her because she was the last one with Jolyn and mostly because of her trade. Given little to no chance at defending herself Bianca resorted to investigating who would wish her sweet friend Jolyn dead and who would benefit from it the most. Joyln had no family and had lived as a helper in a converted house of ill repute. With the help from her childhood friend and hopeful lover John they both went head long into the dark underbelly of Southwark during Henry VIII’s rule to find her friends killer and bring them to justice. With the constable hot on their tail the best place to start was the converted Barke House before the constable has her head for murder.

4/5 An exciting, mysterious fast paced read. I would highly recommend this fun new series because you better believe I am going to keep tabs on this exciting new series. We all know I love the Tudors but even though this novel is set in Tudor times I enjoyed it immensely because it focused on the common people of Henry VIII’s reign.

FTC ~ this novel was sent to me by the publisher. I received no compensation for this review.

R ~ Rating for violence.

Amazon: THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER by Mary Lawrence ~ Bianca Goddard Mysteries

S T A Y  C O N N E C T E D  W I T H  M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Book Review: RODIN'S LOVER by Heather Webb

The impressionism era that began in Paris during the 19^th century. It gave birth to iconic art works that we cherish today. Paris at the time was the center of one of the greatest explosions of creativity and forward thinking the art world had ever seen. Times were changing yet some things remained the same. The modern art scene was a man's world that did not welcome many women artists. Camille Claudel was an ambitious young woman that showed great potential for sculpting. Growing up in the country outside of Paris her father patronized her talents and her mother berated her. Her mother never understood Camille’s hearts desire to be a famous sculptor but her father did. Luckily her father decided moved the entire family to Paris and send Camille to a reputable art school.

Once at her new school Camille’s artistic skills blossomed under the new tutelage. She loved school but her life at home was hitting a new level of tense with her overbearing mother. Finding a way Camille teamed up with her new friends from school and rented a small studio and eventually the girls got a new mentor: Alfred Boucher. With Alfred’s help Camille integrated herself into the art society. Finally accepted as an artist Camille still struggled to be considered an equal to her artistic peers based only on the fact that she was a woman. Surrounded by men Camille knew the heartbreak of being looked down upon solely for the fact that in a male dominated world she was a victim of her sex in their eyes.

Boucher in the end had moved on from tutoring and had asked his famous sculptor friend Augustus Rodin to take Camille on as his new pupil. Rodin helped Camille take her skills to the next level. She now won commissions, shows, and the respect of some of France’s leading male impressionism artists. She was on a new high and over time she had developed feelings for her mentor. Their illicit affair began like a whirlwind and Camille desired one thing above any other and that was respect. Respect for her skills as an artist and respect as a woman. Not feeling she was getting the respect she was due she became a complicated woman that was fully invested in a man that could never be hers. Rodin had been married for decades before he ever met Camille. Though Rodin no longer was in love with his wife that did not mean he still did not love her and want to make sure she was well cared for. The relationship turned toxic for Camille. She loved Rodin despite their deteriorating affair. Eventually violence and mental breakdowns would lead them down a tragic road that will leave every woman with a lasting appreciation for the times that we live in today where women can be genuinely appreciated for their capabilities and talents.

3.5/5 I enjoyed this one yet I found it dragged a bit for me in some moments. I can fully understand Camille’s position in the world and I found her tale a tragic fate for such a gifted woman. I would recommend this novel to historical fiction art fanatics because it really focuses on some of the most interesting artists of the impressionism era.

FTC ~ this novel was sent to me by the publisher. I received no compensation for this book review.

R ~ Rating for sexual references.

Amazon: RODIN'S LOVER by Heather Webb

S T A Y  C O N N E C T E D  W I T H  M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Book Giveaway: Killers of the King the Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I by Charles Spencer

Killers of the King the Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I by Charles Spencer ~ Hardback
"On August 18, 1648, with no relief from the siege in sight, the royalist garrison holding Colchester Castle surrendered and Oliver Cromwell’s army firmly ended the rule of Charles I of England. To send a clear message to the fallen monarch, the rebels executed four of the senior officers captured at the castle. Yet still, the king refused to accept he had lost the war. As France and other allies mobilized in support of Charles, a tribunal was hastily gathered and a death sentence was passed. On January 30, 1649, the King of England was executed. This is the account of the fifty-nine regicides, the men who signed Charles I’s death warrant. Recounting a little-known corner of British history, Charles Spencer explores what happened when the Restoration arrived. From George Downing, the chief plotter, to Richard Ingoldsby, who claimed he was forced to sign his name by his cousin Oliver Cromwell, and from those who returned to the monarchist cause and betrayed their fellow regicides to those that fled the country in an attempt to escape their punishment, Spencer examines the long-lasting, far-reaching consequences not only for those who signed the warrant, but also for those who were present at the trial and for England itself. A powerful tale of revenge from the dark heart of England’s past, and a unique contribution to seventeenth-century history, Killers of the King tells the incredible story of the men who dared to assassinate a monarch".
Book Giveaway: Killers of the King by Charles Spencer
Good luck everyone and happy reading!
S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Mailbox Mondays: Jean Plaidy, Diane Haeger, Michelle Moran and NYX

Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
"When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the 1850s, it expects a quick and easy conquest. After all, India is not even a country, but a collection of kingdoms on the subcontinent. But when the British arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, expecting its queen to forfeit her crown, they are met with a surprise. Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male, one female—and rides into battle like Joan of Arc. Although her soldiers are little match against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi fights against an empire determined to take away the land she loves.
Told from the perspective of Sita, one of the guards in Lakshmi's all-female army and the queen’s most trusted warrior, The Last Queen of India traces the astonishing tale of a fearless ruler making her way in a world dominated by men. In the tradition of her bestselling novel Nefertiti, which Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, called “a heroic story with a very human heart,” Michelle Moran once again brings a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction to rich, vibrant life".

The Heart of the Lion by Jean Plaidy
"At the age of thirty-two, Richard the Lionheart has finally succeeded Henry II to the English throne. And, against his father's wishes, he intends to make Berengaria, daughter of the King of Navarre, his Queen. But first he must fulfil his vow to his country to win back Jerusalem for the Christian world. Leaving England to begin his crusade, Richard's kingdom is left in the hands of his brother, John, who casts covetous eyes on the crown, and his sister, Joanna, who is willing to defy even a king".

The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger
"When the young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of the fifty-year-old King Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her undoing. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart?s desire in favor of her family?s ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon?her own romantic past.
The Queen?s Mistake is the tragic tale of one passionate and idealistic woman who struggles to negotiate the intrigue of the court and the yearnings of her heart".

The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall

"From the bestselling and award-winning author of Whistling Past the Graveyard comes an adventure tale about two daredevils and a farm boy who embark on the journey of a lifetime across America’s heartland in the Roaring Twenties.

Set in the rapidly changing world of 1920s America, this is a story of three people from very different backgrounds: Henry “Schuler” Jefferson, son of German immigrants from Midwestern farm country; Cora Rose Haviland, a young woman of privilege whose family has lost their fortune; and Charles “Gil” Gilchrist, an emotionally damaged WWI veteran pilot. Set adrift by life-altering circumstances, they find themselves bound together by need and torn apart by blind obsessions and conflicting goals. Each one holds a secret that, if exposed, would destroy their friendship. But their journey of adventure and self-discovery has a price—and one of them won’t be able to survive it.

As they crisscross the heartland, exploring the rapidly expanding role of aviation from barnstorming to bootlegging, from a flying circus to the dangerous sport of air racing, the three companions form a makeshift family. It’s a one-of-a-kind family, with members as adventurous as they are vulnerable, and as fascinating as they are flawed. But whatever adventure—worldly or private—they find themselves on, they’re guaranteed to be a family you won’t forget".

S T A Y  C O N N E C T E D  W I T H  M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

E-Book Review: WHITE HEART by Sherry Jones

I am pretty late in posting this review because I accidentally put it in a folder and lost it on my computer until today. I decided to do a vlog on this review because it is a really short e-book that is only 56 pages which for me meant that it would be a really short typed review so instead I made a video about it. I hope you all enjoyed my first video book review on White Heart by Sherry Jones.

Amazon: White Heart by Sherry Jones
For more on Sherry check out my reviews of her other novels and more information on Amazon.
My review of Four Sisters, All Queens
Amazon: The Sharp Hook of Love by Sherry Jones
My review of The Sharp Hook of Love
Amazon: Four Sisters, all Queens, Sherry Jones

Also... check out Sherry's YouTube video's on The Sharp Hook of Love! She has a channel with a few other video's too if you want to check them out.
S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~