From Publishers Weekly
Philippa de Verne is the spirited heroine of Lide's turbulent new novel set in England during the early part of Henry VIII's rule. After her mother's death, Philippa's heinous stepfather tries to force her to marry Master Simeon, an odious, boorish village lawyer three times her age. Philippa runs away, and on a country road collides with Richard Montecune, a mercenary soldier returning with his troops from battle. He becomes her mentor and lover as she naively makes her way to the king's court to win back her land. When she reluctantly becomes part of the inner circle of the king's vapid sister, Princess Mary Tudor, Phillippa must learn to survive the tenuous, tedious and treacherous world of court politics. The dense but quick-moving plot involves intrigue, espionage, betrayal and many misunderstandings. Lide's ( The Legacy of Tregaran ) eye for detail is impressive, she is a strong storyteller, and her historical research is evident but not obtrusive.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When Phillipa de Verne, running away from her stepfather's forced betrothal, stumbles barefoot in front of Richard Montacune and his party of soldiers returning from the French wars along a Devon country road, she inadvertently is plunged into the intrigue and shifting alliances so rife at the court of Henry VIII. Through a series of incredible coincidences, this daughter of York becomes companion to Henry's sister Mary and abettor of her clandestine marriage to the Duke of Suffolk. One wishes for more background to the politics and events that shape the novel and more development of a hero and heroine who, though charming, lack depth. The author takes an unconventional view of the Princess Mary and some liberties with events. Only for avid fans of the Tudor period or historical novels.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
