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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If u love historicals, (especially books by Phillippa Gregory) & thrill at dangerous intrigue this is a solid book u will enjoy!, January 5, 2010
Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson Historical Romance-Jan. 5, 2010 4 stars Between Two Queens is an interesting peek into the Court life of the Tudor reign as seen through the eyes of the brash and young Anne Basssett. Nan Basset was a real person and Kate Emerson does a wonderful job of bringing her to life. From the moment Nan Basset is chosen as a Maid of Honor to Queen Jane she hopes to use her position to find a young, wealthy and well-connected husband and further the ambitions of her and family. But her plans are thrown into turmoil when Queen Jane suddenly dies after giving birth. Nan is left adrift, she no longer has a post and she struggles to find a way to stay at court, the seat of power. But her drive is derailed with the attentions of King Henry VIII and constant intrigue that keeps her on her toes. Can Nan find love and navigate her way through court while still helping her family? This was a fascinating look into the Tudor Court that felt real and alive. Greed and power drive much of the action in this story as the characters try to find favor with either the King or Queen. It is really a tale of a young woman's coming of age. Nan is determined to have a life away from her overbearing mother. But when she first arrives she is unprepared for the danger, intrigue and excesses of court life. Nan quickly learns and is soon planning and manipulating her way through the often malicious court life. This book sometimes did feel a little like an autobiography although the author does an excellent job of making Nan more accessible. I often had the feel of reading a Philippa Gregory historical but for me it lacked a little of the emotional connection I've had when reading Philippa Gregory's stories. Although I did find the story absorbing, the one weak spot for me was that I never really warmed up to Nan. Nan's self absorption and cunning made for good reading but I never felt very sympathetic towards her. It would have been nice if she rose above some of the actions of the other court players and was not so devious or self-centered but I believe the author showed her actions to demonstrate the reality of Tudor Times and the need for survival. If you love historicals, (especially books by Phillippa Gregory) and thrill at dangerous intrigue this is a solid book you will not want to miss! Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Judge The Book By It's Cover, February 28, 2010
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is the first novel I've read by Kate Emerson and I found myself pleasantly surprised by the story and the writing. I have to confess I am one who often judges a book by it's cover and I didn't care for this one. So, if you have a similar reaction I would urge you not to judge this book by it's cover. I enjoyed this story and appreciated that the author included a family tree, two maps and a list of historical characters as resources for her readers. It's clear that Emerson has done her research on the period. I thought she did an excellent job of illustrating the politics in King Henry VIII's court and wove interesting bits of historical information into the narrative as well. I would caution readers that there are spoilers written into the descriptions of the historical characters in the back of the book. So, if you are like me and don't want to know how the story ends until you read it you may want to post-pone reading that portion until you've finished the book. I also liked the way Emerson started each chapter with a passage from actual letters from the period that were about the historical figures in this story. I know some readers might not care for the ambitious nature of the heroine's character but I think that it was a realistic portrayal of how many courtiers behaved. I thought the story was well paced, well researched and compelling. At first I wasn't sure I was going to be able to relate to the heroine because of her affection toward King Henry and I was concerned that the author was going to paint a picture of Henry VIII that would be inconsistent with everything else I've read about the man. But I thought she did a very good job describing the danger of being in King Henry's favor and painted a consistent portrait of the man himself. While some readers will think it a negative to be compared to Philipa Gregory I have to say that this reminds me of 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and 'The Boleyn Inheritance', both of which I enjoyed. It also reminds me of 'Innocent Traitor' by Alison Weir and it made me want to read 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, March 20, 2010
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson In Kate Emerson's second book in her "Secrets of the Tudor court" series; she has taken letters about one of Jane Seymour's Maids Of Honor and tries to bring us a story of many layers. It is a novel filled with court intrigue, treachery, treason and scandal and political and religious machinations. She has chosen a time towards the end of Henry the VIII life when his health, looks and charm were on the wane. She has also chosen to make Anne (Nan) Basset a strong woman who has always made her choices reflect on what she can gain both for herself and her family. Unfortunately for me this book just reminded me that history never fails to repeat itself, whether with our politicians or with the nouveau riche - sadly, I could never seem to get the picture of Donald Trump out of my mind whenever I was reading about the King! Between Two Queens opens with Nan being chosen as one of the Maids of Honor to a very pregnant Queen Jane. When Jane Seymour dies after childbirth Nan captures the Kings eye and he hers. At the same time another younger, poorer man (Ned) has become smitten with Nan. Nan chooses to have a dalliance with Ned, getting pregnant in the process and instead of marrying him, decides to give up her child and to encourage the Kings roving eye and dreams of becoming Queen. The characters of Anne and her "friend" Ned were never convincing to me; they were shallow and manipulative and while that may have been what really went on during this reign, I felt that they could have been painted just a little bit more human and made to be a bit more interesting. Much of the story had deep gaps and some parts even seemed to have been added after the fact with the author sometimes not even completing a plot thread. The so called mystery and intrigue really wasn't mysterious or intriguing. It was more boring than anything. I admit that I really do not know anything about this time period nor do I have more than a passing fancy with the Tudors...so if you are reading this book cold like I did, I think you may be very disappointed. DO NOT judge this book by its cover. It has been given the cover of what one would assume is a historical romance, it is not.
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