Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace [Paperback]

Kate Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Secrets of the Tudor Court | Publication Date: February 3, 2009

Beautiful. Seductive. Innocent. Jane Popyncourt was brought to the court as a child to be ward of the king and a companion to his daughters -- the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for a powerful marriage, or perhaps even marriage at all. But as she grows into a lovely young woman, she still receives flattering attention from the virile young men flocking to serve the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart -- and more -- to a man she can never marry. But the Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane's birth that have made her deadly enemies. Can she cultivate her beauty and her amorous wiles to guide her along a perilous path and bring her at last to happiness?

Basing her gripping tale on the life of the real Jane Popyncourt, gifted author Kate Emerson brings the Tudor monarchs, their family, and their courtiers to brilliant life in this vibrant new novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Eight-year-old Jane Popyncourt travels with her mother from France to the English court of Henry VII. She is raised with the royal children, teaching them French. When her mother dies unexpectedly, Jane is left with no money, but becomes a favorite of Princess Mary, whom she serves. Learning since childhood the treacherous ways of court life and the temperamental nature of the Tudors, she strives to please those around her until a French prisoner captures her attention. The Duc de Longueville, a handsome married man, stirs Jane. She starts an affair with him to the dismay of her friends and the delight of the new king, Henry VIII. He uses Jane as a spy, a mission that causes friction, but a role that also may help her solve the mystery of her mother’s death. Emerson creates a riveting historical novel of the perils of the Tudor Court, vividly fictionalizing historical characters and breathing new life into their personalities and predicaments. --Patty Engelmann

Review

"History, love, lust, power, ambitions -- The Pleasure Palace is a pleasure indeed." -- Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boleyn

"In the first in Emerson's series, it's hard to tell where reality ends and fiction begins. Rich and lushly detailed, teeming with passion and intrigue, this is a novel in which you can happily immerse yourself in another time and place." -- Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

"It is this heroine that separates this book from the pack. The characters are subtle and well-drawn.." -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416583203
• ISBN-13: 978-1416583202
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate Emerson was born in Liberty, New York and recieved an A.B. from Bates College and an MA from Old Dominion University. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and other professional organizations. She currently lives in Maine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable..., February 28, 2009

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace (Paperback)

Jane Popyncourt's life is surrounded with mystery. At the age of eight, Jane's mother whisks her out of France following the death of King Charles. Jane is placed in the court of England's King Henry VII where she is one of the children of honor and serves as a companion to Lady Mary and Lady Margaret. The courts of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII are filled with danger at every turn, however, as alliances are made only to be broken. What secrets about her own past will Jane discover?

Kate Emerson immerses the reader in a time long past, providing lush descriptions alongside historical facts and innuendos. The helpful charts at the front as well as the author's note at the end provide readers unsure of what is fact or fiction with an accurate accounting as to where imagination meets reality. Readers will appreciate Kate Emerson's attention to detail while learning about a lesser known historical figure.

The Tudor period is a newly discovered love of mine and I enjoyed reading about the exploits of Jane Popyncourt. Kate Emerson paints a very vivid image of Jane's precarious position. Her ties to France and her lack of any obvious standing made her subject to the whims of the aristocracy. However, Kate Emerson shows Jane as a survivor, even a victor, despite the uncertainty of her own status. Who couldn't help cheering for her as she outwits those far more powerful than her?

SECRETS OF THE TUDOR COURT: THE PLEASURE PALACE is an adventure to be savored. This is not a book to be rushed through but rather one to settle in with on a nice comfy chair and prepare to be swept away. SECRETS OF THE TUDOR COURT: THE PLEASURE PALACE is highly recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery in the Tudor Courts, March 13, 2009

By 

Burton Book Review "Marie" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace (Paperback)

Kate Emerson veers off her normal routine by tackling the dramas of the Tudor Court with this new novel. Jane Popyncourt's life is fictionalized in this fun novel although she truly was a ward of King Henry VII. We are introduced to Jane Popyncourt as a young girl fleeing her home France to seek refuge in England with the King. Jane is young enough to not question how it is that she has this privilege, although as a reader that is in the back of our minds, we are just made aware there is a family connection.


Meanwhile, orphaned Jane is being raised with the Royal Family, befriending Lady Mary and tutoring her and her sister Margaret in French. Years later as Jane is reunited with a childhood friend from France, she realizes there is some mystery to her background. She begins her quest among unhelpful court ladies to learn more about her mother.


Jane is portrayed as knowing how to act as a lady at the appropriate times, but she is ready to sow some wild oats when she meets a dashing Duc de Longueville Louis D'Orleans, a prisoner of War. Thus she gains a reputation, coupled with the fact that she is a foreigner, she does not have a bright future ahead of her. Jane must find her way, and learn the truth to her heritage amidst a dangerous time of war.



Kate's novel is full of historical tidbits as far as how the courtiers dresssed, their jewels, the pageants and parties; just enough information to not sound like non-fiction but more to give us a sense of being right there in Jane's presence. This is a novel full of romance, mystery and intrigue. The writing was well-done and the book was an easy read and I am looking forward to the next installment in the Tudor Court series. I give this one 5 stars!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) A pleasant read, March 21, 2009

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace (Paperback)

Emerson's first book in what I believe is going to be a series set during the Tudor period is based upon Jane Popyncourt, a member of the Tudor Court and of whom very little is known, giving the author more leeway to craft her tale. When the French King dies mysteriously Jane's mother flees to England with her daughter and seeks shelter with her twin brother at Henry VII's court. Jane is taken to Eltham to be raised with the royal children and after the mysterious death of her mother she is made a ward of Henry VII and raised in the royal household with Henry and his two sisters Margaret and Mary.

As an adult Jane serves the Princess Mary, although her life takes a bit of a turn when a highly born French prisoner of war takes an interest in her - an interest that Henry VIII encourages hoping for a state secret or two. As Jane begins to hope for happiness with the one man who loves her, her search for the answers to her mother's death and the reason for the mad flight from France spins Jane into a perilous situation with life-threatening consequences.

I greatly appreciated the time and effort the author put into her research - she especially did a great job with the details of life in the Tudor Court, the clothes, the food, the tournaments, Henry and his mistresses, etc. and the author was able to do that without making me feel like I was being clubbed over the head with the minute details. I liked the fact that the author gives you the family trees of the English and French Nobility of the period, along with a who's who in the back of the book. Jane was an enjoyable, albeit a bit too spunky and independent heroine, but in the end the big mystery fell just a tad bit flat for me. Why anyone would consider the big mystery such a threat that they would want bump people off just stretched the believability factor. A very easy breezy read - light and entertaining but one that's not likely to stick with you long after its finished. 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to four.