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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad at all!, January 8, 2001
This review is from: A Woman of Passion (Mass Market Paperback)
I was given this book for my birthday in may of 2000, and when I read the back cover, I wasn't too excited about the story at all. I ended up staking A Woman of Passion at the end of my TO BE READ pile. What does the author mean by having her heroine as a lady marrying three - no four times? Personally I thought it was an odd story, and usually when I read romance, I would only like it to be one hero/man in the stories. Well this New Years, I finally got down to reading A WOMAN OF PASSION... and you know what? It was not bad at all! Let me start by helping you out and clear some facts first: The Hero is: William Cavendish and George Talbot (Her man in her later years...) The one and only Heroine is: Bess Hardwick The whole story is set it London, England and is between the years of 1533 - 1567 Here's a brief summary of the plot. A Woman of Passion is actually based on the true story of Bess Hardwick, who married four different men in her lifetime. She started off life as a commoner and was given an opportunity to serve in a noble family and a chance to marry someone of high-class. She fell in love with the king's financial adviser, William Cavendish, but at that time he already had a wife. William was strongly attracted to Bess, but knew that a relationship between them was wrong. So Bess was in a way forced to marry Robert Barlow, a young man whom Bess worked with during her childhood. Shortly after their marriage, Robert becomes deathly ill, passes away and leaves Bess widowed. At the same time, Cavendish's wife passes away, and this gave an opening for Bess and Cavendish to marry. During her happy years married to Cavendish (I don't remember how long, though it was quite a while), Bess was introduced to Queen Elizabeth, and a strong friendship was developed. After fun, solid years of marriage between Bess and Cavendish, stress as a financial adviser for the king led Cavendish to his death. Bess feeling very alone, continued to mourn for her deceased second husband, whom she loved a great deal. Queen Elizabeth could not stand seeing her friend in such a state, bade her to marry Sir William St. Loe. Eventually when St. Loe passed away, deep in her heart, Bess still mourned for Cavendish. It was the help of a long time 'friend', George Talbot- the Earl of Shrewsbury, that brought happiness back into Bess' life. I got to admit, at first I thought the story would be boring and disturbing, but it was not as bad as I first beleived. I look forward to reading more books by Virginia Henley.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a keeper--one of her best yet!, May 23, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: A Woman of Passion (Mass Market Paperback)
So good, that I am thinking of getting the hardcover edition too to add to my keeper shelf. I am new to Henley and so far, of the few books I've read, this is my favorite one of hers. She reminds me of another author I like--Bertrice Small. Both have the knack of writing vivid, lusty historicals with heroines I envy to be and heroes I'd envy to know. The fact that this is based on a real person's life is why I loved it so much. And her believable rendition of Elizabeth I and all the other notable people of the time made for a juicy read. The sex scenes sizzle but aren't kinky or gross 9compared to alot of the other stuff out there these days, it's nice to read a sensual erotic romance that has not degenereated into porn, but has remained romantic through and through. Sexy stuff, and despite what her critics say, Henley one of the few authors who's purple prose is fun to read, not annoying. And her sexual banter between the characters is as always great fun to read. Ribald and very much in keeping with the Elizabethan setting. The sexual tension between Bess and Shrew is well developed, and the ending (in the book at least) is a happy one. In real life, for those who care, the real Bess had 8 children and lost 2, her first marriage took place when she was 13 and may well have been consumated, her third husband was twice a widower and had kids of his own and was no virgin as implied, Shrew was a cheater who conducted an affair with a chambermaid that Bess was an eyewitness to, and she and he lived most of their lives in separate residences till his death, which left Bess the richest woman in England, second only to the queen. Mary Queen of Scots was kept prisoner in many of Shrewsbury's holdings, and it was alledged that Shrew and Mary had a fling. Angry and spiteful, Bess went on a jealous slandering campaign, upset the Queen many times, and even plotted to have her grand daughter Arabella marry Charles the Stuart heir to England's throne. She meddled in all her children's lives, rebuild her beloved Hardwick, and left behind a legacy of generations of peers to the realm, as well as some of the most beautiful and famous homes and lands in England. If you thought she was conniving, manipulative, ambitious, selfserving and greedy in the novel (especially toward the end with Shrew) it's nothing compared to how the real woman was. A genuine product of her tumoltuous times, Bess was no worse than the men of age, and was outstanding among the women. She had her good points which the author highlighted (or embellished for literary effect) and was one of the most exciting women of her day. A heroine well worthy of this fascinating novel. An Alexis carrington of the 16th Century--devilishly fun to read. this book's a guilty pleasure and in Henley's compitent hands, a true keeper! NOW GO READ IT!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Passion for Virginia Henley, August 7, 2001
This was my second Virginia Henley book and I loved it. The story covers many years of Elizabeth Hardwick during which she experiences all things during the Tudor rule of England. Many historical facts are included in the reading. Elizabeth vows to overcome her poverty as a child, and to one day own her own household. From that vow on Elizabeth experiences the lavish, colorful, and privilege of the Tudor court. She experiences love and loss. This book made me laugh and cry, several times. A must read for any history fan or Virginia Henley fan.
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