Philippa Gregory presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

The war of the roses has always been something that I enjoy reading about. How a family so powerful for so long came down to nothing but bitter war. Philipa Gregory does another good job with this one and I enjoy how she chose to write the characters. The history is good for the major plot points but of course because it is historical fiction she does take some liberties but I found that they worked well within the story.

Overall this one goes in the I am happy I read it category. If you are a war of the roses fan this is one to go with for sure. If you don’t know much about the era you may still enjoy it but might not understand it *as much*. This is a good start to the cousins war series.

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Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire…

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay

In this second book of the Cleopatra’s Daughter Series we see Selene start to really come into her own. Once she is married and away from the Evil Octavian (I won’t even start on what he did to her on her wedding night) she starts to find her own way. She reveals in the power she has as a Queen to make peoples lives easier, she has a beautiful Daughter with her Brother Helios (modern minds don’t judge this was common in Egypt) and her magic really is coming to itself as well.

I loved this book and can not wait to read more. Of course I have my personal wishes and wants whenever I read a book from this era (more Antony!) but truly this was a well written story. There is not much really known historically about Selene besides her parents and she was a Queen in her own right. So it is interesting to watch the path she walks, eagerly towards getting Egypt back in the name of her Mother, but is that really what she wants?

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The Wicked Lord DayleCharles Alden, Viscount Dayle, is intent on reform, having misspent his youth on hard living, soft women and outrageous pranks. Forced by circumstance to hold a title he never wanted, he’s determined to live up to his noble name.

The Unconventional Miss Westby

Sophie Westby is the last woman who should attract his interest. And yet she comforts his battered spirit, captivates his wary mind and tempts him with her exotic beauty. But the reformed rake cannot cause another scandal–can he?

This book is exactly what you would think it should be, a typical formatted bodice ripper. Reformed Rake, lovely Lady and in the end they fall in love. Moreover I positively love this book for being what it should be. While it follows the formula that you see in bodice ripper books it is still unique and so enjoyable. There were times I wanted to clout both characters around the ear and say “COME ON NOW YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO BE TOGETHER”. I love that Sophie is who she is and does not apologize for it and I positively love how Charles goes about declaring himself in the end. That made me smile the most in this book. If you want a fast and enjoyable read I would say pick up this book it was such fun.

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