Pretty, flirtatious, and ambitious. Nan Bassett hopes that an appointment at the court of King Henry VIII will bring her a grand marriage. But soon after she becomes a maid of honor to Queen Jane, the queen dies in childbirth. As the court plunges into mourning, Nan sets her sights on the greatest match in the land…for the king has noticed “her.” After all, it wouldn’t be the first time King Henry has chosen to wed a maid of honor. And in newly Protestant England, where plots to restore the old religion abound, Nan may be the only one who can reassure a suspicious king of her family’s loyalty. But the favor of a king can be dangerous and chancy, not just for Nan, but for her family as well…and passionate Nan is guarding a secret, one that could put her future — and her life — in grave jeopardy should anyone discover the truth.

Based on the life of the real Anne Bassett and her family, and drawing extensively from letters and diaries of the time, “Between Two Queens” is an enthralling picture of the dangers and delights of England’s most passionate era.

The Second in the Secrets of the Tudor Court series this book was very enjoyable. There was a couple of points that for me dragged a little bit I think that seems to be a pitfall when getting into deep well covered historical time periods, like the Tudor era.

Anne Bassett was a real person in the court and this is based on her life with of course some creative license like you do in a fiction. Anne goes along many different paths in her life, from young love, a secret pregnancy, freeing someone from the tower, to the kings bed. You can not ask for anymore action and intrigue then what you get in this book. There were moments that I really disliked Anne, but in others I enjoyed her and I could understand what motivated her over all. Its a good book one I enjoyed it had just the right peppering of The King without being overwhelming it really did focus on the people around him.

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In Mistress Shakespeare, Elizabethan beauty Anne Whateley reveals intimate details of her dangerous, daring life and her great love, William Shakespeare. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton is betrothed to Will just days before he is forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway of Shottery. The clandestine Whateley/Shakespeare match is a meeting of hearts and heads that no one, not even Queen Elizabeth or her spymasters can destroy. From rural Stratford-upon-Avon to teeming London, the passionate pair struggles to stay solvent and remain safe from Elizabeth I’s campaign to hunt down secret Catholics, of whom Shakespeare is rumored to be a part. Often at odds, always in love, the couple sells Will’s first plays and, as he climbs to theatrical power in Elizabeth’s England, they fend off fierce competition from rival London dramatists, ones as treacherous as they are talented. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes, even executions of those they hold dear, bring Anne’s heartrending story to life. Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.(

Whether or not there was another Anne in Shakespeare’s life has been something that has been hotly debated. Some say there was a clerical error and she never existed others have found some fairly supporting evidence that she did exist at the very least. The book starts off a little bit slow for me but it does pick up once Anne goes to London. The story is not a typical oh they meet oh they fall in love story and I love it for that. The two love each other deeply and passionately but they also fight, and at times seem to “hate” each other. A very real life kind of story.

There is danger around every corner and that also seems to effect their love story. The time of Elizabeth Tudor’s reign was not one of total peace by any means especially if you did not agree with everything the Queen does and say’s. Overall this was a great book with good writing and complex characters. If you like Shakespeare and the Tudor era your going to like this book.

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Welcome to a world of intrigue of the most intriguing kind, where emperors and popes desperately vie for power, even as their subjects and servants engage in behind-the-scenes machinations of their own. “The Holy Roman Empire circa 1200 A.D.”

Impoverished young knight Willem of Dole believed he would spend his life in rural Burgundy, struggling to provide for his widowed mother and younger sister, Lienor. And so it’s with surprise–and apprehension–that he obeys a summons to the magnificent court of Konrad, Holy Roman Emperor, whose realm spans half of Europe. Willem’s mischievous friend Jouglet, Konrad’s favorite minstrel, is no doubt behind it somehow . . . but what’s in it for Jouglet?

Court life is overwhelming to the idealistic young Willem, who is shocked by the behavior of his fellow knights, for whom chivalry is a mere game. Yet under Jouglet’s witty, relentless tutelage, the naive knight quickly rises in Emperor Konrad’s esteem–until suddenly his sister, Lienor, becomes a prospect for the role of Empress. This unexpected elevation of the sibling “nobodies” delights Jouglet, but threatens three powerful–and dangerous–men at the court: the Emperor’s brother, Cardinal Paul, who has in mind a different bride for Konrad; the Emperor’s uncle, Alphonse, Count of Burgundy, who would keep secret certain things that only Willem can reveal; and most especially the Emperor’s own steward Marcus, who is hopelessly in love with Konrad’s cousin Imogen. For if Willem’s star keeps rising, Imogen will be betrothed to the knight by royal decree–and Willem’s star will surely continue to rise, unless Marcus figures out a way to stop it. But that would entail outscheming cleverJouglet, ablest of schemers.

Gossip, secrets, and lies are the fuel of daily life in Konrad’s court. As Konrad edges closer to proclaiming Lienor his bride, those around Willem play a perilous game of cat-and-mouse as they attempt to secure their own fortunes, knowing that even the slightest move can shift the playing field entirely. And through it all, Jouglet remains Willem’s most maddening yet staunchest ally. But what, really, does Jouglet stand to gain . . . or lose?

Transporting the reader to the brilliant, conniving heart of the largest empire of medieval Europe, “Revenge of the Rose” is a novel rich in irony and tongue-in-cheek wit, and reveals all the grit and color, politics and passion, of court life in the Holy Roman Empire.

It is books like this that made me fall in love with historical fiction. There are so many layers and so much fun with the different characters that you just enjoy reading each and every word as it unfolds. A couple of the twists I did guess them before they were revealed, however I did not care because it was still so artfully written you could not help but enjoy it.

I actually really liked Konrad even though he could be a bit of an ass sometimes. Overall as a ruler he was fair and forgiving unless you really crossed him in an unforgiving way. Willem really reminds me of William Thatcher from a Knights tale on several levels, but on others he is very much his own character so for me I connected to him the most. I would highly recommend this one to any lover of Historical Fiction.

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