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Mistress To The Crown (2013)

by Isolde Martyn(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Harlequin MIRA

review 1: I enjoyed this book although I would describe it as romantic historical fiction. The story is told through the eyes of our narrator Elizabeth Lambard, also known as "Jane" Shore, mistress to first Lord Hastings and then King Edward. It provides another, more domestic angle on the political events of the time although whether Elizabeth would have had quite the access to these events that the novel suggests is doubtful. Elizabeth comes across as an independent-minded woman seeking to make her own way in the world although of course she has to rely on her feminine charms to attain a position where she can do this. At times, some of the language and views expressed by Elizabeth felt rather too modern - for example, did they really use the phrase "Phew!". However, it was a ... moregood read and the way the story was told engaged me so I wanted to find out how things turned out for Elizabeth.
review 2: It's wonderful to see a new book from Isolde Martyn, and Mistress to the Crown more than lives up to the reputation of Martyn's award-winning The Lady and the Unicorn and Knight and the Rose. The author's knowledge and love of medieval history is evident as she deftly weaves fact and fiction together to flesh out the character of Edward IV's mistress, the hitherto much maligned 'Jane Shore'. Jane's plight (a young girl trapped in a loveless marriage to an older, impotent man) is sympathetically portrayed as is her motivation to change the odds stacked against her by becoming the mistress of a nobleman. She doesn't just 'sleep' her way to success, however; feisty and independent, she forges her own destiny while at the same time keeping her door (and her heart) open to the poor, the needy and the misjudged who petition her for help - with a fitting reward for her kindness just when she most needs it. Historical details flesh out the scenes without intruding on these 'affairs of the heart' that make Jane such an appealing and memorable character. Readers will enjoy this witty and page-turning glimpse into a past that is now so very much in the public eye with the unearthing of the remains of Edward IV's brother, Richard III, from beneath the council carpark in Leicester.( less

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