Author: Lucy Worsley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: No
Short Summary:
The story is told from the perspective of Elizabeth “Liza” Camperdowne, a young lady from a noble family and cousin to future queen, Katherine Howard. At a young age, Liza finds herself in the enviable position of being a handmaid in the court of King Henry VIII. She soon learns that glamour can often be merely an illusion and that trust is hard-won and often misplaced. To confound matters, Liza’s family is counting on her to make a suitable match to save their dwindling fortune, a task which is rendered quite painful when Liza falls for a young groom. Will duty win over love? Read and find out!
Here is what Goodreads has to say:
My Take On ThingsIn the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?
Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing. But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe. Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore. British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court.
I will freely admit that this is not the type of book that I would normally read. While I love historical fiction, I tend to shy away from romances. And quite frankly, had this been just a romance, my review would be much different.
This, however, was not ‘just’ a romance. In fact, the romantic parts were just that, parts of the story but not the story itself. Much more on the forefront was the political and social workings of the day, which I found quite enjoyable. And even though I knew it was just a work of fiction, it brought the historical figures to life. Henry VIII, Katherine Howard, Anne of Cleves, etc, all became familiar ‘friends’ rather than just mere names in a history book.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and would disagree with Goodreads rating of 3.70. If you enjoy British history, I would strongly suggest this one.
