Sunday, December 13, 2009

Tudor Romances


I have read the Tudor Rose Trilogy by Susan Wiggs. These are reprints of books that she wrote in the nineties. They center around one family for three generations.

Book one was originally called Circle In The Water; the reprint is called At The King's Command. It is set in the time of Henry VIII. The heroine is a Russian Princess named Juliana Romanov. She has to escape Russia after seeing her family murdered. A group of gypsies take her in and learns the traditions of the Gypsies. After stealing Stephen de Lacey's horse, King Henry VIII forces the two to marry.


Book two was originally called Vows Made In Wine; the reprint is called The Maiden's Hand. It is set in the time of Queen Mary. It is about the son of Stephen de Lacey, Oliver de Lacey and the Mistress Lark. Mistress Lark saves Oliver from the Hangman's noose. Little did she realize that after saving Oliver how much a part of her life he would become.


Book three was originally called Dancing On Air. The reprint is called At the Queen's Summons. It is set in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. This book focuses on Pippa de Lacey the Daughter of Lark and Oliver and a Irish chieftain Aidan O'Donoghue. Pippa does not know that she is a de Lacey or that she even has a family. She had lived as sharp tongue street performer. Which gets her in trouble and she seeks mercy from Aidan.

Book One was very enjoyable. Book Two was not so much. It seemed to drag. Book Three picked up a little bit. I found it entertaining. Book One was my favorite out of three.



Another book I read recently is The Winter Queen By Amanda McCabe. It is set during the time of Queen Elizabeth I during the time of when the Thames froze over and the Court had a Frost Fair during the Holiday Season.

The story is about Queen Elizabeth's Lady-in-waiting Lady Rosamund. She sent to court to avoid a suitor that was not suitable for her. She meets Swedish Lord Anton Gustavson, who came to England to claim an inheritance from his grandfather.

This was a nice lite read. I enjoyed the fictionalized peak into Queen Elizabeth's court during the Holiday Season.

These romances may be your thing if you like historical romances set during the Tudor time.

Happy Reading