Giveaway at the end of post!
Book Description: In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth's circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen's downfall, Helena is forced to choose between her unyielding monarch and the husband she's not sure she can trust--a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.
Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.
My Thoughts: For some reason it seems that we, Americans, are somewhat intrigued with the British. Maybe, because many of our roots were in England even before America was born.
Reading Roses Have Thorns, the third installment of Sandra Byrd's Ladies In Waiting Series, conjured up grand images of royal courts, jesters, liars, deceivers and trust versus treason. Such a mish-mash of emotions and characters.
Wow! Such grand-tastic historical fiction...it was like reading Elizabeth I journal crisscrossing with Helena's thoughts! The reader "feels" the frustration of laws and decrees that hinder finding culprits. It seems that the royal court was full of injustice but wait! There are some good people who are fighting for the right!
The scents, the catastrophes of living and rubbing elbows with royalty, the secrets, lies and truth are all bedfellows in this fantastic read.
The life road that Helena thinks she will follow ends up being a twisty, turny kind of mountainous upheaval that only she can unravel.
Learning about the Catholic enemies in the plot to do away with Queen Elizabeth 1 was also very interesting.
Queen Elizabeth 1 was also known as Good Queen Bess. She was a moderate ruler...her motto was "I see and say nothing." Her family life was one of some disfunction: Her father was King Henry the 8th and her mother was Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was executed when Elizabeth was just two and half. Therefore, even though Elizabeth was born a princess she was declared illegitimate. Her rival, Mary Queen of Scots, gave her quite a headache. Oh!the!life!of!the rich!and! the famous!
Well, as the reader can see, this is one fantastically intriguing read!
*This book was provided for review by the author & the publisher Simon and Schuster*
GIVEAWAY!
One reader will receive a book, Roses Have Thorns, provided by the publisher.
Please leave a comment with your email address.
{NO email, No win!}
Giveaway Ends May 27, 2013
Order Roses Have Thorns: http://amzn.to/XHX5LJ
Meet the Author:
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After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I will publish in April, 2013.
Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens.
A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has published many nonfiction articles and books. She is passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.
Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.
Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.
Connect with Sandra on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandrabyrd
Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdwrites
Connect with Sandra on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/SandraByrdBooks
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1439183163
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