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literarykate616's review
4.0
I'm always drawn to novels set in Tudor England but normally they're about the key players like Henry VIII and his wives. Emerson's novel focuses on Jane Popyncourt, a young lady of the court. Jane flees France with her mother and becomes a ward of King Henry VII. She grows up with the royal children and experiences palace life. Jane finds that the court holds many secrets, especially about her heritage.
I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded Jane and her mother, along with all the scandalous things that occurred at court. I would have liked a little more romance but I still really enjoyed the novel. I picked up the second book in the series at Half-Price a few weeks ago and can't wait to read it soon. I've been on a historical fiction kick lately and I'm loving it.
I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded Jane and her mother, along with all the scandalous things that occurred at court. I would have liked a little more romance but I still really enjoyed the novel. I picked up the second book in the series at Half-Price a few weeks ago and can't wait to read it soon. I've been on a historical fiction kick lately and I'm loving it.
staceylynn42's review
4.0
The fictional story on Jane Popyncourt, who served at the courts of Henry VII and VIII as a French tutor to Princesses Margaret & Mary and also served Queen Catherine.
Possibly it is just because I am used to reading mysteries but the story lacked much suspense for the first 2/3rds of the book. It was an interesting enough 'oh this is how they lived' sort of thing as time seriously began to pass, but it very much felt like a plot set up that went on for too long. Once Jane starts looking into her past and becomes involved with a French prisoner of war the pace picks up and things get better.
Overall it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
Possibly it is just because I am used to reading mysteries but the story lacked much suspense for the first 2/3rds of the book. It was an interesting enough 'oh this is how they lived' sort of thing as time seriously began to pass, but it very much felt like a plot set up that went on for too long. Once Jane starts looking into her past and becomes involved with a French prisoner of war the pace picks up and things get better.
Overall it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
bepisaun's review
4.0
I enjoyed this unique perspective of the Tudor court that wasn't from the eyes of one of his wives. Rather taking a real person from that timeline and expanding on their life while being in contact with the King and Queen.
infiniteviolette's review
1.0
Yuck! It was nowhere near as scandalous as the title and synopsis would imply and I was rather bored reading it. Next!
bibliojojo's review
5.0
This book caught my eye on the "New Arrivals" shelf at the library last year so I checked it out. It was my first book based on the Tudor Era and I was hooked!! Love it!!
brookiecowles's review
2.0
I felt like it was one dimensional and was boring to read for the first half. THe second half was only better because I just wanted to know how it ended. But the ending was actually sort of dull.
stacey42's review
4.0
The fictional story on Jane Popyncourt, who served at the courts of Henry VII and VIII as a French tutor to Princesses Margaret & Mary and also served Queen Catherine.
Possibly it is just because I am used to reading mysteries but the story lacked much suspense for the first 2/3rds of the book. It was an interesting enough 'oh this is how they lived' sort of thing as time seriously began to pass, but it very much felt like a plot set up that went on for too long. Once Jane starts looking into her past and becomes involved with a French prisoner of war the pace picks up and things get better.
Overall it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
Possibly it is just because I am used to reading mysteries but the story lacked much suspense for the first 2/3rds of the book. It was an interesting enough 'oh this is how they lived' sort of thing as time seriously began to pass, but it very much felt like a plot set up that went on for too long. Once Jane starts looking into her past and becomes involved with a French prisoner of war the pace picks up and things get better.
Overall it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
jordantaylor's review
2.0
From beginning to end, this was a fluffy book that made for painful reading.
It is the story of Jane Popyncourt, who flees 1500's France to England with her mother at a young age. There, she does her best to blend into the royal court of King Henry VIII.
I was bored by the hollow characters here, especially Jane herself. Her thoughts seemed so wooden and scripted.
The writing was abrupt and hurried through, certain things struck me as a bit too unrealistic, and there were a few plot points that were never really tied up.
The basis of the story, which has Jane's mother fleeing her country, is never fully explained.
For a few chapters, Jane spends a great deal of pages coming up with an involved, elaborate plan to get the king alone in order to speak with him privately. However, this never made much sense to me because Jane seems to have a good relationship with the king, and sees him as often as she wishes. Surely she could simply ask to speak to him privately, or lower her voice? But no. Instead, she hatches a scheme to pretend-seduce the king, culminating in his being in his bedroom with her and about to undress her (is that alone enough?). At this moment, Jane tells him that actually, there will be no sex. In fact, quite the opposite - she wants him to do a favor for her. Considering the fact that Henry VIII was known for being so lusty and prone to tantrums (not to mention being a man), I found it very suspicious that he accepts this bewildering changing of the tides with little more than a twinge of disappointment. And to make everything even worse, Jane's secret request isn't even secretive. It wouldn't have mattered if she had asked the King in public after all. The whole thing was ridiculous.
The above paragraph is simply one example of writing that often made no sense. A smaller thing would be that Jane recognizes her brother immediately after not seeing him since she was 9 (I cannot remember how old she was at the time, but most likely around 20), and doesn't even make that big of a deal of their reunion.
Jane is always being described as innocent and good and child-like, though she does take a lover, which would almost certainly have lost her these titles in her day and age. The King himself calls her "child" when she is in her 30's, and not as a pet name. Um...
I was annoyed at Jane constantly referring to her romantic interest, Guy, as if it was the first time the reader was hearing of him. Hundreds of pages after we first meet Guy, she is still saying "I saw his brother, Guy..." or "I say a young man named Guy Dunois walking by..." Alright, we know who he is now!
I cannot think of anything I enjoyed about this poorly written book.
It is the story of Jane Popyncourt, who flees 1500's France to England with her mother at a young age. There, she does her best to blend into the royal court of King Henry VIII.
I was bored by the hollow characters here, especially Jane herself. Her thoughts seemed so wooden and scripted.
The writing was abrupt and hurried through, certain things struck me as a bit too unrealistic, and there were a few plot points that were never really tied up.
The basis of the story, which has Jane's mother fleeing her country, is never fully explained.
For a few chapters, Jane spends a great deal of pages coming up with an involved, elaborate plan to get the king alone in order to speak with him privately. However, this never made much sense to me because Jane seems to have a good relationship with the king, and sees him as often as she wishes. Surely she could simply ask to speak to him privately, or lower her voice? But no. Instead, she hatches a scheme to pretend-seduce the king, culminating in his being in his bedroom with her and about to undress her (is that alone enough?). At this moment, Jane tells him that actually, there will be no sex. In fact, quite the opposite - she wants him to do a favor for her. Considering the fact that Henry VIII was known for being so lusty and prone to tantrums (not to mention being a man), I found it very suspicious that he accepts this bewildering changing of the tides with little more than a twinge of disappointment. And to make everything even worse, Jane's secret request isn't even secretive. It wouldn't have mattered if she had asked the King in public after all. The whole thing was ridiculous.
The above paragraph is simply one example of writing that often made no sense. A smaller thing would be that Jane recognizes her brother immediately after not seeing him since she was 9 (I cannot remember how old she was at the time, but most likely around 20), and doesn't even make that big of a deal of their reunion.
Jane is always being described as innocent and good and child-like, though she does take a lover, which would almost certainly have lost her these titles in her day and age. The King himself calls her "child" when she is in her 30's, and not as a pet name. Um...
I was annoyed at Jane constantly referring to her romantic interest, Guy, as if it was the first time the reader was hearing of him. Hundreds of pages after we first meet Guy, she is still saying "I saw his brother, Guy..." or "I say a young man named Guy Dunois walking by..." Alright, we know who he is now!
I cannot think of anything I enjoyed about this poorly written book.
brittanybwrites's review
5.0
I actually loved this book. It took me so long to read it and after I got done reading it, I couldn't put it down. The book is about Jane Popyncourt and how when she was little, she went to live in Eltham palace and serve the Lady Mary and her sister. She grew up and became the Duc the Loungeville's mistress and then she finds out she's related to King Henry after trying to find out who killed her maman and all. But all in all this is a good book and I do reconmend this a whole lot.