The Traitor's Daughter by Barbara Kyle

In 1582, England is gripped by the fear of traitors. Kate Lyon, tainted by her exiled mother's past treason, has been disowned by her father, Baron Thornleigh. But in truth, Kate and her husband Owen are only posing as Catholic sympathizers to gain information for Queen Elizabeth's spymaster. Kate is an expert decoder. The deception pains her, but she takes heart in the return to England of her long estranged brother Robert. If only she could be sure where his loyalties lie...

Kate and Owen's spying yields valuable intelligence: English Catholics abroad are spearheading an invasion that would see Elizabeth deposed—or worse—in favor of Mary, Queen of Scots. Kate takes on the dangerous role of double agent, decoding and delivering letters the exiles send Mary. But when lives and fortunes hang by the thinnest threads, betrayal is only a whisper away...

A brilliant blend of Tudor history and lush storytelling, The Traitor's Daughter is a riveting, passionate novel of loyalty, heartbreak, and one woman's undaunted courage.

Paperback, 448 pages

Expected publication: May 26th 2015 by Kensington 

source - netgalley

*****

The 7th book in the Thornleigh Series is out!  It is no secret that this is a favorite series of mine.  I started out with the audio version and the last 3 in book format.  Both are great and though they can be read alone I highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Queen's Lady.

This series is rich in historical detail, true to the time period and centers around real historical figures, though the Thornleighs are fictional.  This book isn't as action packed as previous ones, but it was still hard to put done.  Barbara Kyle has a way of making me care about this family, they live in a era of uncertainty, the conflict between Queen Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots plays center stage here. 

What always strikes me with this series is not the always outward battles but the inner struggles the key players have.  With The Traitor's Daughter Kate Lyon, daughter of Adam Thornleigh has been disowned, she married someone supposedly opposed to Queen Elizabeth.  Her long lost brother makes his appearance on English soil and Kate is in turmoil.  Who can blame her, the guilt of their separation, he father's rejection when he doesn't know all the facts and equally as important is can she trust Robert?  I like Kate, she is strong and determined, courageous but also confused and alone, living in the Tudor era was hard enough without the full support of family.

In the past I have found series tend to get a little stale and dull when it gets too long.  That is not the case here, each book has its own story line, the characters intertwine with fresh glimpses at Tudor England.  I have not heard that this is the final book in series, so looking forward to the next installment.

The Queen's Exile by Barbara Kyle

1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ...

Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.

But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember. 

Paperback, 352 pages

Published May 27th 2014 by Kensington 

ARC - netgalley

***** 

I am always on the lookout for historical settings that involve by heritage.  The Queen's Exile fit that bill nicely, though I did not realize until I started reading.  This is the 6th installment in Barbara Kyle's Thornleigh Series.  I didn't read the synopsis when this book became available, I've really enjoyed this series and knew I would continue with it.

Robert Thornleigh just wants his children back, his wife fled England years ago with them after a failed attempt on the Queen's life.  Times were very treacherous as the Spanish were a brutal bunch.  I knew nothing of what took place in the Netherlands at the hand of Spanish, the name Alba meant nothing to me.  This was a terrifying and brutal time for the Dutch.  The author wrote vivid scenes that left no doubt how barbaric Alba and his forces were.

Again Barbara Kyle had me captivated right from the beginning.  Here writing style makes it easy to get lost.  Her knowledge of the time period is evident.  I truly respect the amount of research that has gone into this series.  Though the last few books revolve around Queen Elizabeth's reigh in England the story line reaches to various locations and real historical figures.  These locations are unique and revolve around real historical events, which  is what I love about this series.  There is variety and not the same Thornleighs in each book.

I love strong women in history, independent, ahead of their times.  Which is what Fenella was, though fictional, I really liked her, she had passion, drive, caring and honored her commitments.  With Robert one couldn't help feel sympathy for him and feel his passion and desperation to find his children. 

As with all her books you can read as stand alone, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Queen' Lady (you won't be disappointed).  On May 26th the 7th installment (I hope it isn't the last), The Traitor's Daughter will be released, I am reading it right now so be lookout my review.

Giveaway!!

Have you ever purchased a book only to come home and discover that you already own it?  Well I have, plenty of times.  My mistake is your gain, here I am offering a giveaway.
Clicking on the cover will take you to Goodreads. 

 Good luck!

Amid the intrigue and danger of 18th-century Italy, a young woman becomes embroiled in romance and treachery with a rider in the Palio, the breathtaking horse race set in Siena....

It’s 1729, and the Palio, a white-knuckle horse race, is soon to be held in the heart of the peerless Tuscan city of Siena. But the beauty and pageantry masks the deadly rivalry that exists among the city’s districts. Each ward, represented by an animal symbol, puts forth a rider to claim the winner’s banner, but the contest turns citizens into tribes and men into beasts—and beautiful, headstrong, young Pia Tolomei is in love with a rider of an opposing ward, an outsider who threatens the shaky balance of intrigue and influence that rules the land.

Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects to protect it.

Justine Thornleigh is delighting in the thrill of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to her family’s estate when the festivities are cut short by Mary’s arrival. To Justine’s surprise, the Thornleighs appoint her to serve as a spy in Mary’s court. But bearing the guise of a lady-in-waiting is not Justine’s only secret. The weight of her task is doubled by fears of revealing to her fiancé that she is in truth the daughter of his family’s greatest rival. Duty-bound, Justine must sacrifice love as she navigates a deadly labyrinth of betrayal that could lead to the end of Elizabeth’s fledgling reign…

Compelling and inventive, Blood Between Queens artfully blends history’s most intriguing figures with unforgettable characters, bringing to dazzling life the fascinating Tudor era.

Love is a choice you make every day.
Content in her comfortable marriage of twenty-two years, Jane Lindsay had never expected to watch her husband,  rad, pack his belongings and walk out the door of their Manhattan home. But when it happens, she feels powerless to stop him and the course of events that follow Brad’s departure.

Jane finds an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale and discovers a Latin inscription in the band along with just one recognizable word: Jane. Feeling an instant connection to the mysterious ring bearing her namesake, Jane begins a journey to learn more about the ring—and perhaps about herself.

In the sixteenth-century, Lucy Day becomes the dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young woman whose fate seems to be controlled by a dangerous political and religious climate, one threatening to deny her true love and pursuit of her own interests.

As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more infl uence over her life than she once imagined. It all comes down to the choices each makes despite the realities they face.

 

Confessions of Marie Antoinette, the riveting and sweeping final novel in Juliet Grey’s trilogy on the life of the legendary French queen, blends rich historical detail with searing drama, bringing to life the early years of the French Revolution and the doomed royal family’s final days.

Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril.

Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains above all a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen and her family try to flee, and she secretly attempts to arrange their rescue from the clutches of the Revolution, they cannot outrun the dangers encircling them, or escape their shocking fate.

Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the beauty of the magnificent Tuscan villa that overlooks the sea just outside her small village. She likes to spy from the crumbling wall into the gardens and imagine that one day she’ll escape her meager existence and live there surrounded by its otherworldly splendor. Then one day Dante, the son of the villa’s powerful industrialist owner, invites her inside and shows her the enchanting Mermaid Garden. From that moment, Floriana knows that the only destiny for her is there, in that garden, with Dante. But as they grow up and fall in love, their romance causes a crisis, jeopardizing the very thing they hold most dear.

Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a beau-tiful old country house hotel on England’s Devon coast has fallen on hard times after the financial crash of 2008. Its owner, Marina, advertises for an artist to stay the summer and teach the guests how to paint. The man she hires is charismatic and wise and soon begins to pacify the discord in her family and transform the fortunes of the hotel. However, he has his own agenda. Is it to destroy, to seduce, or to heal? Whatever his intentions, he is certain to change Marina’s life forever.

Spanning four decades and sweeping from the Italian countryside to the English coast, this new story by Santa Montefiore is a moving and mysterious tale of love, forgiveness, and the past revealed. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle

Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects to protect it.

Justine Thornleigh is delighting in the thrill of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to her family’s estate when the festivities are cut short by Mary’s arrival. To Justine’s surprise, the Thornleighs appoint her to serve as a spy in Mary’s court. But bearing the guise of a lady-in-waiting is not Justine’s only secret. The weight of her task is doubled by fears of revealing to her fiancé that she is in truth the daughter of his family’s greatest rival. Duty-bound, Justine must sacrifice love as she navigates a deadly labyrinth of betrayal that could lead to the end of Elizabeth’s fledgling reign…

Compelling and inventive, Blood Between Queens artfully blends history’s most intriguing figures with unforgettable characters, bringing to dazzling life the fascinating Tudor era.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published April 30th 2013 by Kensington 

arc - netgalley

*****

I was somewhat late boarding the Thornleigh wagon, but as they say better late then never.  Reading this series has made Barbara Kyle a favorite of mine. 

Though the Thornleigh's are fictional characters the events taking place are drawn from history.  Queen Elizabeth is on the throne and is dealing with her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots.

The is the 5th book in the series, it does work as a stand along, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Queens Lady.  The first 4 books I listened to the audio version, which was read by the author herself.  For Blood Between Queens I decided to read the book, it was funny because I still could hear the authors voice in my head.

It didn't take me long to read this one, I was drawn into the story right away.  I liked Justine  (who is the adopted daughter of Richard and Honor Thornleigh)  right from the start.  Because of her past there was the makings of a great story which this was.  Sent to befriend Mary on orders from Queen Elizabeth Justine encounters ghosts from her past that causes her to struggle with who she really is.  There is depth to her character as she makes decisions that affected those around her.  The events which took place in previous books are explained here making sure the reader got the whole picture of the history between the Grenvilles and the Thornleighs as well as the repercussions which take place here.

Filled with mystery, romance, loyalty, forgiveness and suspense this latest installment I think might just be my favorite.  This story flowed smoothly right to the highly emotional ending.  Each book in this series is roughly 400 pages long, so there is time to get to know the characters and the history of Tudor England.  If you haven't started this series don't be shy, especially if you are a fan of this time period, you won't be disappointed.

Coming up next is The Queen's Exile before the May release of The Traitor's Daughter

 

 

2014 Year in Review Part 2 - Audio Books

It is no secret that I love audio books, usually averaging one a week.  So in random order here are my favorites of 2014. Out of these 10 books 8 are new to me authors (love that).

Clicking on the cover will take you to Goodreads, the title will take you to my review.

Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads by S. R. Malley

My first venture into the world of short stories, really enjoyed this one.

a Jane Austen daydream by Scott D. Southard

Another genre that I don't normally read but think I might be a convert now.

Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney

Oh, My. Goodness!  I loved this one!!!

That Night by Chevy Stevens

If you are looking for a fast paced, compelling murder mystery look no further this one fits the bill quite nicely.

Secrets of the Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore

The authors writing reminds me of Kate Morton, who is a favorite of mine.

Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandell

 "My daddy says that when you do somethin' to distract you from your worstest fears, it's like whistlin' past the graveyard.  You know, making a racket to keep the scardeness and the ghosts away.  He says that's how we by sometimes.  But it's not weak, like hidin'...it's strong.  It means you're able to go on."

 Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

What an emotionally ride!

"You have to look for the little mercies, the small kindnesses and good that come from the terrible."

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

“Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life.

A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

Sometimes you just need a nice big juicy book and this one fit the bill perfectly.  Loved it!

 The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle

So begins The Thornleigh Series, read by the author herself and did a stellar job. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! 

June 3: Top Ten Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag or Ten Books That Will Be In My Beach Bag This Summer

Here is a list of ten books that I will be reading this summer:

1.  The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness being released July 15th, so excited!!!

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close. 

2.  Revenge & Retribution by Anna Belfrage is the sixth book in Anna Belfrage's time slip series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham. 

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!

3.  The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier - I loved Juliet and can't wait to read this one.  Lovin' that cover too!

The Lost Sisterhood features another group of iconic, legendary characters, another grand adventure--you'll see in these pages that Fortier understands the kind of audience she has built with Juliet, but also she's delivering a fresh new story to keep that audience coming back for more.

 

4.  Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown - being released July 1st, however I was lucky to get an advanced copy

Based on the compelling true narrative of Mary Rowlandson, Flight of the Sparrow is an evocative tale that transports the reader to a little-known time in early America and explores the real meaning of freedom, faith, and acceptance.

5. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. 

 6. Daughter of the Gods by Stephanie Thornton - because I LOVED The Secret History and adore all things Egypt.

Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course. 

 7. The Queen's Gamble by Barbara Kyle - book 4 in the Thornleigh Series, started it this year on audio and love it.

Young Queen Elizabeth I's path to the throne has been a perilous one, and already she faces a dangerous crisis. French troops have landed in Scotland to quell a rebel Protestant army, and Elizabeth fears once they are entrenched on the border, they will invade England. 

 8. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin - I am feeling the need for a big book, coming in at 768 pages this fits the bill.  Plus I have to read the book before watching the movie (one of my quirks).

New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake, orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. 

 9. The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley - I wasn't really thrilled with another book this author wrote and want to give her another chance.  

Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . . . 

10. A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman - being a big fan of this author I am embarrassed to say that I haven't read this yet - it was released in March - what is wrong with me??! 

Traveling home from the bloody battlefields of the Holy Land, the Crusader King Richard the Lionheart is shipwrecked in the Mediterranean after an encounter with pirates. He should be protected by a papal decree, but he is betrayed and captured by the Duke of Austria – a man who has good reason to loathe him – and is immediately claimed by the Holy Roman Emperor, who also bears him a bitter grudge.

The King's Daughter by Barbara Kyle

Upon the death of her father, Henry VIII, Queen Mary assumes the throne after a long exile. Her first order of business is to wed the devout Prince Philip of Spain, creating a powerful alliance that will transform Mary's fanatical dream of ridding England of Protestantism into terrifying reality. And so begins the reign of Bloody Mary...

Even as she plans for her own nuptials, Isabel Thornleigh is helping to lay the groundwork to overthrow Mary and bring Elizabeth to power. But none of the secrets Isabel has discovered compares to the truths hidden in her own family. With her beloved father imprisoned by Queen Mary, only Carlos Valverde— a Spanish soldier of fortune—can help Isabel. Now with England's future at stake, Isabel risks all to change the course of history..

Paperback, 481 pages

  (first published July 1st 1995)

 19 hrs and 40 mins

****

Beginning 20 years after The Queen's Lady this is the 2nd book in the Thornleigh Series.

It got off to a slow start but a couple chapters in the pace picked up and I was hooked.

Henry VIII's daughter Mary has begun her reign.  Never having heard anything about Bloody Mary I was interested in her reign and the effect it had on the country.  The news of her betrothal to Prince Philip of Spain is received with mixed emotion by the people of England. Resulting in the planning of the Wyatt rebellion.

 

Though the characters of the Thornleigh's and Carlos Valverde (visualize Antonio Banderas here) are fictional they are put in an authentic time period surrounded by actual historical events.  

Isabel, the daughter of Honor and Richard Thornleigh, is transformed throughout this book.  As a 20 year old I found her rather naive and immature, she was forced to grow-up at a fast pace.  She had no choice given the climate of the country, so many changes happening quickly.

 

Again this was an audio version for me (purchased from Audible) and read by Barbara Kyle herself.

 

The Queen's Captive is the third book in this series as the reign of Bloody Mary continues.

The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle

Abducted as a child-heiress, Honor Larke escapes to London seeking justice from the only lawyer she knows: the brilliant Sir Thomas More. With More as her affectionate guardian, Honor grows to womanhood, when the glitter of the royal court lures her to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII’s court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch—and when to act. . . .

Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen’s allies. It’s a risky game, but Honor is sure she’s playing it well—until she’s proved wrong. Richard Thornleigh may cut a dashing figure at court, but Honor isn’t taken in by his reckless charm. Only later does Honor realize that Richard has awakened something within her—and that he, too, has something to hide. . .

For the King’s actions are merely one knot in a twisted web that stretches across Europe, ensnaring everyone from the lowliest of peasants to the most powerful of nobles. Swept away in a tide of intrigue and danger, the Queen’s lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed—and the conscience of the King. . . .

Paperback, 500 pages

Published December 1st 2009 by Brava (first published September 1st 1994) 

Here I sit and *sigh* as I type this review hanging my head, I can't believe that it has taken so long to read this book  The whole series has  been sitting on my shelf for a number of years.  
Why did I wait so long?  I am not sure if it was the cover that provoked a 'bodice ripping feel' 
or maybe I was thinking that I couldn't handle another Anne Boleyn story.  How mistaken I was!

I was thrilled to hear that this book was going to be made into an audiobook with the author
herself doing the reading.  Barbara Kyle did a wonderful job of reading this book, she brought
the story to life with her different accents and the right amount of emotion (not too much
and not too little).

The first book in the Thornleigh series (there are 5 of them at present), set during the reign
of Henry VIII during the time of his obsession with Anne Boleyn.  I mostly like to read 
about real historical figures (it is fun to be entertained at the same time as learning some
history). Though this book is based on real historical events, the theme here varied 
from Catherine of Aragon to the religious conflicts to Thomas More, Anne Boleyn and more. 
However, the two main protagonist are fictional and I wasn't sure what I would think of that. 
First introduced to Honor Lark when only 7 years old I was captivated. Thomas More 
becomes her guardian and so begins her story. Her journey was a pleasure to watch, it was 
written with feeling and showed the effect the time period had on the people of England under 
the rule of Henry VIII.  She grew into a woman of conviction who took too many risks for what
she believed in.  This book moved along at a steady pace and I had a hard time stopping, 
there was a lot going on,  mystery, intrigue, romance, conflicts and more.

The only reason that I did not jump right into the next book (The Queen's Daughter) was that 
I didn't have enough credits left at Audible.  Once I have that I will definetely continue with this
series.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Queen's Exile by Barbara Kyle

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

 This week I am waiting for: The Queen's Exiles by Barbara Kyle

 

Paperback, 448 pages

Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Kensington

 1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ...

Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.

But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember.