...with three Tudor Christmas stories!
Christmas at Court by Blythe Gifford
Set during the Christmas seasons of 1483-1485, while King Richard III struggles to keep his throne against Henry Tudor's threat. Alice and John enter a betrothal set up by their fathers. Those gentlemen profess their loyalty to Richard while working quietly to help Henry take the throne. During that first Christmas, John and Alice get to know each other a little. There is attraction and a tentative friendship, and each is wary of trusting the other. The next time they see each other is Christmas 1484. The tensions at Court are palpable as rumors of Henry's plans run rife. A year apart has allowed doubts to creep in about each other's commitment, but time spent together eases some of those doubts. By Christmas of 1485, Henry is now king, but John and Alice cannot marry until the king keeps his promise to marry Princess Elizabeth. To complicate matters, John's father has come up with a new plan that may put an end to their betrothal.
I liked both John and Alice. Alice is sweet but not naïve, especially after living at Court. While she accepts her father's dictates about who to marry, she is intelligent enough to deduce the politics behind it. I liked how Alice confronted John and insisted on knowing the whole story. She is also smart enough to keep her wits about her in the paranoid atmosphere and stay out of trouble. John is suspicious of Alice at first, especially when he realizes her intelligence, and worries that she might play both sides. I liked seeing the relationship develop, with a little more depth each Christmas. The third year is especially trying as they try to move their future forward. I loved seeing John stand up to his father and take matters into his own hands. Once they are away from the Court's intrigues, I think John and Alice will be happy together.
I enjoyed seeing the Tudor Christmas traditions and learning a few things I didn't know about betrothals of the period. I also enjoyed the historical bits about Henry's rise to the throne. Most of it I knew, but the treatment was different than other things I've read.
Secrets of the Queen's Lady by Jenni Fletcher
1540 - Henry VIII and Katherine Howard are King and Queen in this story, while Anne of Cleves is now the king's "favored sister." The widowed Lady Pippa is one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting, a position she took after her husband's death. Pippa's marriage was a miserable one, and she swore she would not marry again. Just before Christmas, a young diplomat arrived to invite Anne to join the King and Queen for Christmas. Pippa was surprised to see Lord Christopher, who she'd known ten years earlier when he was a lad of seventeen.
The development of the relationship between Kit and Pippa was a rocky one. Kit remembered Pippa very well - he's compared other women to her for years. His brother wants Kit to marry a young woman he picked out, but Kit isn't interested. He only has eyes for Pippa. Meanwhile, Pippa resists Kit as hard as she can. She is seven years older than he is, was reviled by her husband because she didn't give him a child, and doesn't want to risk another marriage. She does everything she can to push Kit away. I ached for Kit because he loves Pippa, but he can't get through to her. I loved that her age and childlessness didn't bother him at all. There were some emotional scenes as he tried to convince her of his love. Pippa frequently frustrated me with her refusal to give him a chance. Her husband's cruelty deeply affected her self-confidence. I wanted to shake her each time she lied to him about her feelings. I loved how she received some eye-opening advice from Anne and some unexpected help when she decided. The ending was terrific. I would have liked an epilogue to see where they ended up.
His Mistletoe Lady by Amanda McCabe
1554 - Queen Mary and King Philip. It is early in Queen Mary's reign, shortly after her marriage to Philip. This is a happy time for her: a rebellion against her rule has been stopped, she expects her first child (she believes), and it is Christmas. It's not all sweetness and light - the English resent the presence of her husband's Spanish countrymen, and intrigue still runs rampant.
Catherine and her mother, a former lady-in-waiting to the Queen's mother, travel to London at the Queen's request. Catherine's father resides in prison, accused of participating in the rebellion. Catherine and Elena hope that the Queen will help them. Don Diego is another recent arrival at Court. He is on a secret mission to gather intelligence about threats to the Queen.
I liked the development of the romance between Catherine and Diego. Drawn together from the moment they met, both are initially cautious. Catherine believes that the wealthy and handsome Diego is beyond her reach, especially with her father's imprisonment. Diego knows the truth about her father's situation and tries to stay away for her protection. The holiday revelries throw them together fairly often, and they find much in common, including a growing attraction. I loved Diego's kindness, and there are several sweet scenes of them together.
Intrigue swirls around the court, and Catherine finds
herself the focus of several warnings. A former neighbor makes a nuisance of
himself, and I felt Catherine's unease whenever she was around him. Her mother
reminds her of their precarious position, telling Catherine to be on guard. But
when Catherine gets caught up in another attempt on the Queen, will Diego be able
to save her? I loved the ending, with Catherine's strength of will and Diego's determination.
Their big moment shows excellent potential for their future.
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