Reluctant Queen [Hardcover]

'Very readable account of a fascinating woman. Thoroughly researched, admirably written. The author's love of the Tudor period shines through.

Mary Tudor discovers a less than loving side to her elder brother, Henry VIII, when she refuses to marry the aged King Louis XII of France. Mary is in love with Charles Brandon and longs to marry him. But after being alternately cajoled and threatened, Mary gives in to Henry's wishes. In France, Louis' heir, Francis, ardently pursues Mary. But when Louis dies, Mary, in widowed seclusion, is at the mercy of a Francis heedless of the dangers of fathering his own usurper. Then Henry plans another match for her...This impressive and moving novel sheds light on a little known royal figure manipulated like so many others by the despotic Henry VIII.

I have long loved the Tudor period and have read widely about the various colourful characters and the events they set in chain.

So, when I learned Mary's story, I was intrigued and set about finding out more. I believe Mary's story is little-known, but I felt sure other readers would be as intrigued by it as I was.

Geraldine Hartnett had her first novel published by Robert Hale in 1991 and has written many novels since then, including her Rafferty and Llewellyn crime series. Her love of history, especially in the Tudor period, has prompted her to write her latest novel, The Reluctant Queen. She lives in North Walsham, Norfolk.