Plaidy's novel may be well researched but it is not at all an engaging book. She drones on for paragraphs at a time describing the action-who is betraying whom, etc-but the characters don't act it out that much. When the characters do talk the dialogue feels rote, unconvincing. There is no subtlety to how emotions or thoughts are handled, everything is explicitly stated for you so you don't have to think what their actions may be. Would not recommend the book at all. ( )

From the back cover "And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story..." Huh? You have to wonder sometimes what is going through the publisher's heads - the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was not a love match by any means - why would they try to label it as one??

Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the throne of England Henry marries Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV, in an effort to strengthen his claim. Despite keeping peace in the country and restoring the empty coffers, Henry is always fearful of conspiracies to challenge his reign with pretenders to the throne claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower.

So much of this book is known history, we've all read enough of the Tudors I don't need to rehash it all again. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Henry's reign until the end and at his death and the assumption to the throne of his son Henry VIII. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it was a bit dry at times, especially at the beginning, and those not familiar with the Wars of The Roses might have a difficult time picking up the story.

Henry was nicely portrayed as a parsimonious penny pincher always worried about threats to his crown, the younger Henry a bit too full of himself and his "knightly" responsibilities, Katharine of Aragon suitably pious and obedient - my only complaint was the how Elizabeth of York was portrayed. A virtually non-existent character, the few times she was in the storyline she was quite vapid and very forgettable. She was pretty much there for the procreation of children. All in all a pleasant read, not the best but not the worst either. ( )

I have a love affair going with historical fiction author Jean Plaidy.

It's Plaidy that I turn to when I crave a good comfort-read.

This novel is Plaidy's take on the story of the marriage between King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: the marriage which effectively ended the War of the Roses by uniting the houses of York and Lancaster.

Like her other historical fiction novels, To Hold the Crown will never be compared to, say, a Sharon Kay Penman novel. Plaidy, rather, exists in a class of her own: solid writing and a good historical foundation make her stories feel comfortable.

Kind of like your favorite pair of old sneakers.

The story of Henry and Elizabeth has been written about numerous times, but I still think Plaidy does it best. You won't find any heros or villains in this story. Instead you'll find human beings who make mistakes and are trying to do the best they can with the tools they have. Plaidy is the consummate professional: she presents each character in a fair light, flaws and all, and allows the readers to draw their own conclusions, as opposed to leading you to those conclusions.

Those of you who are still tracking down the infamous Princes in the Tower will find an interesting idea as to their ultimate fate within these pages. Plaidy, as always, is plausible and sharp as a tack.

What didn't I like? The darned new cover chosen by Three Rivers Press!
For now, I'll forgive them simply because they are reprinting so many of Plaidy's historical fiction novels.

If you haven't read one, do so soon. And if you've read Sandra Worth's recent novel, The King's Daughter, you'll recognize that the subject matter is the same. For my money, I recommend Plaidy's version for a more complete and perhaps a more realistic look at the lives of Henry and Elizabeth. ( )

“To Hold the Crown” is not the story of Henry VII himself so much as the story of his reign. The third person narrative is omniscient in turn with specific characters: Henry VII; Elizabeth Woodville; Elizabeth of York; the future Henry VIII; Katherine of Aragon; even Katherine’s brother-in-law Philip I of Castile, also known as Philip the Handsome.

Central to the story is Henry’s worry about his throne when members of the House of York - either real or imagined - threatened his claim to the crown, his worry about his heirs - weak Arthur and flashy Henry, and his attempt to be recognized by other heads of state as a legitimate ruler.

Although I didn’t particularly like Plaidy’s description of Elizabeth of York as a woman who was quite content to be a milquetoast, the book as a whole was very engaging, perhaps even one of Plaidy’s better works. Plus, I quite enjoyed reading about a man who is usually skipped over in historical fiction, overshadowed by his infamous son and his controversial predecessor. ( )

Enjoyable read about Henry VII's reign. Slightly repetitious at the beginning, but settles into a well written story. ( )