Diane Haeger

I did like this book overall; it was an interesting depiction of the time period and the perks and hazards of being a great painter with commissions that need to be done especially when these commissions are from the Pope himself. As with other artists I’ve read about, Raphael became a bit obsessed with Margherita at the detriment to his work. I did feel bad for them in the end because of all the interference in their lives also the way Margherita was treated by these men in Raphael’s show more life especially while Raphael was on his death bed, they all knew how much Raphael loved this woman but they were so evil to her. The more I read on this time period the less respect I have for these supposed clerics, they were the biggest schemers and frauds of them all and were able to get away with it because they were clerics.

I wish there had been more of the rivalry between Raphael, da Vinci & Michelangelo, I found this an interesting side story and wish there had been more of it. I am not a big fan of romance novels and there were times when the romance of these two had me rolling my eyes and hoping to get on with more plot and less romance. Again, as I read about this time period the church sure had their hand in everything from who Raphael could marry and who he couldn’t. But when you are betrothed to a Cardinal’s niece who has the ear of the De Medici Pope I guess they have a bit of a vested interest in your life, especially when you are spending more time with your model/mistress than you are on finishing the project for the Pope.

This did make me do some research and with the portrayal of Cardinal Bibbiena I was very surprised to see he was a comedy writer? What? He sure didn’t seem to have a sense of humor in this book he was pretty despicable. I also found the painting The Betrothal of Raphael and the Niece of Cardinal Bibbiena by, painter Jacques-Louis David which showed that some of the facts were there but when reading the description it said that the likeness of Maria the cardinal's niece was inspired by an image of a woman once identified as Raphael's mistress, called "La Fornarina"., so it made me wonder if that was really Margherita. As I have said in other reviews of historical fiction if a book makes me want to do research about the people or places than it did a good job of engaging me.

Elizabeth Wiley’s narration was good if a bit over the top at times, some characters had a more pronounced accent than others but I believe she was trying to convey the characters personality. One voice that just rubbed me the wrong way because of the accent and key was the nuns voice it was too high and shrill, Maria’s voice was annoying too. But either I got used to the narration or Elizabeth got into a rhythm and became more comfortable with the accents as I felt they got better the longer I listened. By the end of the book I was enjoying her narration and thought she did well at transitioning between the Italian accents and the narrative with her regular voice. I would seek out other books narrated by Elizabeth Wiley.

3 ½ Stars

***Full disclosure I received this audiobook from The Solid Gold Reviewers Program at Audiobookjukebox.com*** show less

If I could give this book 100 stars I would! This has been one of the most fascinating books I have read in the historical novel genre about the Tudors. It is appealing to me in the fact that it is gossipy and gives details of fashion and places (similar to the mundane chatter of the courts of the time.) I highly enjoyed Diane's style of writing and will gladly read the rest of her books. The language was easy to follow (although, you may need a dictionary close by to discern some more show more period terms) and the story was compelling. The book contains an author's note at the end describing what truth there is to her story and to clarify certains dates and the like. Superb! show less

The Ruby Ring by Diane Haeger is the story of Margherita Luti, a bakers daughter, and Raphael Sanzio, the influential and popular artist. The book opens in 1514 as these two meet on a Roman street and he becomes convinced that she is the model that he has been looking for. At first resistant to the idea of posing, she is eventually persuaded. They fall in love and she becomes immortalized in many of his paintings. But there is no happy ending for these two as there are powerful people who show more want to have control over this artist and his works. When Raphael dies in 1520, she is alone, an outcast and being persecuted by her enemies. Seeking refuge in a convent, she is told that she cannot stay unless she gives up to the church the ruby ring that has become a symbol of their love.

This is the story of a great passion, both for each other and for the art. Set in the rich and colorful world of the Italian Renaissance, The Ruby Ring should have been a stunning book that totally captures the reader’s emotions, but instead, I was left feeling rather bored by this slow moving story. I have read Diane Haeger before and always have enjoyed the books she has written, but this one left me cold. The author appeared to have written The Ruby Ring as a love story and my feeling is that since the love affair was the center of her novel, she should have given her story more emotion and her characters more depth. A love story means nothing if the reader doesn’t care about the lovers.

I think it is very telling that I had a hard time staying awake whenever I tried to read it. Unfortunately, The Ruby Ring will be a book that won’t be long remembered. show less

Bessie Blount is overjoyed when shes to become a maid of honour to Katherine of Aragon. She soon however catches the eye of King Henry VIII. It's not long before Bessie gives birth to a healthy son. Henry is soon looking elsewhere for affection mainly from Mary Boleyn.

I am in my element when I read about the Tudors. This is the first book by this author that I have read. First impressions are positive and it turned out to be a lovely read. This is the first book that I've read about Bessie show more Blount. It made a nice change to have somebody different as the main character. The story of Bessie is interesting and this story focuses mainly on her life at court and then her affair with the king.

I did think that at times the author was overdoing it with the constant descriptions of the clothing. The reader knows they are in the Tudor court so its not always necessary to keep describing clothing. I know this is a work of fiction so why are small facts incorrect. For instance the author says that Katherine of Aragon married two English kings. She only married one and that was Henry, Arthur was never king. Anne Boleyn has green eyes according to this account. I've always been led to believe that Anne had dark eyes. My final niggle is that Bessie is not buried at the church in Kinlet although a lot of the Blounts are and it is well worth a visit.

After all that I enjoyed reading about Bessie Blount. The book was a lovely read and wasn't too taxing, nor was I bogged down. The author offers the what if's and does make the reader wonder what could have happened. If Henry really did love Bessie and Mary Boleyn wasn't on the scene then our Tudor history could have been quite different.

Overall a pleasant read and apart from the historical minor mistakes I would recommend this book. I do have other books by this author which I shall look forward to reading. show less