The Last Heiress

This book wasn't up to snuff, it seemed like 2 stories stuffed in one. There's the romance, which was okay... and the warping of history with the heroine, Elizabeth, going to court and being Anne Boleyn's best friend. Splitting the story ended up with both stories being undercooked. The sex wasn't very steamy compared to The Innocent and you never fall in love with Baen because he doesn't figure into much of the book. Small really seems to rewrite Tudor history. She takes a few facts and then runs rampant. She doesn't mention at all how Anne Boleyn was the catalyst for the split with the Catholic church and that's the most important basis for her becoming Queen. This omission is too hard to ignore.

I saw Rhapsody's review and I noticed show more what she notices... the author recycles a lot of the character descriptions. We're told at least three times that Neville enjoys gentlemanly pursuits. show less

During the reign of Henry VIII, at fourteen Elizabeth Meredith inherited Friarsgate when her mother and older middle sister married and moved onto their respective spouses’ estate and her oldest sibling and her husband chose the king’s court. Eight years later she remains independent running her estate until her mother informs her she must marry so that an heir can inherit Friarsgate. --- Her beloved sixty years old Uncle Thomas agrees to escort the feisty landowner to court. However, before they leave for London, Baen MacColl comes from Scotland at the behest of his father to discus a sheep deal. As the two die in the wool anti-marital soul mates fall in love, Elizabeth chaperoned by her uncle travels to the king’s court. There show more she befriends the beleaguered queen while Henry VIII begins his campaign to replace his wife Katherine with Anne. --- The key to this battle between two independent obstinate loving combatants is the background that incorporates Henry’s antics as he sets in motion his plan to remove Katherine of Aragon as queen and replace her with Anne Boleyn. Bertrice Small cleverly uses the monumental sixteenth century events to tell her story of love yet in some ways the shadow overwhelms the lead characters show less

I think I would have enjoyed this more if the author concentrated more on the female & male lead instead of writing two stories halfly. Either you write a story about Anne Boleyn & her downfall, or give both characters what the book is really about, the stage time they deserve. As a result you get a romance novel that starts well, but then it falls prey to a lot of repetition, shallow drawn characters that never gets fleshed out in full. Once I put the novel down, I was left with an unsatisfactionary feeling: is Baen really that one-dimensional? Elizabeth also seems like a Mary Sue visiting a Tudor court. All the side characters introduced, how often can I read that Neville is just merely interested in hunting and other gentlemen's show more pursuits.Or the reason's why this family should be loyal to both queens, or the motives of Boleyn's ambitions, or why Elizabeth won't ever let a man run her estate. Where is the tension, drama, heartbreaking moments. This all is being skimmed in favour of Anne Boleyn. I think the author should have been stopped or at least been told that a minor subplot dominated the theme and plot of this book, at such great cost. This book, I won't recommend it to others. show less

Loved this complete series.