The Queen's Lady (1994)

by Barbara Kyle

Series: Thornleigh Saga (1)

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255	11	105,133	(3.68)	13
Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: London, 1527. Marry or serve: for Honor Larke, the choice is clear. Unwilling to perish of boredom as an obedient wife, she leaves the home of her ward to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII's court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch--and when to act... Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen's allies. It's a risky game, but Honor is confident--until she's proven wrong by dashing courtier Richard Thornleigh--a man who awakens her heart, and who also has something to hide....Swept into a tide of intrigue and danger that stretches across Europe, the Queen's lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed--and the conscience of the King... "Weaves a fast-paced plot through some of the most harrowing years of English history."--Judith Merkle Riley "Excellent, exciting, compellingly readable."--Ellen Jones "Riveting, heady, glorious, inspired."--Susan Wiggs Includes a Reading Group Guide! .… (more)

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Honor is taken in, as a ward, by Sir Thomas More during Henry VIII’s reign in the 16th century. At this time, Henry is trying to find a way to get rid of his first wife Catherine, so he can marry Anne Boleyn. When Honor is old enough, she goes to Catherine and serves her. But, she gets caught up in the religious conflicts going on at the time, and things become dangerous.

It was ok, but I just lost interest at times (this was not an audio!). Some of it held my interest, but there were too many dry patches for my liking. The historical note at the end was nice. Obviously, Honor was fictional, as were her close friends, etc. (

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LibraryCin | Jan 29, 2019 |

I was pleasantly impressed by this novel. From the cover, I was expected a romance novel set during the Tudor period, which one might argue this book is, but it's actually much more and one can tell the author did her research. Even as the story twists and turns almost to the point of being implausible, the characters, their motivations, and the events portrayed remain rooted in actual 16th-century history. As a 16th-century history junkie, I have to give this book credit for the chapters that take place in the German city of Munster - the Anabaptist rebellion that took place there was a big deal in 1530s Europe and few novels set during this period even mention it. Overall, this was a pretty good book and I may be interested enough to read the sequel. (

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wagner.sarah35 | Jul 26, 2018 |

can't review til i've read it. making that determination soon.

winterslights | Jun 12, 2016 |

The story line is what makes this book compelling. It tells the story of a girl who was a ward of Sir Thomas More, a deeply religious man but who persecuted heretics, those who dared to read a bible and follow the new trend from Martin Luther. The character arranged for these new believers to escape. The quality of the story telling was a little boring.

Merged review:

On page 204. (

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CathyWacksman | Apr 24, 2016 |

I enjoyed this book. I loved all the secretive stuff going on and the interactions between Honor and Thornleigh. It was great to see a woman in Tudor times fighting for something she believes in. I highly recommend it! (

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Desilu42 | Aug 1, 2013 |

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Canonical title

Original title

A Dangerous Temptation

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Original publication date

People/Characters

Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex

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Important places

London, England, UK

Important events

Divorce/annulment of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII

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Disambiguation notice

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Riley, Judith Merkle

Jones, Ellen

Wiggs, Susan

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Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:

London, 1527. Marry or serve: for Honor Larke, the choice is clear. Unwilling to perish of boredom as an obedient wife, she leaves the home of her ward to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII's court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch--and when to act...

Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen's allies. It's a risky game, but Honor is confident--until she's proven wrong by dashing courtier Richard Thornleigh--a man who awakens her heart, and who also has something to hide....Swept into a tide of intrigue and danger that stretches across Europe, the Queen's lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed--and the conscience of the King...

"Weaves a fast-paced plot through some of the most harrowing years of English history."--Judith Merkle Riley

"Excellent, exciting, compellingly readable."--Ellen Jones

"Riveting, heady, glorious, inspired."--Susan Wiggs

Includes a Reading Group Guide! .

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