A Constant Heart

Two suggestions. First, this book could use new cover art because the current cover gives the impression that this book is a romance novel and the brief synopsis provided on the cover "Will Marget risk everything for the man who's captured her heart?" does little to dispel this illusion when in fact this is much more a piece of historical fiction than romance. Second, I would retitle this book something along the lines of "Everyone Hates Queen Elizabeth (Starring two characters who clearly need to learn how to COMMUNICATE)."

In all seriousness, the main characters Lytham and Marget seemed like manic depressive school kids. Spoiler alert: I have never encountered characters that vacillated so much about EVERYTHING. One minute they love show more each other, the next minute they are sure that the other is being unfaithful, and then they ignore each other and then without reason they love each other again and on and on it goes for like 400 pages. In a word: obnoxious. AND neither of them ever talks about their issues with the other. I would think that in the course of a 5+ year marriage a husband and wife would discuss something, anything! and if they had, there would have been a lot less drama. For example: Marget, "So I'm best buds with Lady Winters." Lyntham "Lady Winters? She's a snake! Avoid her." And then all problems would be avoided and this book would be like 5 pages long, instead of 400. Not to mention the fact that the characters are totally unrealistic. So Marget knows Lady Winters is a snake, has betrayed her and wants Lyntham for herself and what is the first thing she does after coming to this realization? She chooses to listen to Lady Winters again instead of trusting what she has with her husband of 5 years. Unrealistic. And to top it off? Everyone (especially the main characters) is incurably selfish. Running over and killing little kids in the street, refusing to help the poor, turning on and insulting their servants without the least provocation, and choosing to rant about their own measly feelings of insecurity when the entire countryside is dying from starvation and plague.... the list goes on.

I would recommend avoiding this book, unless you want to read about the effects of lead poisoning or you really hate Queen Elizabeth and want to see her bashed to pieces for hundreds of pages. In the end, the only emotion this book inspired in me was pity for Queen Elizabeth who Mitchell unmercifully shredded throughout this lackluster work.

Also, they still put lead in makeup so where does that leave us? show less

I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book! I love historical fiction, but I didn't realize when I requested it that it was listed as Christian fiction as well (not really my cup of tea). However, this story wasn't any more religious than any other book dealing with this time period might be, and while reading it I never would have referred to it as Christian fiction if I hadn't known it was listed as such. Aside from that, I enjoyed the story itself, particularly with Queen Elizabeth as a secondary character (and not a terribly flattering portrayal of her, either, which was a nice change). Also, the author made court life seem rather boring at times, and it's rare to see this in historical novels. More intrigue, betrayal, show more passion and love than I would have suspected from a short book -- definitely enjoyed it! show less

I LOVE historical fiction. This book hooked me in and did not let go. I read it until I could not keep my eyes open any longer. This book was not only romantic and sweet it was very well written. Mitchell did a wonderful job of plot development and character connection. Her descriptions of everything were so vivid and real I felt as though I could smell the stink of London and feel the cold air coming through the windows of an empty mansion. The symbolism and theme of the book is also consistent and ingenious.

Mitchell doesn't romanticize Queen Elizabeth's reign or her court. The reader sees how Marget sacrifices her own identity to blend in, literally. This is the first historical romance book that shows the negative side effects of using lead to paint faces, dyeing hair to match the Queen, and the courtier's role to "court" Elizabeth all the time.

When I first heard about A Constant Heart, I wasn't sure whether it would be historical fiction or closer to a historical romance. The title and cover seemed to indicate romance, but since it sounded interesting, I decided to give it a try anyways. I can now definitely say that it is a historical fiction novel; while there are definitely romantic elements (indeed, the romance of Lytham and Marget is arguably the main storyline), I didn't interpret it as a romance. There was just too much other stuff going on.

The details in Mitchell's book are amazing. It is clear that a lot of research went into the crafting of this novel; she really paints a picture of what the life of a courtier really was. It was also nice to read the story of a show more noble, rather than that of a famous personage in history. Indeed, I can't help but compare this book to The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. Both are stories of Earls: the Earl of Lytham and the Earl of Shrewsbury. However, The Other Queen has the story of Mary, Queen of Scots lurking behind it; it is not really the story of Shrewsbury or how he lived. Instead, it is the tale of how he dealt with his royal prisoner.

A Constant Heart really is simply a story of how courtiers lived. Yes, Queen Elizabeth makes a few appearances here and there. But really, the value in this book is the glimpse it provides of life in the Elizabethan area for nobles, without revolving around some other famous personage. In my opinion, the life of a courtier was rather desperate; despite all the historical fiction I've read, this is the first time that has really been clear to me. All the other books I've read seem to use nobles as a foil for the story, rather than the story itself. This makes it unique, and a valuable read.

There are some frustrations in A Constant Heart. The Earl of Lytham and his young bride seem to talk around each other rather than to each other for much of the book, leading to misunderstandings. But in the end, the story is extremely rewarding. The novel itself draws the reader in, and you'll find yourself lost in the wonderfully detailed world of Elizabethan England that Mitchell provides. I highly recommend this book to any historical fiction or romance fans.

From S. Krishna's Books show less

A fast read, this book is mostly fiction with a little bit of history mixed in. I read it in the span of a weekend and found myself sucked in, feeling as though I was a part of the story. I could see the gowns and all the splendor of court life, yet feel the disappointment that accompanies it all at the same time.

In this novel, a knights daughter Margret is to wed the Earl of Lytham. The story starts just before their first meeting and goes through the ups and downs of their marriage. Margret is very beautiful and this troubles Lytham greatly - we learn over time that his previous (annulled) marriage was to a beautiful woman who betrayed him and he no longer trusts women who possess beauty. Over time, however, Margret is able to show more convince him through her loyalties that she is emphatically not his previous wife and does in fact possess a constant heart as he desires.

This is the sort of book that makes me question our general fascination and love affair with Tudor England. We don’t often get a glimpse into what life was like for people not in the favor of Elizabeth I, and it can be heartbreaking to see what goes into those lives. I think with the current Tudor craze, we’ve all fictionalized that time period to an extent and are loathe to let in the realization that both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were a bit on the crazy side and really required a lot of their people.

I really felt badly for Margret through much of this book. Her realization that she was misled through much of her life at court is very difficult to see because really, you want to see the heroine of the book succeed and not fall prey to schemes.

It’s also interesting to see the effect of the white paint the women used during this time to make themselves as pale as possible. It amazes me to see the affect the queen could have on fashion, that everyone was willing to fore go their health and happiness to simply be accepted. Things like this make me feel so much for the women of history, to see the sacrifices they were all forced to make for their husbands, fathers, etc. It’s hard to believe that they were simply pawns in a big game.

I did find myself, at the end, questioning Margret’s sense for a bit, and also wondering “what happens next” for her and Lytham. I’d be interested to see a sequel to see how things go for them. Even though they are completely fictional characters, I can still get caught up in their lives and wonder how things turn out. show less

Mitchell doesn't romanticize Queen Elizabeth's reign or her court. The reader sees how Marget sacrifices her own identity to blend in, literally. This is the first historical romance book that shows the negative side effects of using lead to paint faces, dyeing hair to match the Queen, and the courtier's role to "court" Elizabeth all the time.