Between Two Queens (Secrets of the Tudor Court, #2) by Kate Emerson

Mar 05, 2010 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Between Two Queens loosely tells the story of Anne "Nan" Basset, who arrives at the court of King Henry VIII at the age of 16 with the hopes of serving as maid of honor to his third queen, Jane Seymour, and of catching a wealthy titled husband in the process. Nan and her sister Catherine compete for the position of maid of honor and the King selects Nan because she is very beautiful. Nan's position of Maid of Honor to Queen Jane doesn't last long, as the Queen famously dies shortly after giving...more Between Two Queens loosely tells the story of Anne "Nan" Basset, who arrives at the court of King Henry VIII at the age of 16 with the hopes of serving as maid of honor to his third queen, Jane Seymour, and of catching a wealthy titled husband in the process. Nan and her sister Catherine compete for the position of maid of honor and the King selects Nan because she is very beautiful. Nan's position of Maid of Honor to Queen Jane doesn't last long, as the Queen famously dies shortly after giving birth to her son, the future King Edward VI. Because King Henry VIII is attracted to Nan, Nan is ultimately extended a position to return to court as maid of honor for his fourth queen. In the meantime, Nan finds herself in some trouble and chooses to continue on her path of attracting a wealthy husband with a title rather than a possibly happy and contented life as the wife of a common man without wealth. The novel follows Nan's trials and tribulations as maid of honor to Anne of Cleves and then to the ill-fated Catherine Howard with brief mention of her time in the service of Katheryn Parr.

In my mind, I kept comparing this novel to Phillipa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance, as it covers much of the same period of Henry VIII's life. This novel is definitely superior, as it is less repetitive while also getting the point across about Henry's degeneration from a handsome King into a cruel and nasty fat old man with an oozing, pussy leg. Also interesting, this novel takes the point of view of a courtier and paints a clear picture of Henry's despotism and the odd dynamic by which the ambitious needed to ingratiate themselves to the King in order to advance financially and socially while also risking at any moment making a comment or acting in a way that could displease the King and cost them their heads. Nan herself becomes dependant on her position as a courtier, as Henry imprisons her family for treason (this is historical fact, and not a spoiler IMO), leaving her with few prospects and no way of attracting a noble, wealthy husband without somehow staying at court in an attempt to somehow prod Henry into freeing them. Between Two Queens is much more subtle than The Boleyn Inheritance in portraying the terror that courtiers must have felt at this period in Henry's life, but is very effective in conveying the undercurrent of fear that surely must have influenced behavior, thoughts, and actions of the nobility.

This novel, while good in many ways, was not amazing. To me, it was a 3.5 star novel. In the first half of the novel, in particular, Nan is portrayed as extremely self-centered and unlikeable. The author also gives Nan a "secret" which seems rather unrealistic - and I tend to be uncomfortable with character assassinations of real people when they are not grounded in fact. Later on in the novel, I think Nan becomes more sympathetic as she seems to lose much of her conceit and pride when she loses her social status/position due to her family's troubles with treason. The first half of the novel was very fluffy, but the second half of the novel was substantially better as a study of court life. I was much less interested in the author's invention of the skeleton's in Nan's closet compared to Nan's observations of the Queens whom she served, of Henry and his courtiers, and of a country run by a despotic, megalomaniac King.

** Reviewed for Amazon Vine ** (less)

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Aug 10, 2011 Misa St.Cloud rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: misleading-title, me-owns

Ok, I'm not going to lie. I took me almost 1 year and 3 tries to finish this book. That enough should warrant this book at most 2 stars but surprisingly, I'll give it 4.

Plot

16 year old Anne "Nan" Bassett and her older sister, Catherine "Cat" Bassett are being shipped off to England from France. One of the girls will join Queen Jane Seymour's ladies-in-waiting/maid-of-honor. Nan, being the prettier and more flirtatious of the two, gets chosen but not by the current Queen but by the ~~womanizer,~~...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

After reading the first book in Kate Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series, I wasn't too excited about continuing the series, primarily because there are better Tudor novels out there and I didn't see the need to spend time reading the rest of Emerson's series. However, when I saw this book come through on Amazon Vine, I thought I'd give it another try -plus the cover was absolutely gorgeous.

Between Two Queens talks about the life of Anna "Nan" Bassett after she comes to court with her sis...more After reading the first book in Kate Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series, I wasn't too excited about continuing the series, primarily because there are better Tudor novels out there and I didn't see the need to spend time reading the rest of Emerson's series. However, when I saw this book come through on Amazon Vine, I thought I'd give it another try -plus the cover was absolutely gorgeous.

Between Two Queens talks about the life of Anna "Nan" Bassett after she comes to court with her sister Catherine to be a maid of honor to Queen Jane Seymour. Nan is pulled into some court intrigue and eventually, a romance with Edward Corbett. After Queen Jane dies and Henry VIII marries the unattractive Anna of Cleves, Nan catches the king's attention and she senses the opportunity to become queen herself. Spanning from the end of Queen Jane's (wife #3) reign to the beginning of Queen Catherine Parr's (wife #6), Between Two Queens gives an interesting and lush portrait of the later queens in Henry VIII's life.

Emerson's writing skills seemed to have improved since The Pleasure Palace and, this time around, the pacing was considerably better and the characters more interesting. While I know these subjects have been done before countless times, approaching the subject matter through the eyes of a lesser-known noblewoman gave it a nice spin.

I did find that the book's "packaging" was a little deceiving. After looking at the cover art, the summary on back and the quotes chosen for the cover imply that this is going to be some kind of bodice-ripping romance novel along the lines of the popular Phillipa Gregory novel The Other Boleyn Girl or the Showtime series The Tudors. While there is some romance, there is hardly any bodice-ripping and, frankly, the descriptions of Nan's intimidate times with the old, fat and ulcer-plagued Henry VIII were incredibly difficult to read (okay, almost to the point that I couldn't read it due to the nausea growing in my stomach). While I have to admit that the cover art itself is gorgeous, it didn't quite correspond to the contents.

Much better than The Pleasure Palace, Between Two Queens is a great addition to a Tudor fan's library and definitely got me officially addicted to Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series. I don't know if there will be sequels or when they will come out, but I'll be watching. (less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Rachel Swords rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: tudors

The premise of this book sounds interesting: a closer look at one of the minor figures in the Tudor period, Anne Bassett. Sadly, what follows does not seem to match at all. A one-night stand suddenly makes Anne Bassett Henry VIII's mistress, and this supposedly ambitious woman who wants to be queen and follow in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour as maids-turned-queen flinches every time she gets anywhere close to that goal and then whines to herself later about not getting the job do...more

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Jan 05, 2010 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson
Historical Romance-Jan. 5, 2010
4 stars

Between Two Queens is an interesting peek into the Court life of the Tudor reign as seen through the eyes of the brash and young Anne Basssett. Nan Basset was a real person and Kate Emerson does a wonderful job of bringing her to life.
From the moment Nan Basset is chosen as a Maid of Honor to Queen Jane she hopes to use her position to find a young, wealthy and well-connected husband and furthe...more Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson
Historical Romance-Jan. 5, 2010
4 stars

Between Two Queens is an interesting peek into the Court life of the Tudor reign as seen through the eyes of the brash and young Anne Basssett. Nan Basset was a real person and Kate Emerson does a wonderful job of bringing her to life.
From the moment Nan Basset is chosen as a Maid of Honor to Queen Jane she hopes to use her position to find a young, wealthy and well-connected husband and further the ambitions of her and family. But her plans are thrown into turmoil when Queen Jane suddenly dies after giving birth. Nan is left adrift, she no longer has a post and she struggles to find a way to stay at court, the seat of power. But her drive is derailed with the attentions of King Henry VIII and constant intrigue that keeps her on her toes. Can Nan find love and navigate her way through court while still helping her family?

This was a fascinating look into the Tudor Court that felt real and alive. Greed and power drive much of the action in this story as the characters try to find favor with either the King or Queen. It is really a tale of a young woman’s coming of age. Nan is determined to have a life away from her overbearing mother. But when she first arrives she is unprepared for the danger, intrigue and excesses of court life. Nan quickly learns and is soon planning and manipulating her way through the often malicious court life.

This book sometimes did feel a little like an autobiography although the author does an excellent job of making Nan more accessible. I often had the feel of reading a Philippa Gregory historical but for me it lacked a little of the emotional connection I’ve had when reading Philippa Gregory’s stories.

Although I did find the story absorbing, the one weak spot for me was that I never really warmed up to Nan. Nan’s self absorption and cunning made for good reading but I never felt very sympathetic towards her. It would have been nice if she rose above some of the actions of the other court players and was not so devious or self-centered but I believe the author showed her actions to demonstrate the reality of Tudor Times and the need for survival.

If you love historicals, (especially books by Phillippa Gregory) and thrill at dangerous intrigue this is a solid book you will not want to miss!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
(less)

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Mar 08, 2010 Marie Z. Johansen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed Between Two Queens – the first book I have read by Kate Emerson. I did not want to stop reading it ! I think that the cover could have been chosen more carefully – for me the cover choice would be more appropriate for a real romance sort of novel rather than the good historical novel that this book actually is.

The novel recounts the story of the two Bassett sisters, Nan (Anne) and Cat (Catherine).
The sisters parents, Honor Grenville and step-father Arthur Plantagenet, Lord L...more I thoroughly enjoyed Between Two Queens – the first book I have read by Kate Emerson. I did not want to stop reading it ! I think that the cover could have been chosen more carefully – for me the cover choice would be more appropriate for a real romance sort of novel rather than the good historical novel that this book actually is.

The novel recounts the story of the two Bassett sisters, Nan (Anne) and Cat (Catherine).
The sisters parents, Honor Grenville and step-father Arthur Plantagenet, Lord Lisle are from Calais, the last English toehold in France, where Lord Lisle is the deputy. In 1537 both sisters are brought to Court in the hopes of being chosen to be a Maid of Honor to Queen Jane Seymour. Nan, the somewhat more vivacious of the two is chosen while her sister is taken in by Lady Rutland where she lives in a less glittering but more stable home.

England ,during this time ,is newly protestant but challenges, plots and protests against the new religion are rampant; Court is rife with intrigue, suspicions, greed, power & sex. Nan is ambitious and hopes that her new post as a Lady-in-Waiting will make it possible for her to meet and marry a man of substance – and she is glad to be free of the constrictions that her mother, Honor, placed up her while she lived in Calais. Nan also leaves behind the attentions of a handsome servitor to her step-father – Edward Corbett. Nan has feelings for Corbett but his prospects in life leave much to be desired for a woman who dreams of money and power. Unfortunately Nan’s new position is obtained just days before Queen Jane is confined awaiting the birth of her child – and Nan is forced to become confined with the Queen – thwarting her excitement over her new position and the glittering life at Court it promised. When Queen dies from puerperal fever Nan is set adrift with no real position and no real home. Her hopes of meeting a suitable gentleman are quashed – for the moment.

Ultimately King Henry VIII takes an interest in Nan and they have a short lived flirtation and Nan remains at Court to once again become a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne of Cleves and then enters the household of Henry’s next Queen, Katherine Howard. Ultimately Nan becomes a friend to Katherine Parr and remains at Court during her reign. Throughout her many different positions in the Court Nan is admired by a much younger man, Wat Hungerford. Although Nan is interested and faltered by the young man’s attentions she rejects him as an appropriate suitor because of both his age and the fact that his family’s lands and titles had been confiscated by King Henry – Wat simply had no prospects. The books successfully weaves the story of this relationship throughout it’s pages – not overpowering the story in any way but definitely adding to the pleasure of reading the book.

The loyalties of Nan’s family are called into question after a plot is discovered and they are imprisoned. It falls on Nan’s shoulders to clear their names and restore the family’s good name. This becomes another fascinating sub-plot.

I could go on but should stop before I give the whole book away! As you can perhaps tell, I really did enjoy this book and am looking forward to now reading Kate Emersons other books. I read one review that called this book Tudor lite – and in some ways I concur. This is, after all, historical fiction – not non-fiction. The book does, however, contain mostly historically correct information. One feature that I especially liked about this book is the section in the back called “ the who’s who of the Tudor Court” which provides abbreviated biographical sketches of the characters in the book. Also included are an interview with the author and an excellent reading group guide. Anyone interested in British history, the Tudors and good historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy this book I think.

I read one review that called this book Tudor lite – and in some ways I concur. This is, after all, historical fiction – not non-fiction. The book does, however, contain mostly historically correct information. One feature that I especially liked about this book is the section in the back called “ the who’s who of the Tudor Court” which provides abbreviated biographical sketches of the characters in the book. Also included are an interview with the author and an excellent reading group guide. Anyone interested in British history, the Tudors and good historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy this book I think.
(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Rio (Lynne) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Even though I did not like Emerson's first novel The Pleasure Palace, I thought I'd try her again. This book left out the annoying pages and pages of dress and pageantry details that bored me in the first book. In this one Emerson paints a story about lesser known Nan Bassett who serves as a Lady in Waiting to 4 of Henry VIII's wives and Queen Mary. She is not very likable, but that is because her Mother made her that way. It was all about scoring titles and ignoring love. I did not like Emerson...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Shari Larsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Secrets of the Tudor Court series. This one tells the story of Anne (called Nan in this book) Bassett, a real woman who part of King Henry VIII's court. As the story opens, the ambitious Nan joins the court just as Queen Jane Seymour is about to give birth to the king's son. Nan hopes to use her position to advance herself and her family, but when the queen dies from complications of childbirth, Nan's plans are thrown into a turmoil.

Nan catches the eye of King Henr...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is historical fiction (though based on many real-life characters). I've read all of Kate Emerson's Tudor books now and I must admit this one was a better attempt at a more realistic character portrayal. Women in the 16th Century were considered worthy only by the families they came from and the potential marriage dowry they would bring. No dowry=no decent chance at marriage. So both sexes had it drummed into their heads from birth that their main goal in life was to make a "good" marriage....more

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Jul 27, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tudors

I really enjoyed this book! It's a bit more political and less romance than the first book in the series, but it's still very good. I like how the author included a lot of details about how the members of the court lived beck then; she discusses everything from the type of fabric used to make the ladies' dresses, to the exact rules for playing a particular dice game, to how much salary a lady in waiting received!

This book is about Anne "Nan" Bassett, and takes place probably between 15 and 20 ye...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vine, historical-fiction-tudor-1485-1603, read-in-2010, new-in-2010, series-trilogy

This is the first novel I've read by Kate Emerson and I found myself pleasantly surprised by the story and the writing. I have to confess I am one who often judges a book by it's cover and I didn't care for this one. So, if you have a similar reaction I would urge you not to judge this book by it's cover.

I enjoyed this story and appreciated that the author included a family tree, two maps and a list of historical characters as resources for her readers. It's clear that Emerson has done her rese...more This is the first novel I've read by Kate Emerson and I found myself pleasantly surprised by the story and the writing. I have to confess I am one who often judges a book by it's cover and I didn't care for this one. So, if you have a similar reaction I would urge you not to judge this book by it's cover.

I enjoyed this story and appreciated that the author included a family tree, two maps and a list of historical characters as resources for her readers. It's clear that Emerson has done her research on the period. I thought she did an excellent job of illustrating the politics in King Henry VIII's court and wove interesting bits of historical information into the narrative as well.

I would caution readers that there are spoilers written into the descriptions of the historical characters in the back of the book. So, if you are like me and don't want to know how the story ends until you read it you may want to post-pone reading that portion until you've finished the book. I also liked the way Emerson started each chapter with a passage from actual letters from the period that were about the historical figures in this story.

I know some readers might not care for the ambitious nature of the heroine's character but I think that it was a realistic portrayal of how many courtiers behaved. I thought the story was well paced, well researched and compelling. At first I wasn't sure I was going to be able to relate to the heroine because of her affection toward King Henry and I was concerned that the author was going to paint a picture of Henry VIII that would be inconsistent with everything else I've read about the man. But I thought she did a very good job describing the danger of being in King Henry's favor and painted a consistent portrait of the man himself.

While some readers will think it a negative to be compared to Philipa Gregory I have to say that this reminds me of 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and 'The Boleyn Inheritance', both of which I enjoyed. It also reminds me of 'Innocent Traitor' by Alison Weir and it made me want to read 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel. (less)

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Dec 21, 2009 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

In Kate Emerson's second installment in the Secrets of The Tudor Court series, Emerson brings to life the character she imagines as Nan Bassett. Called 'Nan' by her friends, there is not a lot known about Anne Bassett, this mistress of Henry VIII, except that he had courted her briefly. How far that went is unknown, but Henry seemed to be fond of her. The author takes this a bit further, and has Nan in the midst of Tudor court intrigues, as a maid of honor to Jane Seymour, albeit quite briefly d...more

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Mar 21, 2010 Svea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, tudor

You can read my full review here: Full Review It is always refreshing to read a book set during the Tudor court without it being directly about one of King Henry VIII's Queens. Secrets of the Tudor Court, Between Two Queens focused more on the time in between the queens of England, hence the title. The author did a great job of portraying the vast personality differences with each queen. Nan was a very unlikable and most of her suffering she brought on herself, but I was still able to sympathize...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Ashlee rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is about the life of Anne (Nan) Bassett. Kate Emerson weaves fact with imagination to create the second book in the "Secrets of the Tudor Court" series. After reading the first book I was excited to read the second book, but was fairly disappointed. I was not ever really "into" this book. The main character Nan was slightly bothersome and was fairly selfish and unlikable in my opinion. The concept of time in this book is difficult to follow. I didn't feel like the passing of time happe...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I needed my Tudor fix and I am not familiar with the character of Nan Bassett, so I am thoroughly enjoying this story told from her point of view. The last half of the book was full of the Tudor intrigue and I could not put it down. As usual, since there are only about 6 names used in the 1500's, it was a bit hard to keep track of the various characters.
The author has a great mini biography section at the end where she lists and describes the various royals contained within the story.

I love lea...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Traci rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 28, 2010 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I am absolutely enthralled with the Tudor period of history, from Margaret George's "Autobiography of Henry VIII" to "A Man for All Seasons," "Anne of the Thousand Days," and the entire Philippa Gregory series.

How have I missed Kate Emerson's "Secrets of the Tudor Court" until now. "Between Two Queens" is the second of her books about Tudor England. It follows a maid-in-waiting, Anne Bassett, as she flirts and hopes and tries to snag a RICH man, who is not on Henry's execution list. When she fin...more

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Sep 05, 2010 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tudor Fans

Recommended to Melissa by: Jody Jonas

Different from the original in the series--the only repeat character is really King Henry VIII. I didn't connect to Nan, the main character, nearly as well as I did with Jane Popnycourt from the 1st book in the series. In the beginning, Nan's naivety and youthful snobbish attitude toward Cat & Ned were annoying and frustrating. Fortunately for the book's 3 star rating, Nan improved as a character around page 100 and I enjoyed it more and more from there. The time in Tudor Court wasn't as int...more

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Jun 03, 2012 NayNay rated it 4 of 5 stars

BETWEEN TWO QUEENS is a breath taking historical fiction novel. Kate Emerson creates a vivid tale of the Tudor Court. The beauty, the scandels, the power, the love and lust, make for a wonderful story. And characters that are brave, strong and independent. The passion that the author pens in this novel makes you sweep through the heroine life as if you where right there with her. This is book two in the SECRET OF THE TUDOR COURT and I think much more intriguing than the first book, I look forwar...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, own-it

It's been a while since I've read a historical fiction on the Tudors. I, like many, am fascinated with the Tudor royal court. This book brought me right back into it. :) The author has done extensive research on the history and on the characters in her story. Most of them are real people from the time. At the end of the book she includes a "who's who" from the characters in her book. There is a brief description of most everyone in her story who was a real person, including their birth dates and...more

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May 01, 2013 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Between Two Queens is the second in Kate Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series. I adored the first, The Pleasure Palace, and high hopes and expectations for this read. I was surprised that Emerson followed up her immensely popular portrayal of Jane Popyncourt with such a surprising characterization of Anne “Nan” Bassett. We meet Nan as she competes against her sister for a position in Queen Jane Seymour’s household. She is young, naïve, and without substance so naturally King Henry takes a...more Between Two Queens is the second in Kate Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series. I adored the first, The Pleasure Palace, and high hopes and expectations for this read. I was surprised that Emerson followed up her immensely popular portrayal of Jane Popyncourt with such a surprising characterization of Anne “Nan” Bassett. We meet Nan as she competes against her sister for a position in Queen Jane Seymour’s household. She is young, naïve, and without substance so naturally King Henry takes a liking to her and Nan is chosen for the post. However, Nan is shocked to discover that she will join Queen Jane in her confinement the following day and locked away from court and the wealthy and titled eligible men that she desperately longs to eventually marry.

Nan’s character begins to gather depth after she is sent away from court on the death of Queen Jane. Nan begins a physical relationship with Ned Corbett, a gentleman in her stepfather’s household. A pregnancy results and Nan manages to emerge without tarnishing her reputation and sees that her son is taken in by a loving family. Back at court awaiting the arrival of Anne of Cleves Nan does have a brief sloppy encounter with the King, who is so intoxicated, that she easily convinces him he has deflowered her. At last, she seems to develop a depth to her character and rather than dreaming of becoming Queen she begins to dream of life as a mother and wonders and misses her son.

Between Two Queens, follows Nan’s life at court while in service to the last four of Henry's six wives. We meet Nan as a spoiled teenager but her character grows as the novel progresses and ultimately Nan becomes a cautious but successful courtier in an intrigued filled dangerous court with a growingly erratic King.

Interestingly, Emerson begins each chapter with passages from actual letters written by historical figures in this story. I really enjoyed this addition. Not only did it add some primary historical documentation that enhanced and reinforced Emerson’s portrayal. So while I didn’t find Between Two Queens as intriguing a read as The Pleasure Palace, I did appreciate the evolution of the portrayal of Nan Bassett and in the end found myself admiring her ability to survive and thrive at the Tudor Court. Without a doubt, Emerson continues to breath new life into the lesser-known women of the Tudor era while weaving what is known about their lives into the larger historical story while remaining true to fact. I am eagerly anticipating the third installment in the series: By Royal Decree.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Tania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am hopelessly addicted to novels about the Tudor court, though some admittedly are better than others. Here we see events through the eyes of Anne Basset, a real person who did live through those times.

Nan Basset hopes to find a young, wealthy husband during her service to the queen, and if possible to help her family while doing so. Unfortunately for her, Queen Jane dies after giving birth to a son, and the King's household is once more in turmoil. Nan struggles to find a way to stay at cour...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Mandy Moody rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-royalty, historical-fiction

I would give this 3.5 stars, if I could...
The second book in Kate Emersons "Secrets of the Tudor Court" series, Between Two Queens focus's on the life of Anne (Nan) Basset, a minor noblewoman who served in the households of several Tudor Queens.
The book opens with Nan and her sister, Cat, competing for a place as Lady in Waiting to Queen Jane Seymore. Nan catches the eye of King Henry and is chosen over her sister.
She's thrilled by the attention from Henry, and is attracted to him from that mome...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Ana Mardoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens / 978-1-4165-8327-1

It seems you can hardly swing a cat these days without hitting some new artifact of Tudor historical fiction: between the Philippa Gregory novels (and the dozens of spawned similar novels) and the HBO series "The Tudors", people just can't seem to get enough of the seamy life of Henry VIII and his never-ending parade of wives and love affairs.

Superficially, "Between Two Queens" fits the mold well enough - slap an attractive facel...more Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens / 978-1-4165-8327-1

It seems you can hardly swing a cat these days without hitting some new artifact of Tudor historical fiction: between the Philippa Gregory novels (and the dozens of spawned similar novels) and the HBO series "The Tudors", people just can't seem to get enough of the seamy life of Henry VIII and his never-ending parade of wives and love affairs.

Superficially, "Between Two Queens" fits the mold well enough - slap an attractive faceless woman on the cover, complete with some breathtaking costume design, and embrace her from behind with a duskily attired faceless man, and away we go. Between the sumptuous covers, however, lies a solid story and a good addition to the Tudor fictional legacy.

"Between Two Queens" contains a fictional account of Nan Bassett, who serves in this novel as a maid of honor to various of Henry's wives, and who has the dubious honor of catching the king's attention. Like other novels of this ilk, Anne starts with the mad ambition of catching the king for marriage and becoming a queen in her own right, and I was initially frustrated to feel that Nan was yet another "tempestuous" (read: spoiled and childish) heroine laden with great ambitions and schemes. Author Emerson quickly seems to reassure the reader, however, that such behavior is no more attractive to her than it is to us, and over the course of this novel we come to see Nan evolve and grow from a selfish, unrealistic girl to a complex woman - one with dashed dreams, modest hopes, and a strong will to succeed in her small goals for the good of her family and friends.

I am impressed with this novel for the dynamic characterization of the main characters - it is refreshing to find a Tudor novel that portrays the characters with realism and not as caricatures to advance the story. Small details enhance the narrative, such as when Nan first meets the king and desires him in spite of his girth and age, and then later - after developing more experience and wisdom - she returns to his presence to truly see him through the eyes of a mature woman rather than a petulant child. The narrative flows freely and easily, with a subtlety that enhances the experience greatly - Nan in particular is never particularly perfect, but rather is canny without being overly clever and intelligent without being an direct author avatar. As such, I enjoyed this book and was pleased with the evolution of its characters.

(No cats were harmed in the writing of this review.)

NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through Amazon Vine.

~ Ana Mardoll(less)

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May 10, 2011 Meagan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, tudor, historical-fiction, ladies-in-waiting

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 08, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kate Emerson’s second book in her Secret’s of the Tudor Court series is set around Anne Bassett, known as Nan to her friends who desire’s nothing more than to marry a rich husband with a title (as one could best hope for in this era). Nan’s ambition manages to secure a place as one of Queen Jane Seymour’s maids of honour, chosen over her older sister and believes her life is now in motion, that she will now fulfil all her dreams. But Nan’s happiness doesn’t last for long – Queen Jane dies less t...more Kate Emerson’s second book in her Secret’s of the Tudor Court series is set around Anne Bassett, known as Nan to her friends who desire’s nothing more than to marry a rich husband with a title (as one could best hope for in this era). Nan’s ambition manages to secure a place as one of Queen Jane Seymour’s maids of honour, chosen over her older sister and believes her life is now in motion, that she will now fulfil all her dreams. But Nan’s happiness doesn’t last for long – Queen Jane dies less than two weeks after the birth of her son Edward, and the court goes into mourning. Unsure of her place after Queen Jane’s death, Nan leaves court battling her emotions with her dreams seemingly shattered. She falls in love with Ned, a man whom doesn’t have the title nor money to satisfy Nan, Nan secretly gives birth to a baby son adopting him out; secretly visiting him as often as she can. What Nan doesn’t expect, is to catch the eye of the King Henry VIII.

Returning to court, Nan idly plays along with King Henry VIII and wonders whether it might just be possible to win King Henry VIII over and be the next Queen of England. When Henry explains to Nan, that his next marriage is a matter of political policy, that he must marry a foreign princess (Anne of Cleaves) she still remains a favourite to King Henry VIII but steers the King away from her; Nan also learns that her son passed away with his adopted family to the Plague and guiltily wonders whether she could have kept him and saved him from the unpleasant death. Embroiled in the scandals of the Royal Court unwilling so due to her family being held under treason including young Ned; Nan starts to wonder what she really wants and is bereft for what may be lost. Nan is an intriguing character and grows over the course of the novel. From immature young lady to mature lady; her life experiences and court change her; she ends up being thoughtful, balanced women aware of what she wants and of her limitations.

It is nice to have a Tudor series based on the minor players of King Henry VIII court; Emerson blends historical fact with fiction creating an intriguing story about a woman faced with life altering decisions during Tudor England; Emerson has a wonderful way with words and characters and I feel myself lost in the pages of the book; it’s so easily to picture everything she describes, you can almost smell the dirtiness Nan complains about in London! Although I didn’t enjoy this second novel as much as I enjoyed Emerson’s first book, The Pleasure Palace; I would still recommend it and give it 4 stars!
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Feb 03, 2010 Robin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: england, historical-fiction, tudor

I enjoyed the first book in Emerson's Tudor Court series well enough so I picked up the second in the series to continue the journey. While the first book was okay this one really fell flat.

This story is about Anne (Nan) Bassett, a young woman who comes to Henry VIII's court not only hoping to be chosen as a maid of honor to Queen Jane but determined to find a husband, a wealthy one complete with a title. She eventually captures the eye of the king and hopes to use that as a way of achieving her...more I enjoyed the first book in Emerson's Tudor Court series well enough so I picked up the second in the series to continue the journey. While the first book was okay this one really fell flat.

This story is about Anne (Nan) Bassett, a young woman who comes to Henry VIII's court not only hoping to be chosen as a maid of honor to Queen Jane but determined to find a husband, a wealthy one complete with a title. She eventually captures the eye of the king and hopes to use that as a way of achieving her marriage goals though, of course, things don't work out as she wanted. Added to the mix is the pressure her mother puts on her to single-handedly advance the family socially and the fact that the family is caught up in intrigue and possible treason, which of course, Cromwell sniffs out . Aside from some really good details of life at the Tudor court, there really isn't much I can say about this novel. I never connected with any of the characters, finding them completely uninteresting. The main character, Anne Bassett, annoyed me throughout with her constant assessment of the men around her as marriage material: are they wealthy? do they have land? do they have a title? I understand that women of a certain social rank during this period did look for that in a man but she was so arrogant about it that it really made me dislike her. She really comes across as a greedy, self-serving little thing. Nan is constantly moving around in an effort to remain at court because, of course, you can't catch a titled husband anywhere else. The entire novel seemed a bit adrift as if the author wasn't entirely sure where she was going with it. I'm still not sure why she had Anne having a secret child, only to give it away and then have it die in the plague; I never saw the point in including this in the story as it never added anything to the overall narrative. At one point I thought one of the other young ladies was going to blackmail her with the knowledge but then that moment passed. Once she finally realized who she was in love with and wanted to marry, she wouldn't marry him until he had regained all his lands and their marriage is mentioned almost as an aside at the very end of the novel.

Anne Bassett was a real woman at Henry's court, though besides the fact that she was his mistress for a short time, not much is known about her. As in her first novel in the series, Emerson tried to weave mystery and intrigue into the story but I felt she really didn't succeed. Where as in the first novel I really did want to find out the answers to the "mystery," here I just didn't care. I would only recommend this to people looking for some light fluff to read and not someone who is very well read about the Tudor era. (less)

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Jan 05, 2010 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, historical-fiction

The story begins in 1537, King Henry VIII is in the middle of his reign and married to his 3rd wife Jane Seymour. Nan (Anne) Bassett & her sister Cat (Katherine) arrive at court. One of them is to be chosen to be a maid of honor to Queen Jane. Nan soon learns that the Tudor Court is a dangerous place to live, with games and intrigue around every corner.

I have always enjoyed reading about the Tudor Court but this is the first time I've read anything about Anne Bassett or her connection to the...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

With youth and beauty, Nan Bassett is chosen instead of her sister to be a maid of honor to the queen. Once inside the Tudor court, Nan has hopes of finding a husband with prestige and wealth. However, with King Henry taking an interest in her, Nan finds she could be in the running as the future queen of England. The overall story of Nan was enjoyable but the number of character's and politics involved was distracting.

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Mar 15, 2011 Thalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tudor

book two does not disappoint. In fact it's a better story than book one, an improvement of both plot and character development. I love how the author takes real life people and fills in her own blanks to flesh out a minor historical figure. She does it much better here. There are still a few times when it's a little over reached and the ending...well it's too fairy tale...but overall a lovely little Tudor holiday. Now where's book #3?

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title link	preview: Between Two Queens
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Between Two Queens (Secrets of the Tudor Court #2)

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