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THE RELUCTANT QUEEN - Jean Plaidy  A Perfect 10 Three Rivers Press ISBN: 978-0-307-34615-5 August 2007 Historical Fiction England - 1470 Lady Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, also known as the Kingmaker, is but a pawn in the power struggle between the Yorkists and Lancastrians. Like most high-born women of her day, she has very little say in what her future will be. As a child growing up in the north of England, she befriends the young Duke of Gloucester, Richard, who is King Edward's brother. They become soul mates, gravitating towards one another as they live in the shadows of their elder, glorious siblings. Anne's older sister, Isabel, has fallen in love with George, Richard's second oldest brother, the upwardly mobile Duke of Clarence, who feels he should be the king. It doesn't help that Anne and Isabel's equally ambitious father who placed Edward on the throne, is having second thoughts about that decision, and plots to replace Edward with George -- who will, of course, be married to Isabel. But all does not go the earl's way, and Anne suddenly finds herself living in France with the Lancastrian Queen, betrothed to her son, who is fighting to regain his family's place on the throne of England. Anne's destiny is to be Queen of England, despite the long road taken to reach that point. It's a destiny she does not wish for, however. All she wants is to be with Richard, and how she gets to that junction in her life is vividly portrayed in this excellent novel. THE RELUCTANT QUEEN was first published in 1990, and it is still a beautifully written and presented story. Jean Plaidy, the pen name for Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr, helped me cut my teeth on historical fiction. She wrote about every phase of English history and her Queens of England series is one of the best. Narrated by Anne, THE RELUCTANT QUEEN reveals the hope, promise, and heartache of a remarkable woman. And it illustrates the timelessness of Jean Plaidy's writing. She will always be a Perfect 10 in my eyes. Jani Brooks |
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