Each of the books in this series tells the tale of a secondary character and I think that is what hooked me in the first place. The fourth book in her Secrets of the Tudor Court series, it is centered around a lesser known character in Henry VIII’s court, Anne Stafford, who is sister to the Duke of Buckingham. And wow, it’s going to be hard to top! I enjoyed it so much! Paperback (December 14th, 2010): $23.At the King’s Pleasure by Kate Emerson is my first read of the year.

The characters are subtle and well-drawn.' - Publishers Weekly Product Details 'It is this heroine that separates this book from the pack. Rich and lushly detailed, teeming with passion and intrigue, this is a novel in which you can happily immerse yourself in another time and place.' - Kathe Robin, Romantic Times 'In the first in Emerson's series, it's hard to tell where reality ends and fiction begins. 'History, love, lust, power, ambitions - The Pleasure Palace is a pleasure indeed.' - Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boleyn Can she cultivate her beauty and her amorous wiles to guide her along a perilous path and bring her at last to happiness? But the Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane’s birth that have made her deadly enemies. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart-and more-to a man she can never marry. But as she grows into a lovely young woman, she still receives flattering attention from the virile young men flocking to serve the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for a powerful marriage, or perhaps even marriage at all. Jane Popyncourt was brought to the court as a child to be ward of the king and a companion to his daughters-the princesses Margaret and Mary. Basing her gripping tale on the life of the real Jane Popyncourt, gifted author Kate Emerson brings the Tudor monarchs, their family, and their courtiers to brilliant life in this vibrant novel.īeautiful.

The pleasure palace by kate emerson