Brazen

May 15, 2014
In a companion to Gilt (2012) and Tarnish (2013), Longshore chooses as her heroine a member of Henry VIII's household less well-known than Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn, the respective subjects of her earlier novels.Mary Howard FitzRoy's story provides a fresh perspective for a retelling of the cruel and tragic drama of the Tudor court. The child bride of Henry VIII's illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, young Mary has the misfortune to fall in love with her 14-year-old husband. Although marriage to the royal heir makes her a duchess and thus higher in rank than her haughty mother, her life as a royal wife is mostly frightening and lonely. The young spouses are forbidden to consummate their marriage for fear of injury to the male heir. Fitz is often away on court business, while Mary is alienated from her female companions and left to wait on the doomed Anne Boleyn. Mary's unsatisfying romance with her young husband plays out against a backdrop of court intrigue, power struggles, and the sequential rises and demises of Henry's wives. The couple plot to run away together, but they are held by the invisible ties of the powerful men who determine their destiny and those of the people around them.In this third novel in her trilogy, Longshore skillfully blends history with romance, weaving a compelling, poignant story of love, loss and betrayal. (family tree, author's note) (Historical fiction. 13-17)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Married at age 14 to the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, Mary Howard feels alone and confused at court. Her isolation is compounded by the king's command that she shall not share quarters with her new husband. Befriended by two other maids-in-waiting, Madge Shelton and Margaret Douglas, Mary makes her way through the tenuous waters of the Tudor court and explores the complexities of love, power, and duty. Longshore combines two remarkably unstable things in this dense novel: modern teenage sensibilities and King Henry VIII. Despite these tantalizing topics, repetitive text and a number of subplots make this a convoluted read. A brief author's note details the true history of Mary Howard and her companions at court. Fans of the author's other offerings about the Tudors-Gilt (2012) and Tarnish (2013, both Viking)-and the TV show Reign will enjoy this steamy historical romance, perfect for teens not yet ready for Philippa Gregory's novels.-Sara Saxton, Wasilla Public Library, Wasilla, AK

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 Historical fiction often challenges a writer to weave an entertaining story around actual events and people. But the more the audience knows about a time period, the more criticism of embellishing is apt to surface. In her third novel about Henry VIII's reign, Longshore circumvents this dilemma by choosing as her heroine Mary Fitzroy, the rarely referenced 14-year-old bride of Henry's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond. History tells us little except that Mary was outspoken in defense of her land and title after her husband's untimely death. Longshore has crafted this tidbit into a delightful character study of a quiet, yet spunky young woman who skirted the edges of treason and subsequent censure in part due to her friendship with members of the court. With detailed descriptions of both the lavish royal lifestyle and the brutal horror of Henry VIII's determination to become the head of the church, readers will find themselves both fascinated and terrified as this independent young woman fights to live and love on her own terms.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
At age fourteen, Mary Howard and Henry FitzRoy (an illegitimate son of King Henry VIII) were married but forbidden to consummate the relationship. From this thin skein of historic fact, Longshore weaves a tale of love growing amid the corruption, ambition, and betrayals of the Tudor court. Detailed research and a deftly composed heroine make this hefty historical romance novel satisfying.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)