The Beloved

War of the Roses #3

by Posie Graeme-Evans

The thrilling climax to the trilogy that began with The Innocent and The Exiled brings Posie Graeme-Evans's bittersweet story of two lovers divided by the throne of England to its dramatic conclusion.

As England tears itself apart in the War of the Roses, Anne de Bohun lives far from the intrigues of cities and courts. Once King Edward IV's mistress, Anne has found safety with their son in Brugge. But now Edward himself is a hunted fugitive, and Anne's real father, King Henry VI, rules again from Westminster. Summoned by an enigmatic message from her lover, Anne is drawn once more to the passion, the excitement, and the deadly danger that Edward brings into her life. But now, the girl who was once a penniless servant has a child to protect and an inheritance to defend. Can she let her love for Edward threaten everything she has? Or will she need his help to protect her from the powerful enemy who means to destroy her?

Boasting an extraordinary heroine and intense, intersecting plots, The Uncrowned Queen is a dazzling and satisfying finale to Anne de Bohun's incredible story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, British Literature, Historical Romance, Medieval

448 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

Posie Graeme-Evans has worked in the Australian film and television industry for the last twenty-five years as an editor, director, and producer on hundreds of prime-time television programs, including McLeod's Daughters and Hi-5. She lives in Sydney with her husband and creative partner, Andrew Blaxland.

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first two books of this trilogy, but The Uncrowned Queen was just...boring. And repetitive. And boring. And repetitive.

Honestly, I'm not sure what happened. The Innocent & The Exiled were both laced with a fair bit of historical background, but adhering to FACTS(tm) wasn't the ultimate focus of those plots -- only fitting, given that there wasn't much wiggle room without tossing history to the wind. But hey, it's a fictional trilogy. Bending history is allowed.

...Except this book lost the joyful ignorance that made the others fun to read. Rather, The Uncrowned Queen was a plodding recount of Edward's quest to regain the throne -- mostly who was or wasn't interested in supporting him & why they took that stand -- interspersed with random moments featuring Anne or Elizabeth Wydeville, but neglecting other personalities that had hitherto been important to the story arc. All the characters were passionless & flat (nevermind the token sexy times) with less-than-distinctive scenes that gave them absolutely nothing to do. Did I mention the short chapters? Everything switches to another character & scene after 4-6 pages of text -- which would be irksome enough by itself, but THE OTHER BOOKS ARE NOT WRITTEN THIS WAY. Why was this one hammered out with such an unnatural flow? It reduced what little plot there was to a scatter-shot collage of vignettes.

Sorry, but this was a fail -- even with a couple halfhearted attempts at recapturing the WTFery from those first two books. It just wasn't enough spark after being bludgeoned with drab political yapping & a 'love story' that had already reached a comfortable conclusion at the end of Book 2. In short, this book is totally unnecessary. The Uncrowned Queen is 450 pages of needless padding...which I shall henceforth ignore. As far as I'm concerned, the Anne de Bohun saga is a duology, not a trilogy.

[Mirah W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the weakest of the series. It took too long for things to get going and I was bored for much of the first half of the book. I ended up liking the ending of the book and series.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

After gobbling up The Innocent and The Exiled, I was exciting to see how the Anne trilogy concluded in Posie Graeme-Evans' The Uncrowned Queen.

This volume in the series is considerably longer than its previous installments, but worth it. The story begins shortly after the end of The Exiled. Anne is getting back to her lonely life in exile when news of King Edward's disposal and King Henry VI's nominal return to power reaches her. It seems that the historical British civil war, The War of the Roses, has begun.

Packed to the brim with political intrigue, power games and romance, The Uncrowned Queen has considerably more plot than its predecessors and focuses more on power games and politics than on the forbidden romance between Anne and King Edward. Even though I found this to be a much-welcome, fresh departure from the other novels, it probably won't be what most readers of the series expect. While the Anne trilogy, at its heart, is a historical romance, The Uncrowned Queen leans much more heavily toward historical fiction with a massive cutback on romance.

The first 200 pages of this book, however, are incredibly, as well as surprisingly, slow. I was particularly amazed at the lack of word-smithing magic that was such a wonderful treat in the previous novels. Even though the prose in The Uncrowned Queen is still elegant and detailed, it just doesn't seem as natural to me as the other books, which made me feel like I was missing out a little bit. This was particularly evident during the dry section of the book, making it nearly impossible to plow through.

After the first section of the book, though, things really start to pick up. Anne returns to England with her son Edward to try and make a new life for themselves once King Edward is restored to the throne. Of course, it's never that easy. A ghost from the past returns to accuse Anne of witchcraft and more key figures learn about the truth of Anne's lineage...as well as her son's. The action becomes swift and easy to follow, but still seems a little far-fetched and unlikely.

I do have to hand it to Graeme-Evans though -the ending is very, very satisfying. As a long time reader, that seems to be the biggest problem I encounter -some writers have amazing craft and imagination, but simply can't complete their stories in a way that makes the reader satisfied. The Uncrowned Queen completely avoided this pitfall and delivered something unexpected, but perfect. Romance fans will probably be unhappy about the ending because it wasn't the predictable, perfect one, but it was an ending that was realistic and that made sense. I wasn't even sure if I liked it at first, but it's a massive improvement on the endings of The Innocent and The Exiled and proved that this isn't just a frivolous little historical romance series written for escapist purposes.

Even though it isn't the best historical romance/fiction out there, Posie Graeme-Evans' Anne trilogy and The Uncrowned Queen are lovely books that were obviously written with love and are pure enjoyment. I eagerly await future novels from this talented author.

[Meghan Wolstenholme · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not read the first two books of this trilogy and after finishing 'the uncrowned queen' I am glad I didn't.

I am not a historian however I do pride myself on my knowledge of English medieval history. Especially during the fifteenth century. The inaccuracy of the 'historical points' provided were very disappointing. Some of these inaccuracies probably wouldn't bother someone who isn't as familiar with English history but for someone like myself the use of 'your majesty' drove me up the wall. The term 'your majesty' was not used until Henry VIII several monarchs later.

I find myself always wondering why people feel the need to fluff history that is already rich in drama and super interesting? I love historical fictions and I understand the need to make up some stuff and characters to fill in the blanks, but there is so much to work with during this time period specifically that actually DID happen so why make up so much unnecessary BS?

I found the main character annoying and the romance between her and Edward predictable and corny. Not to mention if you're going to write about one of Edward IV's mistresses wouldn't you consider writing it on his most well known mistress Elizabeth Shore? Honestly I felt Edward's little love affair with Anne was distracting from the real events that were taking place and made him seem kind of fickle and easily led. I also didn't like the portrayal of Elizabeth Woodville at all.

Lastly this book was extremely hard to follow. Everything seemed scattered and thoughts and ideas were NOT developed properly. It was hard to know who's POV I was reading because it would change from one characters POV to another's without even a paragraph break!

I would give this book 2.5 stars if I had the option...

[Jessica Brockmole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Called 'The Beloved' in the UK, this is the last in the trilogy about Anne de Bohun, a fictional character who is the mistress of King Edward IV. The series takes place during the War of the Roses when the crown of England was much-contested.

It was an interesting time period--not one I knew much about--and the book was well-researched, but I never generated that much sympathy for the characters. I kept thinking, 'Anne, just get on with your life!'

I wasn't too sure about the series when I read the first book, as I thought it took far too long to get to the main story. Much of the first book deals with Anne working at the house of a merchant and there is a huge side story about the son of the house and another of the maids. The story doesn't really begin until she begins working at the palace, and the author takes a while to get there.

I felt it was a good story, but the author could've easily condensed it down to one book. There were many instances where she took a brief fact or bit of information that could've come across in a single sentence, and developed an entire chapter around it.

I do recommend this series if you like saga-type books or very detailed stories, but, for me, I got too impatient for it to finish and resolve itself.

[Gaile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heroine of this series doesn't seem to have existed in history. Jane Shore was actually the most famous mistress of Edward IV. As a character, Anne De Bohun appears to have nine lives as she escapes again and again from people who wish to be rid of her, mainly Edward IV's wife and Queen. Although Anne bears Edward IV's son, she consistently resists becoming his mistress and attempts to lead her own life.
Just as Edward succeeds in changing her mind, something happens to make her more set in her resolve to live separate from him. In spite of her love and her heartbreak, the series does end happily but with Edward and Anne together. This series must be read in sequence and I'm only sorry it wasn't published as a single book. It would have been as thick as Les Miserables and maybe the publishers thought that would scare away readers in our fast busy lives today.
On the whole, I liked Posie Graeme-Evans' fourth book, The Dressmaker better than I liked this series.
I am looking forward to her next book.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not too fond of the first two in this trilogy; however I attempted the third book . It was honestly not an enjoyable read and I could not finish it. Overall, after 3 books, there was no impact or connection with the characters or plot. Anne seemed to be the “other” woman who kept falling for Edwards crap. Yes, he says he loves her, but he also says that to his wife, other women and continues to dally in his own life, only calling on Anne after he lost his throne. How is that a love story? The portrayal of the Queen also irks me; why is she the enemy because she is angry at Anne for sleeping with her husband and bearing his illegitimate child? Never in my life did I think something like this could be categorized a “romance/historical fiction love story.” There is a lesson here ladies, if you don’t appreciate the home wrecker sleeping with your husband and compromising your role as his wife/queen, you are an evil woman. Yea right.....

[Beth (moonivy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read 8/5/07-8/12/07

The Uncrowned Queen is the last book in the Anne de Bohun trilogy, following The Innocent and The Exiled. Lady Anne assists her lover, Edward IV, in regaining his crown, dodges witch hunts and endlessly flip flops between choosing duty or love, all without mussing her lovely self unduly. I
found this book and it's heroine annoying at a very primal level, I'm still surprised I finished it. All of which is unfair, because it's perfectly likeable historical fiction, with lovely descriptions and a flair for "what if" imaginings. It's not the book's fault that it's
heroine's perfection set my teeth on edge, LOL. Recommended, sort of.

Genre : Historical Fiction
Rating : 7
Publication : 2005
Where From : the library
Reason : stubborness

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first 2 books in the Anne trilogy but was disappointed with the last installment. This book didn't flow like the other 2 and seemed like it was trying too hard to wrap up the story. The story veered back and forth on side notes that had absolutely no pertinence to the story itself and could have easily been edited out, everything pertaining to King Louis for instance. I was also bothered by the stronger presence of the fantasy elements to the plot. They never seemed to blend into the story very well and were not believable to me. I found myself rolling my eyes at every mention of the Sword Queen. I love fantasy and would have normally been fine with this sort of theme but it just didn't seem to fit in with the story.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last and am very disappointed by that. I was looking forward to a satisfying conclusion to the series. The story dragged on for quite awhile and was so boring for much of it. I will say that this book stays on track history wise more than the other two.

[Dana Dinowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars goes to the series. I loved this last book! Sooooo romantic! Full of adventure. It will not disappoint. My friend Renee would love it :)

[Gin Tadvick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 2.5. I didn't like this one as much as the first two books in the series. Had a hard time concentrating on the story.

[IrishFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the last book in this trilogy. We got to see what happened to Anne and Edward and if they ended up together. This was a bit slow at times, but I got through it. I was so glad that Anne decided to marry Leif, I hope he made her happy and helped her forget Edward. Her life with Edward would have never worked, at least as long as the Queen lived. Good little series.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about the history of the Royal British Family, but did not realize this was the last of a trilogy. I will go back and find the first two books. This was a fascinating view of an ill fated love between royals.

[Ella Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the finale of Posie Graeme-Evans' fantastic "Anne" trilogy, we are greeted to the heroine's choice once more: Will she choose to live as the mistress of King Edward the Fourth of England, or will she choose the love of a dashing sea captain?

Discover Anne's destiny in the finale...

[Beverley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful series. I enjoyed every page.

[Dion Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like how Anne created her own future in a male dominated world.

[Kate Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the whole trilogy. I instantly enjoyed the characters. Well written.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was this not originally called The Beloved, or am I wrong...?

I read this yeeeeeears ago - but I adored it and should probably read it again, it's been that long.

[Carren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dont like this 3rd book. Seems rushed to me. Favorite is book 1. Shouldnt read the rest

[Meryl Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story




This is the third and final book in the trilogy and I have loved them all so much I've read them twice, and I can feel a third time coming soon.

[taysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was crying so bad

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. Wish I had known it was 3rd in s series. It was a bit slow to get into but then I really enjoyed it.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the behind the scenes detail of early royal lives. Great story.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! At least to me, this is the best book in the Anne de Bohun trilogy. It gets to the meat of the conflict between York and Lancaster and discards some of the romance novel feel of the previous two books. We again find Anne living in Burgundy. By this time, Anne has bought a house and has retired into a comfortable life with her son (pretend nephew) Edward. She has decided to forget Edward IV. Once again, however, this is impossible. Edward is deposed from his throne due to a rebellion led by the Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker), Edward Plantagenet's one-time ally in pursuit of the English throne from Anne's father Henry VI. Warwick has alined himself with the former Queen Marguerite of Anjou, Henry VI's wife, in a plot to return Herny VI to the throne. Edward IV's own brother George has joined Warwicks cause. Once in Burgundy, Duke Charles, Edward's brother-in-law, has refused to help the English crown. Thus, Margaret, Edward's sister has sought out Anne, knowing of her life for Edward IV, in order to attempt to establish contact with the English King and pursuade Charles to meet with him. Anne goes to Edward and becomes involved in Edward's attempt to rally support from Charles of Burgundy in order to return to England with sufficient troops to regain the throne.

The novel also includes the Ricardian view of the future Richard III, showing him as a loyal brother to Edward IV and as a noble individual. It is hard to believe that this same Richard is the one later accused of murdering Edward IV's sons in the Tower of London...

Ultimately, Anne returns to England. She settles in the property given to her mother by Henry VI. Edward is able to get Charles' backing and goes to England. He wins back the throne. However, Anne and Edward ultimately do not get their happy ending. Anne is unable to forgive Edward for executing Henry VI. Edward tells Anne that to become a king, you have to kill a king. Indeed, Edward needed to eradicate the Lancastrian claimants to the throne - as long as Henry VI (his son was killed in battle) was alive the Lancastrians' hope would be alive for gaining the throne and England would never find peace. Anne, cannot make peace with the death of the father she never knew and ends up marrying a simple man who loves her and finds the peace she craves.

The Uncrowned King is a great book. It is fantastic introduction to the complexities of the Wars of the Roses, as is the rest of the trilogy. Four stars.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne de Bohun, once the king’s mistress, has managed to find safety and security in exile with her son. Now the king has lost the throne and Anne knows that she must help him restore his position, but how much will she risk for her old lover?

Note: In the end in the acknowledgements section I found out that The Beloved is actually the third and final book in a trilogy. Oops. I’m going to try to take that into account in my review.

The writing style I loved from the beginning. It’s a bit floral, but not too much. Her writing shows confidence and experience.

In the beginning there seemed to be a rapid introduction to a lot of characters which made me feel a bit lost. To keep track I actually created my own character list as some of the characters have the same name. However, I realise now that many of the characters would’ve been introduced in the previous books.

In general I found the first half of the book a bit boring. The majority was on the politics of why various characters either supported or didn’t support the ex-king of England, or in the case of Duke Charles why he was sitting around waiting for everyone else to decide. This felt very drawn out, though I did enjoy learning about the different character’s temperaments through this.

The rest of the book I enjoyed as the majority of the viewpoints were either Anne or the king which I found to be the most striking characters. This led to some exciting romantic sexy scenes, which everyone knows are the best. On the whole, the characters are pretty amazing. Their temperaments were shown best in the way they handle extreme situations of fear, power and loyalty, of which there are many such situations.

Overall, a good read, enough so that I would be interested in going back and reading the first two books even though I know the ending.

[Heyrebekah Alm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book for a dollar at a thrift shop, and because it was so cheap I didn't do more than glance at the back and throw it into my basket. Ooops. I guess if I had looked more closely I would have noticed that it is the third book in a trilogy. I hate coming in to the middle of a story like that. At least I didn't have much trouble picking up the story and figuring out what had happened previously. I found the love story very sweet but predictable. The supernatural elements did throw me, though, and seemed sort of randomly added to the story. I skimmed over those parts, and the chapters set in France.

Just a few months ago I read Daughter of York, which deals with the same time period. I thought it was funny how both books feature some of the same characters, in a few cases with very different personalities.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5 stars) This is the concluding third volume in the War of the Roses series. Anne has been living in on a farm outside of Brugge. Her love, King Edward has had his throne taken away by the former king and queen and is in exile. He reaches out to Anne for help, hoping she can convince the Duke of Burgundy to assist him. Things are complicated with political intrigue and Anne is followed in her quest by a former sea captain who has become her protector and has fallen in love with her. Anne must sort out her feelings for Edward, for the father she never knew, and for a life of normalcy versus the excitement and danger offered by Edward. This book wrapped up the series, but was in some ways unsatisfying with the actions of the characters and the plot in general.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another well written story by Ms. Graeme-Evans! I couldn't help being dissapointed by the ending. It just didn't seem plausible. Where did Leif come from? There should have been more about him in the story. It is hard to read about a character you have come to love through 3 novels, dump the man she loves and marry a stranger. Just doesn't wash.

I know I will re-read this series again. They are too good to let sit on the shelf. We'll see if I feel the same way when I finish reading them the second time a few years from now.

[shells · Rating 5 out of 5]

"the beloved" in the uk, not quite sure as to why? i would actually say that this was my favorite in the trilogy as i felt i knew all the characters well! personally i prefer it when the stories i read end in a 'tidy' manner- aka a happy ending, which really makes it a satisfying read for myself! although i had sort of guessed how this may end with the random introduction of a certain someone from book one, the remainder of the book was entertaining, interesting full of drama, love etc! would recommend this for a Anyone who is a hopeless romantic especially set in time gone by!