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Reluctant Queen: The Story of Henry VIII's Defiant Little Sister

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RELUCTANT QUEEN: TUDOR HISTORICAL NOVEL

One NOT about any of the six wives! Henry VIII had plenty of other relatives, most of whom, given his short-lived dynasty, and shaky right to the crown, the always insecure Henry had executed throughout his reign in order to secure his throne.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be the little sister of infamous English king, Henry VIII?

Although the teenaged Mary Rose was his favourite sister (he even named his famous ship after her), his shifting alliances and ruthless desire to have his own way, made him push the young and lovely Mary into a hateful May to December state marriage with the ailing and ancient King Louis XII of France.

But, a reluctant Mary Rose, as strong-willed as Henry and passionately in love, for the first time, with champion of the lists Charles Brandon, didn't give in easily. Before agreeing to the match, after a relentless campaign to get her to say yes, by her loving brother, Mary Rose extracted a promise from Henry. A promise she was determined he would keep.

At the French court, Mary Rose was pursued by the witty, charming, but debauched Francis, Louis's heir, who, even at the young age of twenty, was a practised seducer.

Between the awful conjugal embraces of her sickly old husband and the persistent and unwanted attentions from Francis, Mary was in a desperately unhappy situation.

But then, her ailing husband died, and the lusty Francis was elevated to the French throne and absolute power.

Mary Rose thought her situation BEFORE her husband's death was difficult, but then she heard rumours of her kingly brother's plans for her future. And they did not include keeping the promise he made to her.

Trapped in an impossible situation, caught between a lustful Francis and the ruthless self-interest of her older brother, the spirited Mary Rose made a fateful decision aware, even as she did so, that she was taking her very life in her hands.

484 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

118 people are currently reading
1045 people want to read

About the author

Geraldine Evans

50 books100 followers
aka Geraldine Hartnett.

I'm a British author and live in Norfolk, England. I write mystery/detective novels and have two series on the go: Rafferty & Llewellyn and Casey & Catt.

Series:

* Rafferty and Llewellyn Mystery
* Casey and Catt Mystery

I also write historical novels, of which my first is Reluctant Queen: The Story of Mary Rose Tudor, the Defiant Little Sister of Infamous English king, Henry VIII.

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5 stars
73 (26%)
4 stars
94 (33%)
3 stars
72 (25%)
2 stars
28 (10%)
1 star
12 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for S.
241 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2011
Let's start with the premise, a book about the Tudors that isn't about Henri and his six wives or Elizabeth. I'm sold! The Reluctant Queen tells the story of Mary Tudor, Henri's younger sister. If you were a fan of Showtime's The Tudors, Mary's character is part of the series throughout season one; however, the show combined both of Henri's sister into one: Margaret and Mary. Mary's story is pretty interesting, she's practically forced to marry the old French king because of Henri's politics and by doing this he promises to let her marry whoever she wants once the French king is dead.

This book is divided into two parts, the first part was my favorite while the second part becomes a more general Tudor book. During the first part we get to see Mary at the French court with her sickly husband, her life wasn't made easy by Francis who claims to be in love with her and pretty much harasses her all the time. Francis is next to the throne if King Louis does not get Mary pregnant with an heir (he has a daughter, but the French wouldn't let women be Queens, sexist much?). Francis is pretty obnoxious, how I picture him:

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Mary's love would be Charles Brandom (that'd be the yummy Henry Cavill in The Tudors), and the how she manages to marry him and return to England whilst keeping her head is pretty interesting to read. In the beginning we see how mary romantices her marriage and how she believes that Charles loves her as much as she does he. This doesn't change much throughout the book, there are bits and pieces where Mary admits that Charles loves his ambitions more than he loves her but nothing that felt enough to me. I can only assume the author was trying to be true to the real story, but the character development bothered me.

Another thing I'd like to comment is that I just loved how I well researched the book was, there's so much detail in even the smallest of paragraphs and the dialogue is so archaic (thank heavens for the build in dictionary on the nook!). The second part of the book is more about the Tudors, Henri, Margaret and Anne Bullen (I still don't know how I feel about Boleyn written this way, but I know it irks some people LOL I figured I should comment on it) makes an appearance and she's pretty bitchy! I felt like there wasn't enough "meat", not enough Mary in the second part. I can say the first part just flowed for me, while I struggled with the second one. If I had to rate it it would be a four stars for the first part and three for the second part.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
105 reviews62 followers
August 21, 2011
I’m a sucker for anything to do with the Tudors, and Reluctant Queen by Geraldine Evans was no exception. There are hundreds of novels on Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Tudor, Henry Tudor, Henry’s daughter Mary Tudor, etc., but one of the Tudors who I have read very little about is Henry’s little sister Mary Tudor. Of course she is almost always mentioned in books that I’ve read on that time period, and we know that she defied her brother, the King of England, to marry his best friend, but beyond that I knew very little about her. Her life definitely seems to have been too short, and it doesn’t seem to have been full of a great amount of happiness, but like her older sister and brother, when she wanted something she went after it even when it went against the wishes of others.
Geraldine Evans did a wonderful job of bringing Mary to life for me. I had no idea that she even had more than one child with Charles Brandon. Frances ended up becoming another semi-infamous Tudor, so she is known in history, but not much is heard of her other two children. I love how the author allows the reader to see what was possibly going on inside Mary’s head during her life. The reader is able to see the regrets that she possibly had over her marriage to Charles, as well as her mental and physical pain during the latter years of her life. It is apparent in the books that I read on Anne Boleyn, and also in this novel, that Mary did not like her and didn’t hide it very well. It was interesting to view the demise of Henry and Catherine’s marriage through his sister’s eyes in this novel.
The only complaint I have would be on how Anne Boleyn is portrayed in this novel. I cannot tell a lie, I am an Anne Boleyn supporter. Another issue I had is a factual inaccuracy. In the novel when Mary is Queen of France and Anne is one of her little lady’s in waiting there is a line which says, “Mary felt that she and Anne shared a special bond—had they not both lost their mothers around the same age? And although Anne still had a father, he was over-ambitious for his children […]” Anne’s mother did not die until around a year after Anne had been executed by Henry VIII.
Other than those two issues I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I learned a great deal about Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk. During a time when women did as they were told, Mary went against the grain and chose her own destiny, which always makes for an interesting Tudor Era read!
This novel gets 4 out of 5 stars from me!
Profile Image for Susan.
Author 20 books1,023 followers
October 5, 2011
(For those who don't know about Mary's story, this review might be spoilerish.)

I'm not sure why I finished this book, honestly. Evans turns Mary Tudor, queen of France and later Duchess of Suffolk, into a whiny, self-pitying bore, surrounded by characters who are equally unlikable.

The novel--most of which is entirely "telling" and not "showing"--opens with Mary's marriage to the ailing French king. Much of the first half consists of Francis, heir to the French throne and later king, making passes at Mary.

Mary, of course, eventually escapes Francis's clutches and marries the love of her life, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. It's all downhill from here. The rest of the novel is spent largely with Mary fretting about her husband's debts, the validity of their marriage, and his support of the king's new love interest, Anne Boleyn. Anne is a purely one-dimensional shrew, who bears Mary a grudge for giving her some cast-off gowns when Anne was a lowly maid of honor. Anne is even blamed for the shortcomings of Mary's equally one-dimensional daughter Frances, who spends most of her time in the novel sulking because her mother won't let her at court to be around Anne.

Charles Brandon must have had a certain charisma, but none of it is evident here. After his marriage, he spends most of his time whining about his debts, bad-mouthing Wolsey, neglecting Mary, or quarreling with her over Anne Boleyn.

Strangely, although this book was published fairly recently and the matter could have been easily researched, Evans depicts Mary as having only one son, Henry, who in the novel dies before she does. In fact, Mary had two sons named Henry, one who predeceased her and one, the Earl of Lincoln, who outlived Mary by a few months.

Oddly, Katherine Willoughby, Charles' ward and future bride, is absent from this novel. She was lucky.
2 reviews
August 5, 2018
This over-romanticised, flimsy adaptation of historical events was a disappointment from the first page and required enormous patience and tolerance to finish. My favorite part were the words The End. The annoying, two dimensional characters would have been right at home in any commercially produced sitcom. Even more disappointing was the poor writing style and the copious number of grammatical errors and typos. I find it hard to believe a novel of this apparent calibre can be published without an edit or a proofread, even the Historical Notes at the end required a rewrite.
I only finished this novel to glean some Tudor facts which although sparse were interesting, but I was left with the realisation there were less painful means of obtaining this information.
Profile Image for Crystal Hutchinson.
145 reviews3 followers
October 6, 2014
I knew little of the Tudors when I began reading this book. Although it is a historical fiction, it captures what Mary must have been thinking throughout her life accounts. I covers her life and lives of others between the ages of 18 and 37 years of age. I could not put this book down. It is an excellent story for anyone, teen or adult, and reminds us that passionate 18 year olds have been around forever. The author is an excellent writer.
Profile Image for Sheri.
2,114 reviews
August 9, 2014
Reluctant Queen: The Story of Henry VIII's Defiant Little Sister
by Geraldine Evans

This is the story of Mary Rose Tudor, King Henry VIII youngest sister. She is forced into marriage by her brother, to King Louis XII of France. Mary is less than happy about this arrangement, King Louis VIII is very old and sickly, she is very young and rebellious.

While married to Louis she is constantly pursued by her son-in-law Francis, which becomes an annoyance to Mary. Her heart is tied to Charles, she is forbidden to marry him since he is not of noble blood. She is determined to find a way to be with her one true love.

I really loved this story. I liked Mary, she was outspoken, which was very rare for a woman in that era. The story is filled with scandalous secrets, and a lot of family rivalry and drama. Although the story was fiction, some of the characters were based on Actual people. Those who love historical fiction (based on Royalty) should enjoy Reluctant Queen: The Story of Henry VIII's Defiant Little Sister.
Profile Image for P.J. Roscoe.
Author 16 books51 followers
August 15, 2014
I did leave a review of this book a couple of weeks ago, but for whatever reason, be it mine or the computers fault, it has disappeared???!
So, here it is again.
I enjoyed this book. It certainly taught me a little more about Mary and her husband. I learned to hate him not long after they married, such a whining little man! He did get a bit annoying in the end, but Mary shone through. Now, I know she was a strong-willed lady, but I'd never researched her fully, Geraldine managed to portray Mary as a real person, with an array of emotions and not just some other royal. I really felt for Mary more now that I know a little more of her life.
If I had any criticism, it might be that after a while it began to feel a little like a 'history book' and perhaps a tad too long - yet, Mary's life was one trauma after another. I think this book is fine for people interested in Mary and the way women were treated, just because she was Royal meant nothing. This book only made me despise Henry even more!!
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudor royals, they were certainly interesting x
227 reviews
August 7, 2014
I received this book from the goodreads-first-reads- free giveaway. I really enjoyed this book as it delved into the life at court and how Mary was just a pawn in her brother's quest for the French crown. It gave a glimpse at how life would have been for Mary at the time and how although she was able to select her 2nd husband, her life wasn't any better. The idyllic love she thought she would obtain turned into a life of sadness and with it the loss of so many of her dreams, hopes and loved ones (her son, her marriage, her poor relationship with her daughter etc). The ending seemed sad but fitting her character. I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for E.J..
12 reviews
February 5, 2016
Really well written historically accurate yet fictionalized story about Mary Tudor, younger sister to Henry VIII. It tells of her married to the elderly King of France when she was only 18 and her unsanctioned marriage to Charles Brandon, hardly worthy of her royal birth. Through her internal voice, we hear Mary's view of the world in which she lived and we hear about her children too. This is a story about a true rule breaker, a woman who was ahead of her time. She had her own ideas, made her own choices, and suffered the consequences for many of them. Her untimely death at the age of 37 was unexpected and made a wonderful ending to this historical tale.
Profile Image for Anastaciaknits.
Author 3 books48 followers
July 1, 2012
This was a book I started reading months ago, & greatly enjoyed reading it, as I do any book remotely related to the Tudors. I'm not really sure why it took me most of six months to finish, other than other things always ended up my way.

As such, since it took me so long to finish, my overall thoughts on the book are a little hazy. It was well written, written at a nice pace, and shared the story nicely.
Profile Image for Janny Maha.
1 review
January 7, 2025
I rated it as I remembered feeling about the book in the mid 80s. I last read this book when I was about 17 years old. I was full of love, life, hope, and dreams. I had found the paperback with a missing cover and kept it. I must have read it 5 times in the 2 or 3 years I had the book. I never knew the title until today with the right key words on the search bar. I will be reading this book again soon and will review it with an with almost 60 year old mind and all the decisions made and chances taken, experiences that have shaped me into who I am today. I'm curious to know how the book will make me feel in this day and age.
Profile Image for Jamie Pancake.
Author 1 book1 follower
September 9, 2017
This book made Mary Tudor a relatable character that was very interesting to get to know throughout the story. While it was a very long story, there was a lot going on throughout the book that made it a very good read. This story followed Mary throughout her royal career and helped the reader really get to know her and her struggles as queen. This book was well written, and the plot remained interesting throughout the story, following Mary on her travels as well as through more than one marriage.
Profile Image for Erica Roberts.
61 reviews13 followers
June 21, 2022
The addition of Anne Boleyn and her coronation to the main arc of the story is quite fascinating, as usually, this character isn’t portrayed quite so negatively as she is in this novel. It’s clear that Evans is a Catherine of Aragon sympathizer, and since I tended in that direction already, based on other Tudor-period novels I’ve read, her writing brought out my sympathies for the pious Catherine yet again.

Read the rest of my review here: https://bookreviews2021.wordpress.com...
889 reviews3 followers
July 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book, but the opinions offered in it differed from what I had read in the past in relation to Mary and her second husband Charles Brandon. So...more research to be done to see which version is correct. Regardless, if you enjoy reading historical novels, based on real life events, you will enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Donna Pingry.
217 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2023
Quite an interesting perspective on Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's youngest sister. From her forced betrothal to a dying king of France, to her dangerous marriage to a man incapable of remaining at her side, she provokes sympathy although she is just as headstrong and demanding as her brother and sister. Could not put this book down.
Profile Image for Brittny Christine.
7 reviews1 follower
June 8, 2019
This book was one of my favorites in middle school, I loved it so much the librarian gave me the only copy at the end of eighth grade
Profile Image for Rosie Lee.
977 reviews10 followers
January 10, 2020
A great story of the life of Henry VIII youngest sister Mary Rose Tudor I highly recommend it
9 reviews
April 2, 2020
Historical fiction

I just don’t like history. Thought I might like a fictional book but
Could not get interested. But the writing was excellent.
Profile Image for Vi Walker.
345 reviews7 followers
November 20, 2016
The main purposes of royal princesses were as political pawns to seal alliances and then to try to produce as many heirs as possible so even the King's favourite sister was not exempt. Thus it was that Henry VIII's younger sister, Mary Rose, was married at the age of 18 to the ailing King Louis XII of France who was some 40 years her senior. However, Mary had plenty of the Tudor wilfulness and had other ideas as to her future when her first husband died not too long after the marriage.

I found Geraldine Evans' style a trifle repetitive, however, the subject matter is fascinating and this is quite an easy read.
26 reviews
June 15, 2023
The Reluctant Queen was a well-written book of Mary Rose Tudor, Henry’s rebellious, younger sister. The book is well-researched, and I noticed it using phrases that were more with the time period than modern, which I found interesting.
I overall enjoyed the book and thought it was fairly accurate to Mary’s life. Mary Rose isn’t a significant person in history. She’s one of the only people to defy Henry VIII and live.
Profile Image for Jo.
3,928 reviews141 followers
September 18, 2012
The fictional story of Mary Tudor, sister to Henry VIII. It follows her journey to France where she married the ageing king Louis, being pursued by the heir Francis and her subsequent marriage to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Entertaining enough but not as exciting as other writers who cover that period.
Profile Image for Cait.
2,718 reviews4 followers
May 22, 2013
Hmmm. This reached a certain point & it just stopped working for me. It started to read more as a novel using historical people, rather than an historical fiction novel, if that comparison makes sense.

I just wanted so much more from this book. It also covered a really large time period, but never seemed to go into as much depth as I expected.
Profile Image for Ana.
90 reviews
August 29, 2015
I won this e-book through a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A book that tells a love story in which love is for each overlaps the duty and for others the duty overlaps the love.
In some parts of the story ideas it seemed to me a little repetitive.

Overall I liked it.
Profile Image for Tamara.
15 reviews4 followers
March 12, 2013
I'm not finished with this yet, and I may not. I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half is bogged down.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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