Emmie and the Tudor Throne

Hearts and Crowns #3

by Natalie Murray

What happens when your absolute happiness comes at a terrible cost to the people you love?

Contemporary College student and her sixteenth-century boyfriend, Nick Tudor, have faced unfathomable danger and made life-changing sacrifices to keep their tender love alive.

But when they learn the dreadful consequences of their decision to make a life together in the modern world, they are forced to return to Tudor England to save the throne from the invading Mary, Queen of Scots, and the lives of those they left behind.

With the Tudor king believed to be dead and no fortune or army to fight with, how will Emmie and Nick save the world from collapsing without losing everything they've worked so hard for?

The stakes have never been higher in this thrilling conclusion to the Hearts & Crowns trilogy.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Time Travel, Fantasy, Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2022

About the author

Natalie Murray is a bestselling author of honest, heartfelt romance. Her breakout novel, Love, Just In, was published by Allen & Unwin in January 2024, followed by Lights, Camera, Love in August 2025. Her third novel, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, will be published in September 2026. Natalie is also the author of a time-travel romance series that’s currently in development for television, and co-writes heartwarming rom-coms with American author Jenny Fyfe, including their small-town romances Hating the Best Man and Loving the Worst Man.

Before becoming an author, Natalie was an entertainment reporter for Sky News, where she interviewed many high-profile celebrities like Elton John, Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, Dustin Hoffman, Matt Damon, Cameron Diaz, and Jerry Seinfeld. Natalie grew up in Sydney, Australia, and is the daughter of cookbook author Eva Stovern and the late Australian football icon Les Murray.

When she's not writing books, you can find Natalie clinging to her family (literally; she's super affectionate), packing or unpacking a suitcase, making lists of things she'll never have time for because she's too busy making lists, or playing on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. You can visit Natalie at nataliemurrayauthor.com.

Reviews

[Natalie Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi, lovely readers! If you enjoyed this series but wanted more spice—or, if you want to read it but prefer open-door romance—a New Adult version of the Emmie and the Tudor King trilogy releases on Sept 28, 2022, which is the entire series in one omnibus set, adapted for a mature audience with added spice.

Here are the links!

ORDER LINKS (ebook, paperback, hardcover): https://books2read.com/u/3kYrkG
KINDLE UNLIMITED: https://amzn.to/3BwbOBS
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Also, if you have time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, I would much appreciate it! Reviews really help indie authors find readers.

Thank you so much!
Natalie x

[Elle Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant ending to a wonderful trilogy. My heart! Swoon. Sigh.

Anyone on the fence about this series needs to ask themselves this: Did you like Reign? Did you wish YOU could be there? Then pick up these books!

[Aundreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I glanced at my Tudor husband, the most charming and bewitching person I'd ever known. Mary Stuart was about to meet her match."



The end to this saga brings me great sadness. I've loved every twist and turn through history and the rollercoaster of love experienced between Nick and Emmie. Along with the side characters that created a band of souls fighting for friendship, family, and country.

Natalie did such an amazing job diving into historical fiction that at times I would forget that Nick wasn't a real Tudor... and that ending... GASP!!!

From start to finish this story will hold a place in my heart and is a well recommended book for me in the YA romance/HF genre.

I also LOVED the parts where they were in the countryside working for money and doing a little espionage work!

For those who love an HEA this one is for you.

half a star drop, and here is my why:
Nick and Emmie constantly have fought the odds against them in one time or another. I wished that more of this book was spent with moments of them making their love feel more solidified for me, especially with this book being the end to their story.
The bonus scene made me feel like Nick was able to let go, be honest and connect with Emmie... without that I may have struggled with it a bit more.

Rating:
Story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Characters-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Steam- Pure like YA "back in my day"
Want to spice it up? If you order yourself a copy send over your purchase info to the author and snag your own bonus scene. If you are a mature audience you will not regret it. HELLLLOOOOOO MY KING.
"I wish to see the moonlight kiss your body."

Song- Sweet Creature by Harry Styles

[Amelia (booksandtheblacktea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW it was a fantastic ending! Thank you again for sending me the ARC of your book, Natalie!

In this finale of the Tudor time travel historical fiction, we’re continuing the story of Emmie, an ordinary 21th century girl, with Nick Tudor, the King of 16th century England and the grandson of King Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn. After deciding to run away from medieval era to be able to live together in peace in modern world, Emmie was in doubt if the decision they took was right. They left the US so Emmie could continue her study in London, but instead of developing a stronger bond, their relationship seems strained instead. For a almost a year, Emmie was still hoping that everything will be okay, until one day when they decided to visit a historical site, they realize that what they did will endanger their loved ones in Tudor Era, including Nick’s beloved sister Kit! And all will happen in less than a month 🤯 Knowing that they have to choose between staying in modern London and be safe, or go back to the dangerous Tudor Era to help their loved ones with a possibility that they won’t be able to go back again, Emmie and Nick’s relationship was facing the biggest challenge ever which will decide if they really meant to be together, or will be separated again by space and time 🥺

For the third time, I’ll tell you that Nick and Emmie were so cute together, especially every time they were trying to fit themselves in the time periods that were foreign to them because they loved each other 😍 Not only the MCs, I also enjoyed seeing Kit’s character developments!

Just like the other two books, this one also played with my emotions 🥺 Every plot twists made my stomach feels funny, especially the one in the end when they faced their enemy!!! IT WAS ACTUALLY GENIUS, to collided and fit the fiction plot with the real history that we know 😲 All of those happy and bittersweet parts made this book a satisfying finale! Especially the cute reveal in the last chapter 🥰

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since book one I have fallen in love with Emmie and Nicks story. Such a beautiful love story that I will always cherish and recommend to all. Natalie did such a wonderful job with the world building and character development allowing me to step into a Fantasy for a few hours. My emotions were all over the place while reading the final book, not wanting it to end. The final chapter was perfect and left me with a beaming smile.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tudor England. I've never been much of a history geek. We used to have a great history teacher, who turned everything into stories I can remember until today, but unfortunately she only taught us for one year. And without the stories I found it boring. Apart from Tudor England. Scandal after scandal, almighty kings who start their own religion and loads of drama. What's not to like? I was therefore quite excited the author had arcs for all three books in this series available on BookSirens.

In the first book we spent our time at court. We enjoyed balls and decadent dinners and saw the elite living their luxury lives. In the second book we saw the dark side of all the beauty. The danger of saying anything wrong or offending the wrong person. The rich had it good, but their necks were always on the line, quite literally. In this book we get to see the lives of the commoners, which was far from pretty.

I have to admit that this book was quite heavy, especially compared to the first book in the series. It's clear that surviving in Tudor England without money and without a title was horrible. Reaching a certain age was an achievement in itself. I'm glad Murray showed us all this, gave us the complete picture of the time period and not just the fascinating beauty, but there were quite a few times where I could feel the scenes in my stomach.

However, it did feel like a realistic story, just like the previous few books. Murray might have changed history a little (although the reveals at the end were an amazing surprise!), but it still feels like this could have happened, like this could have been how things would have gone. I think if you're like me and prefer to learn about history through stories this is actually a great series to get a very clear picture of what life at the time of the Tudors TRULY was like.

I can't wait to discover what Murray will write next!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book more than made up for the slight disappointment I had in Book 2! The characters were back to normal and it was beautiful! The pacing was great and I couldn't put the book down! Once again I read this book in less than 12 hrs! I had to know how it ended! Is it happy? Is it sad? How can they both be happy when they both belong in separate times?! My heart is so invested in Emmie and Nick's happiness!! I love these characters like they're real people!! And that's when you know the writing is magic!!!

I don't want to spoil anything from this magnificent story! I went in completely blind having just finished Book 2 and it was everything I hoped and dreamed of! There's mystery and intrigue. Action and romance! Friends old and new!! I laughed and ugly cried at some parts! This book is definitely gonna leave me in a book slump with a terrible hangover but it was totally worth it! You might've changed this Reign loving girl to a Tudor fan!! I cannot recommend this series more!!

[Jenny Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to start this review by saying I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters. I fell in love with Emmie and her Tudor King in the first book and my love has only grown with each sweeping instalment.

The third and final book is a fitting—and oh-so-satisfying—conclusion for these star-crossed lovers. Now that it’s over (can you hear me sobbing?) I can’t imagine it ending any other way. Murray makes her characters earn their happiness and I am here for it.

Emmie and the Tudor Throne is a heart-pounding conclusion that leaves you gasping for your next breath and praying for a happily-ever-after.

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 3 out of 5]

*don't be disappointed, don't be disappointed, do not. be. disappointed*

After several days of ignoring the fact that I did finish this series I began reading a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it back then, I finally found out that I uh... I AM FREAKING DISAPPOINTED-

[Sissy Lu {Book Savvy Reviews} · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. For fans of time travel, you’ll love this!

[Lynn Lovegreen]

The end of the Hearts and Crowns series lived up to its promise! When Emmie and Nick learn the consequences of their life in the modern world, they must return to Tudor England to save Nick’s sister’s life.
The brilliant Natalie Murray will give you all the feels in this romantic time travel adventure!

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc received for honest review, this book was OK, I didn't feel like it was really necessary, I think just an epilogue at the end of book two or a short story would have been sufficient, throughout the course of this book I became more sure that Emmie and Nick really shouldn't be together, they have serious communication problems, this book opens 13 months after book 2 and they haven't even attempted to talk about what happened, for like 75% of this book I felt like they were bored in their relationship and I was bored reading about it, but then suddenly it's "let's have sex our relationship is fine!" But they still haven't had any kind of serious conversation about their relationship, and the entire plot with Mary Stuart was pretty weak, most of the time it was just "let's not die" and then they walk into a trap, and instead of having to actually figure out a way out of it everything just miraculously works out in their favor?? And somehow the curse that Mary puts on them that was supposed to be the same as before removes them from history instead of just sending them forward and ends up screwing Mary over because her history is different??? So they miraculously "win" when everything about the rest of the book indicates that at least something will need to get given up, so basically I spent this whole book being annoyed

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful end to a Tudor Trilogy.

I had the pleasure of reading this final book in the Hearts and Crowns series early. The wild ride we go one with Emmie and Nick continues in this book. I enjoyed going back to Tudor time and seeing how Emmie and Nick dealt with the consequences of them jumping to their "deaths" at the end of book 2.

The new characters were refreshing and added to the character building between Emmie and Nick. I loved the new character of Jasper most of all. Without giving who away, I enjoyed seeing old faces and those who we've only heard of.

The ending is succinct and wraps things up nicely, though I could see another book or spin off.

[Elisha Jachetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

EMMIE AND THE TUDOR THRONE by Natalie Murray is the third book in the Hearts and Crowns series. The story begins with Emmie and Nick in the present day… and Nick is not adapting so well. He’s basically confined himself to their backyard garden and hasn’t ventured out in the world for a year. Emmie, worried about her husband, finally gets him to visit the Tower of London, and as they’re exploring and reading the plaques, they realize history’s been altered to the worst-case scenario. In order to fix it, they may have to go back… again, and this time there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to leave.

This book has the perfect pacing. The plot is always moving forward and picking up momentum as it goes. Murray is really skilled at weaving in pertinent information without stopping the flow, which is why this book could be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the first two titles of the series, but all the necessary backstory was given, so I understood the context. Now that I’ve finished this book, I will immediately read the rest as I want to live in this world much longer.

The worldbuilding here is really fun, particularly when we get to Tudor England. The author activates all of the senses, especially smell, and does a really great job at painting how uncomfortable life must’ve been then. That being said, the characters from this era are the most endearing, and like Emmie and Nick, I was sad that they could be parted from them forever. Murray makes the loss each character feels over their respective lives tangible. All in all, it’s an emotional journey.

Along those lines, the romance in this book has so much depth and nuance. I love it. It gave me The Notebook-level-swoon, which is incredibly rare. Even though Emmie and Nick are going through a tough time in their relationship, the love that’s there is palpable, and when it finally reaches the last scene in Tudor England, I was crying! Murray can fill up a heart and break it just as easily.

Good writing is truly energizing and inspiring, and that’s how I felt after reaching the end of this story. I am a converted Natalie Murray fan for life now, and can’t wait to read the rest of her catalog. Fans of Outlander and Reign should add this book to their TBR stat!

Review originally posted on YA Books Central: https://www.yabookscentral.com/emmie-...

[Anais (atrailofpages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers again if you've not read the first two books….

Gahhhhh!!! I really liked the way this book ended! Nay! The way this series ended! It was so well done!

After the ending of the previous book, it has now been 13 months since Nicholas and Emmie have lived in the 21st century. Nicholas has basically been depressed the entire time and trying to learn how to live in this timeline, and Emmie is going to school and working and trying to figure out how to bring Nicholas out of his shell. They go on a little day trip to the Tower of London where they learn some of the things that happened in the past after leaving, and none of it good. But what happened, happened 14 months after they would have been gone, but they've been gone 13 months. So, Emmie decides maybe they can change the past before it's too late by wearing the ring and going back in time again together, which turns out to be a bit more difficult than they anticipated.

I again did not enjoy this as much as the first book. It is 4.5/5 stars for me, mainly because of Emmie again. She kind of just makes it about herself a lot, and does not take the time to think about others and how they feel about a matter, especially when it comes to Nicholas. She forgot a lot that she's from a completely different time period than Nick and seems to just expect him to accept her for who she is or the way she acts, and expects him to conform to her ways, but it's not that easy, especially when you grew up in that specific way. I just wished she learned as the series progressed to think of others besides just herself, like Nick. He really always put Emmie and his sister first, which is why he has always been my favorite character throughout this series.

That being said, I truly enjoyed the story, and the romance of course! There are a few trigger warnings, such as depression, assault, disease and violence. This time was not an easy time for them to say the least. But the way this series ended….*chef's kiss* It was so well done, and so smart! I just applaud the author for the unique take on history and then ending the story they she did, just so good!

If you've not started this series, well you really should! I received an advance review copy for free(thank you to BookSirens and the author), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie E. Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit, after the ending to book 2, I was a bit unsure of where this one would go. But, holy cow, it actually wound up being my favorite of the series.

We’re back in Tudor England for the third and final installment, but a far cry from the glitz and glamour of the court. Instead, Nick and Emmie live as destitute commoners as they struggle to hatch a plan that will (hopefully) mend the tears they’d left in the fabric of time. As before, the time period is well-researched, and the visuals of Tudor life were especially thorough here. Again, you weren’t just reading about it. You were LIVING it. The good, the bad, the stinky… all of it.

Emmie and Nick’s relationship is put through multiple tests here. (Including a brush with the Black Death!). There’s drama and angst galore, and more than a few moments that left my heart ready to fling out of my chest. And, while the lack of communication between them was sometimes frustrating (I may or may not have yelled, “Just talk to him!” at one point, lol) they managed to work their issues out in the end in a way that felt believable and genuine. Like, their love story is freaking epic, y’all! (And Nick Tudor is the best book boyfriend.)

And the ending… I don’t like to put spoilers in my reviews. So I’ll just say it was *chef’s kiss.* A perfect conclusion to a fantastic, swoon-worthy time-travel romance!

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read the end of Emmie and Nick's love story! I've always loved both Nick and Emmie in the previous books, however I never felt like they really had much time together. Nick was always off somewhere doing kingly duties and Emmie was always with her ladies. I was shocked to read that Emmie had been in Tudor England for almost three years! In this last book they almost never leave each other sides. It was so great to have them working through things together. It really made their relationship grow for the better. I can't say I was too big of a fan of the inclusion of the pandemic. It wasn't a major point, but I could have done without it. I thought the ending was very well done. I can honestly say it was not what I was expecting. Overall, I think it was a great ending to a very well done YA time travel series.

[Dawsgirlbookjunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way Emmie and her king's story concluded! Their life in the 21st century isn't what either of them hoped it would be. To me, the emotional turmoil they both dealt with was very realistic. When they end up going back in time, they experience the less than glamorous side of the Tudor era and their struggles together help them heal and build their relationship into something real, beyond initial attraction. (But on the subject of attraction, finally get a S.T. release, albeit PG13, moment I wanted 😂) I loved the ending, all the feels of a good HEA that I needed after all that dern angst! I can honestly say I really enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing this author's future projects!

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wrenched me. I had ALL the feelings. I was depressed with them, happy with them, I cried with them.
The third book was not what I expected. I was so excited to finally see them together as a couple, in love and happy. I didn’t expect so much distance even though I understand it.
I thought the ending was sweet and so happy that finally got their HEA.
I just wish we finally got more of them together and happy. I loved the last chapter and just wanted more of that after three torturously long three books! I need more of Nick and Emmie!
Overall I loved this series and definitely recommend it! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

I received the ebook for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Anneena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole series has been absolutely ridiculous and has felt like complete satire but Emmie & Nick are cute AS FUUUUCK and this was thoroughly entertaining.

"Be happy my miracle girl." He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Be happy knowing how loved you are."

are you kidding me??? I audibly sobbed. I love vocal, gentle, healing romance. I'm sorry but if a man said this to me I would collapse into his arms. COLLAPSE!

This series was hectic and partially insane most of the time but the thought of Emmie, Nick, Jasper and Kit living as a family in the 21st century has my heart all mushy. A big Tudor house, a large courtyard, an organic vegetable business - its everything.

4 stars.

[Emma Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I think this book probably sits somewhere between 3.75 and 4⭐️. I don’t know that I can necessarily put a finger on why I feel this way, sometimes a rating is just a gut feeling. Anyway… overall I did not necessarily find Emmie an amazing fmc because I just did not agree with a lot of her actions throughout the second and third book, especially the little care she had towards those she left behind in the 21st century. Overall, I love Nick, but his actions at the end of book two were really hard to come back from, in my opinion.

All in all, cutie little fun romance that I did thoroughly enjoy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first two volumes of the saga, I couldn't miss the third and last one to find out how the story of Nick and Emmie would end. Well without a doubt this is my favorite novel of all three. The setting is fantastic and the writing is once again fluid and smooth. I was also very satisfied with the ending, it was just the epilogue I was hoping for for the two protagonists, to whom I was now fond of. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take charge Emmie is back! She actually does things for herself and for Nick. She still whines at times throughout the book, but it isn't as bad.
Kit is back in this book and she has changed so much! She is so queenly instead of being a little kid. Makes me a little sad. She is still so sweet and loving no matter what though.
It was a good mixture of old times and present times. There is a different side of the old times we got to see and it was fun.
The way everything worked out in the end was amazing. It was so sweet.

[Brianna Sutherland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I loved the series, but this one was a little slower for me. The ending, while I loved it, seemed a bit off. It doesn’t make sense that them coming back to the future would erase them from history completely. I mean, I’m glad everything in the past ended up good, but it still doesn’t make sense to me.
I’m happy about the HEA and that Jasper got to end up with them too. It hurt my heart thinking that after everything they had gone through to be together that they didn’t end up that way.

Overall, it was a great read!

[Lisa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emmitt and The Tudor King Series!!

I have been taken away (and blown away), to my favorite time in history and was upset when this ride was over!! This book left me with very little sleep, but this story captivated me like others never quite have done before. I absolutely loved these 3 books and wished they didn’t have to end. I never knew I could cry from reading a book like this. It will be hard to top this story, but if these are any indication of the imagination and story writing from this author I’m sure I will be reading many from her!!

[Amy Poirier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! As I turned the final page, there was no denying that this was the best of the trilogy.

Nick and Emmie endure not just the perils of time travel, but the challenges of marriage as well. It's real and relatable and your heart will never be the same (probably because Natalie does her best to rip it from your chest more than once).

With a Nick this nice, you'll read it twice! Emmie and the Tudor Throne is the ending(?) that these characters deserved.

[Kristin Ezzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Emmie and the Tudor Throne is the brilliant ending to the Hearts and Crown Trilogy. This last installment is fast paced and has plenty of action and drama to keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. I was sad to see this series come to a close but the ending was perfect! Murray expertly reconciled her fantasy version of historical events with reality. There was so much I loved about this series but my favorite part has been the bond between Emmie and Nick. They have so much chemistry and their love for each other jumps off the page. They face so many obstacles but they never let go of each other and I have loved watching their relationship grow. This is a series that I will definitely be rereading…probably multiple times.

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect for the story to end the way it did, but it was actually quite perfect. I really had no idea how the book would wrap up. If they would stay in the 16th century or go back. And then Mary Queen of Scots being a Witch was an interesting twist. I loved all the characters but Alice and Kit were my favorites. The ending was honestly perfect because it set everything back to rights. And Nick, Emmie, Kit, and jasper get to live happily!

[Kayla Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending I didn’t know I needed! The author made me fall in love with the characters from the very beginning. Every adventure had me on the edge of my seat. My heart ached for Emmie and Nick, they have gone through so much in the first two books- which didn’t stop. I am very satisfied with the ending- well done.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice ending to a great series!
The beginning was a little tough to get through but the ending made up for it!

I would recommend this series if you are big into the time travel romance type books.

I received a free ARC of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving this review.