The Lady's Keeper

Medieval Ladies #1

by Coirle Mooney

Can Alice protect her young ward’s honour…?

1168, France

At Eleanor of Aquitaine’s palace in Poitiers, fourteen-year-old Lady Joanna of Agen is coming of age.

Her aunt and guardian, Alice, rescued Joanna from her brutal father by bringing her to court.

But now Alice fears Joanna could once again be at risk from the men around her.

When Queen Eleanor’s son, Henry, arrives at court, Joanna quickly catches his eye. But Alice overhears the lewd conversations of the male courtiers and worries that Joanna’s honour is at stake.

And as the relationship between Queen Eleanor and King Henry II of England becomes fractious, a dark mood settles over court.

Drawn into a world of intrigue, danger and adventure, Alice must fight to keep her and Joanna safe.

Will Joanna find a love match? Can Alice secure her place at court?

Or will they fall victim to the dangers of court life?

Genres: Historical Fiction, 12th Century, Medieval, British Literature

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2022

Reviews

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am such a big fan of Eleanor of Aquitaine that I was thrilled to get a free copy of this book to review. However, I was disappointed by this book as the story drags in many parts and lacks in its character development. I will say that the character of Eleanor is in line with other books that I have read about her but her two other central characters leave you asking alot of questions. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is billed as a "medieval romance," as in a medieval tale, as a salute to the ballads and courtly behavior of chivalry? Because there is little actual romance in the story. There is a sexual assault, however, so TRIGGER WARNING.
Alice and her niece, Joanna, live in the court of Queen of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor loves music, dancing, and poetry, and so does immature Joanna. Alice comes across as a total stick-in-the-mud, disappointed in love and life at a young age. Alice's only friend is Princess Marie, the daughter of Eleanor and her first husband, King Louis of France. Think of the dynamic between Rose and her mother in "Titanic," and you will understand Alice and Joanna.
Historically, the time period in Eleanor's life that this book covered was the coronation of the younger King Henry and the elder King Henry's feud w/ Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas á Becket. The book ends w/ Eleanor's and Richard's (her second son, who became "the Lionheart") rebellion against the elder King Henry after Becket was murdered.
So there was a LOT of historical plot line to explore as a piece of historical fiction. But it just didn't work for me. It wasn't a romance; it wasn't great historical fiction (or even terribly accurate - the description of Christmas celebrations on Christmas DAY, for example; Christmas Day was spent in fasting in prayer well up through the Reformation in most Catholic countries). And it ended so abruptly! Eleanor was arrested for her part in the rebellion and -- that was it! No resolution to Joanna's or Alice's plot lines.
There was so much material to work with in Eleanor of Aquitaine's long life. This story felt like such a muddle, however. I did enjoy the descriptions of hawking and ladies' fashions, but can only give this tale three stars.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Alice watched as her niece, Lady Joanna, stepped lightly onto the stage.’

The novel opens at the Court of Poitiers in 1168. Fourteen-year-old Lady Joanna and her aunt Alice are at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alice hopes to make an appropriate match for Joanna, but Joanna is a headstrong young woman who does not always heed Alice’s advice. Can Alice protect Joanna from the men of the court? Alice wants to secure her own place at Eleanor’s court, close by her friend Marie, Eleanor’s daughter by Louis VII of France. And in the meantime, trouble continues to brew between Eleanor and her husband Henry II of England.

‘Eleanor swept into the room in a whirl of loveliness.’

Ms Mooney has chosen an interesting period of history in which to set her novel: there is plenty of intrigue between the court of Eleanor and that of Henry II and the times are turbulent. I confess that while I found the setting interesting, especially the hawking scenes, and was curious about Alice and her background, I did not much care for Joanna.

I believe that this is the first novel in a series, and I will definitely read the second novel in order to satisfy my curiosity.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Sapere Books. All thoughts are my own. As always, I try to avoid any spoilers and simple summations of the plot.

I've read a few books about the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and she's a fascinating figure in that she somewhat exceeded the bounds placed upon women in her day. This story centers around Joanna and her aunt, Alice, who are in Eleanor's inner circle and follow her court. Joanna is quite the flighty young thing, contrasted against her severe aunt.

While this book did keep me reading, there were parts when I felt that I was shown the action and not immersed in it. From the start, I understood Joanna's character and felt that her actions could simply have been shown as the story went on instead of her aunt continually talking about it with others. There was action to keep the story moving, and that action corresponded with actual events in the life of Eleanor and Henry. However, sometimes the action prevented character development of Joanna and Alice.; they were one-dimensional characters throughout the story. I would have liked to have seen them fleshed out, made more real. I did not feel as much empathy for them as I might have if they had been better developed.

I was a little disappointed with the ending. The book just ended with no, I thought, clear resolution for Joanna and Alice. This novel read more like a history, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 3.5 stars.

[Grace Peck · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

This is a historical fiction book not a romance (it shouldn’t be billed as such), TW for sexual assault. The writing style reminds me a lot of Philippa Gregory, how it goes through an important period of history, the events leading up to Eleanor of Aquitaine’s arrest by her husband, through the lens of a fictional character at her court.

I felt the characters are all pretty one note, this author lacks the depth of character that Gregory tends to have, but I read this in like a day so I liked it. I enjoy learning about Eleanor’s court, though some of the stuff I’m not sure is 100% accurate, and as always with HF, there are liberties taken with historical figures for the sake of the narrative.

Alice is a wet blanket at times and Joanna is kind of an asshole but these are the points of their characters so 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Lisa Bristow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love reading about Eleanor of Aquitane, so was excited to dive into this book by Coirle Mooney.

Coirle uses two characters to introduce us to Eleanor’s court at Poitiers: Alice, and her 14-year-old niece, Joanna. We join them at a turbulent time in Eleanor’s life. Eleanor’s children by her current husband, Henry II of England, are reaching the age when they are due to inherit lands from their father’s and mother’s side. Henry is reluctant to hand over his territory in France or England to anyone, and Eleanor’s first husband, Louis VII of France, ends up playing both advocate and advisor to Eleanor and her sons.

The historical background is undoubtedly complex, so I understand that Coirle needs to help readers new to these characters to understand enough to follow the psychological battles being waged by and against Eleanor. However, there’s a lot of telling, rather than showing which really holds back any momentum in the story.

The character of Alice is sketchily drawn. I would have loved to have got to know more about her past to understand better why she was at court, and why she behaved as she did. There are also hint of an interesting relationship that Alice would develop if given the right encouragement. I’ll say no more for fear of introducing spoilers, but some tension and friction around that would have helped build out her character more.

Joanna was portrayed with the attitude of many a teenager across the centuries who wants everything now, and thinks anyone trying to stop her from enjoying herself is old and has never had any fun. But that was the only side we saw of her really. Given what happens to her in the story it would have been interesting to spend more time with her processing these challenges, which I feel would have affected her considerably more than we saw. Also, we mainly see her relationship with her aunt, and it would have lent colour and realness to the story if we also saw her interactions with the other young females at court, particularly around the challenges I alluded to above.

I read the book while struggling with a bad head cold, and it was actually the perfect kind of story for sick days on the sofa - not too demanding and no intricate plot lines to keep up with. But, given that this book was about one of the most remarkable women of any era, it could have offered so much more.

I'd be honoured if you could help me to grow my readership. If you know others who like history or historical fiction please share this newsletter with them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sapere books for the eARC.

[Lucy-Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected.

Set at the court of Eleanor of Aquitane, a powerful heiress in her own right & wife of two kings (Louis VII of France and Henry II of England), this is the story of the women who surrounded Eleanor and their friendship/loyalty to the unconventional Queen.
It focusses primarily on Joanna, a young lady who is on the edge of adulthood and her aunt Alice who has taken responsibility for Joanna following the death of her mother and who hopes to find her a good marriage with an aristocrat, knight or nobleman. Alice is a lonely woman who craves friendship and love.
However we have no background to the women & how they have ended up at Eleanor’s court - The opening of the book felt like I’d missed a chapter or two! It assumed I already knew the characters and had some interest in them/cared what happened to them. Throughout the rest of the book, I was waiting for something significant to happen & it really didn’t. The book is set in historical fact but it does nothing to educate the reader or really entertain them. The writing was flat and the characters fairly one dimensional
The time period in which this novel is set is one of turmoil - the King of England has falled out with Archbishop Thomas Beckett, the King of England is married to the King of France’s ex-wife and the sons of the King of England are rising against him. This historical fact is included but not with enough clarity to confirm this as a good historical novel, its almost like the author has taken the headlines and popped another story round them, expecting the history to carry the rest.
The book could have developed in a number of ways – with all of the men portrayed so negatively I felt it was going to look at the place of women in medieval society and those who defied “convention”, or maybe develop the relationship between Marie & Alice but none of this happened and the ending was abrupt with no conclusions to any of the storylines.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.

[Debbie Viscosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor of Aquitaine led an interesting life. She was married to King Louis of France and King Henry of England. She bore children from both marriages which certainly divided her allegiance to either country. Her first son with Henry was coming of age and she was determined to see him named as Henry’s heir. The only issue standing in the way is the feud Henry is having with Thomas Beckett.

Life at court was exciting. The attendants had front row seats to the drama, intrigue, and machinations of the royals. Two women, Alice and her niece Joanna, arrive at court hoping to find a refuge from Joanna’s abusive father as attendants to Eleanor. Joanna is young, headstrong, innocent, and very pretty. Alice hopes to help her niece make a good match. Will Joanna find a gentleman with money that will provide her with an appropriate future?

What follows is a descriptive behind-the-scenes look into Eleanor’s court. Coirle Mooney vividly chronicles the clothing, food, and even bedding, giving the reader outstanding historic awareness. Living during Eleanor’s time seems to be a romantic ideal, but in her balanced narration the author provides ample reminders of the difficulties women endured. Will Joanna find a match? How does Eleanor manage to balance between the Kings of England and France? This is a charming visit to an intriguing earlier time.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the arc.

This novel is set in 1168 in the court of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and is primarily focused on two of her ladies- young Joanna (aged 14) and her aunt Alice. The backdrop to this story is based on real events - at a time of political turmoil and conflict between King Henry and Thomas Becket, and the relationship between Henry and Eleanor.

I found this book to be wonderfully descriptive, and life in court really came to life. It also sparked an interest in me to learn more about this time in history, and particularly about Queen Eleanor, who sounds absolutely fascinating - the author does a great job of demonstratinf her as a strong and fierce female in a male dominated world.

However, the synopsis of this book promises me "intrigue, danger and adventure" - I found all these lacking. I understood the main two characters and why they behaved as they did, though I found that I didn't really care for them. There were indications of a possible emerging romance with Alice - which I found fascinating and was quite excited to see where it would go - but it went nowhere, and I found the overall ending to be quite abrupt. I'm assuming that there is going to be a sequel - and as a 'laying the groundwork' book, it could lead the way for something quite special. I'd read the second book if there was one.

[Sanchary Ghosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Sapere Publishers for this review, but my opinions are totally honest and unbiased.

I love historical fiction, especially about strong queens. This book will engage you especially if you don't know anything about Eleanor of Aquitaine. The book couldn't have been easy to write, set as far back as the 12th C. I certainly appreciate the research that went into writing it, because the events seem accurate to the time period.

The weakest links are the protagonists. We are dropped into the court, opening with Bernard asking for Joanna's hand in marriage, with no background on why she matters. Google has no answers either. Therein lies the one flaw. Why should I care for Alice and Joanna? How is she any better than any other female character? I didn't grow to care for them. Interesting things happened to them, and yet the best character is Eleanor.

The men were unlikeable and rightly so. The privilege and obvious commentary like undertones in the narration feel like a modern feminist interpretation of things from 1000 years ago. The woke lens begs the question of how much the women really were able to undo their conditioning, that the inner monologues are written this way?

[Ann-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the twelfth century, at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Poitiers, we meet Alice and her young niece Joanna. I found the historical background very interesting as it’s not a period I know a lot about. The book gives a good insight into life at court - their day to day lives, their pastimes, what was important to them, how they travelled and the family dynamics of Eleanor, her husband (Henry II of England), her ex-husband (Louis VII of France) and her children.

However, I found the main characters, Alice and Joanna, irritating and uninteresting. Alice came across as a whiney, pathetic person – constantly moaning that she was ugly and that nobody liked her. Joanna was portrayed as a’ know it all’ teenager - generally unpleasant to her aunt, only being nice to her when she wanted something.

For me, the setting and the events covered in the book were the best parts – the troubles between Henry and his children, between Henry and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Eleanor’s attempts to manipulate events to her wishes and the overall depiction of life at Court in the twelfth century.

Thanks to Sapere Books for a copy to review

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lady’s Keeper is an engaging historical fiction set during the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine. I have not read a lot about this period of history, so found the story of Eleanor and Henry II fascinating. I became a little confused about the fact that Eleanor appeared to have two husbands, and children with both, and had to Google the facts for clarity. I had inferred the situation, but perhaps some additional clarity around this issue in the book would have been good.

The protagonists, Joanna and Alice, were generally pleasant, but largely unremarkable characters. They seemed to be one-dimensional, and their interactions and tribulations were repetitive. A greater degree of character development would have made them more interesting, allowing the reader to feel more compassion for their respective predicaments.

I found the closing chapters of the book a little disappointing as there was no apparent resolution for either of the main characters, perhaps in order to open up the possibility of a sequel?

Thanks to Sapere Books and the author for the ARC.

[Rose Weiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the 1100’s and the court of Queen Eleanor and her ladies, this is a story of the loyalty of the women who surrounds the royalty and their lives. Alice and her young niece Joanna are part of the ladies who help the queen in her role as ruler of the country.
The characters were not strongly developed and there was no depth to who they were. Joanna is a spoiled child who gets her way with others but does not understand how hurtful and mean she is acting especially to her older aunt Alice whom is trying without much success to protect her from herself. Why is Joanna like this? What shaped her personality? What made Alice so overly protective and why is she not married? The characters needed much more back story to make the reader care.
The story ends with no conclusion at all. Why happens to each of these women? Nothing is mentioned.
It is set in an historical setting but this too needed more background as to why things are happening.
Not a satisfactory read and was disappointed.

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story though described as medieval romance, is also quite historical. Detailing the life of Joanna and her guardian Aunt Alice, it also describes in fair detail the intricate, complicated lives of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry and the King's hold on the lands of both his and his wife and his refusal to let go. He was also of the "divide and rule" policy even between his sons which certainly did not leave room for sibling love. Eleanor had to fight tooth and nail for the rights of her sons.

Joanna was a headstrong girl who arrived at the Court as a maiden along with Alice. Alice was a retiring personality who only wanted to secure a good, secure marriage for Joanna but she had her own ideas and followed her heart. She was swayed this way and that and also taken advantage of because of her personality, which did not win her any favours either amongst her
colleagues or her suitors.

The story was for me more historical than a romance and one I enjoyed very much.

[Cristina Elena | LaaA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, this historical novel revolves around Joanna of Agen, 14, and her guardian aunt, Alice, navigating the complexities of medieval court life, romance, and danger. With an engaging historical setting, the book beautifully portrays the ambiance and political turmoil of Eleanor's court during the 12th century. In contrast, the character lack an in-depth portrayal, especially the central characters, which makes the connection with them least likely. The novel hints at potential, while at the same time leaves readers hoping for further depth and exploration in subsequent books.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Sapere Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #NetGalley #TheLadysKeeper #LifeLongLearning

[Di Paterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of my favourite historical figures, and I had high hopes for this book, but I was a little disappointed. Admittedly, I did read it in one sitting, but I kept waiting for something to happen! There was no emotion in the narration, and the characters were all very one-dimensional. At times I questioned what the point of the narrative was; was it about Eleanor, or Joanna, or Alice's relationship with Marie, or even a social commentary on women's place in society in the twelfth century? I feel that the author could have picked any one of those plot points and dug deeper into it, rather than giving a brief overview of a historical period, which is really all this book become. But the research was obviously extensive, which is a plus. My thanks to Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read it.

[Anita Salát · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moment I saw this book cover I knew that I wanted to read it. What a beautiful cover!

I like historical fiction, English history in particular, and a medieval romantic story sounded like something I didn't want to miss. This story however focuses more on the tensions between Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry, and Eleanor's maneuvering in politics, and less on love and emotions. Alice had romantic feelings for someone, and Joanna was supposedly passionately in love with someone too, yet I felt that the romantic plot is lacking and the author did not let us behind the scenes to learn how these feelings developed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for an Advance Review Copy.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

The lady’s Keeper Coirle Mooney

I received a free copy of this book from sapere book to review and and the ideas from this review are mine. This as going to be a spoiler free review.


Really liked the imagery the author pictured in the court in the opening scene, and the inner thoughts of each opposing sex .

This is not my usual type of read ( I usually read Science fiction/ fantasy books or nonfiction books, though I do like historical fiction books), but I really was drawn into the story and the characters.

You really get a sense of place and time as if you were there along with them. The author has a great sense of history like Bernard Cornwell.

So if you really like historical fiction book try her books.

[Hannah S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book but ultimately it was disappointing. There's no story! It seemed a bit like it was just telling us what happens at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine (she goes here, she celebrates that, her son visits, her son goes away again) rather than a fully-fledged story. The two main characters were difficult to connect with and the dialogue was really stilted at times. I so wanted it to work but nothing happened until the last ten pages. The historical research is clear but the nonexistent story made it an unfulfilling read. Ironically I think that the second novel will be better as the scene has been set for a good next book, but I don't think I will be able to face reading it.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm a sucker for historical fiction and am quite fond of the middle ages, but I had a hard time caring about our main characters. I know she's only 14, but Joanna is insufferable. She does not deserve the things that happened to her, but I didn't have a whole lot of sympathy because her character was not likeable. I have no problems with an unlikable protagonist, but they have to be complex and not just whiny, "don't tell me what to do, you old hag" characters. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the story and learning more about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alice has her own issues to work through and I wish that we could have had more of her story outside of her relation to her niece. I need more of the Alice & Marie potential romance, I don't know what kind of feelings they have for each other but Alice seemed like she was in love with Marie. That plot line was more interesting than anything to do with Joanna. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher that provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Vicky Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one the most fascinating characters in medieval history. She married to two kings of different countries, held land and titles in her own right, and had two of her sons become kings of England. The Lady's Keeper was a look at the time of Eleanor's life leading up to her arrest for treason against her husband, Henry II of England. I have read a bit of her life during her captivity, but nothing from before. The story was okay, but seemed a little modern in the mentality of the female characters, which would have been more appropriate if the story was from Eleanor's perspective instead of ladies in her court.

[Babylon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offered much promise in its premise, but ultimately let the reader down. The characters were flat, the timelines and the history inaccurate. Trying to wedge in Eleanor’s daughter Marie as Marie of France - who has never been a contender for that title, and probably never spent any time with her mother - was disappointing, too. As a reader of historical fiction, I like relatively accurate history, great characters and great sense of place. The author didn’t carry off the first two, but to her credit, she did create a great sense of place with the costumes, entertainments and falconry.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers Sapere Books for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Nergalley. All opinons are my own.

Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of my absolute favourite people in history which I why I wanted to read this book. as I thought the story’s setting would be interesting. So much intrigue and interesting points to explore. The main character is one the queen’s ladies in waiting (I think) so she’s in the middle of everything thar’s going on within the court.

Sad to say I was disappointed. This was boring. It just dragged on, and I can’t remember anything of importance.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good period piece. I did think it was a little draggy at times. I don’t really know too much about this period of time so I found parts of it interesting. It does end rather strangely but that could be because it’s part of a series.
Thanks to Sapere for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's more historical fiction than historical romance, an entertaining and compelling read.
I think that Eleanor of Aquitaine is a very fascinating woman and I appreciated the descriptions of her court and the well researched historical background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romantic historical novel about the lady’s of Eleanor of Aquitaine. I enjoyed reading some background information of the famous lady herself however I was not so sure on the storyline itself.
I personally felt there needed to be a bit more development of the characters of which the story was about. There also did not appear to be too much in the way of romance.

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of boring. The main characters are ladies-in-waiting not key historical figures and none of the action really happens to them. There’s no sense of personal danger or anything that made me care about them.

[Susan Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lady's Keeper

Wonderfully rich with history and imagination. Such an opulent period in history, it lends itself to fast action and deep intrigue. The author's style is reminiscent of Norah Lofts

[Blubonnet1]

01/15/2023

[Amylynn]

This book was good in its own way I loved the characters the woman things gadget charged in court