Jane the Quene

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The Rundown

It’s 1535 and Jane Seymour is fully aware that the only way she will have a place in England’s society is to find a respectable suitor. Any suitor would do, but Jane’s sister is the one who gets all the attention, and nasty Anne Boleyn is out to ruin her life with nasty back-handed gossip. Jane hopes that if she keeps her head down and works hard for her family, that her brother will help her find a husband. But it feels as though no one is rooting for her. Until, that is, she catches the eye of the king.

Before she has time to think about the consequences, Jane is pulled into the drama of the court where she finds herself the center of attention – and jealousy. Her youth and innocence, which attracted the King’s attention in the first place, makes it difficult to navigate her new position. Jane tries to keep her head high and do the right thing, but she quickly finds herself acting in ways she once found despicable, in order to survive.

Now the most powerful woman in England, Jane is full of fear and remorse. She is expected to produce an heir, something the last two queens failed at. The King may be a gentleman to her now, but if she cannot fulfill her duties, she fears she may be tossed aside, exiled or even murdered. While the rest of the world envies her, Jane must wrestle, alone, with her conscience and the uncertainty of her future.

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The Recommendation

Well executed and thoroughly researched, Jane the Quene is for romance lovers and history buffs alike. One part romantic drama and two parts historic fiction, Jane the Quene follows innocent Jane Seymour as she goes from the plain girl who keeps her head down to the center of of attention and power. Janet Wertman delivers pages of beautiful prose in a well-researched first book. And it doesn’t stop here! Readers can expect to gobble up more courtly intrigue as the saga continues.

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The Rating

Top Pick! 5 Stars (out of five): Freaking amazing. Any agent or publishing house that passed this one up made a big mistake. It was selected by our reviewer as a personal favorite. This is also a nomination for our Novel of the Year award.

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The Pros & Cons

Pros: Believable, Plot, Strong World-Building
Cons: Character Developement

Author’s Summary

All Jane Seymour wants is a husband; but when she catches the eye of a volatile king, she is pulled deep into the Tudor court’s realm of plot and intrigue….

England. 1535. Jane Seymour is 27 years old and increasingly desperate for the marriage that will provide her a real place in the world. She gets the perfect opportunity to shine when the court visits Wolf Hall, the Seymour ancestral manor. With new poise born from this event, it seems certain that her efficiency and diligence will shine through and finally attract a suitor.

Meanwhile, King Henry VIII is 45 and increasingly desperate for a son to secure his legacy. He left his first wife, a princess of Spain, changing his country’s religion in the process, to marry Anne Boleyn — but she too has failed to deliver the promised heir. As Henry begins to fear he is cursed, Jane Seymour’s honesty and innocence conjure redemption. Thomas Cromwell, an ambitious clerk who has built a career on strategically satisfying the King’s desires, sees in Jane the perfect vehicle to calm the political unrest that threatens the country: he engineers the plot that ends with Jane becoming the King’s third wife.

Jane believes herself virtuous and her actions justified, but early miscarriages shake her confidence and hopes. How can a woman who has done nothing wrong herself deal with the guilt of how she unseated her predecessor?

Short Description

All Jane Seymour wants is a husband; but when she catches the eye of a volatile king, she is pulled deep into the Tudor court’s realm of plot and intrigue….

Catchphrase

Jane wanted a husband – he came with guilt...

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