It is the man, and not the king, I love. ~Lady Catherine Gordon

Sandra Worth, captivated by one powerful 10-word statement has crafted a compelling novel that you’ll find impossible to put down.

In 1497 the Tudor line has wrested the throne away from the Plantagenet line.  King Henry VII will stop at nothing to secure the Kingdom for his line.  The news of the survival of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, the son of King Edward and next in line for the throne threatens the very crown on his head.  For this reason alone, he will do all in his power to stop the young fledgling king from succeeding in proving his claim.

Lady Catherine Gordon, however, is young and very in love with her husband.  Never does she dream what trying to gain a throne that belongs to her husband would destroy every bit of the world she knows.

Sandra Worth follows the story of this young, sometimes naive young woman into the depths of a darkness unimaginable.  Through it all, Catherine never stops hoping, never stops loving, never stops using her strength and intelligence to keep herself alive, and free of a king’s affections.

Weaving the depth of research, and creating a character with a soul so deep and rich that you feel like this is a woman you would like to have as your friend.  Catherine manages to stand tall in a world crashing against her, humiliating her and her husband, but that leaves her with brief bursts of joy.

After Richard (or “The Pretender” as Henry VII calls him) is executed, Catherine lives in mourning. For the loss of her husband, and the son that was ripped from her arms.  Carrying this mourning with her, she still manages to fight off the advances of a King, and form friendships in a world that seems so against her.

Despite endless tragedy, Catherine never stops holding her head up. She has her innocence ripped from her, but not her pride.  She never abandons hope, or love.

You will want to know her.

You’ll be glad that Sandra used the power of her words, her skill at weaving a story, to take that one 10 word phrase and bring to life this long forgotten character.

****

*I was given a copy of this book for free to review, but my opinions are my own.