TLC Book Tours Book Review: Mistress Of The Court

Author: Laura Purcell
Title: Mistress of the Court
Publisher: Myrmidom Books Ltd
Publish Date: Aug 4, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours
Book Blurb: 

Orphaned and trapped in an abusive marriage, Henrietta Howard has little left to lose. She stakes everything on a new life in Hanover with its royal family, the heirs to the British throne. Henrietta's beauty and intelligence soon win her the friendship of clever Princess Caroline and her mercurial husband, Prince George. But, as time passes, it becomes clear that friendship is the last thing on the hot-blooded young prince's mind. Dare Henrietta give into his advances and anger her violent husband? Dare she refuse? Whatever George's shortcomings, Princess Caroline is determined to make the family a success. Yet the feud between her husband and his obstinate father threatens all she has worked for. As England erupts in Jacobite riots, her family falls apart. She vows to save the country for her children to inherit - even if it costs her pride and her marriage. Set in the turbulent years of the Hanoverian accession, Mistress of the Court tells the story of two remarkable women at the centre of George II's reign.

Review: Mistress Of The Court is a wonderfully written novel about the first Hanover King and his family. The focus is on Prince George and Princess Caroline and Henrietta Howard.

Henrietta is a woman that you can totally sympathize with. Her husband is very abusive. There's absolutely no way that you can feel anything but hatred for Charles Howard. And when he pits her son against her, you will hate him even more, especially as she did everything to keep her child safe when he was a little boy.

On the more royal side you have Caroline and George. They have their own family problems, when George I ascends the throne their family is torn apart in much the same way as Henrietta's life was when she came to court.

Through Caroline, Henrietta became mistress, but Henrietta isn't the typical royal mistress. Her relationship with George isn't one based on power or even greed. Their relationship seems to be more a matter of need.

All throughout the book I found myself feeling sympathetic more towards Hetty than Caroline, though both women inspire a certain amount of pity from their readers.

When George and Hetty's relationship starts to crumble you'd expect to feel elated for Caroline, who would then have her husband back, but really you feel elated for Hetty because she is finally free to live her life.

This book was a wonderful read for anyone that loves stories involving the the British monarchy.  Its always nice to get away from the Tudors and Stuarts, who seem to dominate most of the books in this genre.

I look forward to reading the other books in the Hanover series.

Rating: 5 flowers