Eliza Rose

At 21, I'm dragging my heels as I move out of my "YA fiction" years, so I admit I'm not exactly this book's target audience. I bought this solely because I'm a fan of Lucy Worsley's various TV series and non-fiction books, and I was curious about how this would translate into fiction.It is exactly as I hoped. Just like Worsley's other books, 'Eliza Rose' is witty and engaging, and inevitably encourages you to read further into the lives of various women at court. The dialogue is natural and the characters are loveable. I have only one minor quibble: I think maybe the pacing could be a little better, as the ending seems a bit sudden given that novel covers 8 years or so. Regardless, I read it one sitting, and passed it along to my 10 and 12 year old nieces. They both enjoyed it, particularly the descriptions of the sumptuous gowns and loved Henny, Eliza's long suffering tiring woman. The older one is insisting we visit Hampton Court Palace for her next birthday, so it's definitely helping to foster a love of history.It does not shy away from more serious topics necessary to the story, such as the miserable treatment of women at Tudor court. For this reason, I'd probably recommend discretion if you are buying for a reader younger than 12 -- my younger niece required a few reassuring conversations to make it through the whole story. The conversation about King Henry's unwanted advances proved a rather moving teaching moment; the one about whether she was likely to get gout and die at 11 slightly less so.Overall, 'Eliza Rose' is perfect for young readers who are comfortable with chapter books and are looking for a story that's a mix between a coming-of-age novel, a boarding school adventure and a romance. Or for a grown-up who's run out of Philippa Gregory. I do hope Lucy Worsley will write more fiction in future -- a Dorothy L. Sayers-style mystery perhaps?

A very enjoyAble read which brought to life many historical facts that were well known while allowing the reader the opportunity to imagine just what it was like to be a courtier at the time of Henry V111. I will now look for a similar story of times past with a little fiction which makes the history even more interesting.

very enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book. As a fan of Dr Lucy anyway it was her own voice I heard narrating that of our heroine, Eliza. And because Lucy is so fluent in Tudor history, the descriptions and references to contemporary practices in this novel felt less 'preaching' than in some others I have read.In her epilogue Lucy describes how she wanted to do justice to Katherine, and show that - historically vilified - she believes she died for trying to please those around her. I'm paraphrasing here of course, but I admire Lucy's attempt to show Katherine as a 3-dimensional woman, rather than allow her to remain perpetually dismissed as a promiscuous harlet.Despite being aimed at the tween market, and therefore a quick and easy read, I thought this novel was hugely enjoyable for any casual Tudor fan. I am already looking forward to more fiction from this author.

this book is really inappropriate. However it did he a pritty good plot. I wouldn't recommend this book to younger kids as i am only 11 so i know exactly why they shouldn't read it. Overall it is an interesting book. you should definetly read it.

I bought this book for my school library and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself. Perhaps aimed at Year 7 pupils upwards (such a shame the Tudors have been removed from the KS2 History curriculum!) although my able Year 6s would enjoy it too. As an adult reading it I appreciate how some of the historical elements have been made simpler (amalgamating some historical figures, etc.) so that it would be less confusing to a younger audience.I read it in a day and couldn't put it down, so will definitely be recommending it in library sessions.

A fun and interesting read. A little short and I really hoped for a more concluding ending but I still enjoyed it.

I know this book is aimed at young adults and under no stretch of the imagination could I be considered a young adult but do know a bit about Tudor history. I saw Lucy Worsley promoting her book on the BBC news and it seemed interesting . I've read many books on Henry's Queens and some have been excellent and some boring but this book is a page turner. I hadn't come across one page that was boring and it kept my interest throughout the book. I would definitely recommend to the younger reader but the older reader will I think, enjoy it too.

Lucy Worsley has a talent to make historical teenagers 20th century teenagers....with such independence and self thoughts,that we know they did not had....this book presents Katherine Howard as the naive girl we all have heard of,but towards the very end of the book, We see a self taught Katherine that was trying desperately to keep her place as queen......as a very naive queen. A great book,like all Lucy's books.

A great read by a great author for a great price. So glad I found this copy, and in excellent condition.

The description of this novel says it's aimed for a yonger, teenage audience; however as an adult reader I found it very entertaining and honestly I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. In short, Eliza Rose is a historical romance/ comedy/ drama set in Tudor England as seen through the eyes of an aristocratic teenage girl. I'm a Lucy Worsely fan and I think she's done a great job creating an entertaining story that at it's heart touches on some serious topics about the role and expectations of 'high born' women during this period.

I enjoy watching anything that Lucy Worsley has on television, so when I read that she had writing this book, I wanted to read it, had to wait until I could buy it here in the States. The book gave me a good idea of what like in the court of Henry VIII was like. Found it interesting, but at the same time I knew the story has some fiction

Terrific-enjoy Lucy Worsley