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If this were published today (it's from 1998) it would probably be categorized as Historical Fixtion and not romance. And, uhm, would be a much better book if we weren't meant to find it romantic.
Set during the War of the Roses, this is about Richard Neville's (aka "Warwick the Kingmaker") illegitimate daughter, Margaret Neville (called Margery in the book) and her husband Richard Huddleston. After spending 6 years exiled to a convent after having an affair with Edward IV, Margery is summoned to court and asked to act as a spy in his service. Almost simultaneously, Richard Huddleston, a bit player with ambition, petitions for her hand to tie himself to Warwick.
There's less Lady Spy than the blurb would lead you to believe, but I don't think the book suffers for it. I like Margery a lot and the history and politically driven plot are both very good. Unfortunately, most characters treat Margery like crap throughout the book and Richard is by far the worst. I'm pretty sure he sat around thinking or ways he could insult and disrespect her and make sure everyone knew he didn't care how badly they treated her. Then suddenly, in the last 60~ pages, he got 10 times worse and apparently couldn't care less if his wife (who he's supposedly been secretly in love with for the better part of a decade) is imprisoned, beaten, raped, tortured, or any and all combinations of the above. (As far as I know, Margery is never actually raped.)
It's an extra pity, because if it weren't for Richard and the supposed romance, I would recommend this book. Actually, until the last quarter, I would recommend it with the caveat to watch out for him and his treatment of Margery, but then the last quarter came along.
I have Martyn's other 2 books (Well, the 2 that came out in the US, and that I know of? I don't know if she wrote more.) and will still read them because (A) I have them, (B) this was a first book, and authors frequently improve after the first, especially with romance-centric plots, (C) I really did like Margery and found the plot very interesting. I'm just going to be seriously bracing myself.
Set during the War of the Roses, this is about Richard Neville's (aka "Warwick the Kingmaker") illegitimate daughter, Margaret Neville (called Margery in the book) and her husband Richard Huddleston. After spending 6 years exiled to a convent after having an affair with Edward IV, Margery is summoned to court and asked to act as a spy in his service. Almost simultaneously, Richard Huddleston, a bit player with ambition, petitions for her hand to tie himself to Warwick.
There's less Lady Spy than the blurb would lead you to believe, but I don't think the book suffers for it. I like Margery a lot and the history and politically driven plot are both very good. Unfortunately, most characters treat Margery like crap throughout the book and Richard is by far the worst. I'm pretty sure he sat around thinking or ways he could insult and disrespect her and make sure everyone knew he didn't care how badly they treated her. Then suddenly, in the last 60~ pages, he got 10 times worse and apparently couldn't care less if his wife (who he's supposedly been secretly in love with for the better part of a decade) is imprisoned, beaten, raped, tortured, or any and all combinations of the above. (As far as I know, Margery is never actually raped.)
It's an extra pity, because if it weren't for Richard and the supposed romance, I would recommend this book. Actually, until the last quarter, I would recommend it with the caveat to watch out for him and his treatment of Margery, but then the last quarter came along.
I have Martyn's other 2 books (Well, the 2 that came out in the US, and that I know of? I don't know if she wrote more.) and will still read them because (A) I have them, (B) this was a first book, and authors frequently improve after the first, especially with romance-centric plots, (C) I really did like Margery and found the plot very interesting. I'm just going to be seriously bracing myself.