Royal Inheritance - by Kate Emerson (Paperback)

About the Book

"Audrey Malte is illegitimate, though her beloved father--tailor to King Henry VIII--prefers to call her 'merry-begot,' saying there was much joy in her making. Then Audrey visits the royal court with her father, and the whispers start about Audrey's distinctive Tudor-red hair and the kindness that the king shows her. Did dashing Henry perhaps ask Malte to raise a royal love child?"--Page 4 of cove

Book Synopsis

This new novel in the "wonderfully absorbing" (Library Journal) Secrets of the Tudor Court series, features a tailor's daughter who suspects she is an illegitimate offspring of King Henry VIII.

Audrey Malte is illegitimate, though her beloved father--tailor to King Henry VIII--prefers to call her "merry-begot," saying there was much joy in her making. Then Audrey visits the royal court with her father, and the whispers start about Audrey's distinctive Tudor-red hair and the kindness that the king shows her. Did dashing Henry perhaps ask Malte to raise a royal love child? The king's favor, however, brings Audrey constraint as well as opportunity. Though she holds tender feelings for her handsome music tutor, John Harington, the king is pressuring her to marry into the family of treacherous, land-hungry Sir Richard Southwell. Audrey determines to learn the truth about her birth at last. The answer may give her the freedom to give her heart as she chooses . . . or it could ensnare her deeper in an enemy's ruthless scheme.

Review Quotes

"A wonderfully absorbing novel that is full of enough historical detail to satisfy even the most hard-core Tudor fan. Emerson beautifully depicts the difficulty of living in a treacherous period in which one had to do what the king's pleasure demanded, in spite of the risk of losing one's head."--Library Journal

"An engaging tale of loyalty, love, and treachery in the court of King Henry VIII."-- "Fresh Fiction"

"Imagining the life story of Audrey Malte, an actual historical figure, [Emerson] reliably mixes court intrigue and the complicated politics of Henry's life and multiple wives with the fascinating private journey of a young woman who gradually becomes aware of her royal heritage...Another satisfying, page-turning addition to Emerson's series."--Publishers Weekly

"In the first in Emerson's series, it's hard to tell where reality ends and fiction begins. Rich and lushly detailed, teeming with passion and intrigue, this is a novel in which you can happily immerse yourself in another time and place." --Kathe Robins "RT Book Reviews"

"Intrigue, romance and treachery abound in this well-researched, sensitively written book."
-- "Renaissance magazine"

"It is this heroine that separates this book from the pack. The characters are subtle and well-drawn.."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Readers with a voracious appetite for Tudor-set novels will take Emerson's Secrets of the Tudor Court series to heart. It is more than the careful research, dramatic events, and lush details they savor; it is how Emerson merges little known historical personages and history into a powerful novel where ordinary people take center stage. This new outlook on history makes for realism, while tugging at readers' hearts and stimulating minds to learn more about the era. Well-crafted historical fiction, romance and passion fill every page."--Romantic Times Book Reviews, four and a half star review

"Sparked by an actual letter written by a Spanish ambassador in 1534, Emerson creates a believable scenario rich in accurate detail where her fictional Thomasine strolls comfortably next to real-life figures."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"5/5 Kate did it again! She might as well be called the Tudor goddess. I loved every page of "Royal Inheritance" because it was so exciting...makes for excellent reading. I highly recommend all of Kate's novels because they are so much fun to read. They seem to surprise me every time." --Historically Obsessed