The Boleyn Deceit (The Boleyn Trilogy #2) by Laura Andersen

It's very rare that a sequel is better than or even equal to its predecessor. While I enjoyed book one, the Boleyn King, I loved this one. Ms. Anderson has the perfect balance to everything. It's a "what if" story, so it cannot be based on facts. This entire series is "What if Anne Boleyn had a son and he lived and she didn't get her chopped off and there were not all those wives after her...what then?"

However, the author puts REAL people in this and it feels like we're reading history, though we're not. I recognized so many of its characters from other, historically accurate, stories: George Boleyn, the earls, Elizabeth, the little French princess. Great balance.

Also perfect blend of drama to seriousness, of description--she doesn't natter on and on about the drapes or something we may not care for. We're told what we need to know to set the scene in our minds.

The story itself kept me on my toes. There are battles, court intrigue, and at the heart of it all, Minuette and the love triangle and the mystery of who killed her friend...and I think that's still ongoing. I honestly had no clue who was going to do what next and how everyone else would react. I love that the story wasn't too predictable. And again, though she's a secondary character, I love what was done with Elizabeth. She's not the shrewd, wicked witch she's normally portrayed as in books. She's strong, cunning, and will protect her brother at all costs, and takes care of those she loves, but do not cross her!

I was able to completely immerse myself in this tale, to the point that when I set it down, I'd look around and me and wrinkle my nose. "What happened to the castle?" I'd declare.

A brief summary: King William wants Minuette, but she wants Dominic. They've been friends since childhood so not only must they be careful not to crush his trust in them, but seriously, who says no to a king? Boundaries are tested and in the background, Elizabeth is battling her feelings for Robert Dudley, who may or may not be involved in a sinister plot to throw the throne. And...there's still that unsolved murder as well as blood on Minuette's hands. And we all know that in the Royal Court, everything can be held over one's head...