The Virgin’s Daughter
By: Laura Andersen
Genre: Historical Fan Fiction (?)/ Lifetime Movie Book
Grade: C
What would happen if Queen Elizabeth had married and produced an heir with Phillip of Spain?
That is pretty much the whole reason I wanted to read this book. I was like okay, cool! However this really isn’t about Anabel although it’s part of a larger series that I’m guess will get around to her. Andersen also authored the series ‘The Boleyn Trilogy,’ in which Ann produced a live son so the history of the Tudor family in this world is quite different. It might be less disorienting but I don’t think you need to read that one first.
In this novel Lucette Courtenay, daughter of close family friends of Elizabeth’s (so close she may actually be related to Elizabeth but that’s a story for the first books) is sent to France to stay with her the LaClerc family. Old family friends who happen to have two eligible sons. One or both of whom according to Walsingham, still the same old spy master may be involved in an intricate plot to kill Elizabeth.
Besides the historically out there premise this book is really utterly typical. Lucie is a spunky super smart heroine. The brothers are handsome and moody and not nearly as smart as they may think and yes there is true love and a misunderstood hero who will do everything to make it right. Elizabeth herself was fine although the only difference in this and all the other times I’ve read about her or watched movies about her was that she was presented as a mother.
Despite all that I was entertained but I was entertained in more of an eye rolling way. Like Lucie has a very smart moment where she thinks, “Hey let’s take the possible assassin away from the Queen and try to outsmart him!” Unfortunately it’s by putting him directly the path of the Princess which she doesn’t seem to think twice about.
Or when her sister, whose been touted throughout as a seer of sorts, says she thinks Anabel is in danger and they need to be careful super smart Lucie to the rescue. By rescue I mean giving the bad guy an opportunity he wouldn’t have otherwise had so overall I liked Lucie in the beginning not so much at the end where she seemed to lose a lot of that wit for love.
Recommend: Overall no. Yet it was a fascinating premise but I think the execution failed it in the long run. They changed history but I couldn’t help think when reading I know exactly where this is going, I’ve read this before, I bet I know what she/he is going to do now. Unfortunately I was right on all counts.
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