I really loved reading this novel. It was fun, snarky, and loved the idea of Mary and some of her ladies being able to shift form. What a great tool that would have been as a ruler - able to wander about the castle with no one the wiser that you were there checking in on things. As always, a great, fun read from these talented ladies. YA Historical Fiction done right!

This book was a fun addition to the series! I love the characters and the way these authors continue to surprise readers. The anachronistic allusions add to the fun of the My Contrary Mary. I can't wait to see what the rest of the series holds!

I love these books! My Lady Jane was one of my favorite books, however, My Contrary Mary, did not disappoint!

I loved how the authors made the historical side so hilarious. I loved the cast, the characters, and the plot. Also, a shapeshifting mouse? excellent!!!

A delightful read for anyone who watched Reign but wished it somehow could have ended happily, and also generally not been so sad throughout, and also could have been more queer, The references in this book are absolutely on point, from pop culture to overt references to Reign itself.

This is a powerhouse writing team eternally capable of pulling me out of a bad reading slump, and I'm excited for the rest of the Marys series.

I received a digital advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great blend of history, fantasy, modern pop culture references, and joyful zaniness. The Lady Janies have done it again!

I struggled to engage with this book. Although the concept was fascinating, I did not find the execution strong enough to hold my attention.

I loved this one. The Janie series was one of my favorite historical fiction books and the characters were so much fun, all of the POV's were so much fun to read, I did read this overall long period of time and I forgot so many details about it. I will be rereading this series though as I love this series and I get so much info the second time around. This was adorable and I highly recommend this.


Thank you to Net Galley for this book to review.

After watching Reign more times than I can remember I was very excited for this book but it just didn't hold my attention. The writing is very juvenile and doesn't seem to fit the intended audience. I will not be buying this for the library.

If you or your patron was derailed by the "Janies" 'Calamity Jane,' they will be relieved with what this writing trio did with My Contrary Mary. Firstly, there is reference to My Lady Jane, so if they were hooked in with the first of the series, they will be psyched to see that they are back in the time period/world that made their mad-capped, irreverent retelling of history so delightful and humorous.
Mary Queen of Scots is historically an amazing figure to study. Her backstory is bleak and pocketed with wrong doing unto her, her revenge and place in history can be debated. The Janies take it all in and create a hilarious, movie-worthy version of her.
Sure, I'm biased. I love this series and I'm always up for reading them. They can be a little long for my YA/high schooler crowd, but I try to entice them with the humor of it all and reassure them it's a 'quick read.' Sure, they might get a warped sense of history about it, but more often than not, they are back in telling me all sorts of facts they've dug up about the real people these characters are based on. My history-loving heart can feel good about that.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

What a comeback! I loved this installment! This was a wonderful return to world created in the first book. Mary was a fantastic protagonist and the way she handled things was perfect. The little pop culture easter eggs were so funny - it really made history fun and enjoyable.

I hope these authors continue to collaborate on many more works in the future!

words cannot express how much i adored this book, and it's a shame not many people are talking about this more! it has all the royal intrigue, fantasy alternate reality, and YES, lgbtq+ representation that does not sideline the character or their love interest. as a lesbian, i felt very seen and appreciated as part of the (technically fictional and not historically canon in this case) narrative. i can imagine this (and My Lady Jane) as the ultimate clap-back to CW's Reign.

So clever and so much fun! As with the Lady Janies series, a magical blend of of history and humor with just the right amount of romance thrown in. While Mary Queen of Scotland and her betrothed Francis were both wonderful characters in this story, my personal favorite was Ari, the favored daughter of Nostradamus. Her pop culture prognostications had me chuckling throughout the story.

I'm such a fan of the Jane series, so I was super excited to read more from this team of authors. As usual, this book is packed with lots of witty jokes and humor, which is what I was reading for. This book is about Mary Queen of Scots--someone who I vaguely remember learning about in high school history. My COntrary Mary also had some extra magical elements thrown in and a happier ending than in real life. I loved that this book doesn't take this book too seriously, and my absolute favorite part of this book were all the subtle pop culture references.

I loved this altered history of Mary Queen of Scots. This series is starting off to be just as amazing as the "Janes".

I am almost ashamed to admit this is my first entry into the Lady Janies series. I've always wanted to read it, but just never have. I leapt at the chance to read this one as an ARC and was not disappointed. In fact, I'm planning on reading the other three books because this one was so much fun, was so funny, and was just so well done.

This book is told from three perspectives: Mary, Queen of Scots; Francis, future king of France and Mary's fiancee; and Ari, the potion-maker who works for the Queen of France (started out as a spy to the queen, but quickly became friends with Mary and Francis). Mary and Francis are to be married, but there is a lot of espionage, double crossing, and scheming from all sides. I hesitate to say more for fear of spoiling anything because it was just so much fun to read through without knowing much about the plot.

I was inspired while reading to research Mary and Francis and their early years. I do wish the authors had included more about their real history (because there was some fictionalization of events going on here), but my hope is that teen readers will be inspired to look up these characters on their own to learn more about them.

This was one book I didn't want to end. I just loved it. I can't wait to read the other three, because I'm sure they are as equally fun. I don't read a lot of humorous books, but this one was so well done, it had me smiling almost all the way through. Anybody with an interest in history, court politics, or historical fantasy needs to get their hands on this one.

My Contrary Mary is a fun, humorous YA twist on Mary Queen of Scots's story. Similar in tone to My Lady Jane and set in the same world, the romance is swoon-worthy and the historical setting is written beautifully while being fun to visit. The characters are well-developed and the writing flows well. There are fun pop culture references throughout. If you enjoy history blended into a YA story, this is an excellent novel to check out. My Contrary Mary is the one for you!

Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail. Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper's nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary's secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

I loved My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows! The @ladyjanies have circled back to the same world of My Lady Jane (one of my favorite humorous books ever) and given us Mary Queen of Scots's story… with some serious liberties taken and a whole lot of magic. Hand, Ashton, and Meadows have a talent for providing well-researched historical fiction mixed with fantasy elements and a lot of adventure. The audiobook was fantastic and made me laugh aloud multiple times! There are also two lovely romances in this book, one M/F and one F/F, both of which I really enjoyed. If you need a good laugh I can't recommend the @ladyjanies's books enough!

This book was fun and I enjoyed getting to revisit the world of My Lady Jane!

As so often happens with books that revisit the world of your favorite books, my expectations might have been too high. I loved My Lady Jane so much and it was so unexpected that I recommended it to EVERYONE. When I picked up My Contrary Mary I wanted so much from it that it couldn't live up to.

So I really wanted to love this one because but it fell a little short for me. There were some things I loved such as the sarcasm between the characters and I adored Mary and Francis' relationship. I also loved Aristotle's character and her part in the story. I didn't like that Aristotle's visions were movie references from our time. I realize they were meant to add humor but for me it threw off the story confusing the two time periods that way. It also felt a little slow at times but rushed at other times, there wasn't really a steady pace to it. Overall it was a good book, but not amazing enough to make me want to read the next ones.

A lively story that shows the Queen of Scotts as a fully fleshed-out woman with her own thoughts and desires. The twist that Edians are real, and the Queen herself is a shapeshifter is a good one. It's a fun, pop-y version of the story of this beloved queen, definitely written with YA and teenagers in mind.