This book is bonkers. Like the rest of the series, "My Contrary Mary" is a mash-up of historical figures, supernatural fantasy and pop-culture references. This time it's Mary Queen of Scots who gets a comical re-write. Picture the CW's "Reign" on LSD with some "Princess Bride" and "Princess & the Frog" thrown in for fun.

At the beginning of the book they allude to sex (consummating their marriage, creating heirs) a LOT, but in keeping with it's YA audience, all you get is some chaste kissing. So I'd rate this okay for my 13 year-old to read.

Fans of "Reign" will see a ton of references to characters and plot from the show (Bash the dummy - I take issue with, I was TOTALLY Team Bash). I even got a Disney's "Sword in the Stone" fish scene vibe at one point ... my mind went all kinds of places in this one. As I said, it's BONKERS.

Mary finally gets a happy ending in this version as well as magical abilities, a feminist lean, lesbian friends, and
if you're a fan of The Lady Janies series and you've read the first book, "My lady Jane," you'll recognize some familiar characters who pop up to help her out.

All in all, it's another solid addition to the series if you want some light-hearted, kookiness to read before bed.

Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley!

I loved this book! We return to the Eoian world from My Lady Jane, and we have a cast of likable characters and fun humor. This trio of authors really knows how to write some meta humor! This book was fun and wholesome to read. I am really happy with this story of Mary, Queen of Scots and Francis, King of France. :)

**** ARC provided in exchange for an honest review******
I really enjoyed this retelling of the history of Mary Queen of Scotts. I am very much into both history and fantasy so adding the Edian angle had me hooked from the start (I loved Reign but how cool would it have been if that Mary could turn into a mouse!) . If you are a fan of the drama and betrayal of court life like I am then this book is a good choice. I very much enjoyed the relationship between Mary and Francis and how it all bloomed from a childhood friendship. (Friends to lovers is a favorite genre of mine) Being a High school English teacher I would recommend this to my students especially those who also have an interest in history. I did not realize the author had more books like this and look forward to reading those she has already written and those to come.

It physically hurts me to write this because I LOVED the other books. I mean LOVED LOVED them!! This one just fell short, and I pushed myself until I gave up at 70%. I feel like it didn't have as many pop culture references as past books (aside from Ari's premonitions which left me in stitches), I didn't fall in love with the characters, and I got annoyed that the main focus for a good chunk of the book was about sex (I wanted more of a plot).

With that being said, please please please pick up any of their other books, and you will be amazed! They are so funny! These girls write the best books (aside from this one). I am still looking forward to the other books they will put out, and I secretly hope they never stop writing these masterpieces (as long as they mimic their other books)!

I liked all of the Jane books and looked forward to getting my hands on the first in the Mary series. Although there are a lot of liberties taken in these books, they are still loosely based in facts and give an inside look at how these people might have been. Unfortunately for me, I felt like this book, though still entertaining, drifted too far from history.

As always, the characters were well developed and had great voices. Each point of view that was given was unique and easy to switch between. The characters themselves were mostly believable and preformed expectantly in each situation.

The fantastical storyline and a happy ending put me off in this book. I was alright with the magical beings in the previous book, but, for a reason I can’t quite put my finger on, it bothered me here. Maybe it was just used to much. The happy ending? It just seemed to forced and an what pulled the story forward rather than the story leading to an ending.

I did enjoy this story and will still look forward to the next two books in this series, but I hope that they are more like the originals than this. I also would have liked so historical references at the end.

Renaissance France, royalty... and secrets. Mary has a big one. One that could cost her greatly. She is a shapeshifter. Is this something she can keep hidden as she takes the throne? This is the perfect follow up series to the Jane series by Hand, Ashton, and Meadows.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Mary, Queen of Scots. A story we thought we knew- until Hand, Ashton, and Meadows got ahold of it- issuing their standard apology to the country whose history they have rewritten here.

Mary has been betrothed to Francis, future king of France, for nearly her entire life. She and her ladies and waiting have lived in the French court for years as they wait for her eventual nuptials and the beginning of her reign as not only the Queen of Scotland but also the queen of France and, with any luck, England as well. If you have read any of the Lady Janies books by this trio, you already know that things are not going to be that easy (and truly, history would tell you the same). Mary has a big [tiny] secret- though she is assumed to be a Verity, she is in truth an Edian- a mouse, in fact. Though this seems like a major secret, it seems a bit like small potatoes when compared to the plotting of her uncles, the scheming of the French queen, and the spying of, well, just about everyone!

I loved this book. This trio of authors always comes up with a clever twist on stories you've heard dozens of times before. The daughter of Nostradamus, Aristotle, is one of my favorite characters in the book- her visions of the future are the absolute best and it seems like her actions keep the plot moving forward as much or more than anyone else's.

Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Firstly, I enjoyed this book. I specifically enjoyed the first half of the book. My two biggest issues with this story that have taken it from what would have been a good 4.5 or 4 star down to a three are thus:
- Every situation in this story could have been avoided by people talking to one another, standing up for themselves, or using the power they (rightly) have on hand and dealing with the situations themselves.
- Miscommunication, when used as a trope to further the plot and nothing else, is NOT a good trope. I'm sorry. I genuinely don't think when it is used as anything other than comedic effect or realistically that it is a good writing tool as it very obviously feels like the story is being dragged out due to that one plot point.

Literally every area of tension in the book with the except of maybe two or three could have been solved if the main characters handled and carried themselves like the monarchs and people in power that they are. I get that they are 16. I get that they're young. But this is a society where people, especially those who are heirs to thrones or are already monarchs, are raised with the expectations to rule and the basic understanding of how to do that.

This book instead felt like reading two characters who were displaced from modern day, thrown into the past, and had zero idea what to do when they are princes and princesses in that time. And, yes, having lords, ladies, and family members ruling and politicking around their younger monarchs and heirs was insanely common. My issue is Mary, in this, is shown to have a backbone and be smart. Yet every situation that requires her to be smart and cunning, except for key scenes in the end, she isn't. She's meek, she's quiet, she lets people walk all over her.

One of the POVs I found insanely difficult to like as literally every action they did harmed other characters, and it was all done for selfish purposes. Even at the end with their "redemption," I couldn't buy it because they spent the ENTIRE book making poor choices and almost NEVER felt remorse for those choices. One choice, to give up an insanely big secret of another character, was done out of spite regarding a choice this POV character had neither any knowledge about, any right to make an opinion about, or anything. They were spoiled, selfish, and yeah sorry they didn't deserve a "happily ever after."

I wanted to really like this book, if anything because I enjoyed My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane so much, but the characters were flat, and the plot was too based on conveniences--if anyone had at any point just put their foot down, left the situation, or COMMUNICATED--the majority of this plot would have fallen apart within the first 100+ pages.

I love this book. It’s cute and witty and turns history on its head slightly. I enjoyed seeing the crossover/mention of characters from My Lady Jane as well. Can’t wait to see what the other Marys’ have to offer as well.

I loved being back in the world of My Lady Jane. The authors do an amazing job of balancing the stories of multiple characters, giving depth to side characters, and building worlds that are funny, familiar, and yet entirely new and exciting. The dialogue is witty and fun, and the subtle pop culture references are a fan girls dream. Loved this one!

This is my first read from this group of authors but it will not be my last. My Contrary Mary is an entertaining and magical reimagining of Mary Queen of Scots. Fans of historical fiction, fantasy and romance will all find something to love!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Contrary Mary is the first book in the Mary series by Cynthia Hand,  Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. A young adult, fantasy, romance that is sure to sweep you away to another place, another time. Long may she reign. My Contrary Mary basically reminded me of the TV show Reign. The characters are well-written with intriguing backstories that pull you in and hold your attention until the very end, all while leaving you wanting more!

This book was good. I’m in the middle of a bit of a historical tv/film/book streak (hello Bridgerton?!), and this book was a perfect blend of things that could have happened with things that most definitely did not happen. It definitely reminds me of The Great.

The story follows Mary, Queen of Scots, through her engagement and eventual wedding. She had a rather doomed history, as we know, but the authors mix in lots of pop culture references and take enough liberties for the story to be really enjoyable.

My Contrary Mary takes readers back to the world of My Lady Jane and focuses on Mary, Queen of Scots. This reimagining of Mary & Francis's story was as engaging as My Lady Jane and will find a home with fans of the other books. I enjoyed it very much and will recommend it in my library.

I received a copy from Netgalley to review this book honestly.

I enjoyed this book, what with the entertaining characters full of life and all the fun references the authors made. Another well done book!

I love the history being intertwined and made much more interesting. Having other characters from the other book as well added to it as well. The characters in this book also were well done with their different point of views. Ari being my favorite.

This book contained all the fresh, witty dialogue as its predecessors, but the vibe/plot felt like a straight rip off of Reign. Disappointing.

I love these books and the humor they add to historical fiction. I also love that they brought in past characters to tie the Janies books. I can’t wait for the next Mary books!

For fans of "My Lady Jane," this new book in the pseudo-historical Edian world does not disappoint! This coming-of-age story follows Mary, Queen of Scots in an adventure filled with romance and drama spanning across 16th century France, Scotland and England.

We get to see some characters from the first Lady Jane make a return as supporting characters. Without giving away spoilers, this story doesn't quite follow what actually happened in history (good thing too) and gives Mary a happy ending she deserves.

This is a fun retelling of Mary Queen of Scots (with a happy ending).

In the arc, Chapter 14 has the wrong narrator listed as the chapter header.

Here are some of my favorite quotes. This is spoiler free gives the fun attitude of the book:

-The first ever use of the phrase WTF, which stands for, as we all know, “what the frog.”

- toute suite (which in French means “right freaking now”)

- “It’s BYOC.”
“BYOC?”
“Bring your own candle.”

My Contrary Mary returns to the world of My Lady Jane, this time set in France. As usual, there are three narrators—Mary, Queen of Scots, Francis, Dauphin of France, and Ari, Nostradamus’s daughter—and as usual, the authors take some liberties with the real history. The book is clever and quick, sure to be enjoyed by those who also like the Janes series.