This was an interesting take on the story of the Tudor dynasty. I was impatient to actually get to the Tudors during the Part I backstory of medieval troubadours and romances (admittedly necessary backstory for those who are unfamiliar with the genre or late medieval English history), but the book did not disappoint when we finally did get there.

The author did a good job of balancing telling the acknowledged political highlights of the Tudor dynasty with presenting interpretations of the dynasty vis a vis courtly romance. As with most treatments of the dynasty she lingered longest on Henry VIII and Elizabeth, both of whom provided ample evidence that can be interpreted this way. I would have loved to see more on Jane’s inversion of gender norms during her nine day rule (e.g. she used the golden plates even before Mary did) or a more nuanced discussion of Mary I’s marriage, but those are minor quibbles. The one thing that did genuinely surprise me was the one-line dismissal of Mary, Queen of Scot’s third marriage as merely being indecently hasty, instead of delving more into the story of Darnley's murder and Bothwell's kidnapping of Mary prior to their marriage - all of which reflects many of the tropes this book is focused on. That seemed like an important missed opportunity. But this is a book that is ultimately about the Tudors, not the Stuarts, and on that front it does a good job of telling an old story from a new angle.

I have read probably 25 or so books on British history, particularly on the Tudors and the Plantagenets. I find the history fascinating reading. I love reading about Edward IV and Elizabeth of Woodville, Richard III, the boys who probably died in the Tower etc! The first and foremost author of this material is undoubtedly Alison Weir. Her books bring these people to life for me; yet, this very well researched and lengthy book by Sarah Gristwood, THE TUDORS IN LOVE, takes a bit of a different backslide into all their stories, devoted and decidedly inspired to all of them, by Love! Blind love, victorious love, painful love, depressed and forlorn love, and love forever with and without. It is truly fascinating...... love's scope and perseverance. Certainly, not a book for the faint of heart, it is a wild and thorough ride through the annuls of Tudor history, no detail is left unturned!
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived...all in the name of LOVE!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc....what is Ms. Gristwood going to take on next? I can't wait to see!

Excellent - well researched book on how the Legend of King Arthur played such a part in shaping the Tudor dynasty. Loved this and the depth and the somewhat feminist revision of history

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sarah Gristwood for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I’ve always been interested in the Tudors and this book follows them along with their various relationships and how this impacted their rulings. I really enjoyed how this book provided plenty of background knowledge to help better understand the book. It has great examples of courtly love and I also really enjoyed the quotes throughout. I highly recommend this one for people wanting to learn more about or revisit this time period!

The Tudors are always a fascinating topic to read about and this book didn’t disappoint! Not only did it give an in-depth descriptions of various relationships and dynamics among the Tudor line but also includes some quotes and excerpts from various primary sources.
Thank you the the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This us a great backstory on how the Tudors treated their and why. I feel I understand the Tudor men and women a lot better.

I've read Sarah Gristwood's prior book and was excited to have the opportunity to read this book early. This book covers courtly love and its effect on the Tudor dynasty. People may immediately think of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and how Elizabeth I reigned with no king, but there are so many other stories often skipped over in other history books. The story starts well before the reign of Henry VIII to provide background as it leads up to where the majority of the book spends its time, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I’s subversion and use of the tropes of courtly love during her reign is very impressive and even though her actions led to the end of the Tudor dynasty, it also helped her avoid a marriage she didn’t want and in this sense, her manipulation of the tropes of courtly love was a success. I highly recommend this book for any Tudor history buffs.

The Tudors in Love: Passion and Politics in the Age of England's Most Famous Dynasty by Sarah Gristwood is a great nonfiction that takes me back to one of my favorite periods in English history, the Tudors! Loved it!

I really enjoyed Ms. Gristwood’s previous book The Blood Sisters, so I was excited to dive into this gem.

The author takes us into some historical basis and examples of courtly love that are described and existed before the Tudor era. She then gives us so many wonderful examples of “courtly love” and how it affected not only the relationships themselves, but also the rippling effect it had on the courtiers and the land as well. It was fascinating to see it all in that context.

Even though I know quite a bit about this era, it was great to revisit, and to pick up a few more tidbits. Excellent.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/13/22.