Thank you to the author, the publisher Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for the digital ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Passionate Tudor is the third novel in The Tudor Rose series, following The Last White Rose, A Novel of Elizabeth of York and The King’s Pleasure, A Novel of Henry VIII. Centering on the novelized life of Mary I Tudor, readers follow her story as she goes from a cherished princess and heiress to a disgraced bastard to one of England’s most infamous monarchs.

As always, Weir utilizes her extensive knowledge of English history to craft a very grounded narrative while giving life and spirit to what could be dry history. This is what I love about The Tudor Rose series as well as Weir’s connected series, Six Tudor Queens. Whether one agrees with Weir’s interpretations of the known facts or not, she has a gift for writing historical figures and making their choices feel both authentic to the time period as well as understandable to a modern reader.

A strength in each series, which is continued in this novel, is the complexity of the family relationships. When you play the game of thrones, your greatest rivals and threats are your family members. The closer the family member, the more of a risk they are. This is heavily emphasized in Mary’s story as the one who hurts her the most is her father, who parts her from her mother, strips her of her status, and threatens her with execution. That threat is renewed when her brother takes the throne. Even when Mary rises to monarch in her own right, she endures continued threats of being replaced by her sister or cousin. Despite the dangers they represent to her, Mary loves them all because they’re family, making her struggles with them all the more painful.

One weakness within the novel was the development of some of the relationships between Mary and other female characters she would have been close to. Yes, we're told that she loved her family, Margaret Pole, Jane Seymour, Anna von Kleva, and Margaret Douglas, but it's something we're told rather than fully shown. For instance, Margaret Douglas would have been one of the many people torn from Mary when her father declared her a bastard. We're told of it afterward, but it's left out completely during the time when it would have actually been happening. Her close friend and cousin was removed from her and put in the service of the stepmother Mary feared and despised. That should have been heartwrenching. Instead, it was barely a footnote.

I think Weir did a far better job when it came to relationship-building in the Six Tudor Queens series.

But the relationship that was very well done was the one between Mary and her younger sister Elizabeth. That was one dynamic that Weir gave full attention to detailing all the complexity of. We see Mary’s resentment at Elizabeth’s existence followed shortly by her affection for the baby once she’s sent to live in her household. The duality of love and resentment continues through the stages of the novel adding such an interesting layer to the story.

Overall, this book is best for those who enjoy a slower read that allows the plot to unfold authentically rather than a faster-paced one. I gave this a four out of five stars and I would rank it second best of the Tudor Rose series after The Last White Rose and above The King’s Pleasure.

Going forward with the series, I would like to know if Weir will follow this up with a novel of Elizabeth I. She’s already written a novel covering Elizabeth’s early life until she became queen. I wasn’t a fan of that novel, but given how long Elizabeth’s life was, it might be difficult to cover everything in one novel without leaving out significant details. So, I could see the next novel picking up with Elizabeth right where Mary’s novel left off.

I am so glad that Weir chose to write about the life of Mary. Beginning at the beginning of her life and ending with her death, this book gives a perspective on Mary that I haven't read before. Some of the factual information is well known, but this author gives her own take on Mary as a person. We can understand some of the reasons and motivations behind Mary's extreme actions. I was able to sympathize with her throughout the story.

I love Weir's ability to bring these historic figures to life and make them vibrant and relatable. I look forward to reading more from her!

A king's eldest child is usually the next in line to inherit the throne and become the next ruler. At least that is how the line of succession is supposed to work if the heir is male. Mary I knew this better than anyone. As the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, she knew that once her mother Catherine of Aragon had a son, Mary would become a pawn in the marriage game. She was willing to accept this fate until her father fell in love with Anne Boleyn. Mary is declared a bastard and must fight for her inheritance and the crown of England while maintaining her Catholic faith. Alison Weir tells the tale of this remarkable woman, from her tumultuous childhood to her short reign that marked her legacy, in her latest novel, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed the previous novels in The Tudor Rose trilogy by Alison Weir about Elizabeth of York and King Henry VIII, so when I heard she was writing a book about Mary I, I knew I wanted to read it. Mary I is one of those figures who shows how devastating it can be to be close to the throne and the hard decisions one makes when king or queen of a country.

Weir began her novel with Mary at the age of nine in 1525. She is her parent’s pride and joy as she is their only child. Her mother Katherine of Aragon is arranging an advantageous marriage for Mary that would create a strong alliance for England. Not even the birth of her half-brother Henry Fitzroy could dampen Mary Tudor’s spirits. However, that all changed when Anne Boleyn entered the picture and the Great Matter was made public. Katherine of Aragon is no longer queen, Anne Boleyn is Mary’s stepmother, and Mary is now declared a bastard in favor of her half-sister Elizabeth Tudor.

Mary’s life after the birth of Elizabeth Tudor begins to become even more tragic. Her mother Katherine of Aragon dies before she can see her daughter again and Anne Boleyn is executed for treason soon afterwards. Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, has his desired male heir Edward VI, before Jane tragically dies quickly. As the Supreme Head of the Church of England, Henry wants his daughter Mary, a devout Catholic, to submit to his will, which she ultimately does. We also get to see how Mary interacted with her other stepmothers, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr, until the death of her father Henry VIII. Before he died, Henry VIII revised his Act of Succession, making Mary Edward’s heir if he did not have children. However, Edward VI has his idea for who will succeed him after he dies and he names Lady Jane Grey as his heir, although that plan does not last long and Mary is proclaimed the first queen of England to rule on her own.

Weir shows Mary’s life and reign in a very sympathetic way. Even though she does still give her the nickname “Bloody Mary”, we can see a woman who is concerned about the faith of her kingdom and the well-being of her family, especially Edward, Prince Philip her husband, and Elizabeth, who she argues with on matters that matter to her. It is such a tragedy that Mary never had a child that she desperately wanted to have as she suffered through phantom pregnancies. At the end of the day, whether it was matters of faith or family, Mary was someone who was passionate and someone who desired to be loved.

This is a delightful novel about a woman who has often been vilified but maybe we should have sympathy for everything she had to endure starting at a young age. I enjoyed this novel very much and I look forward to the next novel by Weir. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the Tudor Rose trilogy or you just want a different take on Mary I’s story, I highly suggest you read, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I” by Alison Weir.

Weir’s Tudor historical fiction is usually an auto buy. When I saw the title of this book,
I was hoping it would be similar to Katherine of Aragon: True Queen. A continuation of sorts since this book is about Queen Katherine and King Henry VIII’s daughter Mary. Coincidentally who doesn’t want to see how Weir would handle Bloody Mary!?

This book like the latter half of the Tudor Queen novels, needed some serious condensing. First half of the book, interesting, but after a while this reader was bored. Perhaps a fresh take or topic will yield an interesting novel.

I recommend this book to fans of the author and fans of Tudor fiction. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great read. I love historical fiction and Alison Weir's books. I loved learning more about Mary.

A solid 3.5! Alison Weir is so knowledgeable and gifted at making a rehashed story sound fresh with different perspectives. Queen Mary I has a sad story from childhood to adulthood. While there wasn't any new information brought to me by reading this, I think that Weir did a good job portraying the complicated relationships that Mary had with her siblings and father.

As usual, I inhaled this new Tudor book from Alison Weir. I’m completely fascinated with the Tudor history and even though I think there’s nothing else possible to learn about this era, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Throughout most of The Passionate Tudor, I felt I knew most of the story, but once the timeline began of young King Edward after Henry VIII’s passing, I realized I didn’t know as much about those years, especially of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII.

And I really knew almost nothing about Queen Mary I’s reign or about her marriage to Philip II of Spain. I was pleasantly surprised to have more historical items to learn about, particularly the Bloody Queen aspect. I knew her reign was horrific, but not quite how much so.

I love Alison Weir’s historical fiction novels of the Tudors and feel that hers are the most authentic. As long as she writes these historical fictions about this era, I’ll be there to read them!

*Thank you so much to Random House, Ballantine Books, and to NetGalley for the early eARC!*

Born a princess but later declared a royal bastard, Mary Tudor claws her way back to court after Anne Boleyn’s downfall. Ascending as Britain’s first reigning queen, she launches a ruthless campaign to restore Catholicism. This searing exploration reveals the vulnerable woman behind the brutality, shaped by childhood trauma and a hunger for power that twists faith into vengeance.

This novel does a good job of humanizing Mary I. It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for her precarious position, from the fall of her mother until the death of Edward VI. As queen, she remains a tragic figure—but her certainty that she’s performing the will of God blinds her to the claims of political expediency and human compassion.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The review will be posted on my blog and Goodreads, linked below, by the end of May 28th.


I would like to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I by Alison Weir.

As a long time fan of Alison Weir's nonfiction works, I was very excited to be able to read this book early. I was especially excited to read a historical fiction book about Queen Mary I, as most interpretations of Mary leave her in the background and paint her as the villain in her sister, Elizabeth's, story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Having a book from Mary's point-of-view that is not demonizing her or tryin to make her villain is incredibly refreshing. While Mary is not entirely seen as a good person in the book, this is more realistic to the real life Mary as she was not a perfect person, but instead like most other people in this period, morally grey. I especially liked the time covered in between Henry VIII's death and Mary becoming queen, as I feel as though this is often forgotten about and a very interesting period of Mary's life. This part of the book showed how her relationship with Edward had changed over the years and how it had hurt Mary.

I really enjoyed how the book showed the relationships between Mary and many people in here life that I feel are not as focused on in media. Specifically, her relationship with Anna of Cleves and her early relationship with Elizabeth. Throughout most of their lives, it was a happy relationship, but only really began to change during Mary's reign due to their opposing religious views and the succession.

There were some elements of how Mary was characterized was off to me. I would not think that Mary would believe Elizabeth was not the daughter of the king, but this could have been showing how Mary based her thoughts/opinions/facts about what she heard from others in court. Similar, Mary calls Anne Boleyn a witch, which as far as I know was not an idea formed in public perception until long after Anne had died.

Overall, I would give The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I a 4 out of 5 stars, if you like historical fiction about the Tudor period and want to learn more about Mary I you will enjoy this book.

This is my first Alison Weir novel and it did not disappoint! I am fascinated by the Tudors and have wanted to read about them so this was the perfect book to start with. This historical fiction is about Mary, King Louis IXV’s eldest daughter with his first wife Katherine of Aragon. The story begins with Mary trying to protect her legitimacy to her adult years as a mean and nasty ruler of England. The story is fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed this five star read. If you love historical fiction and the Tudors, don’t miss this! Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I begins in 1525, when princess Mary is nine years old and betrothed to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. That’s the year when the question of succession becomes a steady presence in the king’s mind. He is worried that his British subjects won’t tolerate being ruled by a woman, which may well launch the kingdom into a civil war upon his death. That there are still York relatives who may bring forth a claim to the throne if he is unable to beget a legitimate male heir is not far from his mind either. Because Mary hasn’t been sent to Spain to complete her education as intended, nor has the dowry been paid, Charles V breaks off their engagement. King Henry raises his son Henry Fitzroy to the peerage, and considers betrothing him to Mary. Either that, or draw a marriage contract between her and the dauphin of France, to forge an alliance between England and France against Spain. As none of these things become forthcoming, Mary is proclaimed Princess of Wales and sent to Ludlow Castle to begin her training as heir. In two years-time the King of France, Francis I, offers to marry Princess Mary, only it’s not immediately disclosed that a part of the arrangement for his release from Spanish captivity is to marry Mary’s cousin, Eleanor, sister of Charles V. Instead, princess Mary is offered to the Duke of Orleans. By this time, the name of Anne Boleyn starts to come up in every conversation at court.

In 1528 the King’s Great Matter finally comes to the forefront. King Henry has asked the Pope to annul his marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon. In the next three years the matter of their marriage validity will go back and forth between Rome and England, until King Henry declares himself Head of the Church of England and breaks with Rome. Not satisfied with that, he canvases Europe’s centers of learning to find out where he stands on the issue of his ministers ruling on his behalf on his first marriage and subsequently marrying Anne Boleyn and proclaiming her queen. In 1532 King Henry marries Anne Boleyn, who begets only one surviving child, a daughter, named Elizabeth. When it finally becomes apparent that Anne Boleyn won’t be able to provide a male heir, King Henry’s close confidants start compiling proof and testimonies on the Queen’s conduct towards her male companions. The queen is embroiled in a cheating scandal, tried for treason, convicted and beheaded. By that time, King Henry has been eyeing another woman, Jane Seymour, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. Not soon is Queen Anne dead, and the King is already married a third time. Queen Jane is a sweet woman who shows affection for both Mary and Elizabeth. She is able to deliver the much sought after male heir, but a fever claims her life days after childbirth.

With Mary sent to Ludlow Castle as Princess of Wales, her banishment from court more or less starts. She is not allowed to see her mother or exchange correspondence with her—during the years her parents’ marriage is in limbo waiting for the Pope to rule on its validity —, because her father thinks they could rally the military forces of the Holy Roman Emperor on their behalf. During her father’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, Mary is engaged in the service of Princess Elizabeth as Lady Mary. She loses her right to succeed once her parents’ marriage is declared invalid, and Mary’s refusal to acknowledge her illegitimacy for having been born from an illegal union causes a rift with her father that is only salvaged when Mary recants. With the ascension of Queen Jane and the birth of a male heir, both Mary and Elizabeth are restored to the line of succession after Prince Edward.

In the following nine years, (c. 1538-1547) the physical health of the monarch increasingly deteriorates. In spite of this, he marries and crowns three more wives, divorcing one after just five months, beheading another, and leaving one a widow upon his death. In 1547, at just nine years of age, Edward VI is proclaimed King. However, due to his age, his uncle Edward Seymour is named Lord Protector. During Edward VI’s reign Catholicism is banned and people forced to convert to Protestantism. Mary is hounded to convert at the urging of the Privy Council members and later by the king. During Edward’s convalescence, prior to his death in July 1553, the Duke of Northumberland, John Dudley, who had declared himself the President of the Council a few years earlier, alters Henry VIII’s Third Act of Succession—in favor of Lady Jane Grey, the Protestant granddaughter of Mary (Henry VIII’s sister)—, who had included Jane as his fourth successor provided that his legitimate heirs (Edward, Mary and Elizabeth) died without issue. Upon the King’s death, Lady Jane is proclaimed Queen. However, most nobles in the Kingdom rally their forces behind Princess Mary and swear to defend her legitimate claim to the throne. She peacefully defeats an insurrection led by the Duke of Northumberland standing behind Lady Jane’s right to succeed. In 1553 Mary is proclaimed Queen to the delight of her subjects.

Queen Mary is advised caution in religious matters, urged to marry an Englishman, and deal decisively with her enemies. She doesn’t heed her council’s advices. She marries Prince Philip of Spain, Charles V’s son, a man that most Englishmen consider an enemy. It doesn’t help matters that Philip has kept the Holy Inquisition alive in Spain. Added to that, Mary’s subjects think that Philip may use English assets to fund his own wars abroad, and they are not that far off in their thinking as things turn out. Mary’s religious zeal, her indecisiveness as a leader, ineffective economic policies, and ill-advised marriage doom her reign.

A novel in three parts—The King’s Daughter, The King’s Sister, and Mary the Queen—, with an all-knowing narrator, The Passionate Tudor is an easy to read, gripping, blow by blow account of Mary Tudor’s life since she was nine years old until her death. There are court intrigues and treachery aplenty. The storytelling is immersive. Every time I stopped the reading for the day I wanted to keep going, a sign that I was captivated. Despite the ARC clocking at nearly 835 pages, I found the narrative engaging and engrossing. Overall, a winner!

Thanks to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy via Netgalley.

"The Passionate Tudor" by Alison Weir was yet another outstanding masterpiece! Being a lifelong historical fiction reader, as well as an avid Tudor History fan, reading Mrs. Weir's books is always entertaining and educational. We all think we know the story behind Queen Mary I (aka-Bloody Mary) but what we're taught barely scratches the surface and Mrs. Weir did an excellent job of combining historical fact with her own creations, as well as including parts of her own life where she truly sympathized with Mary (see the author's note-no spoilers here!)

I really enjoyed getting into more of Mary's thoughts and feelings as she had to navigate Henry VIII's "Great Matter" and the heartbreaking separation that it caused between her and her mother. I also think that Mrs. Weir did a fantastic job of showing how conflicted Mary I was when it came to her relationship with Elizabeth; the juxtaposition of Mary's resentment towards her as well as her wanting to care for/dote on Elizabeth was very interesting (and I can't help but wonder if parts of Mary were glad Elizabeth had been a girl and not a boy, as her birth started the chain of events that would lead to the death of Anne Boleyn whereas a son would have only solidified her position).

Seeing Mary struggle with relationships, particularly with the men in her life (not just her father) was fascinating and I found Mary's desperation for connection to be both heartbreaking and believable. I think that the way in which Mary's two pregnancies were addressed was not only tactful and sensitive, but also informative as there is so much we do not truly know about her conditions.

All in all, this was another 5 star read for me! I couldn't put it down and found myself laughing, crying, and even cheering! Bravo, Mrs. Weir! Thank you for sharing your exemplary talent with us! I look forward to reading whatever it is that you write next!

Last night I DNF a book from one of my favorite historians who also writes historical fiction, Alison Weir. I have loved each of their books going back 25 years, both fact and fiction, so I struggled along for a few weeks and couldn't make it past 25% which was about 125 pages of a 500-page book. Maybe I'm Tudor-ed out after consuming many books on the subjects, maybe it was because some of the writing was unbelievable (having a not-yet 3-year-old Elizabeth asking in a very adult-like voice why she was being addressed as Lady instead of Princess after Anne Bolyn was beheaded). I did read the author's notes, where Weir admitted they didn't particular like Mary, so maybe that's why I couldn't engage. It's a great reminder that even favorite authors have duds.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Yes it's a big book- really long- but it's also one you can sink into. Mary has always been known as Bloody Mary for the havoc she wreaked but there was, as Weir has detailed, more to her than the legend. This is a well researched and accessible fictionalized look at a Queen who has been vilified (not without justification) throughout history. I know some might quibble about details but casual readers of the Tudor story (like me) will enjoy this for the atmospherics and the ways Weir brings people and the era to life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A really good read.

This is quite the novel to work through. The first parts were better than the last as I enjoyed learning more about Mary's life, but towards the end there were too many details. This is great for fans of the Tudors and with a strong interest in royal history.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

There was a time when I could name in order over four hundred years of British monarchs. Much of that comes from reading books by Alison Weir and my other favorite Tudor author Philippa Gregory. In the Passionate Tudor, Weir brings to life the story of Queen Mary I. Mary is the first legitimate child of King Henry VIII. She is raised by her mother, Katherine of Aragon to be a future queen. She is beloved and then put aside as a child. She is also to be used as a barter for potential marriage alliances. She is forced to leave court but separated from her mother when Henry married Anne Boleyn.

Mary essentially has to stand by and watch as her father's wives are executed, die or are divorced. She also must endure being forced to sign documents saying that she is illegitimate so that she may return to court. I don’t think I was surprised by anything in the book as I knew in general how Mary came to power. Her fervent belief in Catholicism is a driving force for her. I forgot how tenuous her reign was. With an unpopular marriage, phantom pregnancies and religious zeal she goes from admirable to pitiable by her death.

At over 500 pages there is a lot of story here. I trust Weir to be accurate but some of the background details can be dry or tedious to read. As always I love the author's notes at the end of the book. This is the third in the Tudor Rose series and will be a welcome read for people who enjoy learning real history by reading historical fiction. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Passionate Tudor is Alison Weir’s latest Tudor novel, chronicling the life of Mary I. It’s truly an epic story, and in some ways, she did it justice. It doesn’t break new ground, nor did I expect it to, but while it’s not my favorite book I’ve read from her, I enjoyed the choices she made overall.
Mary herself has always been a polarizing figure, and Weir acknowledges this in her author’s note, although she also challenges it by pointing out that both Henry VIII and Elizabeth were also just as “bloody,” if not more so, and had longer reigns which skew the numbers more in their favor. But even those who condemn Mary’s actions as Queen admit that her upbringing is a reaction to the intense trauma she suffered as a child, which I feel Weir depicts the most strongly. Mary is depicted as the apple of her father’s eye and close to both her father and mother, until Henry grew disillusioned with his marriage and fell into his passion for Anne Boleyn. And even as an Anne Boleyn sympathizer (Weir is notably anti-Anne in other books), I can’t help but understand Mary’s ire toward Anne, especially when Anne responded with equal venom. While it’s hard to see Mary so easily absolve her father of his abuse of her, blaming it all on Anne, this is very accurate to Mary’s mindset, especially as she thought Anne’s execution would magically change things, and it actually wasn’t until Mary submitted to Henry’s demand that she acknowledge her parents’ marriage as invalid that he would acknowledge her again.
In addition to exploring the impact of those early years, I found the first part the strongest for how it focused on her relationships with each of her father’s subsequent wives, especially highlighting the close relationship she had with Jane Seymour, serving as chief mourner at her funeral. And despite the fact that religion would divide them, I liked seeing the bond between her and Katharine Parr, and how that also brought Mary into contact with Catherine Willoughby, whose mother, Maria de Salinas, was Katherine of Aragon’s lady-in-waiting, and they had a brief exchange about this.
I also enjoyed seeing how Mary’s relationships with Elizabeth and Edward played out. I was particularly intrigued by how Mary’s suspicions regarding Elizabeth’s paternity were established early on, and while it did not impact Mary treating her as a sister overall, there was a sense of doubt there. And with Edward and Mary’s religious clashes being documented, I love how the origins of this were depicted.
Pacing wise, I feel like this was where the book lagged. While all of Weir’s fiction at this point more or less deals with information that avid Tudor fans know, most usually are engaging. And the first two parts were the most interesting due to the tenuous position Mary was in as the King’s obstinate daughter, in and out of favor, and then the King’s heretic sister. But part three, chronicling her time as Queen, was dull, in spite of it being the part that most shaped her legacy. The early chapters of part three, with her fight for the throne, were engaging, and a bit with Wyatt’s Rebellion as well, but after that, I started skimming. Reading about her phantom pregnancy and declining health, while accurate to the timeline, were particularly mood-killing.
While I didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped, it’s possibly a “me” thing, as I’ve often struggled with biographical fiction that covers long periods of a person’s life. And I’d still recommend it to readers of historical fiction, whether you’re looking for a solid introduction to Mary or if you’re a Tudor fan like me.

If you are a Tudor history buff then you know the queen of Tudor historical fiction is Alison Weir. There is no one better at making you feel you are living in that period of time than her. The Passionate Tudor is no different. Ms. Weir draws you into the world of King Henry VIII's child with first wife Katherine of Aragon; future Queen Mary I. Mary is often used as a pawn throughout her childhood with the hopes of making Queen Katherine agree to a divorce. Sometimes her father loves her and other times she is ignored, basically abandoned with only servants to care for her. Whether she was treated well or not by those servants was based on the King's mood at the time and he was quite mercurial.

Although we all know the basic history of future Queen Mary I, this novel tells you why and how she came to be known as Bloody Mary. Often seen as compassionate, once she became Queen she was determined to bring her country back to what she believed was the true faith: Catholicism. What she was willing to do to her subjects in the name of that faith makes it hard for many to continue feeling that same compassion for her.

Another great addition to the Tudor books by Ms. Weir! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group who provided an advance e-reader copy via NetGalley.

This was the first time that I had read a novel from Mary's point of view. Alison Weir did a brilliant job in showing us Mary's struggles growing up, as well as the path she chose as an adult to restore her religion.

In the passionate tutor the third book in the Tudor Rose Siri‘s by Alison where we get another five star read about king Henry’s daughter queen Mary a.k.a. bloody Mary and her life. We get to see all the reason she grew up to hate the protestant people and so much more. There is so much to read in this book that I didn’t already know about her previous fiancés her relationships with her stepmother‘s her siblings and her phantompregnancies this is a great book something I find your almost guaranteed with Allison Weir until reading this book I have always thought queen Mary was cold and unfeeling through her relationship with her nanny and some of her stepmother‘s I see a whole different side to her and feel so bad for her something I’ve never felt before. I want to thank valentine books for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review