A must read for fans of Tudor history!
I’m her book “Courting the Virgin Queen” Carol Ann Loyd gives a well rounded account of Elizabeth’s ever changing and highly political marriage tapestry. Her introductory chapters set the scene perfectly for the intricate and frustrating marriage options thrusted upon England’s queen. Her writing is full of details yet easy to read and guides the reader on the ins and outs of Elizabeth’s delicate situation. She not only reinforces the Queen’s power and commitment to lead her own life but also shines a bright light on the potential alliances and issues she had to face throughout her reign. What a treat for Tudor fans!

I am a huge fan of the Tudor dynasty, particularly Queen Elizabeth I. So I tend to want to read anything new about her, and the dynasty as a whole. Most times it's worthwhile, but this time, it was not! What I was expecting is not what I saw. Author Carol Ann Lloyd spent way too much time talking about politics of the time, while essentially glossing over what should have been the meat of the book: the courtships of Queen Elizabeth I. Another aspect I did not like was how often Lloyd posed questions without really answering them. Questions used in that manner put the onus on the reader to decide the answer, and I don't feel I should have to do that as one who is reading for personal enjoyment. In short, I did not enjoy this book at all. It just didn't have the necessary pop to keep one's attention...at least not in a good way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen&Sword for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the ARC!

As a lover of history and European monarchies, I knew I wanted to get my hands on this book.

To go over all the countless courtiers Queen Elizabeth I had within her lifetime you not only have to go from her infancy to her death. Lloyd also understood that you must explore her half-sister, mother, father, and grandfather's legacies to fully understand why Elizabeth might have made the choices she did during her life and more importantly her reign.

While I enjoyed much of the history and facts surrounding Courting the Virgin Queen I often was pulled out of the story when there were redundancies and tangents. I felt like these tangents could have had more information to go along with the topics that we were exploring but we were cut short on those and went back to the original topic at hand.

Overall this is a great exploration on Queen Elizabeth I the last of the Tutor monarchs.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4 | 😘=2 | 🤬=1 | ⚔️=1

summary: basically just Elizabeth I’s love life (but specifically the lack thereof)

thoughts: really good! solid! we are obsessed with a sixteenth century queen who says “I’m literally just a girl 🥺” when she doesn’t want to answer questions but uses male pronouns when she wants people to listen and trust her like that’s so manipulative and iconic I love it