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Heirs & Spares
Heirs & Spares
Heirs & Spares
Ebook322 pages4 hours

Heirs & Spares

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

2.5/5

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It’s 1569. Elizabeth I sits on the English throne, the Reformation inflames the Continent, and whispers of war abound.

But in Troixden, just north of France, the Lady Annelore isn’t interested in politics. Times are hard, taxes are high, and the people in her duchy need her help just to survive. Her widowed father is a good man easily distracted by horses, and her newly knighted childhood friend...well, he has plans of his own.

Then Annelore receives a call she can’t ignore.

When Troixden’s sadistic king died childless, his younger brother William returns from exile to find his beloved country on the brink of civil war. He’s in desperate need of the stability that comes with a bride and heirs. But Annelore, his chosen queen, won’t come quietly.

Now the future of Troixden lies in the hands of two people who never wanted the power they’ve received and never dreamed that from duty and honor they might find love and a path to peace.

Heirs & Spares is one part history, two parts palace plotting, and a whole lot of juicy romantic intrigue. Break out the spiced wine and sink in to this rousing read.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherJ. L. Spohr
Release dateDec 1, 2014
ISBN9780989217323
Heirs & Spares
Author

J. L. Spohr

J. L. Spohr has studied the trials & tribulations of royals since Princess Diana took that fateful walk to the altar. She turned her attention to historical fiction & monarchies after studying the Reformation in graduate school.Her Tudor era historical series The Realm (Sword & Shield, Heirs & Spares, God & King, Crown & Thorns), has received rave reviews and has delighted fans since 2013.She blogs about writing, parenting, and ideas that matter in culture, sprinkled with a random Peep Joust or two. She is an ordained minister & lives with her brood in Seattle.

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Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
2.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.I love historical romance and this one was pretty good. This is definitely a romance novel, not a historical fiction novel. But it is not too hot and heavy. No bodice ripping or steamy scenes.Set in the 16th century in a fictitious European monarchy, Lady Annelore is the only child of a widowed duke. King William has recently taken over the throne from his brother James who was a tyrannical ruler loved by no one. William needs a wife and is determined to take a woman of the people rather than one of the court in an effort to appease the masses and show them he is different from his brother. Annelore ends up the very reluctant "winner". But of course they are a perfect match and end up HEA.I get the impression from this book that it will be the first in a series. For one thing, I cannot figure out William's cousin Robert. Is he a trusted close confidant or is he plotting against his king cousin? And there definitely seems to be more to Daniel then we are seeing. I will be interested to see if there are further books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Heirs & Spares is an historical fiction novel, but setting it apart from others in the genre is the fact that the setting is fictional. Set in 1569 during the reign of Elizabeth I, the main character Lady Annelore is based just north of France in a place called Troixden; a place which doesn't exist in real life.It took me until 3/4 of the way through the novel before I realised it was complete fiction; Lady Annelore and King William weren't real characters from history, and I wish so much I'd known this at the beginning.Generally historical fiction takes real characters from the past and the author plots a tale around them. Of course there are fictional characters as well, however in the case of Heirs & Spares there are no true historical figures in the direct plot, linking the tale to the past.If I review Heirs & Spares as a fiction novel, I would comfortably say it was a good and entertaining read. For regular readers of historical fiction though, this was light in terms of court intrigue, betrayal and general action. Having recently read The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner probably ruined my complete enjoyment of Heirs & Spares, simply because it was so rich with plot, court activity and intrigue, betrayal, love and action.Perhaps I'd recommend Heirs & Spares to YA readers of historical fiction, providing a gentle introduction to life at court during this period, two very likeable characters in Annelore and William and a pleasing romance.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Ultimately, this book was a disappointing read. Though both Anna and Wills show sparks of character, in the end they simply aren't fleshed out enough to really pull in the reader. The story is extremely choppy- every scene is too short and cuts off before any true depth can appear in either plot or characters. Several plot elements also seem unrealistic (like a king traveling around to choose a bride rather than having his courtiers present themselves at court) which undermines the narrative. The court intrigues are shallow and never really gel into true drama, perhaps because all the characters are two dimensional at best. This book has the elements of a good read, but simply never develops enough to become one.

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Heirs & Spares - J. L. Spohr

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