Review: Love, Remember Me by Bertrice Small

by Jewels E 7/24/2019 0 comments

This book certainly took me by surprise. It was nothing like I expected, and made for some interesting reading although it's likely not everyone's cup of tea when it comes to romance. First off, it's an older romance and love and romance were handled differently I find in romance novels in the past. Secondly...well, that's what mostly of my review will be about. Secondly. I'd like to thank you for hanging around if you are a follower of my blog as I have not been reviewing books lately. I cannot believe this is the first book I've read in 2019, but there you have it. I did dive into several others, but I guess I was just too all over the place to really get sucked into any book. A first for me but I am back to steady reading now and am hoping to keep it again as reading is my first love in life. 

Series: Wyhnham Saga, #2

Stars: 3/5

Genre: Romance

Add to Goodreads

Love, Remember Me was first written in 1994, and I went into this novel knowing full well that the portrayal of women and relationships might give me some pause. However, I adore historical romance and I just decided to plunge. I thought maybe something that might strike me as overly dramatic and even ridiculous might just be the thing to get back into reading. But this book surprised me, as really opens with young Nyssa Wyhnham making her way to the Tudor court after a visit to her family home from Henry VIII himself. She is there to serve his new queen, Anne of Cleves, and to catch a husband. A simple enough device, and after some times Nyssa does meet the Earl of March, her future husband. Here is where things started to take me by surprise, and even delight me as the plot follows Nyssa's service to Anne of Cleves quite closely, and her separation from the king. 

Courts are usually full of politics and intrigues, and there is not doubt that the court of Henry VIII had many factions and intrigues swirling around at all times, and the author cleverly made use of this to throw Nyssa and the Earl of March together. Once they are married, quite against Nyssa's will, I thought the novel would largely focus on the couple living their life and falling in love. However, I was once again surprised, as the novel does not merely use these historical characters to throw Nyssa and Varian, the Earl of March together, but then follows the rise of Catherine Howard, the king's fifth wife, as well as her downfall. 

This is the secondly I mentioned. This novel really does not focus on the main characters. It's more of a historical fiction in my opinion, with Nyssa and Varian being some minor couple at court caught up in the pages of history. There is not much development of the relationship between the heroine and hero and I hardly felt that devastating feel that I named the blog for, if at all sadly. However, I must say that the plot is well paced, the characters are compelling and the history that this story is steeped in is well researched. If you like history, this might be a good read for you. Otherwise, you're sure to be disappointed. 

I'm so happy to be back to reading and reviewing books! I will have another review coming for you soon so please stay tuned. 

Happy Reading,

Jewels