One can admire Mary Stuart for the passion and conviction with which she lived, especially her loyalty to the Catholic faith, but she had a way of giving in to impulsive decision which cost her dearly throughout her life. Some of her decisions, particularly whom to marry, were so bad that the only thing we can say to her credit is that at least she never tried to push the blame off to anyone else's shoulders.

In fact, this book advances an interesting theory I've never read before: that Elizabeth Tudor deliberately set the handsome Lord Darnley in her path, partly as a temptation to keep her away from others in whom Elizabeth herself was interested, and partly as a test whether Mary had the good judgment to refuse the bait. This fits well with the known character of Elizabeth, who probably spent more time considering the possibilities and consequences of marriage than anyone else in English history.

So while this goes further into the steamy, bodice-ripping, sensational genre than I generally like, I have to admit that with Mary, it may be justified. But that's just one person's opinion. Future readers, what do YOU think of this book?

On ledge next to entrance

I just love this era of history and especially english history as England is where my grandmother was born.

Bought this at Goodwill in Vadnais Heights and then realized it was a BC book. I plan to read and move it along.