Title: The Maiden's Hand (Tudor Rose Trilogy #2)

Author: Susn Wiggs

Publisher: Mira 2009

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 352

Rating:  4  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Romance

How I Got It: I own it!

Roguishly handsome Oliver de Lacey has always lived lustily: wine, weapons and women are his bywords. Even salvation from the noose by a shadowy society provides no epiphany to mend his debauched ways.Mistress Lark's sole passion is her secret work with a group of Protestant dissidents thwarting the queen's executions. She needs no other excitement—until Oliver de Lacey drops through the hangman's door and into her life.

As their fates become inextricably bound together in a struggle against royal persecution, both Oliver and Lark discover a love worth saving…even dying for.

A good light and fluffy romance to cleanse my palate after a ton of Shakespeare and some nonfiction.  I enjoy these romances from time to time, especially the historical romances.  While this one isn't set in my favorite time period, Regency England, it is set in an interesting time period, Queen Mary's reign.  I love the Protestant vs. Catholic subplot that ran throughout the novel.  It gave the book a bit more than just a romance.  We see Lark at work with the Samaritans.  It's easy to imagine the unease in England during that time period.  Actually I love how the entire trilogy traces the Tudor House from Henry VIII to Mary to Elizabeth.  A nice touch.  As to the romance itself, It was good.  It wasn't excellent in my mind because of the character of Lark.  While Oliver doesn't much change throughout the novel, Lark does a 180 in personality.  I had a bit trouble believing the change or even rooting for you.  She just seemed so jaded yet naive.  Why would Oliver even fall for her?  For my disbelief, I knocked off a star.  But I really did enjoy it.  Since I am now in the mood for romance, I am going to finish off the series with At the Queen's Summons.

Tudor Rose Trilogy:

• #1 At the King's Command (or Circle in the Water)
• #2 The Maiden's Hand (or Vows Made in Wine)
• #3 At the Queen's Summons (Dancing on Air)