The Queen's Lady

September 17, 2007
In Drake's ponderous historical, Gwyneth Maclead is a native Scot who's become maid and confidante to Mary, queen of Scots. When the Catholic Mary, barely 19 and newly widowed, leaves France to claim her Scottish title, loyal, forthright, knowledgeable Gwyneth is at her side to teach her about the country she left as a child. Accompanying them is Rowan Graham, Highland laird and valued friend of Mary's half-brother James Stewart. Gwyneth immediately distrusts the handsome, powerful noble who seems both annoyed and amused with her, but the queen forces their collusion when she sends them to England on a mission to persuade Queen Elizabeth, Mary's Protestant cousin, to name Mary as her heir. When Gwyneth and Rowan fall for each other, it sets off a series of unforeseen political events, culminating in a power grab by Mary's ambitious new husband, the branding of Rowan and James as traitors and Gwyneth's abduction. Attempting to cover entirely too much of Elizabethan religious and political maneuverings, Drake (aka Heather Graham) ends up with wooden characters and an unfocused plot.

October 15, 2007
Lady Gwyneth MacLeod returns to Scotland from France as the most loyaland locally rearedof Mary, Queen of Scots ladies. Mary depends on Gwyneth for her intimate knowledge of Scotland and sends her to Queen Elizabeth to attempt topersuade her to recognize Mary as the legitimate Scottish queen, despite her Catholicism.Laird Rowan Graham, Lord of Lochraven, is asked to accompany her. Gwyneth fears that theyll kill each other arguing before ever reaching London, but after a detour to his estate where she comforts his mentally ill and dying wife, and a near-abduction, theyfall in love and marry without Marys blessing. Both wind up imprisoned as traitors at various times, each trying to rescuethe other. Drakehas written an interesting and compellinghistorical romance about lovers almost torn apart by their loyalties to wily or tragic monarchs unworthy of them. That they manage to survive at all, let alone love each other passionately, is an amazing happy ending in itself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)