Rosamund

October 1, 2002
At the age of 14, Rosamund Bolton has already been married and widowed twice. The eponymous heroine of Bertrice Small's Rosamund is the heiress of Friarsgate, an estate on the border between England and Scotland. Her grasping uncle strives to secure her fortune for his own use, but Rosamund is rescued by the patronage of the king, Henry Tudor, who brings her to court and finds her a third husband. Rosamund endures the court intrigue, but she longs for the fields of Friarsgate. Once back in the country, she settles down to raising her three daughters. She has not seen the last of Windsor, though-or young Henry VIII, who vows to bed her. Small's story is slow moving and her prose stiff (" `I am the heiress to Friarsgate,' " she answered him simply yet proudly"), but Rosamund is an engaging heroine-happily, since this is the first installment in a new series.

Starred review from October 1, 2002
Twice married before she was 13, Rosamund Bolton, mistress of Friarsgate Manor, vows that the next time she weds she will have a say in the matter. Upon the death of her second husband, she becomes a ward of King Henry VII. She is escorted to court by Sir Owein Meredith, who soon escorts her back home, having become her third husband. Even though the king has arranged the match, it meets with Rosamund's approval, but after several years of wedded bliss and three daughters, a tragic accident takes Owein from her. Called back to court, Rosamund must serve the new queen, Katherine of Aragon, while trying to fend off the amorous advances of Katherine's second husband, lusty King Henry VIII. " New York Times" best-selling author Small's latest sexy historical has all the ingredients her fans love: a young, courageous heroine who finds romance in the arms of several men, a colorfully detailed historical setting, and sexy love scenes that leave nothing to the reader's imagination. Small isn't for everyone, but the first in her new Friarsgate Inheritance series is an excellent example of a sensual historical romance. (See the Read-alikes column, opposite page, for more "hot" historicals.)(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)