-
The Pleasure Palace
- Secrets of the Tudor Court #1
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
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Publisher's summary
Beautiful. Seductive. Innocent. Jane Popyncourt was brought to the court as a child to be ward of the king and a companion to his daughters - the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for a powerful marriage, or perhaps even marriage at all. But as she grows into a lovely young woman, she still receives flattering attention from the virile young men flocking to serve the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart - and more - to a man she can never marry. But the Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane's birth that have made her deadly enemies. Can she cultivate her beauty and her amorous wiles to guide her along a perilous path and bring her at last to happiness?
Basing her gripping tale on the life of the real Jane Popyncourt, gifted author Kate Emerson brings the Tudor monarchs, their family, and their courtiers to brilliant life in this vibrant new novel.
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Story
“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
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Excellent historical fiction!
- By nursebettyknitting on 07-30-12
By: C. W. Gortner
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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While Beauty Slept
- By: Elizabeth Blackwell
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told.And so begins Elise Dalriss's story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel's tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered-and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale...
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EVIL THOUGHTS TAKE STRENGTH IN THE DARK,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-08-15
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In the King's Service
- Childe Morgan Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Katherine Kurtz
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Katherine Kurtz takes listeners back in time - before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.
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Needs a female reader
- By Shannon on 02-07-19
By: Katherine Kurtz
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Notorious
- By: Virginia Henley
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Virginia Henley's historical romances have won praise for their ability to "illuminate and entertain" ( Publishers Weekly). It is 1322, and the Marcher lords are rebelling against King Edward II. Lady Brianna de Beauchamp, daughter of a powerful Marcher, knows she should not involve herself in the battle. But when she meets dangerously handsome Wolf Mortimer, who has the gift of second sight, she cannot deny her passions.
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Very sweet...
- By Marie on 07-13-09
By: Virginia Henley
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The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
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Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
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The Everlasting Covenant
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Anne Gifford's dowry - or lack thereof - is of no concern to Sir Dylan DeFrayne. Wrapped in each other's arms, what more could they possibly need? Yet the young lovers' passion can never be sanctioned - the DeFraynes and Giffords have been sworn enemies for decades. Lest more blood be shed, the two must keep their affair a secret…and plot their elopement. Clad in threadbare hand-me-downs, Anne never expects the powerful and aged Brennan Forbes to remember her face, let alone propose marriage.
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This is not the same Robyn Carr
- By MickeyMarie on 01-22-13
By: Robyn Carr
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When Christ and His Saints Slept
- Plantagenets, Book 1
- By: Sharon Kay Penman
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 36 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In When Christ and His Saints Slept, the first of a trilogy that will tell the story of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, master storyteller and historian Sharon Kay Penman illuminates one of the less known but fascinating periods of English history. It begins with the death of King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror and father of Maude, his only living legitimate offspring.
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Please release Pt 2!
- By BVerité on 06-08-19
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Isabella: Braveheart of France
- By: Colin Falconer
- Narrated by: Anne Johnstonbrown
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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12-year-old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England - only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair - does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death - or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself? Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight - but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage - and England apart.
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A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...
- By Sara on 01-06-15
By: Colin Falconer
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King Kelson's Bride
- A Novel of the Deryni
- By: Katherine Kurtz
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that King Kelson produce a long-awaited heir. Love is set aside for duty-and Kelson the king must make the choice that Kelson the man can not.
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Wraps up King Kelson's story
- By Katherine on 03-20-15
By: Katherine Kurtz
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The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than 40 years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler - herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair - discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
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One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
What listeners say about The Pleasure Palace
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Anonymous User
- 01-13-19
fabulous story
One of my favorites I've ever read about the Tudor court! interesting from beginning to end!
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- Angela N. Gimlin
- 06-24-14
Entertaining
What did you like best about this story?
I like most historic fiction when it comes to the Tudors and this was no different. I like the works of Phillipa Gregory and Carolly Ericson a little better, but this kept me entertained.
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- Dona
- 12-12-15
entertaining
I liked how the story kept changing and keeping you wondering. Easy to listen to.
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- Toby
- 08-26-13
Outstanding narration makes historical novel move
What did you love best about The Pleasure Palace?
The narration. Alison Larkin's narration is outstanding. I am a fan of this particular period in British history and Ms Emerson's work is well researched. The story was kept moving by the first class narrator. I'll be seeking this narrator out.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pleasure Palace?
The portrayal of Henry the Eighth! Not as a monster, but as a real, sensual, life-loving man.
What does Alison Larkin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
An intelligence, clarity and life in her characterizations that bring these historical figures to life. Especially King Henry!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
It wasn't a particularly moving story. More an interesting one. That is why I couldn't give the book five stars.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Tendylicious
- 06-01-22
it's ok
struggled to finish it..was hoping for more glimpses of Catherine of Aragon, Woolsey, the boleyns. it was ok
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1 person found this helpful
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- Cyndie Stevens
- 06-14-13
Like Historical Fiction-Don't waste your time here
This is a wandering story of the alleged life of Jane Poppincourt with no apparent plot, dénouement, irony, or other redeeming quality.
The real Jayne Poppyncourt was actually a French language tutor to the children, who in this story, is the contemporary of the children.
My mother, the literature teacher, would have returned this to the writer with the instructions to rewrite it or choose another topic AND research the subject matter more thoroughly.
It is really the story about a largely fictional character who seems to wander about pre-Elizabethan England and France without specific purpose and then marries her childhood sweet heart.
I did some fact checking, thinking I was reading historical fiction. Dates, people, places, and times are often incorrect.
This book IS NOT historical fiction, but fiction based extremely loosely on an inaccurate understanding of history
The narrator has a fairly strong sibilant lisp that makes the listening nearly exhausting for someone like me who has worked tirelessly to rid myself of same.
Based on this novel, I will not attempt to listen to any other title by this author.
Had I not suffered through its entirety, I would have attempted to return it.
I give it one star because I am unable (based on this reviewing program) to give it zero stars.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Annie
- 10-28-23
Vapid, Boring
I bought all the Kate Emerson books. I liked the others I read but this has few Tudor royals and instead has INSIPID fictional character.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Laura A. Johnson
- 07-21-17
Unbalanced
Slow to start and then rushed at the end. The storyline would have been better if it had some action in it as well.
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2 people found this helpful