Book Description: “My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.”
Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child.
The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son.
But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows…
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big fan of historical fiction and have enjoyed other novels about the time period surrounding Anne Boleyn. So, when I read the description of this book it sounded right up my alley and plus it had some fun time-travel in it!
I liked that this book went back and forth in time so you got a background of what had happened and what was happening at the same time. It was not confusing which is nice so the story was easy to follow as the time changes happened. With the book going back and forth you got to really know Alison’s character and also that of Mary and how their stories came to be intwined. You get to really see the difference in how Alison’s life has changed and how she has adapted to this new time period. You also see her struggle with wanting to go back, but also stay with the life she has here. It makes you think if it happened to you what would you do?
This book has mystery because you want to know how it is all going to play out and connect because Mary promised Alison she would find a way to leave word to her and she did; but you are kept guessing at how she would do it. This book also has some romance in it for both Mary and Alison, but the romance doesn’t take away from the real story of Mary and Alison, which is nice. The historical part of this story is definitely there, you feel like you are really in the past when you are reading about it and can tell the author did her research on the time period.
I thought the plot of the book was good and it had a nice pace to it with some unexpected twists to the mystery. The supporting characters were well written and helped move the story along. I think it was a unique take on the time-travel idea and liked that it involved the two different time periods trying to find a way to connect with each other. I am definitely glad I read this book and would recommend it!
Book Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
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