‘Fascinating’ Choice


‘This well-researched novel draws you straight into the heart of this engaging story’ My Weekly


’A stunning evocative novel… I was completely captivated’ Clare Marchant, author of The Queen’s Spy



Can she tread a dangerous line between love and duty?


Raven-haired and fiercely independent, Joan Guildford has always remained true to herself. As lady-in-waiting and confidante to Queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII, Joan understands royal patronage is vital if she and her husband, Sir Richard, are to thrive in the volatile atmosphere of court life.


But Tudor England is in mourning following the death of the Prince of Wales, and within a year, the queen herself. With Prince Henry now heir to the throne, the court murmurs with the sound of conspiracy. Is the entire Tudor project now at stake or can young Henry secure the dynasty?


Drawn into the heart of the crisis, Joan’s own life is in turmoil, and her future far from secure. She faces a stark choice – be true to her heart and risk everything, or play the dutiful servant and watch her dreams wither and die. For Joan, and for Henry’s Kingdom, everything is at stake…



Praise for Joanna Hickson:


‘Intriguing… told with confidence’ The Times




‘Rich and warm’ Sunday Express




‘Bewitching’ Woman & Home




‘Evocative’ Woman’s Weekly




‘A great tale’ Conn Iggulden




‘Thoroughly engrossing’The Lady