Blood of the Red Rose by P.J.Gray #Blogtour

I was very excited when asked if I'd like to be involved in the Blood of the Red Rose blog tour. I love historical fiction and find the details, fictional or otherwise, of the lives and loves of the British nobility and Royal families throughout history fascinating.

My Review:
The year is 1464, King Henry VI is imprisoned and Edward IV has taken the throne. Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, a staunch supporter of King Henry VI, has escaped to France, after hearing of his elder brother's execution, on command of the new king. There he dedicates himself to Henry's wife, Marguerite of Anjou and helps to raise her son, preparing him for his role as Prince and future King, if only they can somehow reverse their fortunes and take back the throne.
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, nicknamed the Kingmaker, his wife and daughters are living a fortuitous life, that is until Edward IV decides that he no longer needs the guidance of his cousin Warwick. Feeling shunned and furious at the loss of his position of power in the kingdom, Warwick retaliates, aligning himself with House of Lancaster and so the next chapter in the War of the Roses begins.

Author P.J.Gray's genius in bringing to life these historical characters shines in this book. I adore Elizabeth Woodville (wife of King Edward IV) and find her story utterly captivating; I knew that the Blood of the Red Rose would be setting me firmly on the wrong side of the characters in history that I know and love. Somehow, the author made me care about Warwick and his family. The introduction of a fictional character, an illegitimate daughter borne to the only woman he ever truly loved, shows another side to Lord Neville. He is no doubt a successful soldier and politician, but Katherine makes him more accessible, more human.

Lord Somerset, despite his many faults, jumps off the page and into the heart of the reader. He is brave, handsome and troubled, a devastating combination and I admit that I may have developed another crush on a literary character.

Women throughout history have been used as pawns in the political war game. Here we see their spirit, their resilience and their strength as they are forced to submit to the lives that have been chosen for them. They are no longer mere pretty faces in the pages of history, but intelligent, determined women, who have their own story to tell.

Every time I opened the pages of this book I was transported back in time, and found myself completely immersed in the lives of the characters. If you like Phillipa Gregory's books then you will love Blood of the Red Rose, it is a triumph in historical fiction.

Information about the Book
Title: Blood of the Red Rose
Author: P. J. Gray
Release Date: 14th August 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Format: Paperback

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Author Information

Philippa was born in Chichester and developed a passion for history whilst growing up in Cyprus and then North Yorkshire. She began writing when she was at junior school, winning the school prize for English, and wrote and illustrated her own stories which she read to her long-suffering friends. She started her first novel, Blood of the Red Rose, when her elder daughter was a baby and finally completed it twenty-eight years later. Philippa has two daughters, four grandchildren and a grand-cat and now lives in Cyprus with Paul, her husband of twenty-five years, three dogs and four cats.