Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Sally Haggard

From Amazon... "THWARTED QUEEN is a portrait of a woman trapped by power, a marriage undone by betrayal, and a King brought down by fear.
Cecylee is the apple of her mother’s eye. The seventh daughter, she is the only one left unmarried by 1424, the year she turns nine. In her father’s eyes, however, she is merely a valuable pawn in the game of marriage. The Earl of Westmorland plans to marry his youngest daughter to 13-year-old Richard, Duke of York, who is close to the throne. He wants this splendid match to take place so badly, he locks his daughter up.
The event that fuels the narrative is Cecylee’s encounter with Blaybourne, a handsome archer, when she is twenty-six years old. This love affair produces a child (the “One Seed” of Book II), who becomes King Edward IV. But how does a public figure like Cecylee, whose position depends upon the goodwill of her husband, carry off such an affair? The duke could have locked her up, or disposed of this illegitimate son.
But Richard does neither, keeping her firmly by his side as he tries to make his voice heard in the tumultuous years that encompass the end of the Hundred Years War - during which England loses all of her possessions in France - and the opening phase of the Wars of the Roses. He inherits the political mantle of his mentor Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, and become’s the people’s champion. The rambunctious Londoners are unhappy that their country has become mired in misrule due to the ineptitude of a King prone to fits of madness. Nor are they better pleased by the attempts of the King’s French wife to maneuver herself into power, especially as she was responsible for England’s losses in France. But can Richard and Cecylee prevail? Everywhere, their enemies lurk in the shadows.
This book is filled with many voices, not least those of the Londoners, who forged their political destiny by engaging in public debate with the powerful aristocrats of the time. By their courageous acts, these fifteenth-century Londoners set the stage for American Democracy."

I think I grew up thinking that "royal" women were either trophy wives or "doormats" who did as was expected of them. It is so rewarding to read Thwarted Queen and realize that most royal women were neither. They were strong, competent women who crafted history... a fact which I learn more about all the time.

I am familiar with Cecylee's story but Ms. Haggard has delved into it in a new way. She writes the story of Cecylee Neville with a fluidity that allows the story to just flow. I found myself eager to read on, even though I knew, in a general sense, what was going to happen. I have never wanted to be a writer but, sometimes, when I read such a well-written novel, I kind of wish I had a story like that, bubbling in me. Since I don't... I settle back and read Thwarted Queen and, literally... enjoy every word.

I think it would be easy to write a book about the English Monarchy and not include the voices of the people at that time. Thwarted Queen encompasses a lot of what made that time period so interesting to me that I find myself drawn to it. It's easy to read about about the beautiful jewels, the stunning dresses and the "affaires de coeur". But to read all that within the context of the societal unrest adds a depth to the story... making it more historical than fiction.

Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Sally Haggard is an intimate look at a woman who was the mother of two Kings. History may regard that as her "crowning" achievement... yes, I say that a little "tongue in cheek" but I have come to see Cecylee Neville as so much more. She may hold a place in history but I will always think of her in those moments that Ms. Haggard so eloquently wrote.

I thank the author of Thwarted Queen, Cynthia Sally Haggard, for a copy of her debut novel in exchange for my review.