Garthwaite’s depiction of her as an intelligent and fierce woman who passionately loves her husband, the Duke of York, is compelling. The book is at its best when the two of them verbally spar, Cecily, urging York to be more ambitious and ruthless in order to protect their family while York feels that this is best accomplished by being loyal almost to a fault.

That said the novel features significant time jumps which I felt a bit jarring. As a result, it drifted a bit in the middle until the final conflict is set up. Despite being told in the 3rd person, the narrative focuses on Celcily’s experiences and as result, I occasionally felt a bit lost as to the context in which certain things happen. I also took issue with the depiction of King Henry VI. While not a great king he did lay the foundations of institutions that the UK still benefits from today. For a novel looking to challenge traditional narratives, I felt more could have been done around this.

For the most part, Garthwaite writing is engaging. Cecily is a complex and formidable character that hooks you in. However, the book suffers from uneven pacing. I was tempted to give this four stars. A really good debut novel.

Buy the book here and they kick me some money!