Royal Mistress    by Anne Easter Smith Order:  USA  Can Touchstone, 2013 (2013) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Elizabeth Crowley Royal Mistress introduces readers to one of England's lesser known royal mistresses, Jane Shore. Daughter of a silk merchant, the beautiful Jane Shore would capture the heart not only of two of England's most important nobles, but she would also enchant King Edward IV, who would keep Jane by his side until his untimely death. Although Jane's heart would forever belong to her first love, Jane soon realized the power of her beauty at a time when the houses of York and Tudor threatened to bring England to war again. Jane's first disastrous marriage left her feeling broken and empty, and she is haunted by the memory of Tom Grey. Unaware that Tom was son to the queen of England and stepson to King Edward IV, Jane fell in love with him only to be heartbroken by his decision to end their relationship. But Jane's failed marriage is simply a stepping stone to her true future. When the notorious womanizer King Edward IV lays eyes on Jane, she finds herself released from her sham of a marriage. Under the protection of the king of England, Jane is introduced to a lavish life she could never have imagined. Although King Edward has brought peace to England once again, the enemies of the crown continue to threaten its future. Not only must Edward deal with his ambitious brother, George of Clarence, but Henry Tudor threatens the future of the Plantagenet dynasty. As Edward falls more in love with Jane, she finds her heart still belongs to Tom Grey. Set in the provocative royal court of King Edward IV and his bewitching queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Royal Mistress presents a young woman lost in the pages of history, but forever a part of the history of King Edward IV. Anne Easter Smith crafts a novel historical fiction buffs can only hope to encounter once a year. It's seductive, romantic, with a heavy dose of royal plotting, and Smith brings to life the dangerous times when the Plantagenet dynasty begins to crumble at the hands of the house of Tudor. Anne Easter Smith spares no details in writing the royal love story of King Edward and Jane Shore. Readers will be enchanted not only by Jane's rags to riches story, but also by Smith's impeccable attention to detail when retelling the story of George of Clarence, and her spin on how Richard of Gloucester was involved in the deaths of the princes in the tower. Anne Easter Smith has written the royal romp of the year! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews