Name: The Virgin’s Lover
Rating: 3.5875 (40 reviews)
ISBN: 9780007370160

Philippa Gregory

A sumptuous historical novel set in the court of Elizabeth I, from Sunday Times No.1 bestseller Philippa Gregory, the author of The Other Boleyn Girl.

The Virgin’s Lover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) comes a riveting and scandalous love triangle between a young woman on the brink of greatness, a young man whose ambition far exceeds his means, and the wife who cannot forgive them. In the autumn of 1558, church bells across England ring out the joyous news that Elizabeth I is the new queen, yet one woman hears the tidings with utter dread. She is Amy Dudley, wife of Sir Robert, and she knows that Elizabeth’s ambitious leap to the throne will draw her husband back to the center of the glamorous Tudor court, where he was born to be. Elizabeth’s excited triumph is short-lived. She has inherited a bankrupt country where treason is rampant and foreign war a certainty. Her faithful advisors warns her that she will survive only if she marries a strong prince to govern the rebellious country, but the one man Elizabeth desires is her childhood friend, the ambitious Robert Dudley. As the young couple falls back in love, a question hangs in the air: can he really set aside his wife and marry the queen? When Amy is found dead, Elizabeth and Dudley are suddenly plunged into a struggle for survival.

The Virgin's Lover

I give this book a solid 3 stars. It held my interest, and as always with Philippa Gregory's books, it was well written. However, there were so many typos that took away from this book. I can ignore some, but for example, on page 366 of my paperback, William Hyde is randomly referred to as David. 

The only thing that kept me going was that I didn't know the history at all. So, it was suspenseful at times because I didn't know that was going to happen, and I always appreciate that Gregory sticks to the facts as much as possible. This is an era of history I don't know much about and enjoy learning what I can. 

As far as plot, there was so much back and forth and going around in circles, with the war against Scotland/France, Elizabeth's marriage prospects and Amy and Dudley's relationship. Instead of the plot moving forward, it just circles around, mainly centering around these three aspects. It became kind of dull. 

Finally, I thought this a poor characterization of Queen Elizabeth I. She is so weak and lovesick and completely dependent on a man, Robert Dudley. Probably the worst man she could have picked. I found myself disliking most of the main characters; surprisingly, Cecil, for all his plotting and spying, was my favorite, besides Laetitia. While I haven't read many books yet about Elizabeth, I was so disappointed in her and how she's portrayed in this book. 

I did appreciate Hannah Green, aka Hannah the Fool, making an appearance, as this book follows the events of The Queen's Fool, ironically one of my favorite books by Gregory that I've read so far. I'm glad I read this book but don't see myself reading it again.

Amanda

I give this book a solid 3 stars. It held my interest, and as always with Philippa Gregory's books, it was well written. However, there were so many typos that took away from this book. I can ignore some, but for example, on page 366 of my paperback, William Hyde is randomly referred to as David. 

The only thing that kept me going was that I didn't know the history at all. So, it was suspenseful at times because I didn't know that was going to happen, and I always appreciate that Gregory sticks to the facts as much as possible. This is an era of history I don't know much about and enjoy learning what I can. 

As far as plot, there was so much back and forth and going around in circles, with the war against Scotland/France, Elizabeth's marriage prospects and Amy and Dudley's relationship. Instead of the plot moving forward, it just circles around, mainly centering around these three aspects. It became kind of dull. 

Finally, I thought this a poor characterization of Queen Elizabeth I. She is so weak and lovesick and completely dependent on a man, Robert Dudley. Probably the worst man she could have picked. I found myself disliking most of the main characters; surprisingly, Cecil, for all his plotting and spying, was my favorite, besides Laetitia. While I haven't read many books yet about Elizabeth, I was so disappointed in her and how she's portrayed in this book. 

I did appreciate Hannah Green, aka Hannah the Fool, making an appearance, as this book follows the events of The Queen's Fool, ironically one of my favorite books by Gregory that I've read so far. I'm glad I read this book but don't see myself reading it again.

Sarah Escorsa

Will Philippa Gregory ever be able to write books as thoroughly enjoyable as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Queen's Fool or The Constant Princess ever again? I'm seriously beginning to doubt it. 

The Virgin's Lover is tedious, much too long, and the characters are some of the most unlikable I've come across recently. They seem to be caricatures: the ever-scheming, power-hungry Dudley, the naive and simpering Amy and of course the indecisive, easily influenced yet devil incarnate Elizabeth... The way Elizabeth is portrayed is particularly ridiculous.

I am still wondering why I kept reading the book until the end. I think I was hoping the book would get better somehow but it simply didn't. Gregory's writing is not bad but the story and characterization are so weak and annoying that reading this book feels like a waste of time.

Megan Seraydarian 

Rhian Davies

Ashley shackelford

Megan During

Jade Warren

shelby mosel

Astor Reinhardt

A fictional portrait of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I follows the young queen as she copes with intrigues aimed at placing Mary, Queen of Scots, on the British throne, and her passion for the traitorous Robert Dudley.

The Virgin’s Lover

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