Review: His Last Letter by Jeane Westin

by Jeane Westin

Publication Date:  August 3, 2010
Publisher: NAL Trade
400p



SYNOPSIS:  One of the greatest loves of all time-between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley-comes to life in this vivid novel.

They were playmates as children, impetuous lovers as adults-and for thirty years were the center of each others' lives. Astute to the dangers of choosing any one man, the Virgin Queen could never give her "Sweet Robin" what he wanted most-marriage- yet she insisted he stay close by her side. Possessive and jealous, their love survived quarrels, his two disastrous marriages to other women, her constant flirtations, and political machinations with foreign princes. 


His Last Letter tells the story of this great love... and especially of the last three years Elizabeth and Dudley spent together, the most dangerous of her rule, when their passion was tempered by a bittersweet recognition of all that they shared-and all that would remain unfulfilled. 

In Jeane Westin’s sophomore release she tackles one of the most intriguing love stories in history...that of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

His Last Letter focuses on the last three years that Elizabeth and Robert were together before his death and alternately goes back to various pivotal points in their relationship. I thought the author did a fantastic job at this, giving the reader glimpses of their tempetuous past and then bringing it back to their final years, showing how those events transformed their relationship (though I wish she would have touched on the death of Robert’s wife Amy a bit more).

“Always she must deny her woman’s wants, a queen outside, a woman inside.”

Westin’s characterization of Elizabeth reads true and I felt she gave her a great voice. Not only did Elizabeth have to be strong to survive in a world dominated by men, but she also had a constant battle of wills raging between her head and heart when it came to Dudley. Their bond, forged in childhood, sealed while they were both prisoners in the tower and was tested relentlessly throughout their lives; Elizabeth’s wooing of foreign princes to satisfy her council fueled Robert’s jealousy, Robert’s marriage to Amy Robsart and her subsequent scandalous death and again when Robert secretly married Lettice Knowlys, Elizabeth’s cousin, all threatened to shatter their entanglement but their love would prove too deep. Elizabeth would banish him, and in the next breathe send for him to return to her again, never able to be parted long from her sweet Robin.

Engaging, heartfelt and touching, I highly recommend His Last Letter and am very much looking forward to future novels by Jeane Westin.

Click HERE to read my interview with Jeane Westin, where she talks about her next project, what she admires most about Elizabeth I and her opinion on the death of Amy Robsart.

Visit Jeane Westin's WEBSITE.

FTC DISCLOSURE:  I received this book for review from the publisher.

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4 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this one as well!

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  2. Nice review - I used to devour novels on ELizabeth I and then OD'd on the whole time period. This one sounds good enough to draw me back!

    Katherine
    historicalfictionnotebook.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, I am sure I will enjoy this as well. Lovely review!

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  4. Oh yes. This sounds really good. Their relationship is always intriguing.

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