Loving Beatrice

Set in the era of King Henry VII, Beatrice, a ward of her beloved Uncle Lionel, falls in love with Benedict, an untitled worker at her uncle’s estate and wants to marry him, but he refuses, knowing her uncle would never approve of the match. Benedict flees to France to live in exile with Henry. He returns to England to help Henry defeat King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, earning him a title. Beatrice was so hurt by Benedict’s leaving that she hardened her heart to marriage, love, and everything that comes with it. But now that Benedict is Sir Edmund and a worthy suitor, can Beatrice put aside her hurt for a chance at happiness? 

Borrowing parts of the storyline from Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, the story steeps the reader in historical England at the beginning of King Henry VII’s reign. The author does a good job describing the clothing, culture, traditions and utilizing historical-sounding speech patterns and vocabulary. Beatrice is a strong-willed heroine whose sharp tongue and arguments against marriage will bring a smile to the reader’s face. The banter between Beatrice and Benedict is entertaining. Unfortunately, as the author retold a well-known story simply set in a different time period, any reader who is familiar with Shakespeare will know what is going to happen from the beginning. Perhaps if the author had twisted the story a little to make it her own, it would have stood out more for its uniqueness. A good effort from an author who definitely shows promise with her descriptive skills.

Katy Nielsen