A Marriage of Fortune

De: Anne O'Brien

Narrado por: Anne O'Brien, Jilly Bond

'A compelling tale of a family caught up in the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses... Be warned: it's dangerously addictive' TRACY BORMAN

England. 1469.

A fortunate marriage will change history.
A scandal could destroy everything...

Margaret Paston, matriarch of the Paston family, knows that a favourable match for one of her unruly daughters is the only way to survive the loss of their recently acquired Caister Castle. But as the War of the Roses rages on, dangerous enemies will threaten even her best laid plans.

Margery Paston, her eldest daughter, has always strived to uphold the Paston name and do her mother proud. But when she loses her heart to a man below her station, she must make a terrible choice: will she betray her family and risk everything for a chance at true love?

Anne Haute, first cousin to the Queen, is embroiled in a longstanding betrothal to Sir John Paston, the eldest son and heir to the Paston seat. But despite his promises, Anne can't help but doubt that he will ever keep his word and make her his wife...

In the midst of civil war, each of these women must decide: Head or heart? Love or duty? Reputation- or scandal?

Praise for A Marriage of Fortune:

'Anne O'Brien gets right inside the heads of her medieval characters!' JOANNA HICKSON

'Magnificently researched... an enthralling story of strong women and advantageous marriages. I was completely hooked!' CLARE MARCHANT

A beautifully researched novel told with understanding, subtlety and a deft touch. Time travel at its best' JOANNA COURTNEY

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Anne O'Brien (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited

For a historical fiction lover, this book was well worth a listen!

I have listened to as many HF books that I can find and love this type of novel that has some truth to it and are of minor nobles adjacent to the big history surrounding them. This one was around the War of the Roses and the trials of a family that is court adjacent. It took a few tries for me to really get in to it, but after a few chapters, took me just a few days to finish. Anne O’Brien is a classic!

Well written

Loved the story. Voice/reader was not the best. Did enjoy it overall, then learned the Pastons were a real family which made sense. The book had an authentic quality not typically found in “historical fiction.”

Raw and true story. Really makes you feel immersed

All of it. The narrative the voice actor and the pain and reality. This is a real intimate look at women in the Middle Ages.

Incongruent with accurate historical information regarding the king and queen

I like Ms. Chadwick and the narrator’s voice but it was hard for me to listen past the first chapter due to the depiction of Henry III being afraid of an intruder and Queen Eleanor being 16 years old, married to Henry, and trying to have an heir. Eleanor was Queen of France at 16 and married to Louis and trying to have an heir. When she became Queen of England she and Henry had one son, William, and she was carrying her son Henry. I couldn’t make my brain move past the inaccuracies in order to get into the story. I am now trying to get my credit returned to me.

Meh

Starts with investing the reader into the life of one character, then choppily follows other family members, occasionally checking in (with years in between) on the status of what I thought would be the primary character. Maybe it spans too many years???? No full exploration of any one character or storyline, more like a timeline of major events within one family and the matriarch’s irritation at them all.