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The Pleasure Palace
- Secrets of the Tudor Court #1
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
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All history, no romance!
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Publisher's Summary
Beautiful. Seductive. Innocent. Jane Popyncourt was brought to the court as a child to be ward of the king and a companion to his daughters - the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for a powerful marriage, or perhaps even marriage at all. But as she grows into a lovely young woman, she still receives flattering attention from the virile young men flocking to serve the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart - and more - to a man she can never marry. But the Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane's birth that have made her deadly enemies. Can she cultivate her beauty and her amorous wiles to guide her along a perilous path and bring her at last to happiness?
Basing her gripping tale on the life of the real Jane Popyncourt, gifted author Kate Emerson brings the Tudor monarchs, their family, and their courtiers to brilliant life in this vibrant new novel.
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What listeners say about The Pleasure Palace
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- Cyndie Stevens
- 06-14-13
Like Historical Fiction-Don't waste your time here
This is a wandering story of the alleged life of Jane Poppincourt with no apparent plot, dénouement, irony, or other redeeming quality.
The real Jayne Poppyncourt was actually a French language tutor to the children, who in this story, is the contemporary of the children.
My mother, the literature teacher, would have returned this to the writer with the instructions to rewrite it or choose another topic AND research the subject matter more thoroughly.
It is really the story about a largely fictional character who seems to wander about pre-Elizabethan England and France without specific purpose and then marries her childhood sweet heart.
I did some fact checking, thinking I was reading historical fiction. Dates, people, places, and times are often incorrect.
This book IS NOT historical fiction, but fiction based extremely loosely on an inaccurate understanding of history
The narrator has a fairly strong sibilant lisp that makes the listening nearly exhausting for someone like me who has worked tirelessly to rid myself of same.
Based on this novel, I will not attempt to listen to any other title by this author.
Had I not suffered through its entirety, I would have attempted to return it.
I give it one star because I am unable (based on this reviewing program) to give it zero stars.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Laura A. Johnson
- 07-21-17
Unbalanced
Slow to start and then rushed at the end. The storyline would have been better if it had some action in it as well.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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- Toby
- 08-26-13
Outstanding narration makes historical novel move
What did you love best about The Pleasure Palace?
The narration. Alison Larkin's narration is outstanding. I am a fan of this particular period in British history and Ms Emerson's work is well researched. The story was kept moving by the first class narrator. I'll be seeking this narrator out.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pleasure Palace?
The portrayal of Henry the Eighth! Not as a monster, but as a real, sensual, life-loving man.
What does Alison Larkin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
An intelligence, clarity and life in her characterizations that bring these historical figures to life. Especially King Henry!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
It wasn't a particularly moving story. More an interesting one. That is why I couldn't give the book five stars.
1 person found this helpful
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- Tendylicious
- 06-01-22
it's ok
struggled to finish it..was hoping for more glimpses of Catherine of Aragon, Woolsey, the boleyns. it was ok
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Overall
- Anonymous User
- 01-13-19
fabulous story
One of my favorites I've ever read about the Tudor court! interesting from beginning to end!
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- Dona
- 12-12-15
entertaining
I liked how the story kept changing and keeping you wondering. Easy to listen to.
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- Angela N. Gimlin
- 06-24-14
Entertaining
What did you like best about this story?
I like most historic fiction when it comes to the Tudors and this was no different. I like the works of Phillipa Gregory and Carolly Ericson a little better, but this kept me entertained.
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- John
- 12-20-13
a book that you never want to pick up twice
What would have made The Pleasure Palace better?
interesting dialog interesting storyline a voice that sounded appropriate and some semblance of a story that enabled the suspension of disbelief
Has The Pleasure Palace put you off other books in this genre?
no only the author and the reader
Would you be willing to try another one of Alison Larkin’s performances?
not likely
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Pleasure Palace?
all
Any additional comments?
historical novels are some of my favorites but not mills and boon
3 people found this helpful
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- katie
- 02-02-18
Thrilling
I am extremely happy with my first audible experience. Having not listened to an audio book before I got into the swing of listening very quickly and was very happy with the narrator and the story.
What a brilliant book! The narrator was very good and told the story so well!
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- Squirrel
- 05-31-16
1st book finished
truly wonderful writing with a lovely ending. was a pleasure to read. could easily use my imagination to be in the character of Jane poppincourt. great escapism.
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- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.
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Not Weir's Best
- By Joshua on 01-08-13
By: Alison Weir
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than 40 years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler - herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair - discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
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One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
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The Poison Bed
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Fremantle
- Narrated by: Karen Cass, Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A marriage. A murder. One of them did it. Which of them will die for it? In the autumn of 1615, scandal rocks the Jacobean court, when a celebrated couple, Robert and Frances Carr, are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. Frances is young, captivating, and from a notorious family. She has been rescued from an abusive marriage by Robert, and is determined to make a new life for herself. Whatever the price.
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Interesting story buoyed by excellent narrators
- By OaklandBookworm on 04-18-21
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The Royal Game
- By: Anne O'Brien
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 1444. Three women who came from nowhere to challenge the course of history. King Henry VI’s grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses begin to tear England apart. Everyone must choose between York or Lancaster. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power. Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely upon cunning, raw ambition and good fortune in order to survive.
By: Anne O'Brien
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The Last White Rose
- A Novel of Elizabeth of York
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Elizabeth of York is the oldest daughter of King Edward IV. Flame-haired, beautiful, and sweet-natured, she is adored by her family; yet her life is suddenly disrupted when her beloved father dies in the prime of life. Her uncle, the notorious Richard III, takes advantage of King Edward’s death to grab the throne and imprison Elizabeth's two younger brothers, the rightful royal heirs. Forever afterward known as the princes in the tower, the boys are never seen again.
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Much Better Nonfiction Writer
- By Elizabeth on 03-26-23
By: Alison Weir
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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
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The Queen’s Vow
- A Novel of Isabella of Castile
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
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Excellent historical fiction!
- By nursebettyknitting on 07-30-12
By: C. W. Gortner
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The King's Mistress
- A Novel
- By: Emma Campion
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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History has not been kind to Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of King Edward III. Scholars and contemporaries alike have deemed her a manipulative woman who used her great beauty and sensuality to take advantage of an aging and increasingly senile king. But who was the woman behind the scandal? A cold-hearted opportunist - or someone fighting for her very survival?
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Good Story
- By Rebecca on 07-05-11
By: Emma Campion
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Royal Inheritance
- By: Kate Emerson
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Audrey Malte is illegitimate, though her beloved father - tailor to King Henry VIII - prefers to call her “merry-begot,” saying there was much joy in her making. Then Audrey visits the royal court with her father, and the whispers start about Audrey’s distinctive Tudor-red hair and the kindness that the king shows her. Did dashing Henry perhaps ask Malte to raise a royal love child? The king’s favor, however, brings Audrey constraint as well as opportunity.
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Okay book
- By TNJ on 07-05-19
By: Kate Emerson
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The King's Pleasure
- A Novel of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.
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Not worth the money
- By J. Smith on 06-07-23
By: Alison Weir
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The Unfaithful Queen
- A Novel of Henry VIII's Fifth Wife
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Amid the turbulent, faction-ridden late reign of the fearsome Henry, eager high-spirited Catherine Howard caught the king's eye - but not before she had been the sensual plaything of at least three other men. Ignorant of her past, seeing only her youthful exuberance and believing that she could make him happy, he married her - only to discover, too late, that her heart belonged to his gentleman usher Tom Culpeper.
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I loved it!!!!!
- By christina on 03-28-13
By: Carolly Erickson
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The First Princess of Wales
- A Novel
- By: Karen Harper
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Middle Ages in the 14th century, King Edward III of England is determined to use any means necessary to expand his power and gain control of England's bitter rival, France. His own son, Edward, prince of Wales, is far from immune from his political plans. And when Joan of Kent, now free from exile, sees her chance for revenge, she takes it. A calculated plot to scandalize the royal family for revenge for her father's downfall and execution soon turns into the most surprising thing: love.