This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Emma Kingston
Wolf Bride is a story of lust, possession and duty set in the Tudor court when Henry VIII was on the throne. The King is starting to tire of his Queen, and rumours are circulating about Queen Anne’s promiscuity. However, this book is actually the Tudor tale of Eloise Tyrell, a lady in waiting to Queen Anne.
Eloise is bound to marry Lord Wolf at her father’s request. Wolf is a distant figure from her childhood that Eloise barely knows and is reluctant to marry, but she is conscious that she must do her duty and so goes ahead with the match.
Wolf strikes some degree of fear into Eloise, but she is determined not to make herself vulnerable to her new husband. That is until the undeniable desire and passion between them becomes apparent and neither of them can ignore it. Thus ensues lusty trysts that wouldn’t seem out of place in the 50 Shades of Grey series. In fact, the allusion has already been made by the Sunday Times, which dubbed Wolf Bride ’50 Shades of Tudor Sex’.
The comparison worried me a little before I started reading. I don’t mind the odd saucy scene in a book, but it has to be a beneficial addition to the story, not racy scenes for the sake of it. I was worried that Wolf Bride would be all sex and no substance and, for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised. The Tudor era is one that I particularly enjoy reading about, and so the story fascinated me. I was equally intrigued by Wolf. For someone that initially seemed such a simple man, it was fantastic to see his character exposed in various lights throughout the book.
I did feel that some of the racier scenes were more for dramatic effect rather than adding anything to the story, and it did become a little repetitive. However, the book subtly explored the obvious inequalities of the sexes that were rife at the time. But to me, it also seemed to highlight that some of these prejudices still exist now.On the whole, the plot gripped me entirely, but once or twice I did feel the sex got in the way. That said, Wolf Bride is the perfect read if you are looking for a historical tale filled with lust, passion and a ruthless King.
6/10