Rebel Bride by Elizabeth Moss

Hilary Mantel meets Sylvia Day: the second installment in a deliciously erotic trilogy begun in Wolf Bride, set against the sumptuous backdrop of the scandal-ridden Tudor Court by Elizabeth Moss.

He is under her spell...

Hugh Beaufort, favored courtier of King Henry VIII, likes his women quiet and biddable. But Susannah Tyrell is neither of these things. She is feisty, beautiful, opinionated and brave. And Hugh is fascinated by her-despite himself.

When Susannah pulls an outrageous stunt and finds herself lost in the wilds of England, Hugh must go to her rescue. Neither of them is prepared for the dangers that lie in wait. But most deadly of all is their forbidden desire for one another. Hugh has long held himself in check, but even his iron will has its limits as they remain alone together in the forest, far from the restraints of court...

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 page-turning stars.

Last night, I had planned to read Rebel Bride for review, and ended up reading through the night into this morning and finishing Rose Bride as well. To say this series is a page-turner would be an understatement.

Backtracking through events during Wolf Bride at court, Rebel Bride was quite a treacherous time to live in, during the beheading of Anne Boleyn and the reign of Jane Seymour.

I just want to mention a few things about the author. Ms. Moss has the ability to make me an emotional wreck while reading. To say I believe in equality would be an understatement – not where you tear down a group to bring down the playing field to your level, but to truly be equal in all ways. So this series, set in this era, with its lack of women's rights, leaves me feeling powerless as I turn the pages. Powerless is not an emotion I enjoy, but one must feel discomfort in order to truly empathize.

In all three books in this series I've read, I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would send their daughter to court, nor why they would raise their sons to behave in such a matter. (I'm not entirely sure if this is accurate, but I'm actually terrified to find it valid.) Powerless prey vs empowered predators. Know there is a constant fear of the characters being taken against their consent on every page, then being blamed for it. It's very stressful. I'm not saying this lightly. This level of fear is on every page.

Susannah was a strong character, who fought all societal rules, wishing to have the rights of a man when she was a woman in the man's world. The thought that she would be owned by a man from birth to death rankled her. Her father was abusive by today's standards, but the norm back then. It was a bitter pill to swallow as I read to see how no matter what, the girl was at fault.

Misguided, Susannah believed a mistress had more freedom of choice, which we learn during Margerie's perils in book three, is not a wise idea. After being struck by her father, who promised her elderly fiancé would 'take her in hand,' she ran away, doing many, many stupid things along the way. Not damsel in distress stupid, just TSTL stupid. I appreciated how she dressed as a boy and preferred to be dressed that way for the freedom it offered. Her reasons for running were not unfounded, as the dogs were treated with more respect.

Hugh was a strong character, yet he was also still a male who acted as his peers, blaming Susannah for making him feel as he did, for being in situations she was in, for even the King finding her 'interesting,' all situations that were created by men as traps for the women.

As I said, this is a page-turner filled with court intrigue to a beyond stressful level. Ladies were fragile beings meant to be protected and never left alone to their own devices, yet they were preyed upon constantly at court, which was a contradiction that I am sure was a true reality. One character was arrested for seducing a maid, which I found odd since no one batted an eyelash against attempted rape or actual rape, or seduction actually. It was like the book should have had a tagline: protect your daughters from the likes of us, but know we will use this against you at any time, and only arrest those that suit our agenda. As I said, stressful.

Stress aside, it was also a hot book – erotic level scorching heat.

Recommended to fans of historical romance, but realize this is not a light and fluffy read. Darker, with more steam.

Also Available in the Lust in the Tudor Court Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our Wolf Bride post.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

From her earliest years, Elizabeth Moss knew she wanted to be a writer. Now she writes historical romance with a hot, sexy twist. Elizabeth was born into a literary family in Essex, and currently lives in the South-West of England with her husband and young family.

She also writes commercial fiction as Victoria Lamb (historicals) and Beth Good (contemporary rom coms).

Connect with Elizabeth

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Rebel Bride (Lust in the Tudor Court #2) by Elizabeth Moss to read and review.