Venus In Winter (A Novel of Bess of Hardwick) by Gillian Bagwell
Historical Fiction/Tudor
Penguin July 2013
Paperback 435 pages
Review copy provided by the author, thank you!
Burton Book Review Rating: 4.5 stars


My previous review of Gillian's novel The Darling Strumpet

The author of The September Queen explores Tudor England with the tale of Bess of Hardwick—the formidable four-time widowed Tudor dynast who became one of the most powerful women in the history of England. 

On her twelfth birthday, Bess of Hardwick receives the news that she is to be a waiting gentlewoman in the household of Lady Zouche. Armed with nothing but her razor-sharp wit and fetching looks, Bess is terrified of leaving home. But as her family has neither the money nor the connections to find her a good husband, she must go to facilitate her rise in society. 

When Bess arrives at the glamorous court of King Henry VIII, she is thrust into a treacherous world of politics and intrigue, a world she must quickly learn to navigate. The gruesome fates of Henry’s wives convince Bess that marrying is a dangerous business. Even so, she finds the courage to wed not once, but four times. Bess outlives one husband, then another, securing her status as a woman of property. But it is when she is widowed a third time that she is left with a large fortune and even larger decisions—discovering that, for a woman of substance, the power and the possibilities are endless. 

Bess of Hardwick has always been my absolutely favorite Tudor figure, and close behind her is Lettice Knollys. I was overjoyed when I heard that there was a novel in the works about her, though I was nervous about how her character would come through after I was totally disappointed with Philippa Gregory's portrayal of her shrewish Bess in The Other Queen.

Bagwell does a phenomenal job of portraying the qualities of Bess that made me fall in love with her: strong, sensitive, intelligent, loving, and an accounting whiz. Well, she may not have been that last one but from previous reads and knowing that she seemingly was a phoenix rising from the ashes as far as her real estate properties go, she was a skilled business woman. Her marriages helped her in that regard, but she worked hard to keep what she could, and Bagwell portrays this diligent aspect of Bess perfectly. Her story begins as a child amongst those proverbial ashes and she goes to the noble houses to better secure her place in the Tudor courts. We watch Bess grow up and marry all along that glittery evil backdrop of Henry VIII's wives and then the reigns of Henry's children. Supporting characters include fellow courtiers and her family members, and of course eventually Elizabeth I and the ever changing political backdrop of rising and falling factions.

While this Tudoresque story is familiar to most, Gillian Bagwell offers a plausible sense of the world of Bess of Hardwick. The novel flows well because it is so character driven and focused on Bess's life which humanizes the woman behind the house of glass that she is known for. While I was pleasantly enjoying the story throughout, the final scene tugged at my heart and I really loved the way it ended. And I was probably relieved that I did not have to repeat the events of her marriage to George Talbot, since it seems to be that particular marriage that had gotten the most coverage in the books I'd read before. This time, we get to experience Bess's coming of age and how she got to where she was, giving us a truly empathetic portrait that will make you love her as much as I do.

One of the threads woven through this story was the fact the Bess would pray to God during the hard times or when her loved ones were facing the fierce royal ire of Kings and Queens. As a Christian fiction reader, this was very well done and I appreciated the additional tone this added, but of course this is subject to preference. As I told the author, I had high hopes for this novel on my favorite Tudor heroine, Bess of Hardwick. Thank you for surpassing my expectations, Ms. Bagwell! I loved the novel and recommend it to others interested in Bess of Hardwick.

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Other reads on Bess that I recommend are two non-fiction works where I read before my 'professional' reviewing days, here are links to my amateur thoughts on these three titles:
Arbella by Sarah Gristwood
Bess of Hardwick Empire Builder by Mary Lovell

Bess was also featured in Philippa Gregory's novel of Mary Queen of Scots, The Other Queen, but I disliked that portrayal very much and would not recommend it.

The Darling Strumpet:  A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles II by Gillian Bagwell
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (January 4, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0425238592
Review copy provided by the author, thank you!
The Burton Review Rating: Four stars

The Darling Strumpet is a vivid and richly detailed historical novel that puts the reader smack in the tumultuous world of seventeenth century London. Based on the life of Nell Gwynn, who rose from the streets to become one of London's most beloved actresses and the life-long mistress of the King, the book opens on May 29, 1660, when the exiled King Charles II rides into London on his thirtieth birthday to reclaim his throne after the death of Oliver Cromwell. Among the celebratory crowds is ten-year-old runaway Nell Gwynn, determined to create a better life for herself and to become someone to be reckoned with....

As someone who prefers her history to be set in the earlier time of England, I have only heard of Nell Gwynn and have merely collected books on her. Bagwell's novel is actually my first real taste of the years in England after the Wars of the Roses and the reign of the Tudors. Set in 1660, six decades after Elizabeth I's successful reign, Bagwell's debut novel focuses on a famous mistress to the king of England. The setting is England during the Restoration, the period where Charles returns to England's throne after years of exile during Cromwell's leadership during the Protectorate.

Bagwell begins the novel with Nell as just a girl struggling to find food for her family, and ends the novel at the end of Nell's intriguing life. We learn how Nell began her work in the theater, and we are also introduced the men she meets along the way. It wasn't until halfway through the novel that King Charles II becomes more predominantly featured, as the first half of the novel focuses on the playhouses and Nell's relationships with the actors. Nell was one of the first successful actresses on the scene, and she took the trade by storm with her witty dialogues and apparent good looks. She used these looks to her advantage, and continued to be a whore, which Bagwell described in great detail. The Restoration of Charles II was littered with his many bastards, along with Nell's children, and was a period of well-known hedonism, which became mighty apparent as Nell bedded every gentleman she came to meet. It was at this point I wondered if I should keep reading, as I enjoy the historical aspects of my historical fiction much more than the adventures in bed.

After the romantic scenes started to take more of a  backseat to the more intelligent telling of the story, I again began to feel more comfortable in the novel. I started to respect Nell a little more, and I particularly enjoyed the historical characters that were included, such as Nell's rivals for Charles II's affection, and I became besotted with Nell's immediate family. Bagwell also included the political upheavals at the time, as Charles II had quite a problem with Parliament and their demands. Most importantly, I was enthralled by Nell's and Charles' relationship, as it was portrayed as one that was full of love and admiration for each other. And finally, the wind down of the novel really stole my heart, as Nell grappled with losses that came one after the other, and the last few chapters were extremely dramatic. If there weren't so many graphic sexual encounters in the novel I am sure this read would have been a five star read for me, as the ending of it was quite a soulful departure. As it is, I know I have to take those eye-rolling encounters into consideration within this review, as it was true that I became pretty annoyed as they went on and on and on. Yet, those who enjoy historical romance and a bit of bawdy love would find the best of history and sex here.

For those historical fiction readers who would not mind skimming over the romps in the hay, I would love to recommend this novel of Nell Gwynn's life. It provides an entertaining look at the newly opened playhouses, the plague, the great fire, and the King's royal ensemble. Although being a whore is not a respectable trade, Gillian Bagwell's sympathetic portrayal of Mistress Nell eventually tugged at my heart and made me weep for her. After this fabulous debut piece of work I cannot wait to see what else Gillian Bagwell has for us historical fiction fans.

Visit Gillian's website for more links and information on her subjects and historical articles.