Emerald 

One can’t help feeling sorry for Emerald; father dead, mother never there, Emerald herself dispatched to relations, brother away at sea and no help when he is home, and worst of all being betrothed to marry a horrible old man.  All she has going for her is her love/hate relationship with her cousin Arabella, away most of the time at Queen Elizabeth I’s court, and her pet bear Mollie.

Karen Wallace has written an ‘historical’ romp but this adventure could have taken place in several periods of history.  Having said that, Emerald is a heroine with whom the reader will have more than a degree of sympathy. The lovely Sam with whom she falls in love and who gets her to help him in uncovering a plot to poison the Queen is a far more suitable candidate for a young girl than Suckley, a truly disgusting character.  The blurb talks about Emerald having to be transformed from a country girl into a lady of the court, but this aspect of the story does not come cross as clearly as it might.  The plot moves quickly and is confusing at times but Emerald does save the Queen from being poisoned – and of course she does end up with Sam. Although the historical element could have been a stronger, this novel moves quickly with plenty of diversions to keep the reader interested.