This period of history told from the point of view of Cecily, Duchess of York in the form of letters to and from her to her family and through proclamations. The story is very simplistic but it works. I have read the history of this period before but not just following the history just with regards to Cecily and her sons and how she was the King's Mother twice! The order of the Kings during that period has become so much clearer when described from her point of view. 
Many thanks to Netgalley/Anne O'Brien/HQ for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien is a historical fiction book following the events of the Wars of the Roses, specifically through years 1459 to 1483, encompassing major battles during the Wars and continuing up to the beginning of Richard III’s reign. The book is written in the form of letters and the narrative revolves around Cecily, Duchess of York, wife to Richard, Duke of York, and mother to two Kings, Edward IV, and Richard III. Themes of scandals, family loyalty and the dynamic between aristocracy and the monarchy dominate the narrative, most notable through these personal letters written by and for the Duchess.
I immediately wanted to read this upcoming book because I am a history student who is always interested to see how fiction combined with real life play out in a novel. Despite historical fiction being one of my favourite genres, I am never able to recommend a favourite because, unfortunately, I never seem to find them accurate or interesting and leaning too far into either the fact or fictional side of things. Maybe I’m too pedantic, who knows? 
One of the weakness I found with the book, and this is only a personal matter, but the diary entry-style of the book is definitely not for me. While it does have the advantage of feeling like the reader truly gets to know the characters, that also means that it creates a very character-centred novel, blurring details of description, scenery, and overall drive. On the plus side, the reader gets a very clear picture of the character arch’s and their motives, but if you’re looking for vivid descriptions or a very historic-feeling novel, I’m unsure you’ll find it in this.
Despite this, I only have positives to discuss! As mentioned, the level of historical accuracy is second-to-none, with immense research having gone into this by the author. It’s clear that not only has she researched the timeline and the characters, but there is a strong attachment to the lives of these nobles. This is also evident from the sheer number of books the author has written surrounding this time period. Her level of work is quite outstanding and to constantly be receiving praise for her works is indicative of her talent.
To add to this, the way she writes about the characters makes them feel very real, raw, and relatable, which I find rare in historical fiction, specifically pre-1800 writing. It is rare that people of the modern world would be able to read the words of a monarch or aristocrat from the 1400s and feel they understand all their problems, but O’Brien’s writing allows that connection to happen. The Duchess of York’s unique position, having lived through 5 monarchs, two of those being her son and two of them being usurpers, (depending on whether you acknowledge the Act of Accord or not)makes her a very interesting character. O’Brien’s ability to make the King’s Mother’s troubles feel tangible to anyone in the 21st century is a worthy skill. 
Even more plausible is her ability to create a narrative that, despite having an already known ending, still feels new and enticing. As a history student, the Tudor period and the Wars of the Roses is a very common topic to study, and after taking a ‘Monarchy and Aristocracy’ module last year for university, I was worried this book would feel more educational than relaxing, but I was wrong. The story doesn’t present itself solely as a historical timeline of events, rather the letters serve to convey the worries, concerns and fun recipes shared between sisters, allowing for humanity to seep through the fabric of tragedy, war and death. The turbulent time period of the Wars of the Roses is heightened and lessened in importance where O’Brien pleases, and her pace is masterfully done. Adding the layer of a female protagonists gives a rare space to the female perspective of war, rivalry, and family drama in a male-centred world. 
Overall, if you’re interested in learning about the Wars of the Roses in a tangible manner, I would highly recommend this book. Even if the diary-style isn’t for you, it is a quick and educational book that anyone can read to expand their knowledge of English history.

These sweeping novels of historical fiction blow me away, and THE QUEEN'S RIVAL was no exception. Loved it of course.!

Never did I think that I'd warm to Cecily Neville, but this book had me admiring a woman who was clearly a force to be reckoned with in a time that women were very much expected to be seen and not heard. I was a bit put off by the way it was written at first (in letters to and from Cecily) but soon got used to it. It's a brilliant book and one I'd read again.

As a huge Wars of The Roses nerd, The Queen’s Rival has been a much-anticipated book on my TBR for ages. Needless to say, it did not disappoint!

The book is told in epistolary format (with the occasional recipe and prayer!), with letters Cecily Neville sends to various people throughout her life. Although it might be difficult to adjust to the belief that Cecily would have written everything down – it’s historical fiction! So as a fictionalised account of events, I found it highly enjoyable. Moreover, because of this format, O’Brien’s style does take a little getting used to. But once you do, the book is an amazing read!

It is evident that O’Brien has put an incredible amount of time into researching the era – something that I really appreciated. Each character is developed from Cecily’s perspective – making for a unique but realistic take on such a well-known era of history.

My only flaw with this book is that I felt the epistolary format could have been broken a little bit more than it was – just to get the perspective of other characters a little more. But overall this is a thrilling read – perfect for any History lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC of this amazing book!

The year is 1549 and Cecily Neville is Duchess of York and ready to defend her family and their future by any means possible. Wars and battles will be fought throughout her life.
Brilliantly written in the form of letters to and from Cecily who was destined to be Queen but saw two of her sons crowned Kings of England.
Totally gripping, full of feelings of love and fear. Enjoy every page.

I read this for a blog tour. 

This was really interesting, I'm fascinated by the Plantagenets and the Cousins' War (aka the War of the Roses) and especially the women.

Historically women have often been the footnotes of battles and kings, but there are several writers of historical fiction determined to bring these forgotten figures to life.

I've read several of Anne O'Brien's other books and found them really enjoyable. I struggled to get into this one with its mix of letters, diary style entries and gossip column chronicles.

However once I adjusted to the style and layout (why are netgalley arcs so badly formatted?) I began to really enjoy it.

I read all of Philippa Gregory's Plantagenet books but Duchess Cecily of York wasn't much of a character in that, so this was an excellent insight into what she might well have been like.

Mother of two of England's kings; Edward IV and Richard III, neither of whom had peaceful and happy reigns, as well as the ill-fated George, Duke of Clarence, and several daughters, she was married to the Duke memoralised in the children's rhyme 'The Grand Old Duke of York', based on his tragic final battle, outnumbered he and son Edmund were killed.

Cecily lived with a lot of tragedy, children who died young, then the loss of her husband, son, brother and nephew in that battle. More heartbreak came with the marriage of Edward to Elizabeth Woodville, and the endless battles to keep his throne.

From this version of her, there seems a lot to admire about the woman who never became queen. She was clever, warm, shrewd, determined and strong.

I think she would have made an excellent monarch, her granddaughter married Henry VII and gave us the Tudor dynasty, which produced the ever fascinating Elizabeth I, who I think took after her great-grandmother, if this book's Cecily is anything to go by.

An excellent addition to the stories of the extraordinary women of history, a fascinating insight into the inner life of a royal woman connected to the most powerful people in Europe during a complicated and often troubled time.

I was so looking forward to reading this book but I found it quite hard going.  In some places it was good but the majority of it I felt it didn't get me wanting to carry on with this book.  I did finish it but took me a few days.  

I found the people quite interesting and learning more about the York family in how they became Kings.

Some people may enjoy this book some books I would read again but I am afraid not this one.

The Queen’s Rival
by
Anne O’Brian

I read this as a proof copy from Netgalley.  It is something different for me as I usually favour psychological thrillers and if I read historical fiction it tends to be Victorian times.  This book is about the “War of the Roses” and although uses real characters in history it is fiction.  
It starts with the Duchess of York teaching her younger children the family tree, which was a good way for the reader to learn about who is who.  Reading the ebook version was a pain as I found I wanted to refer to the family tree which is a lot easier in a physical book.  It took a while for me to get into it, it was when they got to the brothers and cousins conspiring and plotting to overthrow the king that I got more interested.   As a newbie to this era of historical fiction I don’t have much to compare it with.  I found it interesting and learnt about some of the royal connections and about Cecily Duchess of York who was a strong woman who played an important role, along with her husband Richard Duke of York, in overthrowing King Henry VI.   It is written in the format of letters between Cecily, Duchess of York, her sisters, Anne and Katherine and all the cousins and other characters.  Each letter is clearly marked as to who is writing, the recipient and where the letter was written.  The language used seems appropriate to me, there are gaps in the letters where we are reading from a newspaper, the Chronicle.  This did appear a little like a tabloid which is probably not how reporting was done at that time in history, but as a non-historian I am not critical of that, in fact it made it a bit lighter and easier to read.

Generally I felt the book was good, however it has not converted me to wanting to read more historical fiction of that era.
Valerie

I love reading historical fiction and I really enjoyed this book. I love the way it is set out in letters and recipes. This makes the story feel like a unique and very personal version of events.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Wonderfully waspish letters between sisters.
Advice to a stubborn husband.
Admonishing of squabbling sons.
Intercessions to the Virgin Mary.
Racy commentaries in the Chronicles of England.
Recipes and remedies.

All this and more pack the thrilling pages of this novel which gallops along faster than the Grand Old Duke of York's horse.

A weak king and an overbearing queen.
A strong contender to the throne.
Battles and sieges and exile.
Domesticity and family life.
Triumph grasped from adversity.
Adversity grasped from triumph.
Bereavement and mourning.

It's all here in the life and times of the Duchess of York, mother of Edward IV and Richard III. This is a magnificent historical novel; it is gripping and compelling and drags the reader with it through short chapter after short chapter, showing us that, without doubt, Cecily Neville is truly The Queen's Rival.

I have enjoyed many an Anne o'Brien novel, spent many an afternoonsnuggled away, nose deep into the pages and enjoying the author take me away to a world where I can only experience through books.
This book looks stunning, the Art department  have really earned  thier money, it's gorgeous!

This is an historical novel set around the War of the Roses., meaning, a tale between the Yorkist and the Lancaster families.

England 1459 Cecily Duchess of York, a strong woman who was involved in  the attempts to overthrow Henry VI, who is a weak ruler.
As a lover of this era, I have read read many many books , novels and non fiction, I am ashamed to say that I do not know that much of this powerful and strong lady.This book is written in an interesting way, with letters, documents, dairies and notes , which is an interesting way that i did have to get used to, but once i did, it was quite congenial. 

What really connected me to this Duchess, was the fact that she spent time inprisioned in Tonbridge Castle, because I have visited that castle so many times!

If you want to read a book about political intrigue and royal scandals, this is definatly a book that needs to be taken up.

Thank you for letting me read this as a pre publication e book, i enjoyed it and have actually bought myself a copy to sit on my shelves with my other O'brien books :)

I adore historical fiction, but despite being a born and bred Yorkshire woman, know appallingly little of the War of the Roses. O’Brien’s well researched novel is told through a series of letters and diary entries which makes it very easy to digest and adds a very personal touch. 
It’s the story of Cecily, Duchess of York, and the rise and fall of the house of York. O’Brien brings to the forth several strong and ambitious women of the time who history has all but forgot. 
An engaging and unusual read that I fell in love with.

The book takes place in England between 1459 and 1483. Its set up in a unique way and told through letters, recipes and other things but all tells a story.  This is not something I would usually enjoy and parts of the story and how it was set out I wondered if it was even necessary but I did end up liking this book and rate it accordingly.

I am an avid reader of historical fiction, and the stories from the Wars of the Roses period of history - I even wrote my dissertation of fiction based on the time period. Similar to the novels from this period of history from Philippa Gregory, our main character is a woman from the time. This novel is told from the perspective of Duchess Cecily of York, the mother of King Edward IV, George Duke of Clarence, and King Richard III. This is not a perspective I've read from before, so it was a really fresh insight into somewhat familiar historical events.

The novel is told mainly through a selection of letters, as well as articles from the English Chronicle, which made the novel have an authentic feel to it. Obviously, most of history is told from the male perspective, so seeing a female perspective on events is really interesting. The letters also helped to make you feel like you were privy to some sensitive political information - really getting the insider gossip.

The family trees at the beginning of the novel was a welcome addition as the families were all linked in a variety of ways. The Nevilles, particularly, are members of numerous family trees, as well as the Woodvilles marrying into multiple families. Without the family trees, it could get a little confusing. There was a lot of action in this novel, there was a lot of drama. Admittedly, I think this is because of the length of time that the novel covers in the short amount of pages. Because of this, it seems like it was one event after another. Perhaps if this was a series of novels, you could get a little more historical context, but as someone who has some knowledge of the time period, I could fill in some of the gaps.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it to other fans of historical fiction and the time period. It was a very enjoyable read and great return to a period of history I find really interesting!

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I love this author - she is so talented - her descriptions are so vivid you feel as though you are there

As always - this is a well researched, well written book which had me hooked throughout - another humdinger 

If historical fiction is your thing, this book will be your thing!!

A fascinating, well researched and well written historical fiction that kept me hooked.
I loved the vivid descriptions of the historical background, the characters and how the story is told using letters and other documents.
The author is a talented storyteller and I learned something more about the War of the Roses.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Historical fiction at its best.
In my opinion Anne O’Brien is one of our best historical novelists today.
Impeccably researched it tells the story of Cecily, Dowager Duchess of York who was never a queen but mother to two kings.
In a time when women where seen as child bearing vessels she guided her family and advised indirectly.
I loved the way the story was told through intimate letters to her family and chronicles of the day.
A brilliant history lesson 
Can’t recommend it enough

England 1459 and Cicely Neville is in the throng between her Yorkist husband and followers and his Lancastrian foe.  Battles raged,  families fought families with intent on bitter revenge.  There was such intense ambition on both sides to win the crown of England!  

I admit it took me a while to get used to this style of writing using  letters going to and fro between all the main characters: Cecily;  sisters Katherine and Anne, sons Edward, George and occasionally Richard  ( Dickon) and others. 

However Ms O'Brien's impeccable research and the depth of detail soon  had me engrossed. As we know these were all actual events resulting in bitter betrayals all because of greed and ambition.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with the e-arc for The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien in exchange for an honest review.

The book takes place in England between 1459 and 1483 in an epistolary format, principally from the perspective of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. Whilst not one of history’s forgotten female principals, relatively little has been written from Cecily’s POV. 

From the start to the end, high politics, treason, plot, subterfuge and betrayal take main stage. 

From embroilment in her husband’s initial failed plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne, and his subsequent abandonment of his family when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge,, Cecily is forced to face loss of her home, lands and imprisonment in her Lancaster married sister’s home, Tonbridge Castle. 

From this point the Duchess initiates spinning her web of deceit as she fights to spin the wheel of fate and history to better her family’s safety, position and fortunes. 

The story progresses through the War of the Roses; a point in English history that pitted brother against brother and goes onward to examine the tides turning for and against the favour of the York family. As Cecily fights with all her might to manipulate, direct and maintain her family through the fall of King Henry VI, and her eldest son being crowned King Edward IV.

I’m no history expert, but I do find this period of history fascinating and enjoy a different perspective that brings a personal touch to the period, and there is no question about this book does that. As a reader, you are gifted with a story of ambition, familial love and angst, conquest, betrayal, high politics and tragedy. However, there are certain points that the author acknowledges to not be historically accurate, that will rule the history expert. However, this is an enjoyable read that provides another perspective in the world of historical fiction focusing on the engaging and interesting era of the Wars of the Roses.