A huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark & Susanna Kearsley for this ARC! 💙

👑 I knew bits about Mary, Queen of Scots, but almost nothing about her son, King James I—the first ruler of both Scotland & England. When I saw The King’s Messenger was set during his reign, unraveling political intrigue, secrets, and betrayal after his son Henry’s death, I had to read it. And WOW—it did not disappoint!

📖 What stood out?
Susanna Kearsley is a master at making history come alive. The vivid Scottish scenery, the courtly drama, and the fascinating concept of the King’s Messenger role had me hooked. Add in a mix of magical realism & enemies-to-lovers romance, and for a hot second, I forgot I was reading historical fiction! 😍

🔥 What to Expect:
✔️ Multiple POVs 👀
✔️ Enemies to lovers 💘
✔️ Scottish scenery & court politics 🏰
✔️ Secrets, betrayal, and bandits ⚔️
✔️ Closed-door scenes 🔥

💞 How was the romance?
The dynamic between Andrew & Phoebe was everything. Both are strong-willed yet bound by court expectations. Phoebe’s growth from naïve to resilient was one of my favorite parts. Kearsley crafted their tension beautifully, making every interaction electric. ⚡

⭐ Final Thoughts:
If you love historical fiction with romance, political twists, & immersive storytelling, this book is a must-read! The multiple POVs keep the pacing perfect, and between the court intrigue, danger, and slow-burning tension, you won’t be able to put this one down!

Author Susanna Kearsley is a favorite of mine; her tales seamlessly weave historical detail with magical influences, resulting in powerful tales that are difficult to put down. THE KING’S MESSENGER is one of her best, relying upon a popular romance trope, ‘the road trip’, to challenge and reward the characters as they move towards their destination. The historical detail is well-developed with picturesque settings from Scotland and England, accompanied by a rotating band of secondary characters that serve to flesh out the historical detail and provide support or threats along the journey. Is this more romance than historical fiction? Probably, because the historic record described within, remains unsettled. Was there a murder or just a sudden death of the young Prince Henry? Much of the plot revolves around the dead heir to the throne. In fictional characters, the budding romance, but one of the ancillary plots, is a fun addition. I could not pause my reading of this book; it was just that good. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The King's Messenger shed light on an interesting time period through her engaging story telling. Fans of Historical Fiction with some romance peppered in will love this book.

The setting is 1613 during the reign of King James. Andrew Logan is dispatched as the Kings messenger to bring Sir David Moray to Court for questioning. Sir David is suspected of being involved in the untimely death of the crown Prince Henry. David was a close companion of the Prince Henry and seems to be in mourning over his passing.

Throughout the book we get glimpses of Prince Henry's upbringing through the POV of David and Henry's Mother, Anne of Denmark. I enjoyed reading about how the royal family was raised in this era and what the familial relationships looked like. However most of the book takes place during the "present day" after Henry's death. The chapters are written from multiple POV which give the characters added depth.

The majority of the book is the traveling from Scotland to England to return to the Kings Court. The traveling party contains Sir David, Andrew Logan, Phoebe, Phoebe's father the scribe, and a young boy who is along to care for the horses. Andrew and Phoebe have an Enemies to Lovers vibe. Phoebe has definite opinions about Logan, but as the journey goes on she begins to question those opinions and wonder if she has been misled.

All in all a good read!

I received an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this arc.

The first part of the book seemed to me to be mainly character studies of the people on the journey to Scotland as well as Sir David’s memories of his time with Prince Henry who, at the time, was thought of as the hope of the nation. There are secrets here as well as long held misunderstandings which will turn out to be based on Reasons. So yeah, miscommunications. Then throw in a road trip which actually picks up once Phoebe and her father arrive in Leith and meet up with Andrew and a young boy he’s taken under his wing. Oh, I hope there is or will be more heard about from young Hector as he’s a delight who avoids plot-moppethood.

The fact that Sir David Murry knows that it’s likely that he will be arrested on orders of King James and that his likely fate will not be a good one but that he still arrives back in Scotland says a lot about his character to me. Along the trip and through his memories, David will serve as our source of information about Prince Henry whom it is clear he loved as a son and whose death devastated him.


Phoebe starts the book with a chip on her shoulder and a starry eyed view of a certain asshole whom she thinks she loves. Phoebe’s eyes are slowly opened along the journey when she sees men of true worth and honor and then remembers and rethinks things from her past. It’s a gradual transformation which makes it all the more believable for me.

The road trip reveals the Border areas between Scotland and England as well as life in the early seventeenth century. As the travelers get closer to London, opinions and loyalties have shifted and a secret is revealed. But the King is the one who issued Andrew’s orders and he must be obeyed – not because Andrew agrees with what looks to be Sir David’s ultimate fate, being made to “fall in his sword” to cover up the deeds of others, but rather that a king in general, and King James in particular, is not to be messed with. But then a possibility opens up which harks back to something that we’ve already seen in action. Sometimes it is what you know that counts.

I think that this is a “still waters run deep” novel. It has romantic love, intrigue, danger, family love, politics, and history. I stayed up late to read just one more chapter and then settled myself down the next day to discover what would happen next. One of the best things I can say about this book is that it is written in a way that makes me want to know more. The wait for another Kearsley novel is long but the reward is great. A-

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, British Fiction, Scottish
Spice Level: Kissing on page

I'm already a fan of Susanna Kearsley's books. This one is a little different because it exclusively takes place in the past instead of having a connection to the contemporary world. I still loved it!

THE KING'S MESSENGER caught me into its world of king's messengers, court intrigue, false accusations, the Scottish sight into events to come, and so much more!

The characters are stunning. And I loved watching how they slowly change in their views and what happens because of those changes. The characters we want to root for have more modern sensibilities than might have been historically accurate. This mostly comes out in respect for women and kindness. There are also characters that you will love to hate.

I couldn't stop reading because I was so caught in the story. It is wonderfully interesting and firmly grounded in facts (with a little extrapolation, of course). And anytime there's a Scottish man in a book, I just seem to love it even more.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in British Royalty, England, sweet romance, and historical fiction.

Happy reading!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The King’s Messenger
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: March 4, 2025

The captivating tale of early royal life, “The King’s Messenger,” will rank among my top books for 2025. Through Andrew Logan’s eyes, we witness the intricate dynamics of a royal household where loyalty and honor are paramount. As a student of King James, I found the retelling of his life, woven by author, Susanna Kearsley, particularly memorable. It vividly portrays a king with voracious appetites, hateful and jealous tendencies, and a corrupt court filled with intrigue.

The story centers around King James and his wife, Queen Anna, and the tragic loss of their eldest son, Prince Henry. Amidst this somber backdrop, an unlikely romance blossoms between the Messenger, Andrew Logan, and his neighbor, Phoebe Westaway. As the King’s messenger, Logan’s mission is to return Sir David Moray, unjustly accused of Prince Henry’s murder, to London or prove his innocence.

As Andrew and Phoebe journey home from Scotland, they face danger and treachery. They are forced to confront the true villains while obeying the King’s orders. This exquisite tale of love, romance, deception, and royal life is a must-read for historical fiction enthusiasts. @susanna.kearsley @bookmarked @netgalley #england #scotland #historicalfiction #books #bookstagram #bookreviewer #thekingsmessenger #kingJames #romance #journey #royalmessengers

🇬🇧

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

🏴

The King's Messenger follows the story of King James and his actions following the death of his son Henry who died from suspected poisoning. He calls in one of his messengers to bring in Prince Henry's guardian in for questioning, and a quest ensues.

I am a a major fan of Susanne Kearsley, and this novel strays from her typical template a bit. Many of her stories have a time travel element to them, but this one doesn't. Instead it has multiple POV's spanning different timeframes. This is captures through memories instead of time travel. I found it a bit difficult to juggle the POVs at first, but once I knew the characters it was a breeze.

This story has everything! Witchcraft, adventure, life/death scenarios, some romance. This story is written so beautifully! If you are a fan of historical fiction this is a must read.

Thank you to Susanna Kearsley, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for this eARC!

I was very excited to get an early copy of the newest book by Susanna Kearsley. I read everything she writes and this book did not disappoint.

The characters are well written - as always, their relationships with other characters are well rounded and complex. The setting/timeframe is fantastic and the touch of magic is always well done.

I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction - reading other books by the author are not necessary to enjoy this book.


Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy of this book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review and ordered the paperback edition with sprayed edges from Barnes and Noble. Susannah Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint with this latest book! The King's Messenger may be my new favorite among all her excellent books. As expected from Kearsley, the book is thoroughly historically researched, beautifully paced, and gorgeously written. Logan is a King's Messenger--an official post in which he carries out missions for the King. Phoebe is the daughter of Laurence Westaway, a scrivener (aka official scribe) who accompanies Logan on his mission to apprehend David Moray, who is suspected of killing Prince Henry, the son/heir of King James and Queen Anna. The story practically takes place in real-time on the road, with flashbacks, as they, along with a stable boy named Hector, journey back from Scotland with David Moray in custody. It becomes ever more apparent that Davis is an honorable gentleman being wrongfully suspected and accused and that Logan must figure out how to protect his charge while maintaining loyalty to the crown.

As with all of Kearsley's books, the characters are well-rounded and multidimensional. I adored the love story between Phoebe and Logan as "enemies to lovers," with Pride and Prejudice added to the mix (Phoebe is prejudiced against Logan and has her demons and fears). My heart ached during the flashbacks of David treating Prince Henry like his son, which made the innocent moments and discussions with Hector (the stable boy) even more poignant. I was worried about how the situation would resolve peacefully, and I loved the book's last third, which handled the resolution in such a satisfying way. As with many of Kearsley's books, I couldn't put it down once I started reading this, reading a majority of the book in a day or two. I read it so fast that I can't wait to reread it, slowly savoring the words and precious moments between all the characters. I can't recommend this book highly enough--it is perfect for anyone who loves romance, adventure, and history.

4 court intrigue stars

I can always count on Susanna Kearsley to immerse me in another time. I’ve read at least 6 of her books.

We are back in 1613 and in the court of King James. Andrew Logan is a King’s Messenger. Trusted to convey messages from the King and, occasionally, to retrieve someone and bring them back for questioning.

David Moray was Prince Henry's trusted companion from about age 5. In those days, the tradition was to raise the royal children in separate households to keep them safe from intrigue and death. Unfortunately, Henry survived only until 18 years old, when he succumbed to a mysterious illness. Moray is under suspicion. The King sends Messenger Andrew Logan to Scotland to retrieve Moray and bring him back for questioning.

Phoebe is another main character in this one. Her father is a scrivener (scribe). He’s aging, though. When the king wants to send him along with Andrew, Phoebe volunteers to go along on the trip to care for her father. She’s leaving her heart behind with Valentine (appropriate name, huh) and hopes to get a marriage proposal when she returns.

Phoebe and Andrew have verbally sparred on many occasions, and she’s not quite sure what to make of him. He seems to be more of a gentleman than she thought in spite of his recent sparring with Valentine.

The group has some great adventures and dangers as they find David and begin to bring him back to London. They are joined by an adorable young man who idolizes David. We learn David’s full story along the way.

I really enjoyed this one! It was fun to read the author’s notes at the end and learn that some of these characters were real people.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before its publication date. I have been a fan of Susanna Kearsley for a long time now, and I was very excited to get a copy of her newest book. She did not disappoint. My relationship with historical fiction is love/hate. I either love the storyline, or get lost in the historical information that slows the story down. The King's Messenger was a lovely story, with characters that I was fully vested in, and actually made me want to know more about the history of the time period.

The King's Messenger (Paperback)
by Susanna Kearsley
A historical story showing a different view of kings, and messengers after the death of Elizabeth the first. How people expect royalty to behave, and how history is changed to their perceptions.

An interesting story of the mystery and court intrigue surrounding the death of Prince Henry Stuart - the king who never was.

I have never been disappointed by a book written by Susanna Kearsley. Again, she gives us a 5 star read with history and romance. Her books are well written, researched and true to the time BUT the thing I love most........they are not politically invested in the times. These books skim the political of the times, make it understandable and don't throw a million names out for the reader to keep straight. The political aspects are kept fairly simple. This book is categorized as sci-fi and fantasy. I would disagree with that. While one character had visions, that does not place it in the sci-fi and fantasy category. So, far all you romantic historical fiction fans--don't miss out on this book. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley. I am very appreciative of the complementary digital ARC that I received. This review is my opinion and not coerced in any way.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for an arc of this book.

First off, Susanna Kearsley remains one of my favorite historical fiction writers. She is so good at what she does that I get absolutely engrossed in her books and it's so hard for me to put them down.

One of the the things she does so well is combines excellent research with her own imagination, and it brings both the real historical characters to life as well as the ones she invents for her books. In this case, the characters presented in this story were so well written.

An aspect of this story I really liked was the "mystery" surrounding the Prince's death, but I also loved that the main characters weren't just the royals. We get a lot of historical fiction focusing on the royals, but Susanna brings to light the people who weren't royals as well.

I really loved her author's note at the end of the book, it is a worthwhile read because it explains many of the excellent choices that she made in the process of writing this book.

Phoebe's growth throughout this book was incredible, because I feel like she mimicked the arc of how English people saw the Scottish after James came to the throne - lesser, savages, barbarians. Such as the story David relates about how the Romans viewed the Picts/Scots.

There were multiple meanings throughout this book, and I loved the themes it dealt with.

If you love historical fiction with a bit of second sight, of political intrigue and adventure, you absolutely need to add this book to your TBR. Susanna Kearsley does such an excellent job bringing the historical world to ours.

I really enjoyed the plot and characters in this historical fiction. And the amount of research that went into it was clearly evident. A good story to sink into!

Susanna Kearsley is one of the best historical fiction writers. Her books are all well-researched with captivating characters and great plots. When I saw this book was available I couldn't wait to read it!

Description:
In 1613, King James sends his messenger Andrew Logan to Scotland to arrest his late son's close advisor Sir David Moray. Accompanied by his aloof neighbor Phoebe Westaway, Andrew slowly untangles the real point of his mission—to frame Sir David for Prince Henry's death. But Andrew is unwilling to bring an innocent man into a treacherous betrayal.

Andrew's feisty and lovely neighbor Phoebe Westaway has always been stand-offish to Andrew, having heard malicious gossip against him. But as they journey to Scotland and back, Phoebe has the opportunity to see Andrew for the honorable and loyal man that he is, and her change of heart may open new possibilities for them once their mission is complete.

My Thoughts:
This is both a romance and a political drama, and I have to say I really enjoyed the romance part in this one. The portrayal of the King's Messenger position was fascinating with the things they are expected to handle. I really enjoyed the character of Sir David - he seemed like such a good person. Andrew Logan, of course, was the hero of the story and he was also a good man with good values. I did dislike the King very much for the way he treated people and especially his wife and children. I can't imagine what living in close prosimity to such a person would affect their lives - it had to be miserable. I enjoyed the glimpses of Scotland and its people. A great book!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I have always enjoyed Susanna Kearsley's books and this one has become one of my favorites. Set in the reign of King James VI and I, Phoebe Westaway is the grown daughter of a king's scrivener and neighbor to Andrew Logan, a King's Messenger. Phoebe took a dislike to Andrew from the beginning and when it becomes evident that she must accompany her ailing father to Scotland with Andrew Logan on the King's business, Phoebe is less than pleased.

Andrew Logan has been tasked to apprehend David Moray and bring him to London for questioning on the death of Prince Henry. It has been suggested that Prince Henry (the Prince of Wales) died by poisoning and King James is ready to set up David Moray as the guilty party. The journey from Scotland to London with the prisoner opens everyone's eyes and each character realizes they are not who they seem on the surface. Andrew and Phoebe become close and fall in love. They hear more of David's story and realize he is not the guilty party. But how do they escape the King's demands? With a few twists, all is solved in the end and Phoebe and Andrew find a way to make a life together.

Susanna Kearsley delivers another captivating historical novel, seamlessly blending mystery, romance, deception, a touch of magic, and the ever-present weight of duty and honor.

Set in 1613, during the reign of King James I, The King’s Messenger unfolds in the wake of Prince Henry’s sudden and mysterious death. Whispers of poison circulate, and in response, the king dispatches his trusted Messenger, Andrew Logan, to apprehend Sir David Murray—the prince’s longtime companion and protector—believed to be at the heart of the conspiracy. As Logan embarks on his mission with his companions, and is caught in the shifting tides of court intrigue, the truth proves to be far more complex.

Told through four perspectives— Andrew Logan, Phoebe, Sir David, and Queen Anne—this novel immerses the reader in a lesser-known chapter of history. The historical setting is richly drawn, transporting readers effortlessly into the era. I found myself engrossed, devouring the book quickly while recovering from the flu, grateful for such an absorbing companion.

A fascinating thread of mysticism weaves through the narrative, with Logan possessing the Sight—fleeting glimpses of the future that add both tension and intrigue. Phoebe, initially a difficult character to warm to, undergoes significant growth, making her journey particularly rewarding. Beyond the mystery and courtly drama, the novel explores themes of integrity, loyalty, and the burdens of duty—not just for nobility but for all walks of life. I especially appreciated the inclusion of Marcus Aurelius’ wisdom, which added depth to the characters’ struggles.

The King’s Messenger is a beautifully written historical novel, perfect for fans of any era of historical fiction. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy of this book.

This book has everything: history, mystery, and romance with a perfect sprinkle of magic. Kearsley's atmospheric writing is like a time machine she effectively transports readers to 18th-century England, immersing them in the sights, sounds, and emotions of the era. I love how she writes romance novels that feel so cozy and relatable, even when they're set against the backdrop of huge historical events! In this book, Logan and Phoebe are set on a very important mission from Scotland to London, and throughout the journey their romance blossoms in such a natural way. Okay, so maybe the 'enemies to lovers' trope wasn't totally necessary, but their relationship development was still very sweet.
All in all the history, the setting, the atmosphere... it all comes together to create this totally immersive reading experience!

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!