I’ve always wondered why, in the Tudor world where Henry VIII loomed large, overshadowing his wives, would Queen Anne choose to sport her maiden name by wearing the infamous ‘B’ necklace? Convinced it was more about her legacy, I was excited to read Adrienne Chin’s novel featuring this same iconic necklace.

Chin highlights two sets of sisters: one contemporary and one historical. Disgraced celebrity sister, Bryher Finch, and banished sister, Marnie, are linked with two English royals, sisters Queen Anne Boleyn and Lady Mary.

I was caught up in a compelling tale about risking it all. If you haven’t read one of Chin’s historical novels yet, you’re in for a treat! Bryher and Anne discover that their predicament is much like life at court - ‘in’ one minute and ‘out’ the next. The legacy of the Queen’s necklace lives on, sparkling brighter than the accusations Anne faced in her 1000-day reign. Likewise with Bryher’s predicament. Time spent flying under the radar and a new challenge proved to be just what Bryher needed.

If ‘what if’ stories, ancestry tracing, and family trees fascinate you, you’ll want to investigate this fantastic historical fiction.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Bryher Finch’s acting career is in a dip due to an unfortunate incident. She lies low with distant relative Betty, who owns what she believes to be a copy of a famous necklace once owned by Anne Boleyn. Historian Pieter, an advisor on a historical programme in which Bryher has a role, believes it’s the real thing and belongs in a museum. Bryher has other ideas. The story is interspersed with chapters set in Tudor times, when the necklace was indeed owned by both Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary, a former lover of Henry VIII. In both time periods, there is greed, selfishness and posturing.