Palace of Spies by Sara Zettel

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel, 368 pages

When she refuses to marry the second son of an aristocrat (after he accosts her), 16 year old Peggy finds herself tossed out of her uncle's home into the streets. With no place to go as an orphan, Peggy ventures to the home of a mysterious friend of her deceased mother who offered her a most unusual position - a court spy. She is to replace a girl who she resembles remarkably. Not just any girl, Lady Francesca - a lady in waiting to Princess Caroline. The real Lady Francesca took severely ill and died in secret. Thankfully Peggy is a well-bred young lady versed in court etiquette and languages - thus sliding into her new role well. Unfortunately for Peggy, she soon finds that Francesca kept many secrets ... and one of them may have very well gotten her murdered. With the help of an artist's assistant and her cousin, Peggy discovers there is more than meets the eye when you are a palace spy. .

Queen Anne: Passion of Politics by Anne Somerset

Queen Anne: Passion of Politics by Anne Somerset - 640 pages

Billed as a biography of England's Queen Anne, the queen who followed William and Mary after the Glorious Revolution, it is really a story of England throughout a tumultuous period as readers gain a greater than textbook understanding of the political situation of the times. The book also serves as a story of relationships.  In the early part of the book, we read as much about her sister, Mary, as we do Anne.  In the latter half, we learn as much about her ladies-in-waiting and husband as we do Anne.

Overall, I found the book more suited for research and not casual reading.  Often, more detail was presented than was actually needed.  We could easily lose 1/4 to 1/3 of the text without losing context, causing the book to be a tedious read.