I had high hopes for this book, not because I knew the author (I didn't), but because the reviews were so good and it totally sounded like my type of book; and when I started reading, the story reminded me a little bit of one of my favorite books ever, Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, but now I have to take that back because it's actually insulting.

The heroine, Eleanor, was cute at first, but after a while she just started to annoy me---the thing is, she doesn't think, and I can't deal with heroines who don't think. I understand that she has trust issues, and lots of reasons to do so, but honestly, she's so tiresome with all the silly assumptions she makes about people, especially about her betrothed, Stanton. She accuses him of all the vile things she can think of when he's only trying to be funny and charming and, really, woo her, but Eleanor only sees him as another enemy she must fight at all costs even if he never actually did anything to make her hate him so much. I usually enjoy this type of love-hate relationships, but somehow this one didn't do it for me.
I think it's mostly because Eleanor acts like a 5 year-old-who-didn't-get-her-way all the time. And the fact that Stanton, a rich and handsome viscount, keeps going after her like a dog who doesn't mind being kicked over and over, makes the whole thing even more ridiculous.

The rest of the story regarding Eleanor's mother, the actual lady in the tower, was quite sad and shocking, and the happy ending for all felt forced.

+ Those scenes with the king, ugh. Disgusting. ( )

At times this was great fun, at others I wanted to scream and throw something at the car stereo, either because she was being quite so dense or because she's a 16th centuray heroine with 21st centuary attitude. But overall it was entertaining enough.

This is set in at the time of Henry VIII's marriage to Anne of Cleeves and is set in a real location - Farleigh Hungerford Castle is one of the country's real fairy tale castles. Although it is in ruins now, is is under the care of English Heritage you can visit and explore. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/farleigh-hungerford-castle.... I've been previous to reading this book, but knowing it was real did add an air of authenticity.

Eleanor Hungerford is born to wealth and privilidge. She is indulged by her father to an extraordinary (and likely highly unbelievable) extent. She rides astride, she is allowed to train to joust, she can read & write, she has free rein to explore the castle and has picked up some atrociaous language from the grooms. All of which is appealing to today's YA at whom this is aimed, but which did annoy me a little.

All goes swimmingly until her father returned, accused her mother of witchcraft and had her locked in the southwest tower - which soon becomes known as the titular Lady Tower. Things come to a head 4 years later when Eleanor is promised in marriage to Lord Stanton, who she's never met. At this point she realises that her mother (who's life has been threatened by the Chaplain and has been poisoned before by him) would be unable to survive if she left the castle - who would provide the food & water from the kitchens? So Eleanor makes plans for them to escape. All of which is jolly good fun, but is not terribly believable. I know that there are some stunningly brave and determined women in our history, but Eleanor can barely think her way to the end of a sentence, let alone seems able to think her and her mother out of this terrible fix. Without giving away the ending, she does rather bring the world down about her ears, but also manages to survive.

I wouldn't advise this should be read entirely for historical accuracy, but there are enough background details and snipets of court news to make the story sit reasonably well in its time period. (note - I found out my guidebook and there was a Walter Hungerford who was Lord at the time of Henry VIII, and he was married 3 times and his last wife did write to Cromwell claiming that she'd been imprisoned these 3-4 years with little food & water & that the Chaplain had tried to poison her. This Walter was executed for treason - as the book indicates. There's no mention in the guidebook of a daughter, nor that she was quite as depicted here.) Eleanor is the one thing that does stick out like a slightly sore thumb, but she's a 15 yr old girl - somewhat dense and self centered, like most 15 year old girls are. And that's the author's target market and I should imagine it appeals quite well. ( )

I could not put this book down! I loved it, one of my top ten all time favourite books! The plot was just fantasic, and the ending couldn't have been any better! I could read this book every single day and still not get bored of it, I think I have just fallen in love with the story and the characters!

I recommand this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books with a mixture of truth. In a way the big idea is just like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (another of my favourites). The man falls in love with the lady, but the lady is full of prejudice and hates the man with all her heart. After the lady finds out how much good he has done for all, she falls in love with him but she thinks it's too late. Then, just like a fairy tale the man and lady come together as a perfect couple and live happily ever after! ( )

Eleanor had a happy childhood in 16th century England, during the reign of King Henry VIII. Her loving and indulgent parents allowed her to ride horses, learn to joust with her cousin and younger brother, and did not scold her too much for her failure to learn ladylike tasks such as sewing. That all changed when Eleanor is eleven. Her father, suddenly a different man than the one she had known all her life, falsely accused her mother of terrible crimes and had her locked in a tower in their home.

The story picks up four years later. In the aftermath of these events, Eleanor has become estranged from her father, and from her younger brother who is close to her father and cannot remember the time before her mother was imprisoned. She secretly conspires with the servants and villagers to deliver food and messages to her mother, and to save her from her father’s plots to have her killed. Her father had her betrothed to a much older man but he died before the wedding day, to Eleanor’s relief. However, now that she is fifteen, he has chosen another man to be her husband. His choice, Lord Stanton, is young and handsome, but she believes he is on her father’s side, and she knows if she marries and leaves her home, her mother will have no one left to protect her from her father.

The Lady in the Tower is a wonderful young adult historical novel set in the Tudor era, one of my favorite time periods. Eleanor is a lively and likeable character, and the book has a perfect blend of history, intrigue, and romance. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy young adult historical fiction and I look forward to reading more from Marie-Louise Jensen, who is a promising new writer in this genre. ( )

This book keeps you turning the pages....Eleanor spends her life worrying about her mother who has been locked up in the Tower for wrong accusations. She spend time on deciding how to keep her mother alive but this soon changes as she needs to worry about herself. ( )