I love historical fiction but I really struggled with Harlot Queen and was only able to read one chapter at a time. Disappointingly, I found it slower than the slowest snail in a slow snail competition; I positively crawled through it and felt like I deserved a medal for getting to the end.

The story revolves around Isabella of France who at 9 years old was betrothed to Edward II of England. She crosses the channel with dreams of love and finds a man who has no interest in her. It sadly reminded me of Charles and Diana as Edward had already fallen in love, with Piers Gaveston. After so many rejections from her husband, Isabella realises that she has something she can exploit: power as the Queen of England. We follow her journey as she gathers her allies and sees off her enemies, and finally finds love.

Drier than a cracker with no cheese, only read this if you have a keen interest in Edward II otherwise you will lose the will to live. I did find the second half of the book more interesting as Isabella's son, Edward III, comes to the throne in suspicious circumstances, but unfortunately this isn't a book I would recommend. ( )