I have read EVERY book from Philippa Gregory in regards to the Tudors dynasty. Therefore, I am a HUGE fan of the author and of this time period in England. I've read the White Queen and LOVED it! And like mentioned by others, it was so easy to fall in love with the character and the story of the White Queen. So, when you go on reading the Red Queen, what a contrast!

I'm not trying to say that Philippa Gregory didn't do a good job on this book, but she really managed to make me hate the character because Margaret Beaufort is really irritating! She's portrayed as a very unpleasant woman, with a very unfortunate life, and nothing exciting. There's no passion, no love story, or romance in this book because none of it happened to Margaret! And we can't reinvent history.

So if you love Philippa Gregory's books because of her well-crafted mix of history with fiction, and passion and romance, beware, you will not like this one! You will not like it simply because the character and her story is not as compelling as other Tudor characters.

Another disappointment is that having read the White Queen, you feel like you are reading the same story again but from Margaret's point of view. So there's nothing new. I would have loved to read more on once her son Henry becomes King and goes on to marry Elizabeth of York. I guess this could be another book!

So voila, a very well portrayed book of who the Red Queen might have been which will leave you hating the character :)