Bess of Hardwick is six year old when she is forced from her home and on that day vows that she will get it back. Good luck smile on Bess and she is given a chance to go the court of Henry VIII. While there she meets Lady Elizabeth and good fortune turns for the better. Though three marriages she ends up as the Countness of Shrewsberry.
"A Woman of Passion" was a decent by Virginia Henly but I have to say that I found the book to be longer read than it really needed. And I coundn't find Bess to a character that could really relate too.

I read Romances like crazy and this is one of my favorite. I generally read, Garwood, McNaught, Gabaldon, Drake and this book is one I recommend. Probably the best Henley.

I was just looking for something to read on a plane and found this gem of a book. Henley's portrayal of Bess of Hardwick is lively and engaging, the kind of book that you can read over and over again (which I do!). Bess' triumphs over multiple trials, her gradual rise in Tudor society to the rank of Countess of Shrewsbury -- not too bad for a farm gal -- is a fun read for anyone with any interest in Tudor England. Is this accurate? Who cares! Few books bring a smile to my face like this one.

I really loved this book. I found it interesting and I liked that fact that despite it being a romance novel it wasn't just a bodice ripper. It actually had a decent plot and was well written. My only complaint is that there are quite a few historical facts that are incorrect but, for the benefit of telling a love story I suppose Virginia Henley had to change a few things.

For those who dislike the book b/c of historical inaccuracies, it should be noted it is called fiction for a reason. With that said Henley does a wonderful job of turning a real life person, Bess Hardwick, who was in actuality manipulative, greedy, and for want of a better phrase "not pretty" into an ambitious, passionate beauty.

The deaths of her 1st and 2nd husbands are real tear jerkers. But, after that Bess seems to become more jaded with her life. It seems she thinks, "what do I do now that I have everything?"
From that point, she seems to be driven by an "empty ambition", in other words, she does what she does just to have something to do, it's like putting a cherries at the top of a well-made sundae. It's really disturbing that she doesn't really show any overt passion/love for her children. She sees them as a means to an end: To promote her legacy/dynasty.

Her 4th husband Talbot is first introduced early in the book and is more intriguing, at that point, than her 2nd husband Cavendish,whose relationship with Bess is discussed for most of the book. When Talbot is introduced, I kept wanting Cavendish to go away but, he kept disappearing after very brief appearances that spanned years apart. Unfortunately, when Talbot is brought back in the story at last I was not as excited as I was when he appeared earlier in the book. After Cavendish (and over the years), Talbot seem insignificant when he comes back into the story. And, I can't really see Bess loving him and sharing the "passion" she had with Cavendish.

I think the book should have been more about George than Cavendish. In this case, "saving the best for last" didn't work out well because the reader is burnt out after being on an emotional roller coaster!