Lady in Waiting - Susan Meissner

I recently had the opportunity to read the book Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner. I received a complimentary copy to review for BloggingforBooks.com When I first selected the book, it was because my book selection was limited and it was the only one that seemed even remotely interesting to me. Apparently there had been a bug in their system and only certain books were showing up. I didn’t expect to enjoy the book, let alone like it.

I was very pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed and liked this story.  It is the story of Jane Lindsey, a woman whose husband decided that they needed a break and moved to another job, in another state. She is an antiques collector and in the course of her work, discovers an old 16^th century ring among items purchased a junk sale. Inside the ring is an inscription that ends with her name, Jane.

As a separate story in the book, we read of Lady Jane. The story of Lady Jane is told from the perspective of her dressmaker Lucy Day. This section of the book is actually historical fiction with some creative license pulled in.

As I read the stories of both Jane’s, I became captivated. It was wonderful the way the stories were woven together in a manner that you saw the development of both characters without seeing how it was all going to pan out.  While the story isn’t as gripping from the very beginning as some that I have read, it is a very good story and actually leaves you wishing for more. I found myself after finishing the novel wanting to dive into a history of England lecture just so that I could learn more about Lady Jane Grey. It is a beautiful story of love, life and the challenges that come with them both. It explores love and what it is and should be. It explores the process of making decisions and where those decisions should lie. You learn that you have to stand up for your beliefs and your convictions, even when your standing up for it, could mean your death.

In all, the story leaves the reader thinking about their own life and how they can do better. The story was told well and clearly. I think that anyone who took the time to read this story would be surprised at the story itself. Give it a try and take a minute to read a good story with a little bit of history mixed in.