Forgive me, but I've just returned from a journey in 1613 Britain, from London to Edinburgh and back again. It was long and arduous, and also dangerous. At least this is how I feel after reading another of Susanna Kearsley's riveting historical novels, which are always faultlessly researched and abundant with details that make you feel as if you're walking in the character's shoes.

This book pivots off the death of Prince Henry, of whose story I was unaware. King James and Queen Anna's son, Henry, dies suddenly at 18 and some suspect he was poisoned. The King's messenger, Andrew Logan, is sent from London to Edinburgh to fetch Sir David Moray, who was the Prince's long-time companion prior to his death. Queen Anna has faith in Sir David, but the King is suspicious. Traveling with the Messenger is Laurence Westaway, who will scribe all the words said by Sir David. Accompanying Westaway is his daughter Phoebe, who is concerned with her father's ill health, and puts aside her distaste for Logan in order to look after her father properly. There is also a young lad accompanying them to help with the horses.

As the small group travels, everyone's character can be measured in such close quarters. The band dispatched to bring the prisoner back to the king begin to doubt Sir David's guilt.

I love books that take me back to the past, and especially the dramatic English history filled with Royal Intrigue. I also like learning a bit of history in a story-style manner. This was a little bite of history with which I was totally unfamiliar. The author took facts from the time and spun this tale. She became intrigued with the idea when she happened upon a book about the history of the King's messengers, who actually wielded quite a lot of power. Be sure and read the author's notes at the end, which give more insight into the historical characters in this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the romance that unfolded, the lesson in true character by which we judge our fellow man, and the historical setting. I have not read a Susanna Kearsley novel that I haven't enjoyed and also come away a little smarter!

Thank you to NetGalley, Susanna Kearsley, and Sourcebook Landmark for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This title just didn't work for me. I was hoping for more espionage and less romance, but what I got was more romance and less espionage. I expect romance fans will quite enjoy it. Kearsley has an excellent reputation for historical accuracy. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I am a huge fan of Susanna Kearsley and this book did not disappoint. Lovely characters and slow but satisfying plot that keeps your attention to the end and leaves you wanting more.

Lots of fun - similar in style and feeling to other Kearsley books. Not her best but still worth the read. I purchased it.

This was a good story, but the pacing was off. Nothing much happened throughout most of it, and then a lot was happening too fast through the last 20%. Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but I didn't have any strong feelings about it.

King James has sent a trusted messenger to Scotland to arrest the close friend of his dead son, Henry, Andrew Logan, the chosen messenger begins to have reason to believe that Logan that Sir David Moray, the friend he is to arrest, will be executed under false pretenses when he gets back, but because Logan has a strong sense of duty, he is determined to fulfill his mission. There is lots of action, and some romance. I am not certain who is the audience for this book, because the writing is suitable for a YA crowd, but the court intrigue leans more toward an older reader. The afterward, while certainly informative for and adult would be of absolutely no interest to my high school readers. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc with no pressure for a positive review.

Andrew Logan, a king's messenger, has been tasked with traveling to Scotland to escort a high-ranking courtier under suspicion of murder back to England. Traveling along with him are an elderly scribe and the scribe's daughter, Phoebe, with whom Andrew has long had a icy, antagonistic relationship. Having nabbed their quarry as expected, their return journey becomes one of evasion when they realize they are being followed and, moreover, the party members begin to doubt the ethics of their task as they learn more about their bound captive.

I've long enjoyed Kearsley's writing, and this was an enjoyable read, though doesn't hold a candle to my favorites, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden. While there is some suspense and necessary conflict, overall the drama remains somewhat low-stakes. Kearsley excels at atmospheric dialog and description, and this book is no exception. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

I received this ARC via NetGalley.

Atmospheric, intricately detailed, and emotionally rich, The King’s Messenger delivers everything I love about historical fiction. Susanna Kearsley transports readers to the world of 1613 Britain with characters who feel real and stakes that kept me turning pages. The pacing is strong, the political intrigue smart, and the hint of the supernatural is used with just the right touch. A compelling story perfect for fans of character driven historical fiction.

Such another beautifully crafted gem from Susanna Kearsley and well worth the wait! I savored every page of this tender, atmospheric story that weaves rich historical detail with emotional depth. Though the pace is gentle, the story is anything but dull. It pulled me in completely, especially with those brief but powerful glimpses into the past that gave so much weight to the characters’ present choices. Kearsley’s ability to peel back layers of time and character with such subtlety never fails to amaze me.

The slow burn romance between Andrew and Phoebe was so achingly soft, full of tension, and grounded in such deep respect. I loved watching their misunderstandings slowly unravel as they came to truly see one another. Andrew is the kind of quiet hero who steals your heart with his steadiness and humility, and Hector’s devotion to him only made me love him more. Phoebe is such a beautifully honest character. Her willingness to own her mistakes made her feel so real and relatable. This story was a balm to my soul, and I already want to reread it just to spend more time with these characters.

Content: closed door

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

I have read almost all of Susanna Kearsley’s books, and The King’s Messenger is outstanding.

Normally my favorite character in any book would be the main female character. However, in this book, hands down my favorite is Andrew Logan, The King’s Messenger. He is so likeable: humble, loyal, wonderful with kids, strong and brave. Second favorite is his accidental apprentice: Hector. Hector is an orphan and idolizes Andrew. He is brave and funny and adds a lot to the book. Third is David, whom Andrew is supposed to accompany to London and is gentle and well-learned. Finally Phoebe, who is the female main character. I think it’s because Phoebe is not very likeable in the beginning. She does redeem herself, but I didn’t relate to her as well as I would have liked.

The adventure, intrigue and real history in this book make it a 5-star book for me.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction story. The focus on the King's Messenger position offered a different perspective on the court maneuverings of King James I in the early 17th century. I found the character of Andrew Logan fascinating to follow. Phoebe took a little while to connect with, but her relationship with her father and other side characters gave her more depth throughout the story. I found the plot surprisingly engaging; it is a fairly straightforward journey story, however Susanna Kearsley kept things suspenseful and interesting. I also found the romance to be very endearing and sweet to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.

Firstly, how beautiful is this cover? 😍 It's what initially drew me to the book.

Secondly, I have never read anything by this author before, so I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The author's writing style is so exquisite, at times I felt like I was with the characters in the story! That's how engaged I was with the story and how connected I felt with the characters.

Finally, this story had the perfect amount of romance. It did not overwhelm the plot but also didn't leave me wanting more. It was just the right amount of enemies to lovers this historical fiction needed.

Wow, I enjoyed this book soo much more than I thought I would!! I’m not a big historical fiction reader, more romantasy and without giving the book a fair chance, I read the first 28 pages and put it aside for almost 2 weeks, started again from the beginning and read it all within a few days! I didn’t know a to put it down! I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved how it touched my heart. Very well written, with excellent details and descriptions to help visualize every moment! I’m more than happy to have finished this book! I definitely want to add to his book my collection at home!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this free early review copy. 

This got off to a very slow start.  I advise you to skip the intro and cast of characters and refer back to all that later.  Trying to read that before I knew anything about the story just bogged me down and made me feel like I was studying for an exam.  It made me reluctant to read this book, so it took me a long time to really get going.  (In fact, it took me so long to read it that I'm now finishing it over a month after its publication date!)  After a few chapters, I became engaged in the story and started to care about the characters. 

The story is told in four POVs: Phoebe Westaway, the daughter of a king's scrivener William; Andrew Logan, the eponymous King's Messenger; Sir David Moray, former companion of Prince Henry; and Queen Anne.  Logan’s and Phoebe’s are  first person, David’s and the Queen’s are third person, an odd choice that I struggled to make sense of.  Perhaps it was because David and Anna were real people, and Logan and Phoebe are fictional creations belonging wholly to Kearsley?  Other than that, the voices all sounded rather similar, and I occasionally forgot whose POV I was reading and I had to double check. 

Phoebe has got a crush on her neighbor, Valentine Fox, but it's clear from the start that Valentine is a selfish jerk and Logan is the guy she should really set her sights on.  But she hates Logan and doesn't even know why, so she judges all of his actions as selfish and brutish and cold.  Naturally, circumstances lead to Phoebe joining the group of five (the other four being her father, Logan, Sir David, and young lad Hector) who will travel on horseback from Leith to London.  Kearsley does a great job of showing us how much Phoebe hates Logan, and showing us that Logan is a truly decent person, while also making it clear that Phoebe is not a petty shrew, she's just misguided.    I happen to love the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this is a masterful example.

Unlike some other Kearsley books, this one stays solidly in 1613 (with a few flashbacks to earlier times, as memories only), there is no time travel, but the paranormal does appear in the form of ghosts and foretellings, since Logan is blessed or cursed with "the Second Sight."

The action moves really slowly, and switching between four POVS keeps breaking up the flow of the story.  Three of the POV characters are traveling together, but it still kept taking me out of the story to bounce around like that.   Finally in the second half things really get rolling.  By 75% in I could not put it down.  I’d guess it took me about ten days to read the first half and two days to read the second half. 

I began to really appreciate the slow burn romance and the gradually tightening tension of how to obey the king while also escaping his clutches.  But the ending was disappointing.  The build up promised great danger and tension and intrigue, but the resolution did not deliver any of that.  This is a very slow and gentle story.  <spoiler> Phoebe and Logan get married SO quickly! She barely had time to grieve her father, within a week of his death she was marrying!  Why so fast???  That slow burn romance sure exploded into an epic bonfire!

And the big “plan” Queen Anna and David were hatching was so anti-climactic.  Her plan was … to be in Greenwich and talk with David first? And that was it, he was free to return to Scotland!  If it was that easy, why was anyone worried??</spoiler>

Kearsley's research is thorough, she sprinkles real people into the book throughout (most notably Queen Anna and Sir David Moray, who each get their own POVs, but also many others) and her descriptions of towns and landscapes along the trip from Leith to London is so crisp that is is clear she also travelled this same path.   (And, indeed, she did, as she notes in her Author's thanks, thanking the various people she stayed with during her trip, including several descendants of the people described in this story.)


<b>words I looked up:</b>
pouncet box - a small perfume box with a perforated lid
sandy pounce - a fine resinous powder similar to ground pumice, used to prevent ink from spreading on unglazed paper.
reiver - A "reiver" is an archaic term, primarily used in British English, referring to a robber, thief, or plunderer, especially in the context of raiders along the Anglo-Scottish Border during the late Middle Ages and early modern period. 
bastle - a fortified farmhouse, particularly those found in northern England and southern Scotland, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, known for their thick walls, small doorways, and narrow slit windows for defense
mastic - a plant resin from the mastic tree.
windgalls - soft, fluid-filled swellings that appear on the back of a horse's fetlock joint
sherris-sack - sherry.  Sack is an antiquated wine term referring to white fortified wine imported from mainland Spain or the Canary Islands.
quoits - a ring of iron, rope, or rubber thrown in a game to encircle or land as near as possible to an upright peg (I've seen this game so many times, but I did not know this name for it!  I guess we call it "ring toss")
doublet - a snug-fitting jacket that is shaped and fitted to a man's body (ok I feel like an idiot needing to look this one up, but I wasn't sure what it was!! I thought it was a leather tunic, like armor - totally wrong.)
jerkin - a man's close-fitting jacket, typically made of leather
equerry - a royal officer, typically from the armed services, who acts as a personal assistant or aide to a member of the royal family, often overseeing their official duties and engagements

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookmarked for this free copy of "The King's Messenger."

I didn't want it to end! I completely fell in love with EVERY character! They all felt so real and I just adored everything about this book. Definitely one of my favorite books ever!

Author Kearsley writes a gorgeous "alternate history" that takes historical characters and events from 1613 England and weaves fictional people through them to create a realistic scenario that will leave you amazed.

So Andrew Logan, the titular King's Messenger of James I, has been sent to Scotland to arrest David Moray and return him to London for questioning about Prince Henry's death. But Andrew has Second Sight and gleans that David is innocent. Is there a way he can save David?

Andrew's order includes having an appointed court scrivener accompany him to record what David says on the journey. However the scrivener is ill so his daughter Phoebe agrees to join them to help her father.

The slow-developing relationship between each of them on their journey to and from Scotland is warm, realistic, touching, and uplifting. Thinking about them talking at night under the stars just makes my heart glow.

And the descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I was transported back to 1613, especially when talking about the activity at court - I could almost feel the atmosphere.

I didn't know that James I was such a weasel and that the Queen Anna was so cool. And I'd never read much about Prince Henry who died at age 18, so his murder was plausible - definitely worth reading more about him.

This was such a great read! This book had me hooked from the first page and I just loved the setting and plot and how it was developed! The characters were enjoyable and easy to connect with and root for! I loved the touches of the slow burn romance too! Definitely recommend reading this book!

I switched between reading and the audiobook. What a great story! Very much enjoyed the writing, the story and when listening the narrator brought a whole new dimension to the experience. Loved it and highly recommend.

This was an enjoyable adventure story. Something for everyone, romance, court intrigue, chases and suspense. Really impressed by author's engagement with the historical sources, though I'm not a big enough devotee of this time period to notice details.

✔️ Court intrigue and politics
✔️ A quest
✔️ Reluctant but tender romance
✔️ A hint of magical realism
✔️ Found family

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Kearsley's writing is lyrical, atmospheric, and extremely well-researched. I thoroghly enjoyed learning more about 17th-century Britain through the perspectives of Phoebe, Andrew, Sir David, and Queen Anna. I read this in one sitting because I just could not put it down. I think Kearsley may be a new auto-read author for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions!

4.5 stars rounded down

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy!

"We are, most of us, “none else of name.” When we’re gone, few of us will end up in the history books. But I like to believe each life matters; and just as our lives are important to somebody, people who lived in the past were important to somebody, too."

This is the first time I've read Susanna Kearsley - where have I been!? This type of historical fiction is right up my alley. How can you not fall in love with Andrew Logan, a man with a heart of gold who is just trying to do his job as the King's messenger while also biding his time waiting for stubborn Phoebe to realize she has been wrong about him all along.
While this has a little romance, which is very sweet, this book also details a lot of history and highlights many things I never knew about this time period. I read historical fiction to learn things as well as be entertained, so I am more than thrilled when a book makes me Google things. This book definitely did that!
If you like found family, Scottish history, some sweet romance with zero spice, this is the book for you. My 1/2 star reduction is because for me, the story left a couple small things unresolved and I wished I had a little more clarification.
I look forward to diving more into Kearsley's backlist!