I’ve been looking forward to reading Anne O’Brien’s new novel as it’s set in one of my favourite periods of history, the Wars of the Roses. O’Brien has written about this period before, from the perspectives of Anne Neville in Virgin Widow (which I haven’t read) and Cecily Neville in The Queen’s Rival, but this book is slightly different because it focuses on not just one woman but two: Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, and Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick.

The two women take it in turns to narrate their story, alternating chapter by chapter throughout the book and beginning in 1458 with the Loveday Parade – a procession through London intended to promote peace between York and Lancaster, the two feuding branches of the royal House of Plantagenet. In the parade, Queen Margaret walks hand-in-hand with the powerful Duke of York, while Anne watches her husband, Richard, Earl of Warwick, walk with his rival nobleman, the Duke of Exeter. The peace is very short-lived, however, and the following year York and Lancaster are at war again.

As the mental health of the Lancastrian king, Henry VI, goes into decline and he gradually retreats from real life into a world of prayer, Margaret does her best to rule in his place, aiming to keep the throne safe for Prince Edward, their young son. When Margaret’s army is defeated in battle and Warwick helps to put the Yorkist heir, Edward IV, on the throne, it seems that her life is in ruins, but it’s not long before Warwick falls out of favour with the new king and comes to her ready to form a new alliance with Lancaster. Meanwhile, Anne stays loyal to her husband throughout all of this but, with no real influence over his decisions, she can only hope that he’s picked the right side this time…

I was intrigued by O’Brien’s decision to pair Margaret of Anjou’s story with the Countess of Warwick’s in this book. There are so many other interesting women from this period – Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry Tudor; Edward IV’s wife Elizabeth Woodville and her mother Jacquetta, to name a few – it seemed like a bit of an arbitrary choice to put these two together, but as I read on and saw the shape the novel was starting to take it did make sense. Margaret and Anne are at first on opposite sides of the conflict, then on the same side, but in the difficult position of never fully being able to trust each other, which is an interesting dynamic for O’Brien to explore. Although they are two very different women, there are some parallels between them which begin to emerge as the novel progresses.

This is an eventful and dramatic period of history, so there’s always something happening in the novel – a battle to be fought, a marriage to be negotiated, a plan for invasion to be put into place. Using two narrators rather than one gives O’Brien a wider scope instead of being limited to one character’s personal experiences. However, the two threads of the story come together now and then through a series of fictional letters sent between Margaret and Anne. I’ve no idea if they really corresponded or not (I don’t think there’s any evidence of it, and if they ever did, I doubt it would have been as often as depicted in the book) but it’s a nice touch and makes the lives of the two characters feel less separate and disconnected.

The narrative voices of the two women sound almost identical, so I had to pay attention to the section headings, otherwise it sometimes took me a few paragraphs to decide which of them was narrating. Margaret of Anjou never really seems to be portrayed in a very positive light and she’s not very likeable here either, but I could at least have some sympathy for her. She was in a very challenging situation, trying to hold onto the throne for Lancaster with a husband who didn’t understand what was going on and who was by now completely incapable of ruling. Anne is a much easier character to like, but then, she doesn’t have the difficult decisions to make that Margaret does. Things aren’t easy for Anne either, though, as her fate is determined by the actions of her husband, Warwick, and while she does involve herself in politics to a degree, she has very little say in the course her life will follow.

This is ultimately quite a sad story – anyone familiar with the Wars of the Roses will know what happens to Margaret, her husband and her son, and how Anne’s later life plays out (at one point she’s declared legally dead while still alive in order to settle an inheritance dispute) – but I enjoyed reading it. It was nice to see some links to O’Brien’s previous novel, A Court of Betrayal, whose heroine, Johane de Geneville, was an ancestor of Anne Beauchamp’s – something I wasn’t aware of until I started reading this book and Anne mentioned her great-great-grandmother! I’ll look forward to O’Brien’s next book, whatever it may be, but I should probably try to find time to go back and read the earlier ones that I’ve missed as well.

Another fascinating insight into the lives of two formidable women in history from author Anne O'Brien. This book is set during the War of the Roses and features Anne Beauchamp and Margaret of Anjou.

I enjoy O'Brien's immersive writing style and meticulous research into the lives of these two women bringing them back into prominence. This novel gave me a greater understanding of this time period and added depth to the characters of these two resilient and pragmatic women.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary copy for review consideration.

Margaret of Anjou is queen of England but her husband is ineffective and is deposed. Now Margaret must fight against the usurpers to restore the throne for her son. Anne Beauchamp is Countess of Warwick and her powerful husband has supported the enemies of the rightful king. She must protect her daughters as politics swirls. Both women are tied to their families and are on opposing sides but they may have to work together for peace.
This is another excellent novel from O'Brien which tells the story of the Cousins War from a different perspective. Although not as overly 'romantic' as her previous novels, this is a fairly sanitised version of the tale with no scenes of fighting or bloodshed. What it does do is shed light on the impotence of women at the time and how beholden they were to the males in their family.

Fair enough, let's go even shorter and simpler:
"Anne O'Brien's 'The Queen and the Countess' is just what you'd expect: a solid, consistent read. If you like her, you'll like this."

Medieval wars were not just fought on the battlefield. They also fought in court through marriage alliances and politics. While we often think about wars and men, we should also consider the women who played their parts either in exile or glistening palaces. We often think about medieval queens like Margaret of Anjou as these strong women who fought in their ways, but we have to consider the wife of Richard Neville Earl of Warwick, known as the Kingmaker; her name was Anne Beauchamp Countess of Warwick. The relationship between Margaret of Anjou and Anne Beauchamp has not been discussed much until now. Anne O’Brien tells the stories of these two women and the wars that bound them together in her latest novel, “The Queen and the Countess.”

I want to thank Orion Publishing and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. What attracted me to this novel was the cover at first and then the description. I love reading novels about the Wars of the Roses, so when I saw it was a novel featuring both Margaret of Anjou and Anne Beauchamp Countess of Warwick, it was a must read for me.

We begin in the year 1480 as both Margaret and Anne reflect on their lives while they are in exile. Then, we get a flashback to the famous Love Day “celebration” of 1458, when members of the Lancaster and York families joined hands as a way to try to mend the rift that was bound to tear the country apart. It is the idea of King Henry VI that his wife, Margaret of Anjou, joins hands with the Duke of York. It is a complete and utter failure as the Wars of the Roses kick off in full force. Since the King is very weak, it is Margaret who must take the reigns of government to protect the Lancaster family and the throne for not only her husband but also for their only son, Prince Edward.

On the other side of the conflict is Anne Beauchamp Countess of Warwick, the wife of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, also known as the King Maker. She is the mother of two daughters, Isabel and Anne, but she desires a son. Being on the rebellious Yorkist side means that Anne is directly an enemy of Margaret of Anjou, but something remarkable happens: the two women form a thorny friendship. For over twenty years, the relationship between Anne and Margaret ebbs and flows as the crown passes from Henry VI to Edward IV like a ping-pong ball. Both Anne and Margaret understand what it means to lose their husbands and children whom they love; they know the glory of victory, the terror of defeat, and the uncertainty of being in exile.

I enjoyed this novel very much. It gave more depth and heart to the conflict as a whole, as well as a better understanding of both women. Anne O’Brien was able to create such dynamic characters and a thrilling novel that any fan of medieval novels will enjoy. If you are a fan of novels set during the Wars of the Roses featuring strong women, I highly suggest you read, “The Queen and the Countess” by Anne O’Brien.

The wealthy heiress Anne Beauchamp grants her husband Richard Neville a great deal of wealth and the title “Earl of Warwick” upon their marriage. Richard also supports his cousin-in-law The Duke Of York in his fight against the ill-advised Lancastrian King Henry VI ending in bloodshed in St. Albans. Henry's queen Margaret Of Anjou fights for her husband and their son Edward. On Love Day, Lancaster and York try to patch up the pieces, but war is looming. Anne follows her husband but will soon have to admit that she has more in common with Margaret Of Anjou than she might like to admit.

With the queen and the countess, O' Brien once again delves into the Wars of the Roses. She chooses the perspective of two women: Queen Margaret Of Anjou and Anne Beauchamp, the countess of Warwick. Good choice because neither woman is featured very often and there are a lot of parallels to draw.

Each chapter alternates between them. The book starts on Love Day - a charade where Lancaster and York shake hands, less than a year later the Civil War will really erupt. Anne and Margaret meet there and each recognizes something of herself in the other.

I expected a lot from this book, but unfortunately my expectations were not fully met. The novel recounts the Wars of the Roses with Margaret and Anne mostly reporting and sharing their reflections. And sometimes writing letters to each other. I find the whole idea that these women would have written letters - even during the period when they were each other's enemies a bit far-fetched. The letters themselves also provided little insight.

And that's the whole thing: because it are all short chapters that mostly describe the known facts you get little insight into the characters. The women themselves are not that hard involved in everything that happens - even Margaret does not take such an active role in the war.

Margaret and Anne also barely have conversations with others. Warwick is a loving husband one moment while in the next paragraph he forgets his wife exists. Henry VI and Margaret occasionally have a brief dialogue. We never get to know Anne's daughters, nor the other Yorkists like Cecily Neville or Edward IV. It's actually only after the war is over that there is a little more focus on the lives of the ladies in exile. So I liked the end the most.

O' Brien also once wrote a book about Anne Neville (The virgin widow) and I have now become very curious about that one since I couldn't get any height from her in this book. And maybe there is also a book about Alice De La Pole coming soon? I liked her in this novel.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad book. It's just not very imaginative or new when you've read more about the Wars of the Roses. And I favor a few other of O' Briens books. I would recommend starting with The Shadow Queen, Queen of the north or A tapestry of treason.

Thanks to Netgalley and the published for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I love Anne O'Brien's books (having only recently discovered them!) Well researched & well written makes them easy to read
This story is told from the viewpoints of two powerful women: Margaret of Anjou (Queen to Henry VI) & Anne Beauchamp (Countess of Warwick &:Wife to Richard Neville, the Kingmaker).

The Queen and the Countess
by Anne O'Brien
Pub Date: Feb 27 2025

KEEP THY FRIENDS CLOSE,
THY ENEMIES CLOSER...

England 1450s

Queen Margaret knows she must protect the crown - and her son Prince Edward's claim to it - at all costs. With her husband, King Henry, increasingly frail, it is up to Margaret to fight for their inheritance. And as the Wars of the Roses rage on, her enemies and their wives lurk close, threatening to unravel everything she is trying to protect.

Anne, Countess of Warwick has long striven to be a loyal and accomplished wife to the Earl of Warwick. But when she develops an unlikely alliance with the Lancastrian Queen Margaret, her husband's adversary, she wonders how much power now lies in her hands to determine the course of history.

Crossing enemy lines, the pair strike up a thorny friendship - yet in the midst of treachery and the turmoil of battle, can the two women trust each other?

Or is it only a matter of time before war drives a sword between them...

Anne O’Brien is a well-respected name amongst the world of historical fiction. So I was eagerly anticipating this read. Unfortunately, whilst it was a very strong novel historically, I couldn’t quite get on with the author’s style of writing.

The historical setting was authentic and immersive. O’Brien creates a realistic and fascinating view of life for two powerful women during a very turbulent period of English history. From culture to politics, O’Brien draws the reader into a well-researched medieval world.

I enjoyed hearing the stories of two key women of the period in their own voices, and who stood on opposite sides. The dynamic and complex relationship between them was interesting and a unique angle for O’Brien to use.

However, it was the writing style I struggled with. I find at times the writing quite obvious and over-explained, not leaving a lot to the imagination. For me, the writing style errs more on the telling rather than showing, and for me, this made the story feel a bit surface level.

Overall, I think this is a strong historical novel that embraces a fascinating historical setting and has a great premise. I didn’t get on with the style of writing, but that’s not to say those who love historical fiction wouldn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing group for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC.

This is the story of Queen Margaret of England, wife of Lancastrian King Henry VI, and Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick, wife of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, also called the Kingmaker, who famously switched allegiance from York to Lancaster to further himself and lost his head in the process. Throughout the book, they sent each other letters, but they were full of barbs as they behaved like cruel toddlers. There was hardly female friendship here and yet they continued to correspond. I don't know whether they did in real life but I seriously doubt it.

Gosh, this isn't a cheerful book. It's almost exclusively about how women had no agency and suffered extreme tragedies at the hands of men who left them powerless and penniless. Women were not allowed to participate in war, religion or politics, the three main topics of the time. They and their inheritance were seen as a man's property and their fate was either as a wife and mother, or as a nun in a convent. Even Queen Margaret who basically ruled England for a while, could only do so because her husband Henry was weak and allowed her to, even though she lacked neither the ability nor the confidence.

Today we decry arranged marriages, back then they were the norm, at least in aristocratic circles where the accumulation of and holding on to wealth and titles was more important than anything. Women had no role to play, no influence to exert but as wife of a traitor they were considered guilty too. Talk about injustice!

This is, as ever, meticulously researched but I have read about the historical political context and the backdrop of the War of the Roses better elsewhere. I was more interested in a woman's life back then but everything they did or thought was because of a man's actions in a world where betrayal and treason seemed to be the norm.

Much is made about Johane de Geneville, who was the subject of the author's previous book, being the great great grandmother of Anne Beauchamp. It looks like a lot of history did repeat itself throughout hundreds of years which is not a cheerful thought.

Those women might have been strong-willed but it didn't really help them in a world dominated by male power games. Also, I know there was plenty of story go get through but I would have wished for a tightening that got it under 400 pages. Still, I enjoyed reading about women history deemed not important enough and who come to life here.

3.5 stars

Finding the right voice for historical fiction can be very difficult. Sound too modern and it feels very inauthentic but sound too stilted and old fashioned and the same thing can happen. Anne O’Brien is experienced enough to make sure she treads the fine line perfectly and creates a real sense of time and place.

The story is set in the Wars of the Roses and centres around Margaret of Anjou, Queen of Henry VI, and Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick. Both come from powerful families in their own right and now find themselves in the middle of the battle for the crown of England. This is such a complicated time in history and many authors find it hard to keep the timeline straight, particularly since so many people share the same few names, but by focussing on these two women, O’Brien handles it very well. The women are at the heart of what’s happening but slightly removed from the actual action, so they find out what’s happening from rumours and messengers, allowing us to find out at the same time. The impact on their own lives makes clear who is ahead and behind at various points and gives an excellent opportunity to explain the actions of those involved.

The story is very much based on the experience of the women and the men take second place, all of them flawed in their own way. Henry VI is a decent man completely unsuited to being King, his son grows up to be impetuous and obsessed with fighting, and Warwick is arrogant and prone to feeling he is not valued highly enough. Margaret, on the other hand, rules strongly as regent when Henry is unwell and Anne is loyal to her husband but also much more realistic about their own position. An imagined correspondence between the two allows the author to portray how they may have felt both about their own positions and each other.

There is obviously limited information on even the most important women of the era but historical fiction done well can help place them more in their own stories. Anne O’Brien is one of the finest writers in the genre and this is another excellent book. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I have not read any of Anne’s books before, but now I have a new favourite author and a lot of her past titles to read.
This book covers a period of history which I am interested in, The War of the Roses, and includes correspondence between two strong prominent women of that time, Anne Countess of Warwick and Queen Margaret, wife of Henry V1.
I thought that the correspondence between the two women showed their strengths but also showed their softer side and gave a glimpse of the difficulties they had to overcome before their words were taken seriously.
I am very much looking forward to reading more about women in history from this very talented author.

Anne O’Brien always tells a good story & this novel is no exception. Two women, naturally on opposite sides of the Wars of the Roses, share many similarities. Margaret of Anjou is traditionally known as a powerhouse, refusing to give way & give up what was her husband & son’s right to the throne. Duchess Anne is no less affected by the conflicts, married to the Kingmaker who famously switched sides from York to Lancaster. The fall out from Richard Neville’s actions has far reaching consequences for his family. The two women form a respectful & honest relationship, told in letters to each other as well as the wider narrative. As a traditional Yorkist, I enjoyed reading the story from the opposite point of view, although I haven’t switched camps! I’m left with a lingering sadness for the women who had no choice in how their lives played out.

The Queen and the Countess by Anne O'Brien is one of my favorite read so far! So so good. I rated it 5 stars because it really is that good!

I enjoy Anne's books, highlighting the often forgotten women in history. This book is set during the War of Roses, focusing on 2 women on opposite sides of the battle for the crown - Anne Beauchamp the countess of Warwick and Margaret D'Anjou.

The story is told from both their perspectives, with an uneasy correspondence between the 2 tying it together. For some reason it took me a while to get into it but once I did I enjoyed it. It's not the author's best book but it was interesting to see this period of history from a different viewpoint.

A retelling of the history between Anne, Countess of Warwick and Margaret, Queen of England, wife of Henry VI.

I adore O’Brien’s writing and eagerly anticipate her new books. The stories are beautifully characterised and the reader really becomes involved in the lives of the women depicted. I thoroughly recommend, always a 5* read.

This one I’m not so sure about. The two women are quite different from other feisty females that O’Brien has focused on, and it took a while to get to grips with the story even though I am familiar with this period in history. Half the book I really liked. O’Brien gave us the Anne we all know and admire. A strong woman, who supports her husband and family through all the challenges thrown at her. Sadly, the voice of Margaret was very weak in comparison and her life was not so interesting. Knowing O’Brien’s skill I can only imagine she worked with what information she had. So a book of two halves for me, with a disappointing offering from Queen Margaret, shown up by the brilliance of Anne’s story.

The story takes us to the conclusion of Margaret’s life, and though the book is about both women and how their lives intertwined, a foot note on the rest of Anne’s life would have added interest to those unfamiliar with her ending.

With apologies, but not a favourite by this author, though still a good, if considered, read.


Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group.

A great novel! I think it was a very good idea to write this story through two powerful women! This way, the reader is more intimately linked to their lives as to their hopes, feelings and wants. This was fascinating as nowadays we definitely don't perceive life-planning the same way...
The Queen and the Countess are powerful, yes, but they will learn that power is relative. First, because they are "simply" women, second because of their absolute desire to remain in power despite many odds and whi holds the reins right now. One might find both women despicable: don't they have any feelings, integrity? Their upbringing was not based on emotional bonding, but rather on political bonding. They can't trust anyone because they can't be trusted.... Could both women become friends? Definitely not in our modern definition, I would say! However, they do need a friend!!

I found this novel very interesting and compelling even though I knew about that part of history. I have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed all books by the author.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

I have read many of Anne's books and I used to enjoy them greatly. However, lately, I have found that something is lacking in the writing, I don't know exactly what it is; I have found myself in a reading slump because of it. On this occasion, the two points of view don't have a distinctive voice, which might have contributed to my perception of this story. Overall, is a good read but I was expecting more from it.