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By: Zarabeth, guest reviewer

The Traitor's Wife is very much a crossroads between genres book. There are a ton of romantic elements, but on the whole I would not label this strictly as a romance. It’s very long and often difficult to read because everybody’s name is one of six names. This can’t be helped because it’s historically accurate. Like how everybody is named Jason and Brittany everybody was named Edward and Isabella etc. This book is very well researched with only a few things fibbed. On the whole it is a very convoluted story, but one if you can get into one you will enjoy. The following includes lots of spoilers:

It’s about King Edward the Second, his lifetime mostly with some overlap of his father and his son. His cousin, Eleanor, is his heroine. She marries Hugh, who is under her rank. It is supposedly a good match. They’re 12 and have many kids. During her marriage to Hugh she ends up being one of Queen Isabella’s ladies in waiting.

The king and Eleanor’s husband become very good friends (as in a sexual relationship). When it reaches the Queen’s ear she takes it out on Eleanor. The king and Hugh petty much run the country. During this time good things happen to Eleanor’s family and bad things happen to everyone else not her family. There are lots of traitors, rebellions, and beheadings. Then Hugh and the king and the other’s die as traitors…

Mortimer, the guy leading the rebellion, somehow managed to start a sexual affair with Isabella. The queen loves him and gives him whatever he wants and he manipulates her. She thinks it’s love but it is not. Edward’s son the new king, but Isabella and Mortimer are acting regents. They run everything and at first Edward the Third doesn’t care. Eventually he does care and there’s another uprising and in it they kill Mortimer.

Meanwhile now that Hugh is dead Eleanor falls in love and gets married to someone else… After Edward the Third is on the throne some random guy tries to claim Eleanor as his own and files a petition with the king for her to be his wife. Apparently, they had sex five years ago when she was drunk and he comes forward because in the new regime all her lands have come back to her. That makes her very very rich… and explains his sudden interest.

As you can see lots of things are going on in Traitor’s Wife, you’ll be kept on your toes.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Buy: The Traitor's Wife

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If you've been on twitter today you've seen #ritanoms all over the place. Comments abound like why didn't she get it? but also a slew of congratulations are going out to the authors that did get to the coveted spot of finalist. I'm here to add yet one more with a sincere heartfelt congrats and thank you to the writers that rock our world one HEA at a time!

• RITA- awarded to published romance novels from previous calendar year (2008).
• GH- awarded to unpublished romance novels from previous calendar year (2008).

Here's the Nomination Lists:

2009 RITA Finalists for Best First Book

• No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
• Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
• Passionate by Anthea Lawson
• Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
• Strangers In The Night by Kerry Connor
• The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey
• Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

2009 RITA Finalists for Young Adult Romance

• Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore
• How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro
• Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

2009 RITA Finalists for Romantic Suspense

• Killing Fear by Allison Brennan
• Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire
• Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard
• Scream for Me by Karen Rose
• Stop Me by Brenda Novak
• The Angel by Carla Neggers
• Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson

2009 RITA Finalists for Romance Novella

• “All He Wants for Christmas” by Jill Shalvis in Heating Up The Holidays
• “Blame It on the Mistletoe” by Terri Brisbin in One Candlelit Christmas
• “Only You” by Jacquie D’Alessandro in It Happened One Night
• “Our Day” by Jean Brashear in The Valentine Gift
• “Penance” by Sharon Sala in Aftershock
• “Snowy Night with a Highlander” by Julia London in Snowy Night with a Stranger
• “The Fall of Rogue Gerard” by Stephanie Laurens in It Happened One Night
• “Thicker Than Blood” by Meljean Brook in First Blood

2009 RITA Finalists for Regency Historical Romance

• Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley
• Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
• My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
• The Dangerous Duke by Christine Wells
• The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens
• Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory

2009 RITA Finalists for Paranormal Romance

• Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn
• Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
• Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
• The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
• The Healer by Sharon Sala
• The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks
• Thunder Moon by Lori Handeland
• Moonstruck by Susan Grant

2009 RITA Finalists for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

• Last Dance At Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi
• The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
• The Paper Marriage by Susan Kay Law
• The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
• The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
• Tribute by Nora Roberts
• Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris

2009 RITA Finalists for Inspirational Romance

• Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist
• Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
• Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
• Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
• Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte
• The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
• The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
• Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon

2009 RITA Finalists for Historical Romance

• Duchess By Night by Eloisa James
• In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath
• Private Arrangementsby Sherry Thomas
• Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
• The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal
• The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne
• To Seduce A Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
• Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens

2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Single Title Romance

• No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
• Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
• Out of Time by Samantha Graves
• Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
• Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery
• Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
• Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
• Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

• A Sexy Time Of It by Cara Summers
• Cold Case Connection by Kathleen Long
• Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton
• Lethal Attraction by Diana Duncan
• Strangers In The Nightby Kerry Connor
• Tall, Dark, and Lethal by Dana Marton
• The Man Behind the Cop by Janice Kay Johnson
• The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey
• Twin Targets by Jessica Anderson

2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Series Romance

• A Mother's Wishby Karen Templeton
• Adopted: Outback Baby by Barbara Hannay
• Antonides' Forbidden Wife by Anne McAllister
• Falling For The Lone Wolf by Crystal Green
• Last-Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart
• Texas Heir by Linda Warren
• The Children's Doctor and the Single Mum by Lilian Darcy
• The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne
• The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers

2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Young Adult Romance

• Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice
• I Wished by Elizabeth C. Langston
• My Big Fat Rockin' Reality by Addison Fox
• Stage Fright by Shoshana Dawn Brown

2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Romantic Suspense

• Guardian Angel by Rita O. Henuber
• Intrusion by Cynthia Noel Mealer
• Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker
• Safe in Enemy Arms by Joan M. Swan
• The Broken by Shelley S. Coriell
• The Surrogate by Tina Joyce Butts
• Trust Fall by Sally Randel Eggert
• Trust No One by Diane Elaine Della Maggiora

2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Regency Historical Romance

• An Inconvenient Marriage by Sara Wampler
• Defiant by Elizabeth Robinson Baldwin
• The Raven’s Heart by Pamela Lynn Bolton-Holifield
• Midnight Promises by Anne Barton
• No Shrinking Violet by Amy Talley

2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Paranormal Romance

• First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
• Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher
• Heart of the Dragon by Morgan R. Karpiel
• Just in Time by Nancy J. Litzau
• Kismet’s Kiss by Katey Coffing
• Magic Man by Jacqui Jacoby
• Magick by Heather Dawn McCollum
• Underbelly by Tammy L Hoganson

2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

• Call Sign Scarlett by Julia Whitby
• Color My Horse by Bev A. Patterson
• Dark Secrets by Sherri Buerkle
• Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane O’Brien Kelly
• Home Waters by Elizabeth Devlin
• One Shot, Two Kills by Kimberly Ann Howe
• Pleasant Lake P.D. by Kelly Fitzpatrick
• Until Midnight by L.A. Mitchell

2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Inspirational Romance

• Kasey’s Secret by Kayla Lynn Westra
• Kitty’s Fire by Kelly Ann Riley
• Love On A Dime by Cara Slaughter
• Montana Rainbow by Yvonne L. Harris

2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Historical Romance

• Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin
• Forfeit’s Lady by Patricia Jean Detweiler
• Highland Honor by Jenna Stuart
• Lily’s Outlaw by Tatia Talbot
• The Art of a Lady by Kate Parker
• The Other Brother by Cynthia J. Eernisse Chase
• Upon a Moonlit Sea by Jennifer Whitney Bray-Weber

2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Contemporary Series Romance Suspense/Adventure

• Breathless by Kimberley Ann Howe
• His Witness by Dianne M. Gerber
• Romance or Retribution by Jamie T. Holland

2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Contemporary Series Romance

• Angel in Training by Lindsey Brookes
• Beneath the Surface by Katherine Danniele Worsham
• For Love or Ravioli by Laurie D. DeSalvo
• Into the Night by Melissa Jackson Brister
• Meet Your Mate by Jacqueline M. Floyd
• Second Chance for a Family by Kim Law
• The Great Bedroom War by Laurie Kellogg
• The Greek’s Mistress Revenge by Anastasia Huff

• Kelly Same-Size Friends Friends Family Barbie Contemporary 1973-Now Dolls Dolls Bears
• Lady Death Superhero Modern Age 1980-Now Comics Collectibles
• Anne Geddes By Brand, Company, Character Dolls Dolls Bears
• Love Romance Audio Books
• Night Lights Housewares Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles