Comments on: REVIEW: Hugh and Bess, A Love Story by Susan Higginbotham

By: Zoe Church

Zoe Church — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:41:07 +0000

Well, there was Hugh Despenser, Hugh Despenser Jr and Hugh Despenser the third. The book is mainly about Hughie III. His father is in a few scenes at the start and the grandfather is mentioned.

By: Susan Higginbotham

Susan Higginbotham — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:51:16 +0000

Thanks for the review, Jayne! As you mentioned, this novel is about the third Hugh, a nicer chap than his notorious father and grandfather. (If you really want to get complicated, there’s a Hugh before all these guys, the great-grandfather, who died with Simon de Montfort and has a line or two in Sharon Penman’s novel about Simon. These people sorely needed a Name the Baby book.)

By: Anne Marble

Anne Marble — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:49:58 +0000

Her earlier book The Traitor’s Wife is about the Hugh, and it’s now available in a new, cheaper edition:
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/the_traitor's_wife.htm

Her blog on historical fiction is cool, too:
http://susandhigginbotham.blogspot.com/

By: Marg

Marg — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:45:17 +0000

I am so pleased to see that Susan’s book got such a positive review! Maybe one of these days I will read her first book, and then get to this one!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:42:30 +0000

Well, there was Hugh Despenser, Hugh Despenser Jr and Hugh Despenser the third. The book is mainly about Hughie III. His father is in a few scenes at the start and the grandfather is mentioned.

By: Aoife

Aoife — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:21:47 +0000

Jayne, is the Hugh in the book Hugh Despenser? If so, making him the hero must have been quite a feat! I’ll have to look for this one.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:19:04 +0000

I did read Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt then. I’ve since tried some of the others you mention and would agree about what you said. I used to love the old Fawcett Crest Regency and Georgian books.

By: Barbara B.

Barbara B. — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:43:08 +0000

Jayne, thanks for the great review. You’ve brought back some memories. I grew up reading Norah Lofts, too. I sometimes get nostalgic about the kinds of romances I read as a teen in the ’70s. At least I think they were romances. Did you also read Victoria Holt, Roberta Gellis, Janet Aiken Hodge, Dorothy Eden, Joan Aiken, or Susan Howatch? They were a palate cleanser for the Sweet Savage Love type trash I read as well.