One thing you don’t mention about Franklin/Norman is that many (but certainly not all) of her books have Jewish characters and have to deal with antisemitism. She handles the issue very well, I think, without bludgeoning you with it. There’s a very humorous scene in FL, for example, where this is dealt with. In her Taking Liberties prejudice is also dealt with, although in this case it is filtered through racism rather than antisemitism. In The Vizard Mask, a Restoration-set novel, one of the underlying issues in the relationship of the H/H is his view of her because she’s a woman and therefore seen as something less. She’s so good at making you think about what life was like to historical characters having to deal with these things in the era before Title IX or the Civil Rights Act, yet never, ever being less than entertaining. I admit to being something of a Diana Norman fangirl.

As for Henry’s manipulation, it was definitely in character. But the implication of it made me a bit sad. Again, I don’t want to give details that may get into spoiler territory, but there is a way in which I’m very traditional, and Henry’s actions indicate that this version of the HEA is now blocked off.

Re: Henry’s manipulation of Adelia. I found it to be very in character for him. He’s a king and he’s Henry. He’s going to go for and get what he wants anyway he can manage it.

As for Mistress of the Art of Death, I also enjoyed it, but then I’ve enjoyed every one of her books. I was a little sad at the way Henry manipulated the Adelia/Rowley romance at the end (don’t want to go into spoilers), but I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in the series.

‘Nice to see him not overshadowed by Eleanor and his brood of contentious children.’

That is a bonus, isn’t it? I get tired of Eleanor sometimes.