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I first discovered Gregory with The Other Boleyn Girl, which I thought to be a creative and engaging twist on a classic tale of Henry VIII.Then I moved onto The Wise Woman 4.5 stars and the Wideacre trilogy was great reading as well ***uming that most of the Gregory novels I have read turned out to be quite enjoyable, I thought with this book I would be turning down the same winding path of historical twist and insight. Oh alas dear reader, how I wish I had read some of the other reviews posted here before I lept into that pool of suspended disbelief!I emerged from this pool of literary slime is that too harsh?? with a profound new distaste for the author. It was stilted, rather boring, with terribly drawn characters and not enough of a plot to make you keep going....except that gnawing sensation of this has to get better soon, this is Philippa Gregory. Unfortunately, the novel does not improve. In fact, I too think that there should have been a warning... if it does not bore you to tears, the scenes of the 30 year old man and the 70 year old man having sex with each other might have you gag. Now granted, there are homosexual themes in many of her books but I have a hard time wanting to read on about the old man and his master - for whom he enjoys being treated like a dog...I am sorry that I read this, as it lowered my opinion of Ms. Gregory a bit. Dear reader, if you like Gregory, do yourself a favor and avoid this one!