This is a fun retelling of Mary Queen of Scots (with a happy ending).

In the arc, Chapter 14 has the wrong narrator listed as the chapter header.

Here are some of my favorite quotes. This is spoiler free gives the fun attitude of the book:

-The first ever use of the phrase WTF, which stands for, as we all know, “what the frog.”

- toute suite (which in French means “right freaking now”)

- “It’s BYOC.”
“BYOC?”
“Bring your own candle.”

My Contrary Mary returns to the world of My Lady Jane, this time set in France. As usual, there are three narrators—Mary, Queen of Scots, Francis, Dauphin of France, and Ari, Nostradamus’s daughter—and as usual, the authors take some liberties with the real history. The book is clever and quick, sure to be enjoyed by those who also like the Janes series.

I think I need to be done with this series. The first Janie book was amazing, the second one was good and third fell apart. I was excited to get back to this one because it was set int he world of the Lady Jane book. That was going to bee fun. It just didn’t work at all for me. I think maybe these talented writers should try something new. I would be keen on that.

#MyContraryMary
I adore this "series" it has so much packed into these pages. The giggles I get reading these books. Young adults will find this one just as good as the others. A well polished and interesting take on Miss Mary Queen of Scots. Thank you ladies for one good read towards the end of my year!!!

Like all of the Lady Janies books, this was a delight! The sad story of Mary, Queen of Scots is retold with a happier ending. Filled with pop culture references and asides from the narrators, a bit of levity is added to her story. There are some cameos from My Lady Jane characters, as well as edians.
I enjoyed Mary's character, and the way she grew. Not to mention Ari's visions 😂
A must read for fans of the Lady Janies.
Thanks to netgalley for an arc.

I fell in love with My Lady Jane, so when I heard that this trio was making another trilogy and this book, My Contrary Mary, was set in the same world as My Lady Jane, I knew this was going to be a must read. And it did not disappoint!

Our main character trio {Mary (Queen of Scots), Francis (Mary's fiancé and heir to the French throne), and Ari (daughter of Nostradamus)} was great! I love seeing how real historical events were slightly twisted to fit the story. Also, there was a ton of fun pop culture references.

All in all, this was a fun story with a few twists! If you've enjoyed these authors other tales, this one won't disappoint. It was also nice to see/hear about some characters from My Lady Jane.

Lighthearted and fun, occasionally funny, not wildly historically accurate, but we can't have everything (what, with people not transforming into animals periodically, unfortunately).

This book was a delight! As always I loved the comedy. The characters were very likeable. I also loves that we got a little update on the characters from My Lady Jane. Overall this book was just a fun romp though some of the more darker parts of our worlds history.
My only complaint is the book was just a bit to long.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Earlier this week, I finished A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir and I honestly may never recover from the devastation that book wrought. Thankfully, My Contrary Mary came along at exactly the right time. The Lady Janies series is a go to historical/contemporary fantasy for me as the characters are always likable, the humor is ALWAYS on point, and the plot is always intriguing. In fact, almost every book written by these three has been a one sitting read for me. I can say with complete honesty, that My Contrary Mary is only the third book to make me laugh out loud in 2020. The first was My Calamity Jane (by the Lady Janies, of course). The second was The House in the Cerulean Sea (another must read of the year).

This first book in a new but connected series about historical figures named Mary had everything I was looking for in a book this week. It told a slightly altered version of the events of the life of Mary Queen of Scotts. In this version of events, her fiancé Francis never died, and there may or may not be some shapeshifters on or around the throne. Francis somehow managed to be frustratingly naïve and immensely likable at the same time, and I can honestly say that his character growth was a blast to experience.

The third POV in this book is Ari – whose full name is Aristotle, and is the daughter of Nostradamus. Unfortunately she can’t quite seem to tell the future as well as he can, but she does happen to be a bit of a whiz with potions. She also happens to have her eye on one of Queen Mary’s ladies in waiting. I expected to miss the POVs of Mary and Francis, but found myself looking forward to Ari’s chapters just as much if not more than the two main characters. The appearances from Nostradamus were among my personal favorites, and I loved how her wonderful, sapphic romance developed.

Not shockingly, this book was another complete win for me and I am already absolutely dying to get my hands on the next book these amazing authors put out. Can y’all please just release two books in 2021? After 2020, I think we all deserve it.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was a fun romp through history. If you enjoyed the Lady Janies series, then you'll definitely enjoy this one.

The three wonderful authors who brought us the Lady Janies series are back, but this time, focusing on the Marys. They're starting off with the infamous Mary, Queen of Scots. They focus on her story, while adding their own unique twists and turns.

Honestly, this read was delightful. Between Ari's "visions", the allusions to popular media (the Hamilton references made me grin), and the snarky side commentary, this a solid read. Mary is a likeable protagonist who truly grows over the course of the book. The same can be said for Francis. Additionally, it was wonderful to see some of the favorites back from My Lady Jane. Honestly, my only real issue with the book is how long it is. At least 50 pages could have been trimmed off without damaging any part of the story.

As long as you don't go in expecting a serious historical fiction novel, you should enjoy this one.