Fantastic story. I adore this group of writers. Their humor and charm and clever storytelling is unrivaled and this new retelling is as delightful, ingenious, and funny as I hoped it would be. Very much enjoyed and will be recommending with everyone.

A lively story that shows the Queen of Scotts as a fully fleshed-out woman with her own thoughts and desires. The twist that Edians are real, and the Queen herself is a shapeshifter is a good one. It's a fun, pop-y version of the story of this beloved queen, definitely written with YA and teenagers in mind.

Just as charming and funny as other books in the Jane and Mary bookish universe. I would really recommend this diverse book full of humour and maybe a little bit of ridiculousness. I really love how it takes real history and spins it to make it more cheerful and hopeful.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an early audio arc.

I absolutely adored this.It's been awhile snice I've read My Lady Jane but I easily fell back into the world of Eðians (shapeshiftes) and Verities (a faction of humans that hates Eðians). Despite having a large cast (several characters of which are named Mary), I found the audio relatively easy to get into.

Like My Lady Jane, My Contrary Mary was very much a character driven story. You can't help but want to root for Mary, who just wants to do her best as Queen to Scotland and want good things for Francis, whose an absolute sweetheart. Ari was also a lovely addition to the cast, although some her actions did annoy me, she came around by the end. Also her lesbian romance with one of Mary's ladies in waiting was just so cute.

Even the prose and how it was chalked full of puns, pop culture references and fourth wall breaks makes it a story that is both easy and enjoyable to consume. 10/10, Highly Recommend.

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows is the first in their new series about famous Mary's.  This particular book is more of a direct sequel to My Lady Jane, about Lady Jane Grey.  This particular book focusses on Mary, Queen of Scots, prior to her marriage to Francis and the events that lead up to it and that follow it.  I rated it four stars on Goodreads.  It was published on June 22nd, 2021.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper's nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary's secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

I was really excited to continue on in the world that was created in My Lady Jane.  I liked the concept of historical shapeshifters and that being a prominent conflict during that particular historical period.  The world is was really easy to dive back into, and I loved seeing the different shapeshifters and how certain aspects of the world had evolved since we first learned about them.  I loved how they layered historical fact with their own creativity.  They way they throw in anachronisms is really fun too.

The humour in this story is on par with the Lady Janies series.  The authors are very funny and I really enjoy how they balance the high stakes of the story (there are literally kingdoms on the line) with keeping the story light and fun with good humour.  I found myself chuckling at various moments, which I really loved.

The novel features three points of view.  We get to read through Mary, Francis, and Ari's perspectives.  I liked each of the characters and I enjoyed what they brought to the story.  They had distinct voices and they all actively contributed to the plot.  I think I liked reading from Mary's perspective the best, but I did also really enjoy Ari and Francis as well.

There was really good progression through out the novel.  There was enough tension to keep you reading, but it took some good moments throughout to sort of allow you to catch your breath and appreciate what we're learning about the characters.  There were some twists that left you wondering about what might happen next.

Overall, this was an excellent addition to the world these three authors have created, and I'm really glad that I read it.  I highly recommend that you check out their books if you haven't already, and I especially recommend that you check out My Contrary Mary.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an Honest Review.

I pretty much have all the series from Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, but because I love the story of Mary Queen of Scotts, and loved the series (Reign), I really enjoyed this book.

Told in 3 different POVs.

"Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse" Yes a Shapeshifter, so fun to read and I adored the Characters.

Pick this book up as you will enjoy it like all the Other Lady Jane's book

I’m late giving feedback because once I downloaded the advanced audio, I realized I could not listen to the robotic voice. So I waited until I could get my hands on the real deal. Following in the style of the Lady Janies books, the story is very loosely based on Mary Queen of Scots. Overall the book was funny and medium-paced. I think I enjoyed the side characters for than the main, and I like how they United with characters from My Lady Jane. In the end though, this book was way too long. It could’ve been just as good with about 150 less pages.

YESSS. SO I bought this the day it was released to because the book itself is so amazing and the audio and just everything. I love everything by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. If you have never read their books you are missing out because they are just lovely!

This book was Excellent! I loved the fun take on a historical figure. The fantasy element really gave the book a unique twist. Mary was a BA heroine (my favorite kind of heroine). Francis was so sweet, and I loved their relationship. The best part was the interwoven current pop-culture references 😂 Also, the Audiobook was FANTASTIC. The narrator knocked it out of the park ♥️ (The ACTUAL Audiobook, not the sad bot-generated audio from netgalley 😭)

I love these ladies (Hand, Ashton, Meadows) and I'm thrilled they're doing a 'Mary' trilogy! This one was about Mary, Queen of Scots. We wander back into Eðian territory and see some familiar faces from My Lady Jane, how fun! There were many aspects of this book I enjoyed and many tales that wove into the storyline! I very much enjoyed Nostradamus' daughter, whom of course I cannot remember the name of. Annnd all of the Mary's in Mary, Queen of Scots' entourage! They all had little nicknames because they were all named Mary! Which is also my mother's name. lol. Can't wait for My Imaginary Mary!

Disclaimer: I received an early access audiobook from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: My Contrary Mary

Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Book Series: Mary Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Sapphic romance with one of the MCs, Ace side character

Recommended For...: historical fiction, young adult readers, The Lady Janies lovers

Publication Date: June 22, 2021

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 13+ (some violence, some language, death, misogyny)

Explanation of CWs: There is some slight violence in this book and the book does have the occasional curse. The book also has some death involved with the plot and because it’s from the Renaissance Period there are some misogynistic views on our MCs and the side characters which reduce them, even a powerful queen, to just a womb on legs. This is quickly thwarted by the kickass MCs though.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 512

Synopsis: Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀
⠀
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀
⠀
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper's nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary's secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

Review: As my first book into The Lady Janies universe I am absolutely floored at how great this book is! I immediately loved this book from the first chapter. The book is well done, it’s funny, and it’s the right kind of historical fiction for me. It doesn’t take history too seriously and really shows that those of the past were just like us. I really liked the character and how well done they were. I also really liked the world building and the pacing was on par as well. The book’s plot was well written and I was immediately invested in this read. I also thought the romance was well done.

The only issue I really had with this book is that the ending leaves me wanting more and the finale was a bit too quick in my opinion.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

I'm delighted to have been approved for this audio copy but, and it kills me to say this because I was desperate to read this book, I just cannot do it. Having an auto-generated narrator for the audiobook does the story itself such a disservice. The emotion, the voice, the characters, all of it is dead in the water and impossible to listen to. I'll try my luck with the actual audiobook when it releases later on.

Style over substance.
I did not enjoy the book but younger readers might The magic elements don't bother me; a better way to do this would be to mimic The Gilded Chain. It's obviously Henry VIII there but the alternate names won't confuse people who don't know history..

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for a voice galley of this book! Release date - June 22, 2021

First of all, let me say that My Lady Jane is one of my FAVORITE books ever. It’s exactly my style of humor plus it’s one of my favorite time periods in history. I did not love the other Jane books in that series, but I gotta say, My Contrary Mary came pretty darn close! I think the return to the world of Verities and E∂Ians made all the difference, that shapeshifting element added so so much to the story. Plus, I love and am familiar with Mary Queen of Scots and just the overall time period is right up my alley. I don’t think it was as good as My Lady Jane, but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that it was the first book of it’s kind, and it was so surprising and clever and I just had no idea what awesomeness I was in for. This one I went in with high expectations, expecting and hoping for greatness, and it really was great! It just can’t outrank my love for Jane. But overall a solid, very strong, 4.5 stars!

There were just so many funny moments, my favorite being Ari’s visions and the endless movie references. Some of these had me literally cracking up laughing. When The Princess Bride was thrown in, my all time favorite movie and book, I was sold. I considered giving it 5 stars just for those incredibly amazing references! The last few hours were the best. I absolutely love the direction they took it in.

The writing style and characters were wonderful, so funny and well-written. It’s even better if you’re familiar with the true story of Mary Queen of Scots and also have watched Reign (because they throw some teasing moments about that show in here too). It was the perfect twist of history…stuck close enough to the truth that my historically accurate brain didn’t freak out, but twisted enough to be so funny and clever. I seriously loved this book and I really am looking forward to My Imaginary Mary, I can’t wait to see these author’s take on Mary Shelley, and I’m hoping they stick with the E∂Ian and Verity world.

My Contrary Mary was such a fun, fantastical take on Mary Queen of Scotts and Renaissance France! Falling in love with Mary's character is easy because the authors take the time to develop her personality very well. The book itself is quirky and sweet, and since I didn't know a whole lot about the real person behind the character, discovering her identity and legacy (outside of her being a beheaded wife) in a tale of fantasy was such a unique way to get into this story and history.

Following The Janes, My Contrary Mary picks back up with the E∂ian magics coupled with French court intrigue, riotous humor, and a splash of historical accuracy.

The Mary in question is Mary, Queen of Scots, and perhaps I’m showing my Millennial card here, but I’m having trouble picturing the characters in any other way but the characters from the CW’s Reign.

I enjoy these books because while the reality for the subject matter is certain death, these authors craft charming yet still harrowing experiences that dull the pain of losing these historical figures.

Quick, enjoyable reads for reluctant readers.

Oh how I love these books! I cannot help but laugh out loud throughout each one. Just when I think these authors have done all they can do with Janes- they out do themselves! I am always so impressed with the creativity and curiosity it takes to come up with these. They are like literary improv skits and “yes, and” rules the day!

My Contrary Mary
By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

3.25/5

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary Stuart. Mary...the Mouse? When you think of Mary, Queen of Scots, you probably don’t think of a shapeshifter, but that’s exactly what this fun, lighthearted take on Mary’s teenage-ish years puts forth. My Contrary Mary tells the tale of betrayal and teenage romance set against a 16th Century background.

This was my first foray into the My Jane/Mary universe and it was not at all what I was expecting! I really enjoyed the humor - especially the breaking the 4th wall kind of comments - and most of the character POVs were fun to read. But honestly, the “mystery” really fell flat for me. It kind of felt like there wasn’t a ton of plot, and left me wishing for a bit more.

However, I definitely enjoyed the writing style enough to make me want to go read some of the My Lady Jane series since I know they are pretty highly regarded! If you’re looking for a quick and easy read that will make you laugh (and maybe pull you out of a series reading slump), MCM is a great choice for that!

These humorous historical retellings are always delightful to read. I liked that this particular installment went back to the world of the My Lady Jane and brought a new fresh twist on the story of Mary Queen of Scotts. It was a quick, fun and lighthearted read. I would recommend it to everybody, even to those who don’t read fantasy or historical fiction. I can’t wait to see what this author trio is going to come out with next.

Thank you to Harper Audio for an early review copy!

I actually liked it! The Dynamic between all of the characters had me consistently reading. Though it did seem a little childish at times to be a YA novel but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t get it past.