The author's passion shines through in this book. I really appreciated the small nods to Pride & Prejudice. The characters were perfect enemies to lovers. However, I had a hard time connecting with the story and that is obviously on me and not the book. It has great potential to appeal to other romance readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Alot of time period research was put into this, which I appreciate! It takes place in the 1600's, King Jame's son, Henry has just died. But the circumstances are suspicious? The story is full of adventure, secrets, gaining trust, change of heart and betrayal.

Andrew Logan is one of the kings messengers, tasked with finding and bringing Prince Henry's trusted courier back to London as a prisoner. While also keeping his own secret of sight that could see him hanged if found out. Will the secrets of others bring their mission to a hault?

I loved the adventure these characters ended up going on and I felt like I was appart of the group, just along for the ride.

The light romance is a sweet, slow burn, that comes on unexpectedly with progression that is believable. I enjoyed Pheobe's interactions with all of her companions, including her father, and how her story unfolds.

Overall this audio was really great! I enjoyed the growth of the characters and how their relationships evolved while in their search for truth and trust in each other.

This is a historical fiction set in the 17th hundreds. I found it a little slow at times but it built a nice story. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher.

The King’s Messenger is a historical fiction novel that takes place in the early 17th century in England and Scotland. In attempt to find out how his son died, King James send his loyal and trusted messenger Andrew Logan to Scotland to retrieve, arrest and bring back Sir David Moray, Prince Henry closest advisor. Phoebe Westaway and her father, another patriot in service to the King and neighbor accompanies Andrew. As Andrew sorts out what the King is really looking for – to falsely accuse Sir David of a crime of murder. Andrew is having none of this and is reluctant to bring in a man that is innocent. As this journey proceeds, Phoebe get to see what an decent and loyal man Andrew is and her opinion of him and opens up her heart to romantic opportunities once this mission is complete.

This audiobook was narrated by Beth Eyre and Angus King both new to me and both did an excellent narrating this book.

While I enjoy the development of Phoebe and Andrews relationship – the remainer of the story just did not pull me in.

Thank you, Suzanna Kearsley, Recorded Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this book. Solid combination of historical fiction, romance and mystery. I really enjoyed the parts of the plot centered around Scottish history, the court of King James, and Scottish folklore. Audiobook narration only added to the reading experience- love a Scottish accent. The way she humanized historical figures while keeping the story plotty often reminded me of Joan by Katherine Chen. 4 stars!

4 stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to RBmedia | Recorded Books for the ALC via NetGalley! 💌

Historical fiction? Road trip adventure? Political intrigue? A dash of romance?? SIGN ME UP! 📜🏰✨

Okay, this was my first Susanna Kearsley book, and let me tell you—it won’t be my last! I went in expecting a standard historical fiction novel, but what I got was a journey (literally and emotionally) filled with secrets, betrayals, and an MMC that had me swooning. Andrew Logan, where have you been all my life?? 😭💖

📖 THE STORY:
It’s 1613 and King James sends his most trusted messenger, Andrew Logan, on a mission to Scotland to arrest Sir David Moray, the man accused of being involved in Prince Henry’s mysterious death. But here’s the catch—Andrew starts to realize that maybe, just maybe, Sir David isn’t guilty at all. And now he’s caught between duty, honor, and the truth. 👀

🌟 THE HIGHLIGHTS:
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers vibes – Phoebe Westaway hates Andrew at first (thanks to some nasty rumors), but let’s just say their road trip forces them to rethink a few things… 😏
🎭 Political drama & betrayal – The King’s court is a mess (as always), and Andrew is stuck right in the middle of it.
💫 A touch of magical realism – Andrew has the second sight, which just adds another layer of mystery to everything happening.
🏇 An actual historical road trip – Imagine traveling for weeks by horse and carriage with a group of people who may or may not be plotting against you. The TENSION.

📝 FINAL THOUGHTS:
Susanna's writing? Beautiful and immersive. The characters? Well-developed and layered. The romance? Slow burn but WORTH IT. If you love historical fiction with romance and a hint of the supernatural, you NEED to pick this up.

I love how Susanna Kearsley writes Scotland :)
I need to catch up on her backlist
Her characters are great
Love em all

When King James’s eldest heir, young Prince Henry dies suddenly the King is sure he knows who is to blame. The King requests one of his messengers, Andrew Logan to bring Sir David Moray, the Prince’s courtier and from Scotland to England to stand trial before the dreaded Star Chamber. Laurence Westaway is tasked as scribe to accompany the group on their journey. Laurence’s daughter, Phoebe demands to accompany her father due to his ill health.

The journey is long and arduous, with many miles to cross, many dangers for Logan to keep his entire group safe. Logan is a man who has been tasked to keep many secrets, including his own secret that he has the sight, as this was not a time in history, to be different, men and women had been burned at the stake for less. Logan is not so sure that Moray is guilty but that doesn’t change his task.

Pheobe is not a fan of Logan at first, they have a history of sorts. As Logan and his group get closer to England, Phoebe starts to see different side of Logan, she sees how honourable he is. The journey’s end was just the beginning for some and was a wonderful read.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. This author has a way of bringing history to life. The narrator did a wonderful job with this book. I first read the book and then listened to the audio book. I enjoyed both but did find the many characters sometimes made the narration harder to determine who was who. I always look forward to this author and her books are ones that I always read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, the audio house, the narrator and the author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this book in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

An immersive and intriguing historical fiction with romance and mystery. It is 1613, and King James sends a royal messenger with a warrant to return to England Sir David who may be framed for Prince Henry's death. The King's Messenger travels with a scribe, the scribe's daughter and a young assistant all adding a different perspective to the mission.

I know little about this time period, but from the author's note it is clear she has done extensive research and learning a piece about the King's Messenger role was fascinating.

This was my first Kearsley book, and it will not be my last. I came for the history and stayed for the intrigue and romance! Well, done!

Beth Eyre and Angus King are excellent narrators, with Scottish and English accents and make it easy to follow the various characters.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, RB Media/Recorded Books and Netgalley for an audio recording.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213570828-the-king-s-messenger

Susanna Kearsley is back doing what she does best—serving up rich historical fiction with a side of slow-burn romance and just a sprinkle of second sight. The King’s Messenger is set in 1613, after the death of Prince Henry, heir to King James I. Rumors swirl the prince was poisoned, and Andrew Logan, one of the King’s Messengers (who’s hiding his own mystical secret), is sent north to arrest Sir David Moray, a close friend of the late prince.

Phoebe Westaway is dragged into the mission to assist her aging father, who’s acting as the trip’s scribe. She’s not a fan of Andrew—at all—but over the course of the dangerous journey from Scotland to London, her frosty attitude thaws.

Kearsley’s research shines. The settings feel lived-in, the language fits the time, and the court intrigue keeps things moving. The multiple POVs—especially Queen Anna’s—add dimension, though at times they slow the pacing. The romance is subtle but satisfying, and the hint of the supernatural gives it an extra spark.

It’s not quite a page-turner, but fans of well-written historical fiction will enjoy the ride. Four stars. Solid stuff.

** Thank you to Sourcebooks, Recorded Books, and author Susanna Kearsley for the advanced copies of the eBook and audiobook. The opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing this audiobook for review. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This was an excellent listen. The writing was fantastic with an easy to follow storyline and exceptional character growth. I wanted to continue listening to this story constantly, but life interrupted too much for my liking. I really enjoyed the narrators as well. I love a good audio production with multiple POV, and this one did not disappoint. I love the amount of research that is put into the period piece before writing. You can feel the author's efforts to get historically accurate facts throughout the story. Though this is my first Susanna Kearsley read for me, she has quickly become one I will be looking for with new releases (and likely will read anything she’s published to date).

Susanna Kearsley always does an excellent job of bringing history to life, and with this book, she managed to make a journey interesting and fun to listen to. I have been a fan of her Scottish historical fiction for a while now, and this book did not disappoint. It had history, a bit of suspense, a bit of love, and some humor. Since I am traveling to Scotland later this year, it was especially fun to hear about the places they were traveling through. I also liked how the King's Messenger is related to previous characters I have read about in her books - she always makes it fun when the reader can make these connections. I especially enjoyed listening to the history that she has at the end of the book, where she talks about which characters are real and how she came about writing her characters and their connections to history. Great read - I recommend it! Thanks @netgalley.

Andrew Logan has an important task as one of the King's Messager's. He must travel to bring a man, Sir David, to presumed justice. Along the way, his travel party grows to include his neighbour and his standoffish daughter, and a young lad he takes under his wing. This meticulously researched book has a serious feel, with moments of levity, touches of magic, and the whimsy of unexpected love. A brilliantly written and memorable story. Kearsley seamlessly blends this fictional account into the real life history of a suspicious death of a prince of England and gives a glimpse into royal intrigue and the real life service of the King's Messagers. I was fortunate to meet Susanna Kearsley at my local library during the time I was reading this book. The insight into her planning was fantastic and most of it is shared in the Author's Notes, so no worries that an in person meeting is required.

I found the audio very well done with authentic accents. The tension between Logan and his reluctant love interest Pheobe was palpable and when they discovered feeling it was very sweet and romantic. My only issue, and its one I have experienced before in other dual narrator scenarios, is the speed is not consistent when switching narrators. I had to adjust my speed regularly.

The King's Messenger
by Susanna Kearsley; Narrated by Beth Eyre and Angus King

I enjoyed this audiobook, but I had to listen closely to Angus King's excellent Scottish accent to fully understand and not miss anything important. The story is told from the perspectives of four characters: Andrew, David, Phoebe, and Queen Anna.

In 1613, King James—sixth of Scotland and first of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots—has unified both countries under one crown. However, the death of his eldest son, Henry, has plunged the nation into mourning, with rumours circulating that the prince was poisoned. Andrew Logan, the King’s Messenger, is tasked with locating and arresting Sir David Murray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and bringing him to London to stand trial before the dreaded Star Chamber.

I really enjoyed this story on audio. I think I liked it more on audio than I would have if I was physically reading it. I highly recommend listening to the audio version of this.

"The King's Messenger" is a compelling novel with interesting storytelling through a dual POV, and I found the historical setting that teems with political intrigue and mystery a nice change of pace from my recent reads, though really not too many things happen. The slowburn romance between Andrew and Phoebe is quite a treat, and I liked the latter's relationship with her father as well; it's not something seen as often in fiction, especially historical fiction. Even without the author's notes, one can tell that Kearsley did detailed research for the story.

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, as well as the time period it is set in. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I had not yet read any set in the 1600's. The characters were compelling and well developed, with my favorite being Hector. The setting was vivid. While at times I had a hard time keeping up with the story, due to my lack of understanding of this time period as well as the thick accents, the context and descriptions helped me to keep track of the fast paced story line. The final hour of the audiobook was incredibly interesting as well, learning all of the research the author put in to craft this story. I would definitely recommend The King's Messenger and will be posting a positive review on my Instagram feed as well.

The King's Messenger is a historical fiction novel following a group of people that go to apprehend a man accused of murdering Prince Henry. I struggled with the pacing/plot, but I loved the characters and the romance between two of the main characters.

Narration performed by Beth Eyre and Angus King was outstanding!

Perfect for fans of slower paced historical fiction novels.

I received an ARC and ALC from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark and RBmedia | Recorded Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall quick review: This is fine, just didn't suck me in.

After the death of the Prince, King James in 1613 wants to punish whom (if anyone) is responsible. He sends his loyal messenger, Andrew Logan to travel to Scotland, arrest the Prince's courtier and bring him to justice. Traveling along with a scribe and his daughter, who can't stand Andrew, secrets are revealed and Andrew tests his loyalty to the King.

I don't have much to say about this. It's not bad by any means, the historical setting feels real even with the magic. I liked Andrew and Phoebe relationship and how it develops. I think it falls flat with the actual political intrigue and the character of David Murray - I just didn't really care? He was stiff and didn't have much of a character to be interested and invested in. The other characters also just feel like filler, not bad but not really interesting either. The most I get out of this is Andrew and the general setting.

“Grief was a shadow whose shape was familiar.”

I wasn’t sure if my mood was ready for a historical fiction set in 17th Century England/Scotland but it only took me a few pages to be fully immersed into the story being told and I think that is true for all of Susanna’s books. She grabs your attention with setting and memorable characters right off the bat! Andrew Logan is King James Messenger and is sent to arrest David Moray for the murder of the Prince. From there the books takes you on a journey of political intrigue, the gift of sight, romance, and a road trip via horses that made the story feel like there were hero’s and outlaws and a few villians along the way. With alternating POVs as well as a few flashbacks you get a full history of the characters in a surprising low page count. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to chatting with @bookfriendsbookclub at the end of the month!