Victoria Lamb reminds her readers of the perils of the Elizabethan court. Although Henry VIII's daughter with Anne Boleyn is now queen, there are those who still desire a Catholic monarch. When the queen visits her favorite, Robert Dudley, at his fantastic castle, Kenilworth, Dudley plans fabulous entertainments and excitement to lavish on his royal sweetheart. But the queen's visit to Kenilworth is ruined when spy master Francis Walsingham smells a murder plot.

When Queen Elizabeth arrives at Kenilworth, she vows to keep her heart from giving into the only man she has ever loved. However, Robert Dudley will stop at nothing to have the queen agree to a marriage before she leaves Kenilworth. But Dudley's roving eye and his lust for the queen's beautiful cousin, Lettice Knollys, could not only thwart his plans, but also enrage the queen's whose cruelty befits her as the daughter of Henry VIII.

I loved how Victoria Lamb managed to enthrall readers with a fabulously-written royal romance, sprinkled with a heavy dose of mystery, plotting, and charming characters. THE QUEEN'S SECRET not only presents a riveting romance between Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth, but also tells the story of Lucy Morgan, an African singer, who is singled out by both the queen and Dudley to spy on the other. Although Lucy is immensely grateful for Dudley's generosity, lying to the queen is treason and could cost her her head.