Review: Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn

Today, I'm delighted to welcome back acclaimed Tudor fiction author, Wendy J. Dunn. I'm sharing my review of her fabulous new dual-timeline novel, Shades of Yellow. It's well worth checking out, as it features an often overlooked historical mystery – the suspicious (and convenient) death of Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley – of Elizabeth I fame!

Shades of Yellow is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Check out other brilliant tour stops HERE!

 

 

Shades of Yellow

Wendy J. Dunn

Review:

As regular followers of this blog know, I do love intriguing dual-timeline mysteries, so I was excited when Wendy J. Dunn announced her latest release. I'm a fan of her award-winning Tudor fiction, so I know the historical part would be incredibly well-researched, down to the tiniest dot.

 

The contemporary part of the novel is set in 2010. We meet Lucy, a young woman who had been suffering from breast cancer, and the subsequent break-up of her marriage. Staying with her overly-protective mother, Lucy finds solace in starting to write a novel about Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, whose life ended rather abruptly at the bottom of a narrow stairwell.

 

Following the devastating diagnosis that she needs another operation, Lucy takes time out from her job and embarks on a research trip to England, staying with her aunt and grandfather. She wants to trace Amy's whereabouts and discover more about the ill-fated woman's life.

 

Stepping back in time, we see Amy's point of view in parts of Lucy's writing, but also in her own scenes. This is very cleverly done, as it seamlessly links the novel with Amy herself.

 

Soon, we spot parallels and similarities in the two women's lives – ostensibly so different – which make for intriguing revelations for both characters.

 

Will Lucy discover something about Amy that no one else has yet noticed? And how will her own fate pan out? Well, read the book to find out!

 

 

Shades of Yellow is a beautiful, evocative novel that pulls at your heartstrings. You have two very different women, hundreds of years apart, but Ms Dunn found a way of connecting them through time. 

 

Lucy is apprehensive, given her latest medical news, but her determination to finish writing her novel before it may be too late weaves a delicate thread through the novel. She could sit at home and wallow in her pain, but she's determined to tell Amy's story to the world.

 

Amy has her own demons to face, when her husband turns away from her. Originally a close, loving couple, they drift apart during his incarceration in the Tower, and growing closeness to Elizabeth Tudor, future Queen of England. The marriage to Amy becomes a hindrance to his ambitions – he's keen to marry Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Amy tries everything, including heretic means, to keep him.

 

Both women have complex marriages, which is another thread that runs through both parts of the novel. And Lucy's helplessness against her diagnosis is set off well against Amy's helplessness against her husband's growing affection for another woman.

 

 Shades of Yellow is not a lighthearted read, yet despite the dark, at times defeatist undertones, it is a story of hope against all hope, and of female determination. As tears prickle your eyes, the characters still make you smile. You want both women to make it. Alas, with Amy, the outcome is known, and it's still one of those unresolved historical mysteries. Are you intrigued? I hope so!

 

Shades of Yellow has earned its place with the best of dual-timeline fiction. Evocative and emotional, it is its realism that keeps you grounded.

 

Highly recommended.

~~~

 

Blurb:

 

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?

Praise for Shades of Yellow:

"Shifting between 2010 and the Elizabethan era, Wendy J. Dunn's compelling new novel Shades of Yellow explores the complexities of relationships, creative ambition, and medical pain through the eyes of two brave women living centuries apart. Forced to confront the decisions that have brought them to their respective crisis points, Lucy and Amy seek to rewrite their own destinies. A treat for lovers of history and strong stories."

~ Lauren Chater, author of The Beauties

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

 

~~~

About the Author:

Wendy J. Dunn is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.

Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

 

 

Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.

Connect with Wendy:

Website • Newsletter • Facebook

Instagram • Threads • TikTok

Amazon Author Page • BookBub • Goodreads