The regency period is over and William Tudor, now King Henry IX, sits alone on the throne. But England must still contend with those who doubt his legitimacy, both in faraway lands and within his own family. To diffuse tensions and appease the Catholics, William is betrothed to a young princess from France, but still he has eyes for only his childhood friend Minuette, and court tongues are wagging.
Even more scandalous—and dangerous, if discovered—is that Minuette’s heart and soul belong to Dominic, William’s best friend and trusted advisor. Minuette must walk a delicate balance between her two suitors, unable to confide in anyone, not even her friend Elizabeth, William’s sister, who must contend with her own cleaved heart. In this irresistible tale, the secrets that everyone keeps are enough to change the course of an empire.
You know what is depressing? When you've read one book in a series and it was amazing and then you read the follow up and it's kind of blah. Sadly, I feel that 'The Boleyn Deceit' has hit the 'sophomore slump' as they call it. I had such high hopes for this book but it just fell short for me. I really wanted to love it. It begins right as it left off and you're right in the thick of everything.
I think perhaps it fell short because William [Henry IX], the son of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, is turning into his father. If I wanted to read about Henry VIII, I'd pick up a book about him. It is hard for me to differentiate William from Henry as I feel they're simply morphed together. He is ruled by his passions, not by common sense. I'm struck by how he treats everyone in his determination to get his way. I know that he is aiming to prove himself to Christendom and is dealing with plots from Catholics and Protestants. While it isn't easy to be Henry, he doesn't always make it any easier on himself.
I have recently acquired the third book in this series; I hope it is as good as the first one. This is no slight to Ms. Andersen, I just did not enjoy this offering as much as I did the first. It happens and saying that I'd like to read the next book in the series says a great deal.
Even more scandalous—and dangerous, if discovered—is that Minuette’s heart and soul belong to Dominic, William’s best friend and trusted advisor. Minuette must walk a delicate balance between her two suitors, unable to confide in anyone, not even her friend Elizabeth, William’s sister, who must contend with her own cleaved heart. In this irresistible tale, the secrets that everyone keeps are enough to change the course of an empire.
You know what is depressing? When you've read one book in a series and it was amazing and then you read the follow up and it's kind of blah. Sadly, I feel that 'The Boleyn Deceit' has hit the 'sophomore slump' as they call it. I had such high hopes for this book but it just fell short for me. I really wanted to love it. It begins right as it left off and you're right in the thick of everything.
I think perhaps it fell short because William [Henry IX], the son of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, is turning into his father. If I wanted to read about Henry VIII, I'd pick up a book about him. It is hard for me to differentiate William from Henry as I feel they're simply morphed together. He is ruled by his passions, not by common sense. I'm struck by how he treats everyone in his determination to get his way. I know that he is aiming to prove himself to Christendom and is dealing with plots from Catholics and Protestants. While it isn't easy to be Henry, he doesn't always make it any easier on himself.
I have recently acquired the third book in this series; I hope it is as good as the first one. This is no slight to Ms. Andersen, I just did not enjoy this offering as much as I did the first. It happens and saying that I'd like to read the next book in the series says a great deal.