The Queen’s Mistake (In The Court of Henry VIII #2) by Diane Haeger :
From the author of The Secret Bride, the tragic tale of the fifth wife of Henry VIII?
When the young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of the fifty-year-old King Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her undoing. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart?s desire in favor of her family?s ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon?her own romantic past.
The Queen?s Mistake is the tragic tale of one passionate and idealistic woman who struggles to negotiate the intrigue of the court and the yearnings of her heart.
Sometimes I read books out of order if they can be stand alone, or I post the reviews out of order. Such is the case I noticed with these two in the Tudor court series. Though it doesn’t really matter because while all in the same court these books are very different.
Katherine Howard is always portrayed as a frivolous little chit who ended up losing her head for being that way. This book manages to give her a little more depth and show things more from her perspective. She was never raised to deal with the dangers of a court like King Henry’s and she while not empty headed was not the brightest girl. Was that really a reason to have her head cut off? I don’t think so.
In this I also liked the way that the relationship with Culpepper was shown, instead of confirming that they actually slept together like a lot of other sources have (the Tudors) they do not in this. Yes they spend time together, even kiss a little she does love him deeply but she did not cheat on Henry once they were married in the physical sense. This was a good read and a different look at one of the lesser known Queens at Henry’s court.
My Gemstone Rating:
