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Lives and Loves of the Royals #4
My Wanton Tudor Rose
The tragic story of Catherine Howard and King Henry VIII. From the bestselling author of The Queen’s Midwife and The King’s Sweetheart.
Another poignant and fascinating novel about the passion and intrigue within the Royal Court in Tudor England.
Disillusioned with his latest queen, Anne of Cleves, King Henry VIII turns his attentions to pretty, young Catherine Howard. She has already pledged her troth to her cousin, Tom Culpeper, but outside forces choose a different destiny for her.
When Henry is told that those he loves and trusts most have betrayed him, he shows that he can still be a bitter and vengeful king.
Another poignant and fascinating novel about the passion and intrigue within the Royal Court in Tudor England.
Disillusioned with his latest queen, Anne of Cleves, King Henry VIII turns his attentions to pretty, young Catherine Howard. She has already pledged her troth to her cousin, Tom Culpeper, but outside forces choose a different destiny for her.
When Henry is told that those he loves and trusts most have betrayed him, he shows that he can still be a bitter and vengeful king.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 1972
76 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Ursula Bloom
310 books17 followersaka Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole
Ursula was born in Essex, but as a child lived in Whitchurch, Warwickshire, where her father, James Harvey Bloom, was the Rector of the village. She went on to write books about his work into their family history.
Ursula published over 500 books in her lifetime, an achievement that once won her recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. She wrote many of her novels under pseudonyms - Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole and Sara Sloane.
Her work was predominantly romantic, although her first book, Tiger, privately printed, was written when she was seven years old. She was encouraged to write by a family friend, a well-known author of the time - Marie Corelli.
Born into the fringes of middle class, with aspirations of grandeur but little money, Ursula became a master of story-telling in her own life - keeping up appearances with an imaginary housemaid because "it would have been a social stigma to do our own work" and pretending to her first husband that she could control the servants and not they her - writing was both an outlet and easy with someone of her imagination and humour.
She married twice - in 1916 to Arthur Brownlow Denham-Cookes, to whom she had one son, Pip, born in 1917, and in 1925 to Charles Gower Robinson.
Ursula was born in Essex, but as a child lived in Whitchurch, Warwickshire, where her father, James Harvey Bloom, was the Rector of the village. She went on to write books about his work into their family history.
Ursula published over 500 books in her lifetime, an achievement that once won her recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. She wrote many of her novels under pseudonyms - Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole and Sara Sloane.
Her work was predominantly romantic, although her first book, Tiger, privately printed, was written when she was seven years old. She was encouraged to write by a family friend, a well-known author of the time - Marie Corelli.
Born into the fringes of middle class, with aspirations of grandeur but little money, Ursula became a master of story-telling in her own life - keeping up appearances with an imaginary housemaid because "it would have been a social stigma to do our own work" and pretending to her first husband that she could control the servants and not they her - writing was both an outlet and easy with someone of her imagination and humour.
She married twice - in 1916 to Arthur Brownlow Denham-Cookes, to whom she had one son, Pip, born in 1917, and in 1925 to Charles Gower Robinson.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 19, 2019
While I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Katherine Howard’s life, I’m also aware that this is rather overblown for modern tastes - the book is mostly made up of similes and metaphors, and plays a bit fast and loose with factual accuracy.
King Henry’s age is compared over and over to the seasons (I lost track of how often the both then-anachronistic and now-dated phrase “Indian Summer” was used) and Katherine Howard is often described in terms of small prey animals (kitten, deer, butterfly, robin, rabbit, etc.).
Meanwhile, Anne of Cleves is the stockiest of stock characters, a cardboard cutout of the stereotypical “Bavarian wench” with heavy eyebrows, no education, and a big appetite. It’s a disservice to the real Anna von Kleaves, but this book isn’t exactly about subtly.
The book also leans heavily into the foreshadowing – there is no question of what is going to happen to Katherine Howard and Thomas Culpeper - it’s telegraphed as absolutely inevitable.
The story is bursting with details of the jewelry worn, the wine drunk, the music playing, all while evil men make evil plans for the future while watching events with dark, hooded eyes and women in low cut gowns with smiles like sabre slashes dance the night away, not caring about tomorrow.
You know – that kind of soapy historical drama that is a delight to read in a bubble bath, bonbons in hand.
February 9, 2017
Fat-shaming alert. Too much on how disgusting women who like food are.
This author really hates fat women. She writes of Anne of Cleves farting and laughing while she shoves jelly in her mouth. Every time Anne of Cleves is mentioned it is in reference to how fat she is and how she loves food. She is constantly sneaking pies into her pockets and scarfing down everything in sight. It became hard to read after awhile. By all accounts Anne of Cleves was a very nice and intelligent woman. It was sad to see her reduces to this monstrous creature hobbling around and shoving meat in her mouth and letting it drip down her chin as she cackled in delight...
This author really hates fat women. She writes of Anne of Cleves farting and laughing while she shoves jelly in her mouth. Every time Anne of Cleves is mentioned it is in reference to how fat she is and how she loves food. She is constantly sneaking pies into her pockets and scarfing down everything in sight. It became hard to read after awhile. By all accounts Anne of Cleves was a very nice and intelligent woman. It was sad to see her reduces to this monstrous creature hobbling around and shoving meat in her mouth and letting it drip down her chin as she cackled in delight...
May 11, 2023
This is definitely historical fiction. The author changes quite a few historical details such as appearance and leaving out lots of events. With that said, I still really enjoyed the book and the changes she had made. Henry is kind of like Gabba the Hut and that is how I personally see him in my imagination. Catherine has dark hair and eyes like her cousin Anne Boleyn.
I enjoyed the way Catherine and Tom were portrayed and the whole layout of the story. I will continue to read further books by her.
I enjoyed the way Catherine and Tom were portrayed and the whole layout of the story. I will continue to read further books by her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2020
An enjoyable unchallenging read
The author's sympathies are clear, and Catherine is painted as a simple innocent in a man's world. It's an alluring picture of the truth. But it leaves loose ends - most notably, although she says Jane Rochford was executed after Catherine, she fails to say why.... The truth was a little more complex than pictured here.
The author's sympathies are clear, and Catherine is painted as a simple innocent in a man's world. It's an alluring picture of the truth. But it leaves loose ends - most notably, although she says Jane Rochford was executed after Catherine, she fails to say why.... The truth was a little more complex than pictured here.
July 24, 2018
Tragic tale of love gone wrong!
The tragic tale of a doomed love & a selfish old
King who thinks he's found love only to be proved
wrong with dire results for all concerned!
Good story told from Catherine's childlike point of view a sad pawn in an old game!
The tragic tale of a doomed love & a selfish old
King who thinks he's found love only to be proved
wrong with dire results for all concerned!
Good story told from Catherine's childlike point of view a sad pawn in an old game!
February 24, 2017
Okay.
I liked this version of Catherine and the version of events as well. It was very easy read but sometimes the language was ridiculous and out of nowhere
I liked this version of Catherine and the version of events as well. It was very easy read but sometimes the language was ridiculous and out of nowhere
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews