No Will But His: A Novel of Kathryn Howard

by Sarah A. Hoyt

The author who "masterfully builds a dramatic story" presents another gripping novel of the women of Tudor England.

As the bereft, orphaned cousin to the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard knows better than many the danger of being favored by the King. But she is a Howard, and therefore ambitious, so she assumes the role Henry VIII has assigned her-his untouched child bride, his adored fifth wife. But her innocence is imagined, the first of many lies she will have to tell to gain the throne. And the path that she will tread to do so is one fraught with the same dangers that cost Queen Anne her head.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Tudor Period, Historical, Fiction, British Literature, Royalty, 16th Century

344 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2010

About the author

Sarah A. Hoyt was born (and raised) in Portugal and now lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and a variable number of cats, depending on how many show up to beg on the door step.

In between lays the sort of resume that used to be de-rigueur for writers. She has never actually wrestled alligators, but she did at one point very briefly tie bows on bags of potpourri for a living. She has also washed dishes and ironed clothes for a living. Worst of all she was, for a long time, a multilingual scientific translator.

At some point, though, she got tired of making an honest living and started writing. She has over 30 published novels, in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography. Her short stories have been published in Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, and a number of anthologies from DAW and Baen. Her space-opera novel Darkship Thieves was the 2011 Prometheus Award Winner, and the third novel in the series, A Few Good Men, was a finalist for the honor. She also won the Dragon Award for Uncharted (with Kevin J. Anderson.)

a.k.a. Sarah D'Almeida
a.k.a. Elise Hyatt
a.k.a. Sarah Marqués

Reviews

[Lucy Bertoldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just when I thought I’d read it all and had my fill on Kathryn Howard, comes a book to rekindle my heart. No Will But His, the title of this sublime read, was also Kathryn’s chosen motto... it couldn’t have been more perfect. Kathryn definitely had no say, from beginning to end- and that’s not only where Henry was concerned; Kathryn indulged everyone.

Caring too much about others while forsaking herself along the way, Kathryn dared not hurt or disappoint. Hoyt captures this essence completely, and I for one, am thankful for this most accurate and genuine portrayal of this sadly and misused, puppet queen.

Too many books have capitalized on making the young queen appear overly sexed, flighty, non-caring and downright stupid (these are probably the same people who’ve wrongly slotted Ann Boleyn as well). If you’re a Tudor buff, you know what I mean. Hoyt went the extra mile to really bring out Kathryn’s caring nature and almost self-sacrificial way to be.

What generally comes off as not too deep and rather silly, is in this book revealed as something that goes way deeper. There was much thought and reason brewing in that pretty head, and for the most of it, the conclusions sought were brought forth by the heart- and her fear.

True, Kathryn’s choices ultimately contributed to her tragedy, but when you consider the options...Giving Henry an heir would have solved everything- or so she thought.

The unraveling of her life through a fabrication of gossip would ultimately destroy her reputation and undo her totally. Her word, as much as her tragic death, meant nothing to no one.

For those who would love to get a feel for what Kathryn’s life was like prior to Henry, this book indulges the reader mostly in this part of her life. It’s only in the latter part of the book that Henry shows up for a brief time (very short marriage indeed...)

To understand how transparently genuine, innocent and harmless, this young queen really was, all you need to do is read the part when she meets Anne of Cleves...Her acceptance of the former queen is sublimely humble and quite touching- I loved that part.

Calling all Tudor buffs: You’ll enjoy No Will But His- for sure!

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author either was seriously confused about the time period in the beginning (the pianoforte was not introduced until the the mid to late 17th century, and she kept switching back and forth from more modern english to old english) and / or her editors just didn't care (names and pronouns often got mixed up until about the middle of the book).

Now, for the story itself: I hardly think Katherine Howard was that innocent and naive. History tells us the affair with Culpepper went on for months, not one night. The entire story leading up to that point felt very drawn out, especially her time in the country, then her "affair" with Culpepper and her death was 30 pages. The story was interesting, in only that it was a different take on a story I've heard many times before on a very interesting, and I feel, very misunderstood young woman.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional story of Kathryn Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife. Kathryn was still a teenager when she became Henry’s wife (and he was up in years). It wasn’t long that they were married before she was arrested and beheaded for trysts with a few men, some from before she’d even met Henry.

I haven’t read a lot about Kathryn, and I never had a good impression of her. This one, however, gave me a bit of sympathy toward her. Unfortunately, the author’s note didn’t address how much was known and how much was out of the author’s head; I was particularly interested in how much was known from before she came to court. Despite that, I still quite enjoyed it.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistically I'd probably say 3.5 for this book. I liked it better than I expected based on the reviews I read, so I'm quite happy that I read it.

The character of Kathryn Howard in this book (author spelling of name, not mine!), was that of a girl who was taught nothing by a feckless father who preferred to gamble their money away, and a series of stepmothers who cared little for his numerous children. She knew nothing of what was happening at Court, not even that her cousin Anne Boleyn was becoming Queen. She was totally innocent, kind and easy to take advantage of and that is what her story is. A young girl used by men for their own purposes, used by her greedy family for advancement. I liked seeing this version of her instead of just the wanton slut who cheated on the King.

She goes to live with the Dowager Duchess as a charity case, sharing the maids chamber with other girls who are eager to take the advantages offered by the Duchess-free music and dance lessons to help them find a good husband. However, it leaves them free to learn other things, sneaking off to secret meetings with young men. The first to fall for Kathryn is her music teacher Henry Mannox. His sad and dramatic pleas of love gain Kathryn's sympathy and she reluctantly agrees to let him touch her to 'cure' him and stop his pain. Poor Kathryn ends up in an affair that she doesn't really want but refuses to let him have sex, aware of keeping pure for her husband. She soon realises that Mannox is obsessed with her and will never stop making sexual demands, and only the sudden intervention of the Duchess stops him from getting what he wants. Indeed, even when the affair ends, Kathryn's relief is short-lived as Mannox keeps talking about their fling and insisting she loves him and wants to marry him, a prospect that horrifies her.

Kathryn then meets dashing Francis Dereham, believing herself to be in love and accepting his proposal of betrothal. She is not really sure that they are really promised or married and wants everything to be legal but it doesn't stop her having sex with Francis. A jealous Mannox hears of these incidents and decides to tell the Duchess, who catches them together one night. Kathryn, after an angry Dereham insists she refuse a new match being negotiated, finally sees that Dereham is not the kind of man she wants to marry and is relieved when he leaves to seek his fortune to gain money to claim her. The Duchess, and the Duke of Norfolk however, have grand plans for Kathryn at Court and tell her to lie about Dereham and forget she is 'betrothed'.

Poor Kathryn really has no idea what her family are doing. She believes she is being sent to Court to serve the Queen while negotiations continue for a match with Thomas Culpepper. Instead her scheming family ensure that she is put close to the King who is displeased with new wife Anne of Cleves. King Henry is sad, lonely and feeling his age and Kathryn develops the same sympathy for him that she felt for Mannox. She knows she can make him happy and feel young again and she is reasonably happy with him, trying to get pregnant to secure her position as Queen and possible Regent when Henry dies. Happy, until she meets Thomas Culpepper and falls in love for real.

All Tudor fiction has a spin on the known story and this one is no different. Kathryn is very much a victim in this book, kept in the dark about life, men and pretty much everything, which leads her to make many mistakes. Her kind nature is exploited by Mannox, and Dereham sees her more as a trophy, rather than have feelings for her. We don't see much of Thomas Culpepper but he was probably cut from the same cloth as Dereham. I think the King was the only one who really loved Kathryn for herself. There are other interesting twists. Jane Boleyn becomes Kathryn's closest friend as they serve Anne of Cleves, Kathryn feeling sorry for the woman who has went mad with guilt over sending Anne and George Boleyn to the block. I liked the idea that Kathryn feared for her life if the King died without giving her a child and convinces herself that she could have sex with Thomas to get pregnant as he had the same colouring as Henry, then suffers the gult and fear afterwards.

However there are glaring errors which really annoy me and should be checked by the author. The author claims that Anne Boleyn loved and wished to marry the Duke of Suffolk which is NOT true. The Duke of Suffolk was Charles Brandon, Henry's closest friend who married Henry's sister Mary. Anne was in love with Henry Percy, who became Earl of Northumberland. It's a bit of a glaring error! In reality, a woman as mad as Jane Boleyn would've been sent to a nunnery or institution, not sent to serve the Queen but it was an interesting storyline so I can forgive that one.

Overall I liked the way the author took the story of a cheating wife and made you think why she might have taken the risk. It's nice to see something a bit different but something that stays close to accepted facts. I liked Kathryn in this book and had sympathy for her being used all the time. It was a decent Tudor read and I would consider other Tudor books if the author has written any.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read more books about Henry VIII and his six wives than I can count. Fascinated by this subject, I continue my quest to learn more and more and to find a new book with a new twist. Sadly, this wasn't the one!

I assume the name of the book No Will But His refers to Henry VIII and his controlling personality, yet, even as one who knows a lot about the subject, I'm mystified how the author published with this title.

The book focuses on Katherine Howard, wife #5 of rotund, open-wound stinking, mercurial Henry. While peppered throughout there are sentences about Anne Bolyen and Henry, it isn't until the last chapters (that seemed rushed) wherein the author melds Henry and Katherine and their ill fated union.

A mere child when Henry took notice of her, Katherine's life was a case study in frivolity and supreme lack of common sense.

Motherless and living with a penny less father, the only thing the family had was a name, which Katherine promptly besmirched.

Hoisted off to her non- hands on grandmother, Katherine had free reign with other girls in the house as they wantonly attracted and bed young men.

By the time Henry set eyes on her, she certainly was not a rose without thorns. Continuing the hope of liaisons while married to the King of England, alas, this empty headed fool lost her virginity long before she lost her silly little head.

It is such a shame that the author had so much to work with and rambled on and on with corny, trite phrases, lacking depth.

Not recommended.

[Carley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading books about Henry and his wives so I was pleased to see one about Catherine Howard, wife # 4. I’ve always found her to be really interesting what with being cousin to Anne Boleyn and how naïve she seemed to be. This book showed a different side to Catherine Howard then what I’m used to seeing. She had a conscious and some brains! I did feel like the end was too quick although I guess that’s what happens in the Tudor court.

[Helen Azar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and clearly well researched historical novel about Henry VIII's fifth wife, Kathryn Howard. Kathryn is portrayed as a little too intelligent, and a little too angelic to be completely believable though. But I did enjoy this novel enough to read it all the way through, and to give it 4 stars.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman used by everyone in her life, in this novel Kathryn Howard is given a voice, which is a rarity in the fiction I've read about Henry VIII. As always, I felt a great deal of pity for this doomed woman, and as I read I wished that Kathryn had had more caution and/or better friends. I found this novel sad, but moving.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a relatively sympathetic portrayal of Kathryn Howard that didn't portray her as ditzy or dumb or as a temptress, so it gets a relatively high rating for that. The weakness in this story did with the fact the author wasn't able to flesh out all the characters in only about 350ish pages. She's a very sweet and empathetic girl, who was clever but sheltered. Kathryn being sheltered led to her being naive. The weak points in the story are with the characterization of certain characters like Agnes Howard and Francis Dereham. The author clearly intended to paint Francis in a negative light, but they gave us so little time to see Francis's abusive side. I think Francis should have been given more time to show his negative traits. I don't agree with the assessment that Kathryn never loved Francis either, when reading it she quite clearly did. The thing they describe as 'love' in the book is borders on an obsession.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn Howard was born to an impoverished younger son of a noble family. Sent to her step-grandmother as a young girl, because she was too much of a burden to her family, Kathryn was destined to rise higher than anyone ever expected. But her downfall would also be spectacular.

Kathryn Howard is probably my least favorite of Henry VIII's wives to read about. I believe that is due to most authors writing her as either a shameless temptress or a brainless twit. This book leans more to the latter characterization, but also manages to make Kathryn into a more sympathetic character than most other novels do. She shows Kathryn as a victim of the machinations of her family and the men around her, but also as someone who shows remarkable agency at crucial points of the story. It was definitely a novel take on Kathryn and I did enjoy it.

However, I did find the book to be a bit on the slow side. There was a lot of time spent at the Dowager Duchess' house and very little spent on her marriage to Henry VIII. The last part of the book felt very rushed when compared to the first 2/3.

It was good book and actually held my attention more than other books about Kathryn have. I would recommend it if you are wanting to read more about her, especially if you want something a bit different than other novels about her.

[Beth Good · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to finish this book so I could leave an accurate review but at 55% and after reading some other reviews I can’t go on.
I’m over halfway and Katherine Howard is only just about to arrive at court she has still not even met Henry. The entire first half of the book could be cut down to a couple chapters but the author seems desperate to create this idea that Henry’s 5th wife was an idiot.
I hope to one day find a better more accurate book about Katherine Howard that’s written with a little more care into the horrible marriage that resulted in the violent death of a very young woman.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I wouldn't count it as one of the greatest I have read. It certainly gave a different view of Kathryn than what normally is given, and a different take on the relationship between Kathryn and Henry. The shortest part of the book is actually Kathryn at court, which, I believe, demonstrates the short amount of time she was actually there. Many books of Kathryn tend to focus on the short amount of time she was at court, and not how she got there or who she was before.

[Shane Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my own mind I had always villainized this slender very young wife. It was interesting to read an account that was sympathetic to her plight, showing that she was but a pawn in the callous machinations of the Howard family.

[Milly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. The author does a good job weaving fiction into this period of time in history.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

“No Will But His” was unpleasant. The book massacres the character of Katherine Howard. The reader walks away from the novel with an impression of Kathryn as an empty-headed girl who can’t keep her legs closed. Such a disaster. 

[Tracy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know the ill fate of King Henry VIII's 5th queen, but this verison seemed to start a little differently: Katheryn Howard first goes to court to be engaged to her cousin, Thomas Culpepper, in an arranged marrige, as well as be in service to the new queen, Anne of Cleves, but soon catches the eye of the King.

the author seemed to sort of imply that Katheryn was a bit more naive then she actually was, at the beginning anyway. This is the 3rd book I've read on Katheryn Howard.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Will but His follows the life of Henry VIII ill fated fifth wife, Kathryn Howard. Young enough to be his daughter, Kathryn was Henry's wife for less than two years before loosing her head.

I had quite a few problems with this book. On the positive side I liked how the author kept referring back to Anne Boleyn and Kathryn's mind flashing to the ill fate of her cousin. It is something many authors ignore, but it only makes sense that the real Kathryn would remember her cousin and predecessor. Reminding the reader that Kathryn and Anne were cousin's who shared in the same fate was appreciated.

This however, is one of the few things appreciated. The book focused greatly on Kathryn's life before becoming Queen, following her entrance into her step-grandmother's house and her dalliances while living there. Hoyt characterizes Kathryn as young and naïve, wanting only to please and relive harm. I found the character hard to get into. Kathryn, though young, was raised in a time when young woman were expected to become wives and mothers by fourteen. It was difficult to reconcile this with the extreme naivety of Kathryn. Further, the Duke of Norfolk and Kathryn's grandmother just did not sit well with the historical characters they are based off of. The Duke of Norfolk is supposed to be ruthless and a man who would sacrifice anyone for himself. He comes across as almost timid in this. The grandmother is painted as knowing Kathryn's early actions and never really punishing her for them. I find that difficult to believe.

When Kathryn finally makes it to court we hear she is a maid to Anne of Cleves but we see very little of the Queen. Later we hear Kathryn has issues with her stepdaughter, Mary, but we never see them interact. So many important characters were left out of this book. Jane Boleyn, who is featured, is painted as fully mad. It is well known that Jane Boleyn was seemingly sane until her entrance into the tower. It was unbelievable that Henry VIII would allow a mad woman to remain at his court and be a lady to his wife. I could not reconcile that. Finally, Kathryn's downfall and entrance into the tower is so short and glossed over it's unbearable.

The historical errors are a little unbecoming as well. The author mentions a pianoforte early in the book (something which did not exist at the time). My biggest problem with her history though is she speak of Anne Boleyn having been in love with the Duke of Suffolk before her marriage to the King. Really? I was under the impression Anne Boleyn and Charles Brandon did not like each other, but then again what do I know. Simple mistakes like that which never could have happened if the author did at least a little research turned me off.

Overall interesting idea and take on Kathryn Howard, but the execution was poor and the writing sloppy.

[Rachel Swords · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good: it's refreshing to see Kathryn Howard not portrayed as an air-headed slut for once. Here, she is seen as an ignorant woman who is aware of this fact and is somewhat naive in the ways of men and relationships and knows it. Also, the idea of Kathryn traveling to London for her cousin's coronation is one I haven't seen before, and is thus interesting.

The Bad: Jane Boleyn is portrayed as fully mad and yet remains a member of Henry VIII's court. While her predicament is explained by way of guilt over the deaths of her husband and sister-in-law, it seems highly doubtful at the same time that such a woman would be retained as a lady-in-waiting to three different queens. More than likely in reality, had she shown any genuine signs of madness at court, Henry would have sent her home to her relations instead of keeping her on as a charity case or something. Also, the tagline on the book's cover is somewhat misleading, since the majority of the story deals with Kathryn's pre-Henry life; the royal period takes up only a third of the book.

The Ugly: the characters freely go back and forth between modern language and Shakespearean dialogue. The writing quality goes downhill once Kathryn is arrested; it's as if the author just stopped caring altogether. Henry VIII manages to name-drop each of his previous wives at least once throughout the story; save for Jane, it seems highly doubtful that he would have ever done such. Also, Henry is extremely understanding when Kathryn miscarries their child, to the point of saying "it's okay if we never have any children." Um, no? Considering Henry's obsession with having a son, he would have wanted a second boy to secure the Tudor throne. And based on past wives' miscarriages, the likelihood of him being forgiving is a bit ridiculous. Speaking of previous wives, almost all of the characters are fixated on Anne Boleyn; while this is understandable during the parts where the Howards are preparing Kathryn to ensnare the king, it is unlikely with everyone else. The biggest problem I have with this book, though, is the repetition of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that are scattered throughout. Did no one proofread this thing before sending it to press? I read this book as a library copy and the person before me circled all of the errors and they added up to the point of annoyance.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah A. Hoyt, mostly of Shakespeare fiction fame, takes one of the most scandalous wives of the Henry VIII, Kathryn Howard, in true Philippa Gregory/biographical fiction tradition. I had high hopes for this novel -there's so much juicy intrigue to pull from. How could you go wrong?

Readers first meet young Kathryn Howard when she's sent off to live in the home of the dowager duchess, a family relative. Even though Kathryn is raised to be a well-mannered, graceful young woman who will one day marry a man and bear his children, she finds herself entangled with a lustful music master and a young man named Francis Dereham, whom she hoped to marry one day. After discovering her indiscretions, the dowager duchess sends her away to be a lady-in-waiting to the new Queen Anne of Cleves, within something of a hidden agenda. Of course, much like her infamous cousin Anne Bolyen, Kathryn catches Henry's eye and eventually becomes queen herself, but of course, her questionable past catches up with her as do her other questionable deeds...

Sounds like a great recipe for some juciy fiction, doesn't it? It should have been, but Hoyt manage to make it well...boring. First, Hoyt's writing style is composed of long, windy sentences and flowery dialog that fit better with her other Shakespeare-fiction novels, but tend to leave readers out of breath. Hoyt's prose also tends to frequently fall flat, and lacks adequate detail or emotion. More importantly, No Will But His has dull characters that have hardly any personality or compelling traits that bring them alive for the reader. I was left wondering if Kathryn was ambitious, a pawn in a bigger game, or just an unintelligent flirt. I never even got a sense of romance between Kathryn and her adulterous lover Thomas Culpepper, just the need for them to come together for the purposes of the plot.

Though the plot itself is solid, there's no characterization at all. Frankly, I was sorely disappointed in No Will But His, and went away with no added understanding of Kathryn Howard the character or the historical figure. Tudor fiction fans should give this one a miss. Don't waste your time here.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, second wife beheaded by Henry VIII. We don't even know how old she was, and this novel offers a plausible explanation why.

There are some nice bits here - an early encounter with Thomas Culpepper, two early promises of strawberries that never materialize. I also liked the way Kathryn is portrayed as having too soft a heart, never being willing to hurt any creature, and easily played by "friends" like Manox who claimed hurt.

However, the book feels a bit lopsided. A whole lot about Kathryn's early life, but the time at the end of her life, her affair with Culpepper, her trial and execution, is crammed tightly together. Also, there are occasional historical goofs, like saying that Anne Boleyn had been in love with and hoped to marry SUFFOLK (when it should have been the heir to Northumberland).

Kathryn is portrayed elsewhere as being rather flighty and almost simple-minded; as portrayed here, she's brighter, if still naive, and and accomplished musician. It's an interesting look at a queen who may have been a pawn, but certainly was a gambler, and paid the ultimate price for her error.

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some annoyances with grammatical errors and some name mix-ups as others have already outlined, but overall an enjoyably easy read. Of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard fascinate me the most and I'll read just about anything about them. I like to read different views on what they might have been like. In this one, Kathryn was very naive and soft-hearted to a fault (unbelievably so).
I couldn't give it more than 3 stars though. I did look forward to reading it every night, but the switching between old-English and more modern, and the glaring mistakes brought my rating down. I also didn't like all the gambling references(were chips even used in Tudor Times?)
I was highly disappointed in the ending, from Kathryn's affair with Culpepper to her demise felt rushed and oddly cut short, there was no mention of Derham's execution, the letter Kathryn wrote to Cupepper or of Lady Rocheford's questioning. The gambling reference at the end really bugged me.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

if you ignore the issues the author has with historical details & names, and the inconsistency with old language dialogue, this book isn't too bad. written about henry VIII's fifth wife, katherine howard, the story flows relatively well. her character, while accurately majorly ignorant of life & court, suddenly becomes wise & calculating at the end. what gives? the prologue hints at this character reformation, yet it isn't well developed. if katherine was truly so ignorant of how to survive at court, the reformation provided by the author never would have taken place. there was no need to recruit men to make babies - henry himself could rarely perform as it was & she did not have anne boleyn's desperate desire to give the king a son. romping with men was her own choice as entertainment & a chance at love. i've read better versions of katherine's story.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive historical novel, teasing out the sad tale of the fifth wife of Henry VIII and perhaps the most to be pitied. Certainly this is historical fiction, but it is so well researched and is so completely in sync with the historical record, that Ms Hoyt has produced a work of which she and any serious author could be proud. Loving this Tudor period in English history, I was anxious to see what she had done with this story. It is a wonderful look-see into the life and times of Tudor royalty, and tells us more about this not-well-known young lady that got caught in the politics of her time, the ambition of her poverty stricken family, and her own desire for a life full of love and caring.

[Kjirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, since Kathryn Howard was one of Henry VIII's wives that I haven't read much about. Everyone talks through the first two wives to such great detail, and yet there are another four to be discovered... Anyhow, it was very interesting to think through how a poor girl of good family, almost no money, relatively little education, and a friendly temperament could have gotten herself involved with, and eventually in trouble with, a king of Henry's sort. I greatly enjoyed reading about her, and would welcome the opportunity to read about the other 5 wives of the king in a series with this book, should that ever come about!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on Katherine Howard's life. The author portrayed her less as a slutty idiot here, but did reinvent history just a bit. It doesn't bother me in historical fiction, but I do wish she had put an author's note explaining why she went the way she did on some of the stories.

I did like that the characters spoke in "Old English", but not so much that it was hard to read. It is a little jolting to read such modern jargon in other novels, and I thought this one hit the nail on the head with the language.

[Selkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best fictionalized account of Catherine Howard's life that I have read. In most fiction books about her, she is either portrayed as a goody-goody (as in Carolly Erickson's The Unfaithful Queen) or just as a lusty young woman that could become vindictive to those that would expose her faults.
I believe she was neither. She was just young and naive. Remembering back to when I was that age myself, I could really relate to and sympathize with her---something which was difficult to do in the other novels about her.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read about Catherine Howard-more focused on her upbringing than her marriage to Henry VIII. Her downfall and the events leading up to it seemed rather hurried but maybe that's how quickly she really fell from favor.

[Heather Domin · Rating 3 out of 5]

[to be reviewed for HNS May 2010:]

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Confession of Katherine Howard, worse than King's Rose.

It has good points and bad points, leaving me unsure how I feel about it overall.

[PennsyLady (Bev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read that brought life to the character of Katherine Howard.