Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

The Tudor time period is one I enjoy. Anne of Cleves (Kleve) is probably the queen of Henry VIII that I am the least familiar with. I know this is fiction, but it is interesting knowing it is Lowell based on facts. Ms. Weir’s style of writing is engaging. As long as people know it’s fiction, not fact, this is a great read.

Book 4 of Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait was a bit long and I believe had too much more information than was necessary. However, overall it was an interesting read. I would love to read more from this author.

Synopsis: The surprising and dramatic life of the least known of King Henry VIII’s wives is illuminated in the fourth volume in the Six Tudor Queens series—for fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and The Crown.

Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her.

Actually, 2. 5 stars
Anne of Cleves is the least favored Tudor queen not only by Henry VIII but also by the public. Writers tend to dismiss her story in favor of the more scandalous Katherine Howard. Because of Henry VIII’s rejection of Anne of Cleves, the public also dismisses her believing her to be dull and plain. In the fourth installment Six Tudor Queens series, Alison Weir attempts to make Anne of Cleves a sympathetic and compelling figure by fleshing out her backstory before she marries Henry VIII.

Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors, and I have admired her Six Tudor Queens series. However, Anne of Cleves was not a compelling figure to me. She was a very passive character throughout the story. Most of the time, I thought that she was simply a spectator in her own story! Also, I was disappointed in Anne of Cleves' backstory. I felt that by giving Anne an implausible backstory gave me the message that Henry VIII was justified in putting her aside in favor of a younger and prettier wife. Thus, Alison Weir did not do Anne of Cleves justice!

Overall, this story is about lost love, renewed love, political and courtly intrigue. There were vivid scenes and the setting seemed very realistic. However, the characters were not fleshed out, and I could not sympathize with Anne of Cleves. This is the worst novel in the Six Tudor Queens series and a major disappointment. I appreciate that the author was trying to put a new spin on the centuries old tale. However, it was not well-executed and went beyond belief. Thus, I recommend it if you are a fan of The Tudors. However, in the meantime, I will be waiting for a better novel that brings freshness and believability to the oft overlooked queen.

A decent continuation of the series. More than Jane’s turn, I Enjoyed this, though the voice took an adjustment.

I do feel that the story would be helped by streamlining it. There’s just so much detail. On the whole, the book could definitely could stand to lose 100 pages/some of the finer unnecessary details (so much about clothes & the minutiae of Anna’s journeys, etc.)

Long, dense, but a believable version of KH8’s fourth (and long-suffering) wife.

★★★ stars out of five.

Alison Weir's historical novels are off the charts. Her book about Anna of Kleve is well researched. This is an excellent read for Tudor fans who want to learn more about Henry VIII's fourth wife.

What a story! Very engaging and about a part of the human experience I don't know about, so it was easy to get caught up.

Anna of Kleve by Alison Weir was a wonderful surprise of a book for me. I LOVE to read about Tudor England and Alison is one of my favorite authors but usually I know what is to come. I am obsessed with the whole time period and all the drama that took place. That was not the case with this book. I was surprised about some of what was said about Henry the VIII’s fourth wife, but after reading what Alison said about those sections of the book in her Author’s notes at the end, it made it more believable.

You know when you are reading a book like this that there are areas that are guesses by the author but if you like to read any books about this period of England’s history, Alison Weir is the first author I would recommend. A must read if you love Tudor England.

A interesting look into the life and times of Henry Vlll’s wives. Why did he reject her and still keep her in his life. Divorce? Why not marry her at all. Read this in depth story to find out in the series of his wives. I highly recommend this book.

Another beautifully written story of a woman that rarely gets her due. Bravo, Anna, who survived a monster and made her own life in the wake of it. Love Alison Weir's series about the Tudor queens!

Sadly when i tried to read this, I had problems opening it and since it was already way past the time to try to get it again.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley

I read this novel *after* reading Katherine Howard’s story. I found the end of this novel very repetitive, as Anne’s later life was defined by not having enough money and mainly going on progress to her various castles. I enjoyed learning about Anne’s early life in Kleves, and I also liked reading the “Author’s Note” about some of the historical liberties she chose to take with Anne’s story.

I always love Alison Weir's biographies of Henry's queens, and was thrilled to see Anne of Cleves finally get some attention! Beautifully researched and written, as all of Weir's books are - I loved this.

It was very easy to relate to Anna while the story progressed along and very difficult to stop reading until the end of the book.

Anna, daughter of Kleve, is King Henry VIII's fourth wife. While this tells a slightly different story of Anna's early life, the story is wonderfully written and is excellently told. 5 stars!

In Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait, readers are introduced to Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anna von Kleve, commonly referred to as Anne of Cleves. Following the loss of his third wife, Jane Seymour—who died less than two weeks after the birth of Henry’s longed-for male heir, Prince Edward—it was decided Henry’s next wife should be the means of forming a political alliance, in case England was attacked by France and the Holy Roman Empire. Thomas Cromwell (Henry’s Principle Secretary and Chief Minister) suggested Anna, so the King sent Hans Holbien to paint a portrait of Anna and her younger sister, Amalia. Henry would use the portraits to decide which sister to marry. Pleased with Anna’s portrait, Henry chose her to be his wife.

The King (wearing a disguise) met Anna for the first time in Rochester on New Year’s Day, 1540. Anna failed to recognize him, displeasing the King, who decided she looked nothing like her portrait. He no longer wished to marry her, but to back out of the marriage would threaten the alliance with Kleve, which Henry believed he needed. In order to preserve that alliance, Henry and Anna were married January 6, 1540—but their marriage was never consummated. The morning after their wedding, Henry reportedly told Cromwell: “I liked her not well before, but now I like her much worse, for I have felt her belly and her breasts, and thereby, I can judge, she should be no maid, which so strake me to the heart when I felt them that I had neither will nor courage to proceed any further in other matters.” (Quote source: Author’s Note, Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait.)

Within six months, Anna was ordered to leave the Court, and shortly afterwards was asked to give consent to an annulment. Anna agreed, and their marriage was annulled July 9, 1540. Pleased with her acquiescence, Henry gave her a generous settlement of properties and income, referred to Anna as “The King’s Beloved Sister,” and decreed that she would be given precedence over all the women of England, except for his wife and daughters.

None of this is a spoiler, it’s all history. (I may or may not have gotten a bit carried away in sharing all of that, but hey… I’m a history geek. It’s what I do.) Weir covers all of this within the book, as well as historical events that take place following the annulment of the marriage all the way up to Anna’s death. (I’m betting anyone reading this review is relieved I didn’t mention all of that, as well!) So how did the fictional aspects of the story fare? Weir made a bold choice in that regard… and it is likely to prove controversial among Tudor enthusiasts. (This is an assumption on my part, as I’ve not yet read any reviews of this book… but I suspect it will prove to be a correct assumption.)

I won’t discuss what that ‘bold choice’ was in this review, but I will say that it was definitely surprising, and more than a little shocking to me when I realized where things were heading. It put a whole new spin on the failure of Anna’s marriage to Henry, and—even though I don’t consider it to be something that could have actually happened—the idea of it certainly sparks the imagination, and made for an intriguing storyline. It gives the reader something new to discover amidst all the historical fact, an unknown with the potential to take the story in a completely different direction that they expected it would… and in doing so, keeps the story fresh and entertaining.

Anna was the wife to live the longest—surviving not only Henry, but his heir, as well. As such, Anna’s story includes (to some degree) Katherine Howard, Katherine Parr, Edward VI, and Mary I. With each succeeding monarch, Anna’s life—not to mention, her financial circumstances— was to change course in ways that were completely out of her control. This was of particular interest to me, as I was either unaware or had forgotten what became of Anna after Henry’s death. This, along with the fictional storyline I mentioned earlier, kept me eagerly reading until the end.

Historical fact and fictional possibilities combined served to make Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait a fascinating read. The bold choice that drives the fictional storyline may not appeal to all readers, but it gave the story a unique edge not found elsewhere. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to others who enjoy reading Tudor historical fiction.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Ballantine Books via Netgalley.

I loved Anna’s story but didn’t love the MANY huge deviations from history. It felt too fictional for me.

Although Anna of Kleve is not without its flaws, it is so enjoyable to finally read a novel about Henry the Eighth's most overlooked wife, Anne of Cleves. The writing is a bit stilted in places, but fans of Henry the Eught and his many wives, or of the TV show The Tudors or of Philippa Gregory's historical novel set during the Tudor period should definitely check this book out!

Alison Weir returns with yet another fascinating novel in her Six Tudor Queens series, this time focusing on one of the lesser known Tudor queens and Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anna of Kleve. Although Anna’s time on the throne was brief, and not much about her life before her time on the throne, and her past in general, is known, Weir has managed to weave a richly detailed and unique portrait of Anna’s life with her skilled imagination. Each and every one of the novels in the Six Tudor Queens series has been richly crafted, engaging, and entertaining in it’s own way, and this installment in the series was no exception and certainly did not disappoint.

Anna of Kleve may have been the least scandalous of all of Henry VIII’s wives, but she was still fascinating in her own right. Despite the fact that not much is known about her, especially before she became the Queen of England, Weir took what little is known and created a vivid portrait of what her life may have been like before and after she ascended to the throne,

Anna Grew up in Germany and was a princess, as she was tied to the Duchy of Kleve. A scandalous encounter in the early 1530’s left Anna emotionally scarred and forever changed, but she was unable to ever speak of it other than to the few who knew about it, due to the time in which she lived, and the fact that her family was royalty.

Anna eventually learned that she was to become the King of England’s wife, and when she finally met him for the first time, it was disastrous.

One of the things that is well known about Anna of Kleve is that Henry VIII took an instant dislike to his fourth wife. Despite this most unfortunate first meeting, the king still agreed to marry her anyway, but quickly regretted it. Henry then set about coming up with a way to divorce her however he could, and also set out to get Anna to agree to end the marriage, and his terms were that if she were to agree to the divorce, Henry vowed to thereafter consider and treat her as his dear sister. Anna was a smart woman, and knowing what kind of man Henry was, agreed to the terms, and she knew what was being offered was a far better deal than being exiled or executed, a fate that some of her predecessors suffered. True to his word, Henry did in fact treat her as a beloved sister, and furthermore, she fared a far better fate than the wives that came before her did. Anna was also given various properties, an income, and was allowed to retain her household staff and advisors for the rest of her life. Anna was a strong, enigmatic woman, and this strength helped her to overcome everything she had to endure, in the face of all that she had to endure throughout her life.

Anna of Kleve’s life was not as well documented as some of Henry’s other wives, but Alison Weir managed to weave historical fact with fiction, and created a richly detailed story that documents the story of Anna of Kleve’s life. Weir created a plausible and believable story, and it is one that will keep you turning the pages eagerly in order to learn more about Anna’s story.

This was yet another great addition to the Six Tudor Queens series, and is definitely a must read for anyone who loves Tudor era historical fiction.

I was excited to read this, my first by this author who has an excellent reputation for writing historical biographical fiction. I expected some fiction and embellishment but felt this book went too far. There is apparently no evidence of the incident described early in the book, nor any evidence of the consequences of the event. I see little purpose to include it in the story, inevitably many will accept it as truth, because people believe stories like this as if they are actually biographical despite even the author statement afterwards which clearly states it is her own addition, not fact.
There is truly little of interest about Anne of Cleves, other than the fact that she’s actually a woman Henry VIII did not bed, and in fact refused to have relations with, and she actually survived and thrived after their marriage was dissolved.
I assume the story had to be written to complete the series, so the author did what she could to make it interesting, but it really isn’t.