Henry VIII's fourth wife seems as though she'd be the most difficult to write about, which shows despite the amount of effort and research Weir has put into this novel. Weir uses historical facts spun into stories to create additional intrigue to go alongside the months of negotiating Anna's marriage and eventual annulment, but this tale could and maybe should have been, much shorter.

I was absolutely thrilled when I received an ARC of Weir’s latest book. I love Tudor history, and Weir’s voice is solid as usual. Anna of Kleve’s story isn’t as dramatic or over-the-top like some of Henry’s other wives. Weir brings Anna’s story to light in a compelling fashion.

I am a HUGE fan of Alison Weir and was positively ecstatic when I was approved for an ARC of this book. I am also a fan of all things Tudor. This book flows seamlessly without any truly slow points. Poor Anna of Kleve never seems to get a lot of attention compared to Henry's other wives from what I have seen, and it was refreshing to read something from her point of view. A thorough, more detailed review will be posted on my blog by 5/3/19

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I absolutely loved this book. It was enthralling and I could not put it down! I love historical fiction and this was historical fiction at its best I love to see how changing one thing can make an entire story different and this really achieved that especially because the background source information provided historical accuracies that make the story more believable.

This is the fourth book in author Alison Weir’s historical fiction series Six Tudor Queens. I have always been a fan of the author and usually enjoy without reservation any book by her. This time, I find myself having a bit of a problem with part of the storyline; something she actually mentions in the author’s note that she expects to happen. Since this is a work of fiction and she does seem to have, perhaps, something to point her in this particular direction, I guess the reader must go along on the ride. I’m just not sure I liked that particular route.

The rest of the book was wonderful. The descriptions of the people, the clothing, food and places were extremely well done. Everyone came to life beautifully. By the time the book ended, I felt like I not only knew Anna, but also liked her and wished she had had a happier life.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Going into this I had limited knowledge of Anna's life and this filled in the holes for me, though of course there were liberties taken by the author on what actually happened. But like the last book her thoughts were not unfounded and fleshed out the story. That being said, the author is not--in my opinion--a good writer. There's no skill in her prose and it's only purpose was to get the story across and not necessarily enthrall you in the process. It worked fine since I wasn't expecting otherwise, based on her last book about Jane Seymour.
The description of the clothes kinda bored me because of the repetition, although it's interesting to me to hear how much money went into people's dress. I did like hearing about the food though.
I was a bit surprised to discover how much I didn't care for Anna. Sure, her situation sucked for the majority of the book in one way or another, but her personality (as portrayed here) never made me feel anything more than obligatory sympathy for her. Maybe part of it was because she was Catholic and pretty much hated the Protestants, but turned a blind eye to how much worse the Catholics actually were. I was hoping for a comment on how vicious Mary was toward Protestants and how she wasn't an endearing queen.
The book may as well have been written in first person, as all the other people were deprived of personalities I could get behind and some were severely besmirched by Anna's perspective. I did appreciate the few sentences about Thomas Cromwell as I'm currently fascinated by him.
Overall the history was there and presented in clear terms, but if you want the juicy drama (and more of it) to pull you in via exquisite prose, look elsewhere.

I have been aware of Alison Weir as a historical biographer for many years, so was eager to read this novel about a woman I always found extremely interesting, Henry VIII's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, Frankly, I was enormously disappointed. While I understand that the author was speculating about Anna's personal life, and of course, this IS fiction, I nonetheless had expected better of Ms. Weir. Further, I felt that Anna's character was not well developed, nor were any of the other characters in the story. I found Anna quite shallow, and not terribly sympathetic, even given her almost cloistered upbringing and the turmoil she was thrust into on marrying the fearsome King of England. My initial thought on realizing that this novel was fourth in a series was that I might need to read the previous three; having finished it, I think I'll pass on the rest of the series.

Much appreciation, nonetheless, to NetGalley and Ballantine Books, who provided an eARC in return for my honest opinion.

Because Henry VIII’s fourth marriage was purely political it does not appear to have the same drama as his other marriages. Yet, in Alison Weir’s biographical novel Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait, the author infuses this queen with personality and strength. Weir uses her German title, rather than the more familiar Anne of Cleves throughout the book.

Anna was raised in a very rigid court where she and her sister were expected to learn the skills of the perfect German noblewoman. Education is deemed an unnecessary waste of a girl’s time when she should be concentrating on needlework, cooking so she could run a perfect kitchen, and mastering other housewifely skills in anticipation of keeping her noble husband comfortable and happy. Art and music were frivolous and there was no need to develop an entertaining conversational manner since she would remain a silent single woman until she married when she would defer to her husband at all times. Her ideas and thoughts would remain private. Her knowledge of the marriage bed would be innocent. Nevertheless, Anna loved her family, the court, and her country She was both excited and afraid when, at 24, she was contracted to the much married king of England based on a portrait by Holbein and her valued reputation.

Weir takes her princess to the English court where her shining prince is actually an obese middle-aged man in constant pain from a leg covered in smelly, weeping wounds. Anna has to navigate a society which counteracts everything she has been taught. Her formal clothes are too German; her manners too crude; her social skills nonexistent. Still, if Henry does not find her the beauty he expected, he slowly begins to appreciate her honesty, loyalty, and kindness.

Weir illustrates just how treacherous Anna’s life was. She has to stay true to her Catholic faith while accepting Henry’s split with Rome and she has to ignore the fact that reformers believe her to be sympathetic to the reformers and followers of Luther. She has made enemies even before she sets foot on English soil….men who would sacrifice her to see a member of their own family as queen. One step wrong on her part and she could be sent back to Kleve in disgrace with the alliance between the countries in shatters or worse, she could suffer the fate of Boleyn. For the years she is in England, both and queen and as the beloved “sister” of the king, she has to be wary. At any hint of scandal, she could be cut off without a penny and her retinue would be destitute even as she is expected, somehow, to keep a quality establishment.

Anna in this book is charming, clever, and inventive. Weir bases her heroine on extensive research, diaries, letters, and court records. I found the account fascinating. Although I enjoyed it, I was less able to accept the substantial subplot with Anna’s cousin Otho. In her author’s notes, Weir explains why she added to Anna’s story and that she realized that the plot would be controversial. I agree that it humanized Anna, but I think her story really did not need it.

This is a very interesting and fast-moving story. A solid four stars in my opinion,

There have been many books written about Anna of Kleve, this one is told from Anna’s perspective with the story telling flair of Alison Weir. Anna of Kleve was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England and was from a small German Duchy. Although that area was leaning more toward religious reform, Anna was a devout Catholic. In her Duchy, royal girls we not taught much more than to read, write and obey. At 24 years old Anna was ready to marry and when King Henry sets his sights on her she was understandably hesitant as his other marriages had not gone smoothly. Henry ask for a portrait to be painted of her so he could see what she looked like, of course she had to pass his inspection. The painter choose to paint her from a more front view as to hide her rather long nose. Having passed inspection, Henry chose to marry her and had her sent to England.

Although Henry did go through with the marriage he was reluctant to stay married for very long. Anna was just not as appealing in person as he had hoped. It didn’t take long for him to come up with an excuse that would put her aside and put the painter in jail. Anna, having learned from Queen Katherine’s mistake, agreed to go along with Henry’s desire to set her aside and did not fight it. This is probably why he took care of her for the rest of his life and referred to her as “the King’s sister”. Anna’s life was rather dull from there forward. She managed her estates and tried to make her money last as inflation hit England. She became friends with both of Henry’s daughters and for the most part stayed away from scandal, although it sometimes found her.

This particular historical fiction work plays to some of the gossip of the time that Anna had been in love prior to her marriage and had children with another man. While somehow managing to hide it from court both before and after her marriage to Henry. As is typical of an Alison Weir novel every storyline was closely matched to historical facts and where the history is lacking she weaves a backstory that is completely plausible and believable and keeps you turning the page until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating fictional tale of Anna of Kleve. Well written and very descriptive. You almost feel like you are part of the story. This is the first book I have read in this series and I will go back and read the rest.

First line: Anna peered through the window of the gatehouse, watching the chariot trundling through below, enjoying the rich sensuousness of the new silk gown she was wearing, and conscious of her parents’ expectations of her.

Summary: Anna of Kleve is the daughter of a German duke. She is raised to be the wife of a powerful man. When Henry VIII is unexpectedly widowed, he is in search of a fourth wife. His ministers look to Anna for this honor. As Anna embarks on the journey to England she worries about what her life will be like as the Queen of England. After her initial encounter with her future husband her worries mount. Does he like her? He does not appear to. However, as the first months of her marriage progress her worries begin to vanish. Then she receives news that the king has grave doubts about their union. What does this mean for Anna? Will he send her to her death like one of her predecessors?

My Thoughts: Anna is probably one of the least talked about of Henry’s wives. I have read numerous books about the other five but she seems to be largely forgotten. This is rather sad because she was probably the luckiest of the six wives.

I really enjoyed learning more about her life before, during and after her marriage. She led such a sheltered life before coming to England. I cannot imagine the shock of life in Henry’s court compared to Kleve. And the fact that her husband is an obese man who had killed a previous wife. How terrifying! Her reign as queen was a very short lived one. However, she seemed to have made quite an impression on the people of England. I was very frustrated reading about the struggles she had to deal with after the death of the king. She was an important lady and was treated very badly by the men who ran the government of the new king, Edward VI.

Weir took a lot of liberties with the history by adding in a romance that has no basis in fact. Even though it deviates from the record it was fun to read and imagine that Anna had some love in her life.

This is not a book that can be read quickly. There is tons of information, characters and time to cover. I spent several weeks slowly working my way through the narrative but I found it fascinating. Weir does a great job bringing life to the wives. I am highly anticipating her books on Katheryn Howard and Katherine Parr.

FYI: This is book four in the Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir.

This is the fourth installment of the Six Tudor Queens series. I love all of Alison Weir's books but this one had a lot of different information regarding Anna of Kleve. Alison took a lot of creative leeway in this account of Anna but it wasn't all unpleasant. I think Anna was the luckiest off Henry's brides. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Is it possible to write an engaging novel about a dull character? This novel would suggest that it's not. In trying to add color to what little is known about Henry VIII's fourth wife, Alison Weir resorts to some romance-novel tropes that I didn't find at all convincing. The simplistic prose didn't help; every time a chapter ended with a question, I was reminded of the "EastEnders" spoilers that appear in "What's On" magazine ("Would the Council grant her an increase in her royal alliance?" "Will Billy tell Honey the truth about the mysterious phone calls?"). Weir's previous novel, about Jane Seymour, gave insight and personality into another shadowy historic figure; here, Anna of Kleve doesn't get the same treatment.

Another wonderful installment of the Six Tudor Queen series. We follow Anna of Kleve who probably most know is Henry the 8th's fourth wife. I think Weir tires of writing the same old story for these queens as she introduces a few story lines here she has hypothesized could have happened but are not fact. She did this similarly in Boleyn's novel and since this is historical fiction and she explain's always in the back in the Author's Note why and how she did this - I'm ok with it! I can see how this may turn some people off but it's fresh and I like to see Weir's creativity flair.

This novel made me love the kind and extremely generous Anne/a of Kleve.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I love Alison Weir's writing and storytelling. She brings you in and introduces you to Princess Anna, the "luckiest" of King Henry VIII's wives. It was a nice change of pace not to have to read another Tudor historical fiction that fixated on the ordeals of Anne Boleyn. I actually didn't know much about Anna, but I had just read Philippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance and had looked up more about her. It was fun to see the different takes on her between the two books. Weir's tales are far from boring and make history so entertaining. This was no exception.

Anna of Kleve was the first book in this series I can say I honestly enjoyed. Probably because, mercifully, George, Anne and Jane Boleyn are only rarely referenced in it (Weir's take on all three of them in the preceding books nearly gave me heart failure). Anna is kind and endearing, the sort of protagonist that you come to love even in spite of her missteps. Weir makes it clear that even though she is thought of as Henry VIII's luckiest wife, things weren't always coming up roses for her and the Tudor court remained a treacherous place...even if you lived far from the palace. These dangerous times put Anna in a precarious position and I often found myself getting really irritated by historical persons I normally admire...which is good because it underlines the fact that no one is purely good or evil. The conclusion was heart-rending and I found myself tearing up at Anna's farewell.

Anna of Kleve is often described in history as being the luckiest of Henry VIII’s six wives because she was fortunate enough to escape their passionless marriage relatively unscathed. Not only did she not meet the deadly fate of the Tudor king’s five other wives, she was bequeathed the title of the “King’s Sister,” and afforded many handsome property holdings as long as she remained in England, which she did for the rest of her life. However, there is more to the “Princess in the Portrait” than history would reveal. Master Tudor biographer and novelist Alison Weir brings Henry VIII’s fourth wife to life in the next installment of her Six Tudor Queens series - Anna of Kleves: The Princess in the Portrait.

If there is one thing that Alison Weir does well, it is painting a full picture of historical figures who are often portrayed in one light, their story remembered in only one way. Anna of Kleves is no exception. The German “daughter of Kleves” is often described as the one who got away from a mad king, an uncomely and smelly girl who looked nothing like her portrait, who disgusted King Henry to the point that he demanded an annulment, and died at a young age a maid. However, Weir is quick to tell us that there may be more to Anna’s story than meets the eye.

Basing her work on historical instances, and using her license as a novelist to imagine what happened in Anna’s life, Weir opens this story with a licentious scandal. This is not the Anna of Kleves history warned you about. From there, it is one wild ride into the arms of a formidable king, albeit for a brief period of time, to being a single, yet powerful woman in her own right.

While Anna of Kleves is not the most exciting of Weir’s Tudor Queens novels - after her annulment from Henry, much of her life consists of the upkeep of her numerous estates, becoming embroiled in religious debates, and worrying about making ends meet - it is thorough. Anyone wanting to learn more about the fourth Tudor queen most assuredly needs to read this novel.

I cant get enough of Alison Weir's writing nor of the wives of Henry VIII. Weir begin her novel with a twist: Anna has a secret. Weir brings the characters to life in her usual fashion with rich descriptions and great dialogue. Readers will be swept back to Tudor England and the nefarious deceptions of a declining king who still clung to old ideals.

Alison Weir's books are always informative, and entertaining. Anna of Kleve has always been my favorite of Henry's wives. Yes, I have a favorite Tudor wife. Anna is mysterious. Little is actually known of her. Han Holbein painted a pretty, young woman. Was she a maiden? Was she innocent and pure? Was she as attractive as Holbein's picture?

This book is a fictional account of Anna's life. From page one, the reader is riveted to her story. I actually became annoyed when she left for England, knowing how her ill fated marriage ended. She may have been the luckiest of Henry's wives. Not beheaded, or just divorced, but she became the King's 'beloved sister'. I think, in his own way, Henry did love Anna. I'm sure she had secrets of her own, I'm not certain about the secrets put forward in Ms Weir's book, however, they do make sense. Anna's fear throughout the book was palpable. I felt it with her each time someone came to her home. Her end was tragic and painful. The reader is able to comprehend and experience the love she experienced from those around her.

This is a fantastic book. My favorite in the series so far. I look forward to Catherine Howard's story. I think she was the most unlucky of wives. Too young for the aging king.

5 stars

Alison Weir's latest novel provides a portrait of Anna of Kleve, Henry VIII's fourth wife. It opens when Anna is fourteen and discusses the fashion, politics and concerns of the day in Kleve (Germany). Anna is a staunch Catholic and does not want to marry Henry. (Although most people mistakenly align her with the Lutheran faith.) She has heard the horrendous stories about his former wives and his erratic temperament.

However, she has been raised to obey and her brother is Wilhelm the Duke of Kleve and he wants this alliance with England. After much haggling about the terms of the marriage with Henry pushing and Wilhelm not wanting to appear too eager, Anna at age twenty-four is finally on her way to England to marry a king who is twice her age.

The marriage does not go well. After Henry has his marriage to Anna annulled using the grounds that her pre-contract with the Duke of Lorraine when she was just a child was not officially cancelled, Anna goes on to lead a different kind of life. (His eye has been caught by another woman.) While Anna is no longer the queen of England, she nonetheless lives in a very comfortable manner, retaining the friendship of Henry's children Mary and Elizabeth. She becomes happy with her lot. She no longer has to worry about Henry's mercurial temperment, or his aging, overweight and not a little smelly person. Henry has declared that she is to be called his sister.

Henry visits Anna from time to time and a friendship develops between them. Rumors about their relationship and Henry's willingness to take Anna back as his wife are rampant. It sometimes seems there is little else to do at court besides gossip. These rumors upset and plague Anna to no end.

This is a well written partly “what if” story about the life of Anna of Kleve. Ms. Weir has obviously done exhaustive research on her subject and has pulled out trinkets of information about Anna and Henry. We are introduced to the numerous people in Anna's life from courtiers to the maids and those who attended her. The reader learns about daily life in both Kleve and England in the 16th Century. It is a wonderful book. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series about Katheryn Howard. Well done, Ms. Weir!

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/ Ballantine Books for forwarding to me a copy of this most interesting and riviting book for me to read, enjoy and review.