This book tells the tale of young Katheryn who becomes the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.
There were so many things that could've been great about this book however, the author chose to focus on much of the sexual escapades that surrounded Katheryn at her grandmother's home. As her life advances and she become the wife of Henry, we must endure more details of their marriage bed and of her affair with her cousin, Tom. It is a fact but revolting that Henry would choose such a young girl to wife.
I wanted to read this because the members of this family are my ancestors but I didn't enjoy the details that played out nearly every meeting between her and the husband or the lover.
For my preference, it was the wrong direction. My views are my own. Thank you NetGalley & Random House.

Katheryn Howard the Scandalous Queen, a novel of the fifth wife of Henry VIII, is told in the voice of the young woman, beginning at the death of her mother in childbirth when Katheryn was seven. (Her precise date of birth is debated according to Weir, which might well impact her behavior in her short life, i.e. immaturity in spite of her setting) Not long after, her father, a spendthrift member of the Howard family, sent all of his children away, Katheryn to the home of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk where she will grow up with other young women of similar backgrounds.

This is where the novel began to disappoint and lose me. Here at the Dowager Duchess’ castle, Katheryn gradually comes to know of the other women’s/girl’s lives in their “dorter,” a communal space the women shared with inadequate supervision (according to Katheryn). While Katheryn had a personal chamber, her curiosity led her eventually to ask to join the others and at a point (? Twelve) she was allowed. There was feasting. There were visits from young men also quartered with the Duchess. Here Katheryn was introduced to sex. And we hear all her thoughts, hopes, worries, fears, etc, etc, etc. Here the novel moves into the realm of sexy romantic historical fiction. More teenage romance and sex than history for a few years.

There is more, such as the crude Howard family plot to use Katheryn to ensnare Henry, who believes she is a chaste, pure young thing, and Katheryn’s internal musings on what might have been with a younger lover. It became a bit much for me as I found her voice tiresome. And of course there is only one way for the novel about the fifth wife of Henry VIII to end...

I know that I am outnumbered in my feelings about this book by others’ praise but this simply hit me wrong, while I did like Weir’s novel about Ann of Cleves. I believe it’s the romance novel aspect that got me.

2.5* rounded to 3*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a rich narrative that was compelling to read. I learned so much from the historical aspect. I must seek more of Ms. Weirs’ work.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the fifth book in the Six Tudor Queen series by Alison Weir, This one focuses on Katheryn Howard. Just like the previous books in the series you get the backstory of one of Henry's queens. While this one was just as well written and researched as the others in the series this one wasn't my favorite. And it had nothing to do with the story, but with the simple fact that Katheryn Howard was my least favorite of Henry's wives.

First line: Katheryn was seven when her mother died.

Summary: Katheryn Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, lead a very scandalous life before her marriage. She grew up as a charity case, living off of the kindness of family. However, she got the great chance of living with her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. While there she meets several men who she falls quickly in and out of love with. And then one day she earns a place among Queen Anna of Kleves household which puts her in the path of the King. She is delighted but when the King sets his sights on her she begins to worry that her past will catch up with her.

My Thoughts: I have enjoyed all of Weir’s Six Wives books. I think she did a great job bringing Katheryn’s story to life. Unfortunately the girl made some terrible mistakes and had to pay for them so dearly. I learned more about her earlier life. I was fairly familiar with her time in the Duchess’ household and in Henry’s court but before that was a mystery to me.

It’s sad that she was pushed around from house to house. It makes it easy for me to see why she was constantly looking for someone to love and love her back. Out of all the women I think her story is the saddest. She was so young. She was being maneuvered by her family into the King’s life. She had very little choice over her life. I am looking forward to the final novel about Katherine Parr.

FYI: This is book 5 in the series.

As you may have noticed I’ve been on a touch of a historical fiction kick this year. I was thrilled when NetGalley approved me to read an ARC of Katheryn Howard! As a fan of Six the musical I have become more and more interested in Katheryn Howard over the last few months. Earlier this year I read a young adult novel about her story, but I have to say that Alison Weir’s take on her life gave greater insight into who Miss Howard was.

To me this story was a long drawn out cautionary tale. While I didn’t always love Katheryn’s decisions, they made sense with how her life played out. Her willful naivety and easily swayed heart left her life to be one of tragedy and ruin. To me it was astounding that someone who became queen would care only for the frivolous of court, when that court could be a vipers nest. Nevertheless, Weir shows that she gave her love wholeheartedly which led to her rise and downfall.

I appreciated seeing a character so different from me, yet one that you could understand. To envision the story as it happened, and accurately weave in both truths and myths of her reign was artfully done. I will gladly be picking up the others in this series! I will warn that it is a slow paced read, better for those looking for a long journey rather than a quick romp through history.

Thanks to NetGalley, Allison Weir, and Ballantine Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really did not like this book. It took me a while to finish and I struggled with how long it was. It could have been a lot shorter and I did not like the characterization at all. I usually love historical fiction but this book was not good.

A wonderfully sympathetic look at Henry VIII's fifth wife, who far too often is written off as a flighty, shallow sex addict. Loved that this retelling allowed Katheryn to have layers, and positioned her choices in the context of both her time and upbringing, rather than simply condemning her for them. Great addition to this series.

First, I’d like to thank Netgalley, Alison Weir, and Random House Publishing for allowing me to review this ARC.

I’ll admit I was pretty excited about reading this novel. Though Katheryn Howard is not my favorite of Henry VIII’s queens, I am a fan of Weir and enjoyed how she gave more attention to the childhood of the queens in the previous four novels. Knowing very little about Katheryn’s early years I was ready to see what Weir would create.

The book started off well enough and was quite enjoyable. There is a steady climb that keeps the reader’s interest. Weir creates very sympathetic character in Katheryn, with the early loss of her mother, the shuffling from one home to another, and the lack of a strong female role model (easy to see how she might cling to those ready and willing to give affection/take advantage of a young girl from a noble family).

After Katheryn makes her way to court and settles in with the household of Anne of Cleves the book stalls, and it’s very hard to remain interested. It’s also around this time that language in the book shifts and becomes more juvenile. This may have been on purpose, due to Katheryn’s young age, but she almost goes from being a more complex character to a more simple and naive girl.

Things start to pick up again when Lady Rochford enters the household, however not in a good way. Lady Rochford is portrayed as the instigator behind the renewal of the relationship between Katheryn and Thomas Culpeper, doing her best to push them together; reminiscent of those films from the 1990’s on peer pressure. Katheryn finally gives in, and eventually, as the story goes is finally caught.

While awaiting the determination of their fates, Lady Rochford goes mad. She blurts out that she had no cause to give evidence against her husband George and his sister Anne, except that he was abusive and she wanted him out of the way so she made up the charges of incest. I’ve come to expect this portrayal of Jane of for a long time believed it myself. But a look at sources and new research into Her life Jane Boleyn is not malicious and vindictive woman she made out to be.

I have always seen Alison Weir as fair-minded and authentic; someone who gets the facts and reports them as such. She is even gracious enough to admit when she has made a mistake and do her best to correct it. But I must say I was very disappointed in this. There is no evidence that Lady Rochford gave evidence against her husband George or his sister Anne. In fact, She was the only one to reach out to George while he was in the Tower awaiting his trial. And though she could have gotten into trouble with Henry VIII she continued to wear mourning for George. To me, these are not the actions of someone who is malicious and vengeful.

I was hoping that in her author’s note that Weir would would state she embellished on Jane’s character to add to the story, but she didn’t mention it.

Overall, the book was okay. It was not my favorite. It didn’t seem to have the magic and passion within it that Ive seen in Weir’s previous works. I do look forward to reading the next installment.

Thanks again to Netgalley, Alison Weir, and Random House Publishing for allowing me to review this novel.

Really loved this. Gave a whole different and more in-depth perception of Henry’s young wife. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to any Henry viii fans!

A serviceable entry into the file, Alison Weir’s latest is a complete telling of the life of Katheryn Howard, the 5th wife of King Henry VIII, but does not attempt to go below the surface of its heroine’s choices. While this telling might comport with the historical record, I believe that Katheryn may not be as compelling to modern readers as other, more active figures from English history.

Allison Weir’s deep research continues to produce novels that show the characters of Henry the VIII’s wives. Yes, we know what happened to them, but in fleshing out the story, historian Weir can take them out of the history books and make them into real flesh and blood women. This book is no exception.

Alison Weir has written a slightly awkward but still compelling book about Katheryn Howard, the youngest of Henry VIII's six wives, a girl who was pushed and prodded into power and who could not and did not know or understand how dangerously precarious her life became even when she was queen. She was a victim of grasping relatives and of a man who wanted to believe he was a church and a kingdom even as it was readily apparent he was dying. Her story is heartbreaking.

Another fantastic book by Alison Weir, I have loved exploring the lives of Henry’s wives through her story telling which has interested me in a part of history that never quite appealed to me before.

I feel like this might have been the most honest portrayal of Katheryn Howard that I've read.

I've consumed a lot of media about the Tudors. I find them fascinating - the personalities, political machinations, court intrigue - it is endlessly compelling. But I've always felt that certain people have gotten the short end of the stick. They call out to me, Mary Tudor, Lady Jane Grey, and Katheryn Howard.

Katheryn in particular, because no one seems to know what to do with her. I've seen her portrayed as an idiot, a nymphomaniac, a naive child. But how much of that is true? When history is written by those opposed to who you are (a mere girl from a family they disapproved of, in Katheryn's case) it will often show you in a bad light. Yes, she was very young. But youth doesn't have to equate to stupid or childlike.

Weir, however, seeks to give us a Katheryn who was aware of what she did. She had agency. Sure, she was in a situation where she had very little choice. Yet she still takes the reins. She knows that her choices have consequences. However, she is very young and uneducated and easily influenced by others. Whether it was the girls at Lambeth who she looked up to (leading her to begin relationships with Mannox and Dereham), or Jane Rochford egging her on to meet with Culpepper. She grew up in Anne Boleyn's shadow. What happened to Anne hung over her like a cloud. She knew what happened to Henry's queens.

What struck me in this novel, was that her downfall came at the hands of those who should have protected her. Her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess, knew what a danger Francis Dereham could be. Yet she still gave in to his threats and sent him to Katheryn to give him a place in her household. If the adults in the room had stepped in - you can't tell me a powerful family like the Howards didn't have the ability to silence someone like Dereham - Katheryn might have lived. They were all aware that Katheryn had been in relationships with me prior to the King, yet they lied to his face and called her a virtuous virgin. But that's the story of most girls of this period (and throughout history, for that matter). They were pawns in a game of powerful men seeking more power and privilege.

I enjoyed Weir's take on Katheryn Howard, though overall I felt it was a little on the dense side. It was very heavy with facts and names, particularly in the first half before Katheryn even comes to court. This made the reading rather slow (it took me a full month to read this book and it was only 457 pages). But even so, I enjoyed the story. I appreciate that Weir's historical fiction is heavy on history.

It was a little hard for me to rate this book... I wanted to do 3.5 stars but it won't let me do half stars. I would say that the book accurately depicts what Katherine was alleged to have done, but like with many things in history, that should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Henry got what he wanted whether accusations were true, overstated, or totally false... and we don't really have a way to dispute them as the "trial" evidence is pretty much what we have to work with. (Short of a time machine anyway... can we borrow the Tardis?)

What made me decide to knock off a few stars, was first, that some of the descriptions went way further than was necessary. I don't know if it was done on purpose for the shock value or what but I really could have done without the description that she rode Francis like a stallion. They wouldn't have described it that way back then, no need to do it now... stay with the historical period, this is not a harlequin romance. The other reason was that it was written a bit like a teenager would think (I mean I get that she was a teenager, but she was a teenager in a different time, not today... this sounded more like a teenager today). Katherine did a lot of, oh I shouldn't, I really shouldn't, I won't!, no I really won't, oh I have no self control so I'm going to do it. So it kind of irked me that later in the book she "didn't realize the gravity of the consequences of what she had done, or she wouldn't have done it". I call BS. She debated with herself, knew she shouldn't do it, knew what had happened to her cousin, but did it anyway. Could it have happened that way? Sure. However, reading it the way it was written just came across as annoying to me. Going with the total denial that she didn't know she was doing wrong would have played better, but that's just my opinion.

Overall, not a bad book. It won't be added to my list of favorites but I do like reading fictional takes on historical figures and this is only an interpretation, not fact. Some will enjoy it, others won't.

The Tudor family story is an often told, always fascinating tale. With so many players, the story could be retold every few years and still never show all sides of the history rich family tree. As Katheryn Howard's family plans for her to replace Ann of Kleve in Henry VIII's ever changing quest for an heir, she learns the life of a queen is not always a fairy tale. I love reading of the Tudor era and Alison Weir has done an excellent job of bringing young Katheryn to life as she takes us along for the education of a queen who will ultimately be replaced herself.

Another beautifully written piece about the queens of Henry VIII. Weir never disappoints, whether you want historical fiction or just history she always hits the ball out of the park. Can't wait for the next.

I received this book through #netgalley when the book was published. This is the first book I have read by this author as well as the first I have read regarding any of the wives of Henry VIII. I found the story to be well written and can tell that the author has researched this era a great deal.

This book follows the story of Katheryn Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife, and the decisions she made that ultimately lead to her execution. As I read the story, I felt that Katheryn was a self-indulgent woman focused on her own wants and desires without thinking of how her actions could affect other people. She came across as a flighty, self-absorbed person, and it was only towards the end when she has realized that she is going to die do I have any amount of sympathy for her - and that was due mainly to the author's skill in conveying the emotion that Katheryn had to have been feeling at that point in the proceedings. As the story progressed I kept wondering how Katheryn could have been so naive - can I say stupid? - to think that she would get away with cheating on Henry VIII considering the fate of her own cousin, Anne Boleyn.

Although she does come across as naive and silly, one does get a sense from how the author has presented this narrative that Henry may have genuinely loved Katheryn, and one has to wonder how history may have changed if Henry had not issued the order to have her executed. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

I confess to be rather daunted by British history. I've read all the books, and seen all the movies and yet the successions and family trees and who plotted against whom eventually become a jumble. That's why I appreciated and was entertained by the author's character development of Kathryn Howard, the Scandalous Queen. The descriptive detail brought color to the very human story. I was drawn in from the first chapter and came to be invested in the character before too many additional Mary/Elizabeth/Janes were introduced. The author's comments at the end of the book added interest by providing additional historical context. An enjoyable and quick read.