Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I can not get enough of anything Tudor related and Alison Weir did not disappoint with this book. This entire series has just been superb and as with the others I was quickly drawn in and transported back in time. Will be buying and re reading when it is published!

I've been looking forward to this book since I learned Alison Weir was writing this series. I was eager to see the point of view she would employ since, of the two beheaded queens, Katheryn's guilt has never been disputed.

From an early age, Katheryn lived with various relatives and was allowed to grow up mostly unsupervised and wild. As a result, she lived in the moment and for pleasure only. Unfortunately, Katheryn was a member of the powerful Howard family and her uncle needed her to ensnare the King.

Within a year of becoming Queen, her hedonistic lifestyle came back to haunt her. Her uncle's enemies used her past and present indiscretions to remove her from the throne.

As always, Weir does a superb job of sticking to historical records and filling in the blanks plausibly.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I love historical fiction especially Tudor historical fiction and couldn't wait to read this book. I liked most of it but found Catherine Howard a little naive in this book.

For many years I have enjoyed Weir's writings. I was first introduced to her historical books and followed her shift to historical fiction. She's a tremendous writer, fully drawing a reader into the story. I have been fascinated with Henry VIII and his wives for almost four decades. I think Weir captured the essence of Katheryn's character. She was foolish, feckless, reckless, and paid the ultimate price. While it's difficult to have empathy for her wreckless decisions, it's hard not to feel a twinge of remorse for her.

I have been waiting to read Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen ever since I discovered that the illustrious Alison Weir was writing a series on the six wives of the notorious Henry VIII. With Weir publishing one book a year in her Six Tudor Queens series, it felt like the novel about Katheryn Howard, without a doubt King Henry's most scandalous wife, was a long ways off, but somehow here I am already reviewing this book ... with great joy, I might add.

Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen was everything that I wanted it to be and more. Having some knowledge already about the life that Katheryn led and how she unwisely betrayed Henry VIII when she knew he was fond of chopping off heads for lesser crimes, I eagerly anticipated the scandals Weir would uncover in this novel. I was surprised to discover that there is more to Katheryn's story than I previously expected, and learned that while she was often a willing participant in her indiscretions, she was also a young girl who was led astray and manipulated by older and more cunning men, and even her own family in pursuit of their ambitions.

This is my favorite novel in Weir's Six Tudor Queens series because it remained engaging and page-turning throughout. Little attention was paid to Katheryn's life as a younger child, and instead, the story almost immediately dives into her life at the home of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, where Katheryn first found herself preyed upon and pursued by men. Weir keeps up a good pace throughout the novel, telling Katheryn's story fully, while at the same time, not losing the attention of her audience. There were a few places in the novel where things slowed down after Katheryn was married to the King, but court life can't always be just fun and games, now can it? Regardless, overall this novel was informative, yet enjoyable to read at the same time.

In all, I much loved this novel of Katheryn Howard and felt that Weir gave her story the voice it needed and deserved. This book is recommended to anyone who loves Tudor and Renaissance historical fiction, as well as readers who can't resist a novel of biographical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review,

464 pages

5 stars

Nobody, but nobody does historical fiction like Alison Weir. This book is her latest in the Six Tudor Queens collection.

Katheryn was Henry VIII's fifth wife. He was old, obese and ill. Katheryn was exotic, young and lively. He fell hard for her. She was also rather flighty and certainly naive in the ways of court – and perhaps in life in general, especially about relationships with other people.

This book is a wonderful and entrancing tale of what very well could have happened to Katheryn. There are few sources to tell us definitively about Katheryn's life, so Ms. Weir had to use a little poetic license in places. She uses facts where she could verify them. So much was written that was patently incorrect or pure conjecture that it would seem nearly impossible to get at the absolute truth of the matter. And with Howard senior and the Dowager pushing her towards Henry knowing her history – well, that was horrible in my view, but the way of politics at that time.

I am left with some puzzles though. Why did Lady Rochford change her mind about Katheryn and Tom? She seemed to be pushing for the relationship on one hand. I wondered too, if she was in love with Tom. But why would she lobby so hard for Katheryn and Tom to be together? Was she that hateful and vindictive? (Now there might be an interesting person to write about.)

This is a fantastic book and very well written and plotted. It tells us about Katheryn's life from about age eight through her death at twenty-one. We learn about Henry's mercurial temperament and Katheryn's immaturity, or inability to understand just the the seriousness of her situation. Well done, Ms. Weir. I anxiously await the next in this series.

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

I am a huge huge fan of Tudor history and love Alison Weir's narratives. This novel on Katheryn Howard did not disappoint. It has been so hard to put this book down. even with a baby I sneak some reading wherever I could to finish reading this book. If I could give it more stars, I would, Excellent excellent book that really made you feel for Katheryn Howard.

This was the 5th book in the Six Tudor Queens series. First one I've read from this author. Alison Weir did a fantastic job with this writing and we'll researched. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Katheryn Howard in my opinion never stood a chance from the time she was born and sent to live with so many other relatives when her mother died. And was manipulated by not only family but friends for their own advancements.
A cruel world she was thrown in and so very young and not really having anyone who had her best interest at heart.


Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

What a sad, amazing history. Such an incredible, often overlooked, piece of the Henry VIII relationship saga. Definitely recommend to purchase and for book club material.

Alison Weir is the Tudor expert in my book. Her research is top notch and her writing brings these long dead people to life. If you are thinking about reading this book, I hope you have read the others in the series. Each book does stand alone, however, your experience will be greatly enriched by reading the series in order. Some events do overlap, but you see the event through a different' queen's eyes dependent on which book you are reading.

Katheryn Howard was the 5th of Henry's queens, and honestly, my least favorite. I'm not sure if she was just flighty or narcissistic, but she just rode life like a cork floating in the sea. She was of loose moral fiber, and what she wanted in the moment was what she pursued regardless of the consequences to her or to others. Her father was the younger son of a duke and spent his life in debt and complaining when others wouldn't give him money. She grew up kept in others households after her mother died, so she just may not have learned how to behave honorably. After loving two men, being plight troth to one of them, she lets Henry pursue her and think she is wholesome and free of entanglements. He soon sets aside Anne of Cleves for Katheryn. She continues to pursue her whims at a cost to herself and those around her.

Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to review #KatherynHowardTheScandalousQueen and give my honest opinion. I would highly recommend this book.

Thanking NetGalley as usual for the digital ARC. I cannot thank them enough for allowing me to read these books first! Alison Weir does not disappoint! Once you start one of her books it is impossible to put down! I know the story, i know what happens yet these books are written so well i forget that I already know how it ends! Another bestseller!

Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen by Alison Weir is the 5th book in the Six Tudor Queens series. It obviously features the short, tragic life of Henry VIII’s 5th wife that came to a quick halt, Katheryn Howard.

Most of us know the history of Katheryn’s childhood, family, and controversial marriage and end, but Ms. Weir places us as readers into the brain and thought process of Katheryn throughout her journey so as to get a better glimpse of the young queen. It was very hard to read her mistakes, naivety, poor choices, and misunderstandings that lead to her demise. I have always had more sympathy and understanding for her, and this added to my previous beliefs.

Katheryn was such a young woman that had been tossed from family member to obscure family member to raise, that I felt that added to her deficits. She sought love, attention, and acceptance and unfortunately found it in the wrong ways. It seems her strengths did not fall under academic avenues, and that added to the ability of “friends and family members” (if you can call them that” to manipulate and use her for their own advancements. She was a child in an adult world never really knowing that there were true consequences for her actions and that this was most certainly not a game. She was tossed into the volatile and unstable world of Henry VIII as basically a child, where even the most intelligent and shrewd adult could lose his head, and obviously made mistakes and lapses in judgement (ok sometimes larger lapses), and lost.
It was hard to read her story seeing how each move pushed her closer and closer to her undeserved end. Only Ms. Weir could give me those emotions as I weaved my way through Katheryn’s thoughts and story.

A great historical fiction of the 5th wife of Henry VIII, and a quick and engrossing read. I have been a fan of Ms. Weir for many years and this book just solidifies my respect and admiration of her talents. I look forward to her next book.

5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Weir has the magical ability of bringing events from hundreds of years ago into sharp focus in today's world, with larger than life characters, real life events, and sharp, witty dialogue. I felt myself cringing at Katheryn's behavior, knowing it would be her ultimate downfall and really enjoyed reading this story. Great read.

Katheryn Howard, daughter of Sir Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpepper, is 7 years old when we meet her, her mother having just died in childbirth. At that point she was shifted around several times from one home to another until she finally wound up at her step-grandmother's home, the Dowager Duchess. At the age of 15, with the lack of discipline and abhorrent moral conduct, Katheryn established a reputation, one that was her doom.

Unfortunately, there were so many relatives and with no family tree in this ARC, it was difficult to follow. Hopefully this will be rectified when the book is published. At times I felt as if the dialogue was overly simple/stilted, as well as the fact that I couldn't connect with the main character (or any of them). The fact that Katheryn was easily seduced, was naive and manipulated did not bring any empathy as I read along. Henry was 49 years old when he married her, his fifth wife.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.