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vikingwolf's review against another edition
3.0
Don't be fooled into thinking that this book focuses on Katherine Parr and her thoughts and feelings or is one of the author's split storytelling plots between Katherine and her best friend the Duchess of Suffolk. This is the story of the Duchess and a fictional affair between her and Katherine's husband Thomas Seymour, so the Duchess and her affair are the main focus of the book with Katherine in a supporting role.
Firstly, I was actually quite pleased to see a novel of Katherine Parr after Henry's death which doesn't just follow the same path accepted dangerous liason between Seymour and Elizabeth. I liked the introduction of this fictional affair between Charles Brandon's widow and her friend's dashing husband. Yes it is purely fictional and a lot of readers don't like authors moving away from accepted fact but I felt that this gave a fresh look at Katherine Parr's dubious relationship with Seymour, instead of just the same old story again.
It was written much better than the previous novels I have read by this author, perhaps because the Duchess was an interesting and outspoken character in real life as well as fiction. I liked the twist of Katherine seeing her husband kiss someone in the dark not knowing it was her best friend, only for the Duchess to blame Elizabeth causing her to be sent away in disgrace. This was a good plot twist, having the cheating adults ruin Katherine's relationship with her stepdaughter and ruin Elizabeth's reputation. And for those of you who like sex in your Tudor novels, this book has it.
This was a decent read and if you don't mind a plot deviation from fact to pure fiction, you might enjoy this one.
Firstly, I was actually quite pleased to see a novel of Katherine Parr after Henry's death which doesn't just follow the same path accepted dangerous liason between Seymour and Elizabeth. I liked the introduction of this fictional affair between Charles Brandon's widow and her friend's dashing husband. Yes it is purely fictional and a lot of readers don't like authors moving away from accepted fact but I felt that this gave a fresh look at Katherine Parr's dubious relationship with Seymour, instead of just the same old story again.
It was written much better than the previous novels I have read by this author, perhaps because the Duchess was an interesting and outspoken character in real life as well as fiction. I liked the twist of Katherine seeing her husband kiss someone in the dark not knowing it was her best friend, only for the Duchess to blame Elizabeth causing her to be sent away in disgrace. This was a good plot twist, having the cheating adults ruin Katherine's relationship with her stepdaughter and ruin Elizabeth's reputation. And for those of you who like sex in your Tudor novels, this book has it.
This was a decent read and if you don't mind a plot deviation from fact to pure fiction, you might enjoy this one.
bookishnicole's review against another edition
2.0
The fact that I can't remember if I finished or abandoned this book should be an indicator of what is wrong with it. For a majority of books that I read I am able to recall details of it, for this book. I can't.
momelimberham's review against another edition
5.0
Interestingly written take on a Tudor woman who never shows up in fiction since she had nothing to do with Anne Boleyn. The author deliberately wrote a style that I wouldn't really call "modern" but it wasn't all "prithee, wouldst thou" - Ms. Dunn explains that we only have letters and documents, so we don't know people actually spoke that way (after all, in modern times we typically don't speak the way we write formal documents). This made the book refreshing and easy to follow.
The story itself interesting - Catherine Parr (the titular sixth wife) is a secondary character despite being the titular character, the focus is on her historical best friend, also named Catherine (called Cathy in the book). She grapples with disapproving of Catherine's choice in a fourth husband and her own complicated feelings in regards to him, before the historic downfall of many of the top players of the court from the end of Henry VIII's reign.
This is of course historical FICTION so there are some plot lines for which there is no historic concrete evidence, including one that ends up being ambiguous - since we don't see anything from Elizabeth's perspective, well...
The book was very interesting and a good read, although I did find the very beginning a little slow. Once I got into it I was reading 3 or 4 chapters a night. Great book!
The story itself interesting - Catherine Parr (the titular sixth wife) is a secondary character despite being the titular character, the focus is on her historical best friend, also named Catherine (called Cathy in the book). She grapples with disapproving of Catherine's choice in a fourth husband and her own complicated feelings in regards to him, before the historic downfall of many of the top players of the court from the end of Henry VIII's reign.
This is of course historical FICTION so there are some plot lines for which there is no historic concrete evidence, including one that ends up being ambiguous - since we don't see anything from Elizabeth's perspective, well...
The book was very interesting and a good read, although I did find the very beginning a little slow. Once I got into it I was reading 3 or 4 chapters a night. Great book!
helenephoebe's review against another edition
2.0
Review - I was quite disappointed by this book. I loved the idea of a story being told from the perspective of Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk. However, I did find it very implausible, the way that Katherine had an affair with the husband of her best friend, and she hated him at the beginning of the book. I didn't like the last Suzannah Dunn book I read either (The Confession of Katherine Howard) so I am now sceptical about reading The Queen of Subtleties and The May Bride.
Genre - Historical / Romance / Drama
Characters - Katherine Parr / Katherine Willoughby / Thomas Seymour / Henry Brandon / Elizabeth I / Lady Jane Grey / Mary Seymour / Edward Seymour / Edward VI
Setting - London, Grimsthorpe and Sudeley (England)
Recommend - No
Rating - 10/20
Genre - Historical / Romance / Drama
Characters - Katherine Parr / Katherine Willoughby / Thomas Seymour / Henry Brandon / Elizabeth I / Lady Jane Grey / Mary Seymour / Edward Seymour / Edward VI
Setting - London, Grimsthorpe and Sudeley (England)
Recommend - No
Rating - 10/20
jrbournville's review against another edition
3.0
For a historically based, and rather true-to-records book, I found this quite an enjoyable and easy read. The narrative works well throughout and there is just the right amount of character development to allow the reader to engage, even to empathise with various characters.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting take on the life of Katherine Parr. She was the last wife of Henry VIII, and after his death, married Thomas Seymour. But their life together, according to the novel, was not everything that it could have been.
This tale is told from the perspective of her best friend, Cathy, the Duchess of Suffolk, and is one that was interesting. While in the household of Kate, she takes up with her friends husband, and then casts blame onto young Elizabeth when she is about to get caught.
After her friends death, she retreats back to her home, where she concentrates on raising her own boys, and distancing her oldest son from the affections of Elizabeth, both of whom have expressed an interest in each other. Knowing the danger of the relationship, Cathy is not anxious for it to proceed any further than simple childhood infatuation.
After Thomas is arrested for treason, Kate's daughter is sent to Cathy to be raised, until she is older.
This was an interesting and disturbing read. I felt that there could have been more added about Kate, given the title, but as it was told from the perspective of her friend, it was decent. Rather a new view on the life that Thomas and Kate spent together, but then I think that is what the author was going for. Thomas Seymour was always one for self promotion and he went after it anyway he could, whether it was trying to marry a princess, or actually marrying the dowager queen of England. After Kate's death, he tried again with Elizabeth, but then was arrested on treason charges for many other reasons (not only trying to marry again within the royal line). I have not fully decided yet, how I feel on the book, this is one that I need to sleep on and ponder over a bit more.
This tale is told from the perspective of her best friend, Cathy, the Duchess of Suffolk, and is one that was interesting. While in the household of Kate, she takes up with her friends husband, and then casts blame onto young Elizabeth when she is about to get caught.
After her friends death, she retreats back to her home, where she concentrates on raising her own boys, and distancing her oldest son from the affections of Elizabeth, both of whom have expressed an interest in each other. Knowing the danger of the relationship, Cathy is not anxious for it to proceed any further than simple childhood infatuation.
After Thomas is arrested for treason, Kate's daughter is sent to Cathy to be raised, until she is older.
This was an interesting and disturbing read. I felt that there could have been more added about Kate, given the title, but as it was told from the perspective of her friend, it was decent. Rather a new view on the life that Thomas and Kate spent together, but then I think that is what the author was going for. Thomas Seymour was always one for self promotion and he went after it anyway he could, whether it was trying to marry a princess, or actually marrying the dowager queen of England. After Kate's death, he tried again with Elizabeth, but then was arrested on treason charges for many other reasons (not only trying to marry again within the royal line). I have not fully decided yet, how I feel on the book, this is one that I need to sleep on and ponder over a bit more.
mrblackbean11's review against another edition
3.0
Not great but not bad. There isn't anything particularly special about this book; very typical Tudor Era fictionalized drama. I would recommend to those who enjoy reading about King Henry/Mary/Elizabeth/etc. The history books provide enough drama for writers to easily capitalize in. The Sixth Wife expands upon this and relates what happens following Henry's death.
bookthia's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't dislike this book but I didn't much like it either. Katherine Parr is an interesting historical figure to me and I enjoy learning about her contributions to English history. But this book made her look simple and wilfully ignorant. Thomas Seymour is almost always portrayed as a scoundrel so that was no surprise but the book was narrated through the first person voice of Catherine, Duchess of Suffolk, who is, in this book, cruel and selfish and truly hateful. It is rarely enjoyable reading through the eyes of a dislikeable character and that is why I was disengaged from this story.
mcintoshheidi's review against another edition
3.0
This book was ok, but nothing special. The character narrating was not really sympathetic at all - sleeping with her best friend's husband etc - so this put me right off.