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A review by vikingwolf
The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn
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.