[Review] The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory 
Series: The Tudor Court, #3
Publisher: Touchstone
Publishing Date: 2006
514 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased
Buy Links: Amazon  |  B&N

Synopsis

Three women who share one fate: the Boleyn Inheritance

Anne of Cleves: She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a court ruled by the terror of a vengeful king who despises her. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard: She is in love - but not with the diseased old man who made her queen and beds her night after night. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford: She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

My Review 

I love reading about Tudor England and thankfully, this book didn't disappoint! I'm always fascinated by how people lived in these times and learning about the court is very interesting. I would have to say that Anne of Cleves has been one of my favorite characters in these books (along with Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl). Anne seems so innocent and really wanted to make a new life in England with the King. I loved that she wasn't necessarily as concerned about becoming Queen for the power, but more to get away from the life she lived with her family in Cleves. All she wants is to have some freedom, which for women now isn't too much to ask for, but it certainly was back then.

Katherine Howard... she is definitely portrayed as a stupid, young girl. She was somewhat entertaining, but so naive and ignorant. And Jane Rochford... well... she drove me crazy. At first I liked her and thought she was going to help out Queen Anne of Cleves. But then, once again, she just looks out for herself and seems to be willing to throw anyone under the bus as long as she is safe.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I was never bored and there is always something happening. I also love that it's told from different perspectives. I think, as readers, we would have lost a lot of the story if it were only told from one woman's view. Can't wait to read the next one in the series!

In the Series