Thursday, February 11, 2010

Book Review: The Boleyn Wife by Brandy Purdy

 

Synopsis: (From the Publisher)
Shy, plain Lady Jane Parker feels out of place in Henry VIII's courtly world of glamour and intrigue—until she meets the handsome George Boleyn. Overjoyed when their fathers arrange a match, her dreams of a loving union are waylaid when she meets George's sister, Anne. For George is completely devoted to his sister, and cold and indifferent to his bride. As Anne acquires a wide circle of admirers, including King Henry, Jane's resentment grows. But if becoming Henry's queen makes Anne the most powerful woman in England, it also makes her highly vulnerable. And as Henry, desperate for a male heir, begins to tire of his mercurial wife, the stage is set for the ultimate betrayal. . .
Encompassing the reigns of four of Henry's wives, from the doomed Anne to the reckless Katherine Howard, The Boleyn Wife is an unforgettable story of ambition, lust, and jealousy, of the power of love to change the course of history, and of the terrible price of revenge.


My Review:

Jane Parker is a naive young girl that gets her hearts desire, ignoring all signs of foreboding, she weds George Boleyn. Completely and blindly in love, Jane sets herself up for a tragic heartbreak. One that will lead to not only her downfall but also to the downfall of those she loves and hates.

She quickly realizes her husband has no desire for her and blames everything wrong in her life on his sister, Anne Boleyn, whom he practically worships. Jane's obsessiveness with her husband is at first shown to be that of a lonely wife, hungry for love, but it soon turns into that of a madwoman. She vows that she will one day have vengeance, and will stop at nothing to see that it is carried out. Jane understands that in order to have revenge, one must know secrets to wiled against your pray. She definitely knows how to obtain these secrets and is constantly in the right place at the right time...all the time.

Through Jane's eyes we see all the intrigue and scandal of Henry VIII's court. Spanning the reign of five of Henry's queens there is never a dull moment; and Jane has a part in everything. She has little care whom she uses or what she does when seeking her revenge. So consumed with hate, Jane is completely unaware of the destruction she is setting in motion until it is to late. As Jane's fate closes in on her, she is tormented by her actions, but does she truly regret her them or is she still so consumed with revenge that she would do it all again...


This was a fast paced, and very detailed read. The main part of the book was following the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, and it was nice to read a story from a different perspective then that of Anne. Since Jane had to be able to tell us everything that was going on, she was often hiding in cupboards, behind tapestries and looking through keyholes. This at times was rather unbelievable but it also made you think that maybe she is just really crazy, which coincided with her other intense actions. My main fault with this book is the amount of graphic sexual content. I don't mind sexual content in books; especially when it adds to the storyline or when you feel so connected with the characters that you are crying because they are finally together. Unfortunately, this was not the case for this book. The extreme graphic detail was throughout the whole story; the jar of honey scene is probably what finally did me in. I had great expectations for this book, unfortunately the book did not meet them. It was not a horrible book, but unfortunately the graphic content overpowered this books potential.


A Little Extra:
  If you would like a chance to read this novel, please follow the link to enter my giveaway here (do not enter in the comment section below). The author has graciously offered to give away one signed copy of The Boleyn Wife.

Copyright © 2010 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

11 comments:

Tales of Whimsy said...

Excellent review. I just love her dress!

Lucy said...

I love the way you reviewed this. To begin with, the heroine is not such an endearing figure, so I can just imagine how difficult it must have been to warm up to her. Thank goodness it was fast paced:)

Maxine said...

Great review! I've been wondering about this book and I am glad to hear what you have to say about it. :)

Blodeuedd said...

Honey, jar, hm, sounds strange. I agree, sex where it should be is fine, but sometimes they just add it for no reason at all

Kristin Rae said...

Great review. I also do not enjoy graphic sex scenes, so thanks for the warning!

The Critic said...

Muse, I totally, and wholeheartedly agree with you about the sex part. It's fine when it moves the story along with not so much of the graphic detail but too much of it, and the content really can bring down a book from five to zero for me. I really wanted to read this book, but I'm going to follow your advice for now. Darn! What a shame. Lovely review by the way!

Ash said...

This sounds like an interesting book, but it's unfortunate about the graphic content. I hate it when you have high expectations for a book and it doesn't quite live up to it!

Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey said...

Great review. I was actually thinking about reading this one. It sounded interesting. I am glad I read your review first.

Nise' said...

Thanks for the warning. I totally hated a book that I thought I would love for the wayyy over done bedroom scenes.

Anonymous said...

I can't get that jar of honey out of my head. Every time I see this book now, that's all I'll think about.

Bekah said...

Great review. This book is already on my wanna read list and your review has made me consider it a bit more carefully. I do have issues with too much graphic sexual encounters. Often I find myself skimming over those sections.