Date published April 2008
ISBN 978-0-451-22313-5
Historical
Trade Paperback
Reviewed by Susan
Mary, the youngest sister for King Henry the Eighth, has become an important political bargaining chip. She is to be married off to the elderly King Louis of France. Mary is not happy with her fate but she is able to extract a promise from her brother: when her husband dies, her next husband will be of her choosing.
The author introduces us to the major players early on in this book. Mary, Henry (Harry) and Charles Brandon appear at the start and the reader follows their story. Most of us know about Henry the Eighth and all his wives but his other siblings are less well-known. Mary, the focus of this book, she ages from a young girl to a mature woman. The reader is privy to her thoughts and at times, it gets to be a bit much. At times, she comes across as whiny and petulant. Of course, if you were married off to an old man I guess you wouldn’t be too happy either. Charles is her selection for her second husband. He is the man she has loved for a very long time. It is this relationship that is featured during most of the book. The author gives us lots of historical detail and the Tudor court is brought to life.
THE SECRET BRIDE was an okay book, although at times it became quite slow and plodding to read. It was not as good as some of Ms. Haeger’s earlier books. It is difficult to point to any one thing that derailed this story but it lacked the sparkle and charm that was apparent in her other works.
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