The red of his hair shone against his black velvet cap, echoed in a more subdued shade by his beard. And despite Anne's overwhelming crush on Henry.and he does cut a pretty attractive figure in his youth: Henry's growing infatuation with Anne as she grows into herself was so weak and so poorly depicted as to be almost nonexistent. Maybe that was the point of the book, to let the reader know that Anne was Anne before she was Henry's infamous lover, but for a book about Anne's development during her initial meetings with Henry and throughout his initial infatuation of her-Henry's interest and Anne's interactions with him were just not believable. Really, that's my main complaint about the book. There are a lot of love interests, a lot of courtship, a lot of flirtation, and almost none of it relevant to who we know will win in the end. Despite everything, it didn't bother me that much, because it was fitting given the time and the context.

There is also a whole lot of romance, insta-loves, love-I don't even want to say triangle, because it's more of a love hexagon, not to mention adultery. Knowing Anne's history, this was a somewhat bittersweet read. There really is not a lot of plot to this book, the character development and family dynamics is what made this book shine. This book was about Anne's initial arrival at court, in disgrace from her antics at the French court, in pain, in absolutely uncertainty about her future, and with a whole lot of growing up to do. This book didn't fit into my expectations of it because it was so much about character development, and compared to other books I've read, Henry VIII played such a minor role. If you say no, you're a lying liar, and we are no longer friends. Look into my eyes and tell me you're not utterly fascinated by this woman. Come on now, Anne Boleyn? Arguably the most famous of Henry VIII's wives? The woman was was made the scapegoat for Henry's formation of the new Church of England? The seductress who won a king's heart? It was still good-it just didn't head in the direction I thought it would.

“Love.”This book wasn't what I anticipated. The thing I’ve been pursuing through the forest of my own life. Because the thing I’m afraid of is the same thing I told the king would make me happy. I’m afraid all the things I’ve said and done will hunt me down and haunt me. Wrong about Mary, who never wanted to be better than anyone else she just wanted to be herself. Actual rating: 3.5 I’m afraid I was wrong.

Tarnish by Katherine Longshore