by Alison Weir
Part of Six Tudor Queens, book 4.5
First published 2019
Susanna Gilman serves as royal painter and trusted confidante to King Henry VIII. The King plans to wed Anna of Kleve, a woman he has never seen. He distrusts the reports from foreign diplomats and sends Susanna to Kleve to assess his prospective bride firsthand. Susanna travels to Germany and returns to England with Princess Anna, telling Henry she will make a fitting wife. Henry reacts with disappointment when he meets Anna. Her appearance falls short of her painted portrait. The King turns to Susanna again, asking her to exploit her growing bond with the new Queen. He wants information about Anna's history that might dissolve their marriage. Susanna faces a painful choice between her developing friendship with Anna and her loyalty to Henry. This companion story to the Six Tudor Queens series explores the conflict between personal affection and royal duty.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, historical-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, loyalty-conflict
Setting: England, Kleve, Germany
Period: Tudor
44 pages · Kindle Edition · Headline Review