The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger

From the author's website: When young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of fifty year old king Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her destruction. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart's desire in favor of her family's ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who seek to bring her down a most effective weapon, her own romantic past.

I wondered if I would like the book at first, the beginning chapters had more overt sexuality than I had anticipated. But as I went further, the story drew me in. I felt like it moved at a good pace; it never dragged for me and I kept wanting to know what would happen. Because I am new to historical fiction, I really didn't know how it would all turn out as opposed to more experienced historical fiction lovers who would probably know before beginning how it would end! I wanted to know how it turned out more out of curiosity about the events than because I particularly cared for any particular character. I found the characters and the life at court fascinating but not appealing; Catherine was interesting but I didn't like her, same with Henry. I wasn't rooting for any particular ending because I didn't connect with either of the major characters more than any other.

This book is my "Q" book for the 2010 A-Z Reading Challenge. Click on the button to see my progress.







This book also counts toward the Year of the Historical 2010 Reading Challenge hosted by lurv a la mode. Click on the button to see my progress.





And, it's the Facebook Historical Fiction Book Club selection. Oh my, I got a lot of mileage out of this one!