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Six of A Tudor #1
Six of One
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
“Six of One” is the ultimate ‘girls’ night in'–with the six wives of Henry VIII. Join Dolly, the Tudor-obsessed heroine of “Six of One”, on a Yellow Brick Road journey to the alternate reality of an all-girl Tudor court. It's the most fun you can have with your nightdress on!
It all begins when Dolly loses consciousness on the eve of her marriage to the six-times-divorced Harry. She awakens in the company of the Tudor women she’s studied all of her life. Team Tudor has a mission to accomplish in the way of corrective recapitulation. Could Dolly be the girl who will help them to finally do it?
Dolly warms up for her interview with the six shades of Henry in practice rounds with lots of the other famous ladies of Tudor times. In-laws, outlaws, matriarchs, frenemies, and household help are all on hand to help out and add to the Tudor factoids and fun.
Of course the heart of the story is in Dolly’s interview with the six wives of Henry VIII. It turns out there’s something to each of the wives’ stories that’s been held back all this time. You won’t believe what really happened…or will you?
“Six of One” offers no tragedy, no excuses, and no apologies. It does have lots of broad humor, not to mention tons of puns. And—for a change—a happy ending.
“Six of One” is the ultimate ‘girls’ night in'–with the six wives of Henry VIII. Join Dolly, the Tudor-obsessed heroine of “Six of One”, on a Yellow Brick Road journey to the alternate reality of an all-girl Tudor court. It's the most fun you can have with your nightdress on!
It all begins when Dolly loses consciousness on the eve of her marriage to the six-times-divorced Harry. She awakens in the company of the Tudor women she’s studied all of her life. Team Tudor has a mission to accomplish in the way of corrective recapitulation. Could Dolly be the girl who will help them to finally do it?
Dolly warms up for her interview with the six shades of Henry in practice rounds with lots of the other famous ladies of Tudor times. In-laws, outlaws, matriarchs, frenemies, and household help are all on hand to help out and add to the Tudor factoids and fun.
Of course the heart of the story is in Dolly’s interview with the six wives of Henry VIII. It turns out there’s something to each of the wives’ stories that’s been held back all this time. You won’t believe what really happened…or will you?
“Six of One” offers no tragedy, no excuses, and no apologies. It does have lots of broad humor, not to mention tons of puns. And—for a change—a happy ending.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2011
140 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
JoAnn Spears
3 books44 followersJoAnn Spears couldn't decide whether to major in English or History in college. Life stepped in, and she wound up with a Master's Degree in Nursing instead.
A twenty-five year nursing career didn't extinguish that early interest in books and history-especially Tudor history. It did, however, stoke a decidedly gallows sense of humor. Eventually, JoAnn read just about every spin there was on the stories of Henry VIII and the extended Tudor family. Every spin, that is, except the one with the gallows humor. The Tudors certainly qualified for it, but it just wasn't out there.
JoAnn decided that with gallows humor to spare, she would do her best to remedy the Tudor comedy gap. A little inspiration from the classic "Wizard of Oz" showed her the way to go, and "Six of One", a new kind of Tudor novel, was born.
JoAnn thought “Six of One”, her story about Henry VIII’s six wives, would be an only literary child. Then, two years after its birth, she was caught by surprise with the idea for a sequel. In October, 2015, “Seven Will Out” made its debut and bought the latter-day Tudors into the comedy mix.
JoAnn enjoys writing but maintains her nursing license because a) you never stop being a nurse and b) her son thinks she should be sensible and not quit her day job. She also enjoys life in the beautiful mountains of northeast Tennessee, where she gardens, embroiders antique reproduction samplers, and teaches yoga in her Methodist church basement. JoAnn shares her home with three cats and the works of Jane Austen, Barbara Pym, Louisa May Alcott, and of course, Alison Weir.
A twenty-five year nursing career didn't extinguish that early interest in books and history-especially Tudor history. It did, however, stoke a decidedly gallows sense of humor. Eventually, JoAnn read just about every spin there was on the stories of Henry VIII and the extended Tudor family. Every spin, that is, except the one with the gallows humor. The Tudors certainly qualified for it, but it just wasn't out there.
JoAnn decided that with gallows humor to spare, she would do her best to remedy the Tudor comedy gap. A little inspiration from the classic "Wizard of Oz" showed her the way to go, and "Six of One", a new kind of Tudor novel, was born.
JoAnn thought “Six of One”, her story about Henry VIII’s six wives, would be an only literary child. Then, two years after its birth, she was caught by surprise with the idea for a sequel. In October, 2015, “Seven Will Out” made its debut and bought the latter-day Tudors into the comedy mix.
JoAnn enjoys writing but maintains her nursing license because a) you never stop being a nurse and b) her son thinks she should be sensible and not quit her day job. She also enjoys life in the beautiful mountains of northeast Tennessee, where she gardens, embroiders antique reproduction samplers, and teaches yoga in her Methodist church basement. JoAnn shares her home with three cats and the works of Jane Austen, Barbara Pym, Louisa May Alcott, and of course, Alison Weir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 3, 2012
About the book:
What began as a typical bachelorette party on the eve of Dolly’s wedding suddenly became something else entirely when she choked on a peanut, lost consciousness and woke up in Tudor England, the guest of Henry VIII’s Grandmother and Mother. This twisted turn of events turns out to be an enlightening and humorous encounter with the spirits of many of the era’s most famous women who finally get to share their side of the “what life was really like in Henry VIII’s court.
My review:
Imagine sitting down with all six of Henry’s wives and getting their take on where things went terribly wrong! Then toss in his sisters, daughters, grandmother, mother and their ladies in waiting and what you get is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek humor and witty banter throughout the entire story and the way it was all presented in a Ebenezer Scrooge meets Friends sort of way.
Even though this story surrounds Dolly’s upcoming marriage and we learn about ‘the one that got away,’ I have to mention that this book is not a romance at all. The often tongue-in-cheek liberties taken with historical events made this an entertaining, humorous story. Six of One is a fun ‘girls night out’ with some of the most famous women in history as they bicker and snark the night away, sharing their own life’s lessons and trying to help Dolly avoid making the same mistakes they made.
Reviewed for THC Reviews
April 6, 2012
I hate to admit it, but I really don't know everything. (Whew! That was really hard. I feel like the Fonz trying to say 'sorry'.)
I don't know beans about the wives of Henry VIII, other than the fact that Anne Boleyn begat Elizabeth I then lost her head, Jane Seymour died (only to be reincarnated as that actress from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman), Catherine of Aragon was the mother of Bloody Mary, and it seems as though all of them were related to or worked for each other. A rather incestuous bunch, it seems to me; Henry mustn't have liked to stray far for his diversions.
Anyway, Six of One is a unique take on the story of these six women, presented in the form of a tongue in cheek time-travel romance. Dolly, a history professor, is about to marry Harry, a man who has six exes. She chokes on a nut at her bachelorette party and wakes up in a castle in Tudor England, with Henry VIII's six wives surrounding her.
What I read of this book was amusing and light-hearted, clever and very clearly a spoof. I very reluctantly stopped reading it for one reason, and one reason only:
I HAD NO FREAKING IDEA WHO ANY OF THE WOMEN WERE!
Some were the main six, some were relatives of theirs, some were relatives of Henry's, some were ladies in waiting, I had no clue. Same with the present day. I didn't know enough about the actual characters to appreciate the cleverness of the puns, the plays on their names or their characters.
DAMN. I feel like I'm missing a good book here, but I'm too tired to learn that much about the Reformation period and Tudor England for the sake of one book. Perhaps if more historical romances were set in this period.....
Somebody message me and tell me how this ends!!!
3 stars.
I don't know beans about the wives of Henry VIII, other than the fact that Anne Boleyn begat Elizabeth I then lost her head, Jane Seymour died (only to be reincarnated as that actress from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman), Catherine of Aragon was the mother of Bloody Mary, and it seems as though all of them were related to or worked for each other. A rather incestuous bunch, it seems to me; Henry mustn't have liked to stray far for his diversions.
Anyway, Six of One is a unique take on the story of these six women, presented in the form of a tongue in cheek time-travel romance. Dolly, a history professor, is about to marry Harry, a man who has six exes. She chokes on a nut at her bachelorette party and wakes up in a castle in Tudor England, with Henry VIII's six wives surrounding her.
What I read of this book was amusing and light-hearted, clever and very clearly a spoof. I very reluctantly stopped reading it for one reason, and one reason only:
I HAD NO FREAKING IDEA WHO ANY OF THE WOMEN WERE!
Some were the main six, some were relatives of theirs, some were relatives of Henry's, some were ladies in waiting, I had no clue. Same with the present day. I didn't know enough about the actual characters to appreciate the cleverness of the puns, the plays on their names or their characters.
DAMN. I feel like I'm missing a good book here, but I'm too tired to learn that much about the Reformation period and Tudor England for the sake of one book. Perhaps if more historical romances were set in this period.....
Somebody message me and tell me how this ends!!!
3 stars.
March 28, 2012
1.5 Stars. I was well aware this was a spoof book going in. I loved the premise (Dolly a history professor) was marrying Harry who'd been married 6 times ala Henry Tudor. During her Bachlerotte Party she chokes on nuts and goes unconscious. She wakes up in Tudorland. She is then visited by the six famous Queens, along with other very important Tudor people. She is met first by Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth of York. Sounds like a fun read, right? Sadly for me, the author's humor and mine did not gel. Example: Henry says to Dolly "Let's Elope!" She replies, "No soap." Ahh, not funny to me. Then each wife gives Dolly an inside secret about herself that history doesn't know. OK, now it's going to get good or so I thought. Nope. To me the secrets were just ridiculous. Once again, I know this was a spoof, but I didn't find it funny, but that doesn't mean you won't, so go ahead and give it a try.
the-kindle-black-hole
October 23, 20122/12/12. Free on Kindle today.
May 9, 2023
As a British History nut, I knew I'd really like this book, and I did. It's a new take on the story of Henry VIII's six wives--not another "just the facts" history book, but a sort of spoof on the whole story. And at last, we get to hear what those six wives just might have had to say about the husband they had in common.
The story begins in our own time, as Dolly, a History Professor specializing in Tudor History is enjoying her bachelorette party on the eve of her wedding. Coincidentally or not, her intended is a big handsome guy named Harry, who is rich and powerful, and has been married 6 times before. Even more unbelievable--Harry has two daughters, Mary and Lizzie, and a younger son. Hmmmmm. As the party winds down, the bride-to-be, who's been knocking back a lot of cocktails, suddenly chokes, stops breathing and loses consciousness.
Now if you're someone who snoozed through History 101, you probably won't enjoy this book so much, since some background knowledge regarding Henry VIII, his wives and other contemporary characters helps to truly appreciate the story. If, however, you're like me, and you can name the 6 wives in order and what fate befell each one; along with knowing who Henry's parents were, and having some knowledge of the Tudor era, you'll probably find a lot to like.
Dolly awakens in a strange bed in a room with stone walls. She no sooner wakes and begins wondering where she is when two women burst in--apparently actresses dressed in some very accurate 16th Century costumes. It doesn't take too long for Dolly to realize they're not acting and their gowns are not costumes. Her main concern is how to get back in time for her wedding-but the ladies don't regard that worry as important. Instead, she's to have an interview with 6 ladies. When the ladies come in to the room, Dolly knows at once that they're Henry VIII's 6 wives.
Each of the wives tells her own story, and each tale divulges some real shockers! The wives also make no secret that their mission is to talk Dolly out of marrying Harry, as they believe he embodies the spirit of their Henry, and that history will repeat itself in some fashion. Dolly's only goal is to return to her own time and her wedding, but since she has no idea how to do it, she listens to each wife's story, and finds herself warming to them, learning some fascinating facts that she'd never known about the subject she taught!
But can Dolly return to her own era? In time for her wedding? Will the six wives stories make her change her mind about her own Harry?
Time will tell….
The story begins in our own time, as Dolly, a History Professor specializing in Tudor History is enjoying her bachelorette party on the eve of her wedding. Coincidentally or not, her intended is a big handsome guy named Harry, who is rich and powerful, and has been married 6 times before. Even more unbelievable--Harry has two daughters, Mary and Lizzie, and a younger son. Hmmmmm. As the party winds down, the bride-to-be, who's been knocking back a lot of cocktails, suddenly chokes, stops breathing and loses consciousness.
Now if you're someone who snoozed through History 101, you probably won't enjoy this book so much, since some background knowledge regarding Henry VIII, his wives and other contemporary characters helps to truly appreciate the story. If, however, you're like me, and you can name the 6 wives in order and what fate befell each one; along with knowing who Henry's parents were, and having some knowledge of the Tudor era, you'll probably find a lot to like.
Dolly awakens in a strange bed in a room with stone walls. She no sooner wakes and begins wondering where she is when two women burst in--apparently actresses dressed in some very accurate 16th Century costumes. It doesn't take too long for Dolly to realize they're not acting and their gowns are not costumes. Her main concern is how to get back in time for her wedding-but the ladies don't regard that worry as important. Instead, she's to have an interview with 6 ladies. When the ladies come in to the room, Dolly knows at once that they're Henry VIII's 6 wives.
Each of the wives tells her own story, and each tale divulges some real shockers! The wives also make no secret that their mission is to talk Dolly out of marrying Harry, as they believe he embodies the spirit of their Henry, and that history will repeat itself in some fashion. Dolly's only goal is to return to her own time and her wedding, but since she has no idea how to do it, she listens to each wife's story, and finds herself warming to them, learning some fascinating facts that she'd never known about the subject she taught!
But can Dolly return to her own era? In time for her wedding? Will the six wives stories make her change her mind about her own Harry?
Time will tell….
April 2, 2016
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
What could be more fun than a henhouse visit with Henry VIII’s women? Admit it, you'd jump at the chance to get the dirt on Old Coppernose straight from the horse's mouth. Just the idea of rubbing elbows with everyone from his indomitable grandmother to his unfortunate great niece makes you giddy. It did me and despite my usual tendencies, I decided to take a chance with Joann Spears’ Six of One.
Looking back, I don’t hate the book, but Spears' humor and mine don't exactly jive. The piece is marketed as a riff, but I wasn't laughing. The cosmic connection between the bride-to-be and her collected confidants felt contrived rather than comical, Dolly's habitual rhyming reminded me of story time with my toddler, and the declarations of the deceased missed their mark.
I really don't mean to deter other readers or cause offense, but Six of One wasn’t my cuppa tea and I’d have difficulty recommending it to other readers.
What could be more fun than a henhouse visit with Henry VIII’s women? Admit it, you'd jump at the chance to get the dirt on Old Coppernose straight from the horse's mouth. Just the idea of rubbing elbows with everyone from his indomitable grandmother to his unfortunate great niece makes you giddy. It did me and despite my usual tendencies, I decided to take a chance with Joann Spears’ Six of One.
Looking back, I don’t hate the book, but Spears' humor and mine don't exactly jive. The piece is marketed as a riff, but I wasn't laughing. The cosmic connection between the bride-to-be and her collected confidants felt contrived rather than comical, Dolly's habitual rhyming reminded me of story time with my toddler, and the declarations of the deceased missed their mark.
I really don't mean to deter other readers or cause offense, but Six of One wasn’t my cuppa tea and I’d have difficulty recommending it to other readers.
January 15, 2016
This book is definitely not going to be a book for everyone - but for the right person, you are going to love it!
This is a spoof book, a humorous take on the six wives of Henry VIII. You definitely need to be at least somewhat familiar with the Tudor era in order to really enjoy the book. Spears does a great job of explaining who the characters are as she goes along, so if you need a bit of a nudge for some of the minor characters, she'll help you with that. It's meant to be very funny; alas, I didn't find most of the jokes all that funny (the constant rhyming especially drove me crazy; I'm not a two year old), but I still loved the book. It was so, so refreshing to see a lighthearted look at what was actually a controversial time in our history, and it was just so much FUN to imagine all of the wives chattering about gossiping to one another.
So definitely a must read for a Tudor fan with a sense of humor - even if you are like me, and you don't enjoy all of the jokes or puns, you can still really enjoy the book for what else it offers you.
This is a spoof book, a humorous take on the six wives of Henry VIII. You definitely need to be at least somewhat familiar with the Tudor era in order to really enjoy the book. Spears does a great job of explaining who the characters are as she goes along, so if you need a bit of a nudge for some of the minor characters, she'll help you with that. It's meant to be very funny; alas, I didn't find most of the jokes all that funny (the constant rhyming especially drove me crazy; I'm not a two year old), but I still loved the book. It was so, so refreshing to see a lighthearted look at what was actually a controversial time in our history, and it was just so much FUN to imagine all of the wives chattering about gossiping to one another.
So definitely a must read for a Tudor fan with a sense of humor - even if you are like me, and you don't enjoy all of the jokes or puns, you can still really enjoy the book for what else it offers you.
February 1, 2012
I won this book in a first read giveaway. I am OBSESSED with the Tudors. I love all of them. When I first heard about this book I was super excited. This book is a spoof on the tudors, so you cant take it seriously. The author brought in a lot of historical characters into the story that tend to be forgotten. I enjoyed this book, but I would not recommend it to everyone. I would recommend it only to those who know the Tudor history WELL, otherwise most of the humor would be lost. All in all....a super cute story.
January 16, 2012
Note this was a book won from the giveaway section and may be an advanced reader.
This was a fun romp, definetly fiction and a little pulpish but fun to read.
If you're into the Tudor history at all you'll like it, unless you try to take it seriously.
This is not accurate history but a more fun take into the absurd about what could have been.
This was a fun romp, definetly fiction and a little pulpish but fun to read.
If you're into the Tudor history at all you'll like it, unless you try to take it seriously.
This is not accurate history but a more fun take into the absurd about what could have been.
January 4, 2012
Overall it's not a bad book, it has some good stuff in it and mentions a lot of historical people. If your a fan of Tudor history or just liked the show the Tudors then you'll enjoy this comedy, but if you've never heard of Henry VIII I'd stay away.
February 12, 2018
I picked up this book almost 2 years ago for free and misshelved it on my Kindle as Brit Mystery; which it isn't. I also started reading it then and wandered off distracted by something shiny. I reapplied myself last night in the mood for something different. And this book hit the different notes over and over.
it is a modern Riff on the six wives of King Henry VIII and the opening is just straight up weird. We join the story at the bridal shower of our protagonist Dolly who is a Professor of Tudor history. [Is that a job? Really?] who is marrying for the first time in her early 40's to Harry. Harry who has had 6 wives, has two daughters Mary and Lizzy and a son. He also had a brother Arthur who died as a teenager. My problem with this part of the book is that it tries too hard and honestly ladies is there one amongst you who would marry a guy who had 6 ex wives? I don't care how rich he was, especially if the six exwives were still around? I realize the author is trying to draw a parallel betwixt herself and the infamous Mrs Henry VIIIs but it is too much too soon, there could be a metaphysical link without burdening the reader with a dozen of more caricature characters who just make the book complicated. These is a separate subplot about Dolly's exs, boyfriends not husbands, who match up with the seven dwarfs which was also unnecessary.
Through either magic or Oxygen deprivation Dolly ends up in a magical place which is a castle with every Tudor woman you ever heard of and probably a couple you didn't. She listens to fictional historic tales from the characters all which lead up to her meeting the 6 wives. There is a lengthy explanation about how the wives ended up here and what their purpose is. Bottom line her Harry is their Henry - and they want to warn her off; if she breaks the pattern then they can finally rest in peace. They also interfere with other women who are making bad marriage decisions; the author drops in lots of famous dead people like Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Ava Gardiner. So where were these ladies for Princess Di or Nicole Brown Simpson?
Each of the six wives has a story to tell that is a wicked twist upon her 'real story' and asks Dolly a rhetorical question she is to take away. And Dolly seems impressed by unswayed by their tales. Can she be this stupid, the author reveals that her real life colleagues even had an intervention of sorts to stop her from marrying this mess of a man.
The ending has a twist and she will live HEA.
So why three stars? The book has too much of everything, too much detail that is unnecessary, too many bad puns, too many decapitation jokes, too many modern marriage references, too much talking. Too many characters. Did I mention Dolly speaks in rhyme? The movie Airplane is truly funny. The writers admitted it was designed to have jokes atop of jokes because if you were laughing at one joke you could miss another and still start laughing again almost immediately, this books endless puns, rhymes and jokes get on your nerves.
Vocab:
Propinquity the state of being close to someone or something; proximity
soignée French Neat
farthingale NOUN historical a hooped petticoat or circular pad of fabric around the hips, formerly worn under women's skirts to extend and shape them.
perspicacious having a ready insight into and understanding of things
fillip something that acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity
wardress a woman supervising female prisoners (as in a prison)
equipoise NOUN balance of forces or interests: "this temporary equipoise of power"
VERB balance or counterbalance (something).
tertian denoting a form of malaria causing a fever that recurs every second day:
it is a modern Riff on the six wives of King Henry VIII and the opening is just straight up weird. We join the story at the bridal shower of our protagonist Dolly who is a Professor of Tudor history. [Is that a job? Really?] who is marrying for the first time in her early 40's to Harry. Harry who has had 6 wives, has two daughters Mary and Lizzy and a son. He also had a brother Arthur who died as a teenager. My problem with this part of the book is that it tries too hard and honestly ladies is there one amongst you who would marry a guy who had 6 ex wives? I don't care how rich he was, especially if the six exwives were still around? I realize the author is trying to draw a parallel betwixt herself and the infamous Mrs Henry VIIIs but it is too much too soon, there could be a metaphysical link without burdening the reader with a dozen of more caricature characters who just make the book complicated. These is a separate subplot about Dolly's exs, boyfriends not husbands, who match up with the seven dwarfs which was also unnecessary.
Through either magic or Oxygen deprivation Dolly ends up in a magical place which is a castle with every Tudor woman you ever heard of and probably a couple you didn't. She listens to fictional historic tales from the characters all which lead up to her meeting the 6 wives. There is a lengthy explanation about how the wives ended up here and what their purpose is. Bottom line her Harry is their Henry - and they want to warn her off; if she breaks the pattern then they can finally rest in peace. They also interfere with other women who are making bad marriage decisions; the author drops in lots of famous dead people like Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Ava Gardiner. So where were these ladies for Princess Di or Nicole Brown Simpson?
Each of the six wives has a story to tell that is a wicked twist upon her 'real story' and asks Dolly a rhetorical question she is to take away. And Dolly seems impressed by unswayed by their tales. Can she be this stupid, the author reveals that her real life colleagues even had an intervention of sorts to stop her from marrying this mess of a man.
The ending has a twist and she will live HEA.
So why three stars? The book has too much of everything, too much detail that is unnecessary, too many bad puns, too many decapitation jokes, too many modern marriage references, too much talking. Too many characters. Did I mention Dolly speaks in rhyme? The movie Airplane is truly funny. The writers admitted it was designed to have jokes atop of jokes because if you were laughing at one joke you could miss another and still start laughing again almost immediately, this books endless puns, rhymes and jokes get on your nerves.
Vocab:
Propinquity the state of being close to someone or something; proximity
soignée French Neat
farthingale NOUN historical a hooped petticoat or circular pad of fabric around the hips, formerly worn under women's skirts to extend and shape them.
perspicacious having a ready insight into and understanding of things
fillip something that acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity
wardress a woman supervising female prisoners (as in a prison)
equipoise NOUN balance of forces or interests: "this temporary equipoise of power"
VERB balance or counterbalance (something).
tertian denoting a form of malaria causing a fever that recurs every second day:
March 9, 2012
Warning - Do not read if you want the real story of Henry VIII and his six wives - this is a spoof and is therefore not historically accurate.
A fun, rather irreverent, entertaining spoof, is how I'd describe "Six of One" by JoAnn Spears. In Spears's story, modern day history professor, Dolly, is preparing to marry Henry, a man who has baggage - six ex wives, two daughters and a son. As a Tudor history lover, Dolly finds Henry's story funny as it seems to mirror that of Henry VIII and even his ex wives' names are similar to those of the great Tudor King. During her bachelorette party, the night before her wedding, Dolly has an accident and then travels to another plane, à la Wizard of Oz!
Suddenly, Dolly is in a Tudor style nightgown and is meeting characters from her studies, women like Elizabeth of York, Margaret Beaufort, Kat Ashley, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Lady Jane Grey, Mary Queen of Scots, Bess of Hardwick and so on and so on. There she finds the real truth about the Princes in the Tower before being granted an audience with Henry VIII's six wives, who have been charged with talking to brides "facing a treacherous marital decision".
The wives have already tried and failed with various celebrity brides and now Dolly is in their sights. They ask her questions and then each share one scandalous secret, a secret about them that has never been uncovered by historians, a secret that would rock the Tudor history world if it got out. This is where you need a sense of humour. You need to not mind your favourite wife being made fun of. Can they help Dolly? Will Dolly face up to her past and her true feelings? Will she become Henry's seventh wife and which historical character does she resemble? All will be revealed in Six of One: A Tudor Riff!
This Kindle book made me laugh. I love spoofs and can handle misrepresentations of historical characters when they are presented in a way which is clearly a spoof and not to be taken seriously. Here, Spears takes the myths that surrounds these wives and takes them to the next level and has a bit of fun with their stories. It is entertaining and will definitely make you chuckle and read bits out to those around you. I do wonder if it perhaps needs a warning to make it clear that the stories about the wives have no basis as we all know what "The Other Boleyn Girl" sparked off!
A wonderful read when you need a bit of light relief.
A fun, rather irreverent, entertaining spoof, is how I'd describe "Six of One" by JoAnn Spears. In Spears's story, modern day history professor, Dolly, is preparing to marry Henry, a man who has baggage - six ex wives, two daughters and a son. As a Tudor history lover, Dolly finds Henry's story funny as it seems to mirror that of Henry VIII and even his ex wives' names are similar to those of the great Tudor King. During her bachelorette party, the night before her wedding, Dolly has an accident and then travels to another plane, à la Wizard of Oz!
Suddenly, Dolly is in a Tudor style nightgown and is meeting characters from her studies, women like Elizabeth of York, Margaret Beaufort, Kat Ashley, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Lady Jane Grey, Mary Queen of Scots, Bess of Hardwick and so on and so on. There she finds the real truth about the Princes in the Tower before being granted an audience with Henry VIII's six wives, who have been charged with talking to brides "facing a treacherous marital decision".
The wives have already tried and failed with various celebrity brides and now Dolly is in their sights. They ask her questions and then each share one scandalous secret, a secret about them that has never been uncovered by historians, a secret that would rock the Tudor history world if it got out. This is where you need a sense of humour. You need to not mind your favourite wife being made fun of. Can they help Dolly? Will Dolly face up to her past and her true feelings? Will she become Henry's seventh wife and which historical character does she resemble? All will be revealed in Six of One: A Tudor Riff!
This Kindle book made me laugh. I love spoofs and can handle misrepresentations of historical characters when they are presented in a way which is clearly a spoof and not to be taken seriously. Here, Spears takes the myths that surrounds these wives and takes them to the next level and has a bit of fun with their stories. It is entertaining and will definitely make you chuckle and read bits out to those around you. I do wonder if it perhaps needs a warning to make it clear that the stories about the wives have no basis as we all know what "The Other Boleyn Girl" sparked off!
A wonderful read when you need a bit of light relief.
December 4, 2013
Don't come into this looking for a deep, thoughtful read. It isn't that. It is silly and fun and a great read for those of us that like to geek out on Tudor history.
Dolly is a history professor who concentrates on The Tudors! She's getting married to a Harry, who has been married 6 times before..Wait doesn't that sound like a song too...
Then something happens at her bachelorette party...and that's when all the fun ensues.
I absolutely adored this book. It was a quick fun read..a little bit like A Christmas Carol only with Henry VIII's wives and some of the other women that were important to him.
Each of Henry's wives are sharing a secret with Dolly about themselves. These secrets will really get you giggling. Some are realistic, some aren't so much, but they all make for a fun read.
I love how Dolly's life and her soon to be husband Harry's life parallel's Henry's. The only thing about Dolly that I wasn't too keen on were her rhymes! But even that endears her to you after awhile.
It is a pretty quick read and totally fun for anyone that likes a quirky read and this particular period in time.
Dolly is a history professor who concentrates on The Tudors! She's getting married to a Harry, who has been married 6 times before..Wait doesn't that sound like a song too...
Then something happens at her bachelorette party...and that's when all the fun ensues.
I absolutely adored this book. It was a quick fun read..a little bit like A Christmas Carol only with Henry VIII's wives and some of the other women that were important to him.
Each of Henry's wives are sharing a secret with Dolly about themselves. These secrets will really get you giggling. Some are realistic, some aren't so much, but they all make for a fun read.
I love how Dolly's life and her soon to be husband Harry's life parallel's Henry's. The only thing about Dolly that I wasn't too keen on were her rhymes! But even that endears her to you after awhile.
It is a pretty quick read and totally fun for anyone that likes a quirky read and this particular period in time.
July 10, 2012
I got an email from JoAnn Spears, asking me if I would review her book on my Tudor website, and I was ecstatic! She sent me the book and I dove right in. It was such a fun ride! How cool would it be for a Tudor-lover to really get a chance to meet and talk to some of the Tudor era's most infamous characters? That's exactly what the main character, Dolly, gets to do in this fun time-travelling adventure. After a food mishap at her bachelorette party, Dolly travels back in time and is confronted by the six wives of Henry VIII, as well as some other very familiar Tudor faces. Here, she gets the inside scoop on what REALLY happened to those women, and she learns secrets about the wives that only the most clever Tudor author could come up with! The book will have you laughing and satisfying your fun Tudor craving. Of course, make sure you're familiar with the history before you pick this book up - Although the history is explained a bit, it could get confusing if you're not already acquainted with the characters. Definitely a Tudor book I recommend!
March 4, 2012
I, like others, won this book in the giveaways and was super excited to receive it and start reading. JoAnn the author even sent me a message and seems very friendly.
I know the history of the Tudors fairly well and I think that is why I'm having a bit of a hard time getting through the book. I feel like I keep trying to take it too seriously and am expecting more of a historical break down. However, if you don't know the history at all I think as a reader you will be completely lost. I'll admit at the beginning of the book, probably up to around page 30 I was very confused and wasn't understanding what was going on. Why did the Tudors have modified names? Why are they in present time? Why are they all together? But after Dolly begins meeting all of the actual Tudors the book came together for me.
All in all this is a decent book but you have to allow yourself to be receptive to history being a bit different.
I know the history of the Tudors fairly well and I think that is why I'm having a bit of a hard time getting through the book. I feel like I keep trying to take it too seriously and am expecting more of a historical break down. However, if you don't know the history at all I think as a reader you will be completely lost. I'll admit at the beginning of the book, probably up to around page 30 I was very confused and wasn't understanding what was going on. Why did the Tudors have modified names? Why are they in present time? Why are they all together? But after Dolly begins meeting all of the actual Tudors the book came together for me.
All in all this is a decent book but you have to allow yourself to be receptive to history being a bit different.
June 11, 2012
Well... this book was a spoof. I knew this going into it. And yet, I think my hopes have been crushed. It was funny at parts- like all the wives in a "bitch slap" fest at one point- but the comparisons to her current situation, and the outlandish "secrets" that each of the wives had to share, I think ruined it for me. The story idea was a great idea, and again, I loved the idea and plot that was played out. The "execution" may be where I had my problem with it. She had me up until Henry VIII's wives started sharing their "secrets". That is where the author lost me. They were so ridiculous (most of them) that I was just thinking I need to see how this ends it just has to make up for the rest of this at least. And it does have a happy ending for all which helps a little bit with the ridiculous secrets that some of the wives reveal, especially Katherine of Aragon.
March 13, 2014
Okay, I am not sure how to rate this book. I liked it, it annoyed me, it made me smile, it made my head hurt....all of the above. I almost quit reading after a few chapters but I hate walking away from a book so I stuck it out. It got some better as it progressed into the stories of the wives.
I know it was a tongue in cheek kind of book and that is fine. I actually enjoyed the basic story behind the all the jokes and asides and the never ending rhymes. Could have done without the rhyming because by the end of the book it was really bad.
But the story itself was great. Not the fanciful, Wizard of Oz, falling through the rift into the unknown but the actual stories that the wives of Henry told. They were great and interesting. It made me wonder if any of it could be true or if it was all fictional and made me want to learn more about all the players in this story.
I know it was a tongue in cheek kind of book and that is fine. I actually enjoyed the basic story behind the all the jokes and asides and the never ending rhymes. Could have done without the rhyming because by the end of the book it was really bad.
But the story itself was great. Not the fanciful, Wizard of Oz, falling through the rift into the unknown but the actual stories that the wives of Henry told. They were great and interesting. It made me wonder if any of it could be true or if it was all fictional and made me want to learn more about all the players in this story.
May 15, 2013
I suppose I would describe this as a mix of humour, nonsense, Tudor geekery and chick-lit. The story and ideas were far too outlandish to be taken seriously, and the dialogue was very annoying albeit, I acknowledge, cleverly put together. The various central themes did tie together nicely too, although they made the ending predictable, and the editing was fine - I only spotted a few typos.
However, it wasn't one of my favourite reads. I wouldn't rush out to recommend it to anyone, but I wouldn't say avoid it either, just be prepared for a totally mindless, nonsense read - maybe at the beach, or when you want to just switch off.
However, it wasn't one of my favourite reads. I wouldn't rush out to recommend it to anyone, but I wouldn't say avoid it either, just be prepared for a totally mindless, nonsense read - maybe at the beach, or when you want to just switch off.
Want to read
March 25, 2012Could not get into this one. Maybe I'll go back to it later.
February 21, 2020
I mean...it was fun and it was quick. As someone who reads a ton of Tudor historical fiction, I liked the concept of a modern day heroine meeting the six wives of Henry VIII at the same time. And truly, the interactions between the wives didn't let me down. I wish their secrets (especially Katherine of Aragon's) weren't so far-fetched - I definitely literally rolled my eyes. And there's no character development for the protagonist, but I think that's because the author chose to focus on the inhabitants of the ethereal castle. Also, if I never hear another 'knocking on wood' reference in fiction, it'll be too soon. But it entertained, and I was able to read it on a quick in-and-out business trip's series of flights. If you like Tudor fiction, and don't mind not taking this one too seriously, it's a good one to knock out.
March 7, 2020
To be honest? The only reason I continued this book until the end is my innate fascination with the Tudor dynasty. When the Tudor storyline waned towards the end of the book I basically skimmed through the last few pages of the book to get to the end. The main character has a penchant for constantly rhyming her dialogue and puns. This got to be irritating at about the halfway mark which is sad because the premise of the storyline was actually good though a bit confusing at the end. I wont be reading the next book in this series. If you like continues rhyming dialogue and puns along with an interest in Henry VIII and his six wives then this book is definitely for you. If not...then pass.
July 31, 2018
I really enjoyed this story of Dolly, a professor of history who specialises in the Tudor period. On the eve of her wedding to Harry (who has been married 6 times before), she travels to an alternate space where she spends an evening with several Tudor women, including the 6 wives. The secrets she learns will help her make decisions when she returns to her own space. Lots of laughs, and a well imagined background to known historical facts.
July 28, 2018
A simple little read about Dolly who is about to marry Harry, who has been married 6 times previously. After a knock on the head she meets the 6 wives of Henry VIII, who all give Dolly advice and explain their lives and actions. It really is just a bit of fun, with extravagant tales about the wives and very little historical accuracy.
June 5, 2020
This was so fun. I haven't laughed this much from a book in a long time. I would suggested knowing a bit about the Tudor Era first. If I started this book without the background knowledge I know this book wouldn't have been as fun, or as easy to follow. I know I will re-read this to laugh all over again.
I am looking forward to reading more of JoAnn Spear's other works.
I am looking forward to reading more of JoAnn Spear's other works.
March 25, 2022
A new twist on an old story
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this book originally I didn't think I'd like it until I kept going and read more and more of it it's definitelly a new twist on the lives of the women who Henry the 8th married and it definitely gave more to think about I really liked the book
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this book originally I didn't think I'd like it until I kept going and read more and more of it it's definitelly a new twist on the lives of the women who Henry the 8th married and it definitely gave more to think about I really liked the book
March 27, 2022
Reading History Pays Off
As a devoted student of English history, and the years leading to the Elizabethan era, I found this book delightful. The interplay of modern and historical references kept me laughing throughout. The characters were all remarkably relatable, especially for women who must often make difficult choices.
As a devoted student of English history, and the years leading to the Elizabethan era, I found this book delightful. The interplay of modern and historical references kept me laughing throughout. The characters were all remarkably relatable, especially for women who must often make difficult choices.
March 27, 2018
The premise of this book was brilliant but I got bored with it trying to keep Henry the 8th’s wives straight. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the history of the Tudors but apparently I was wrong. If you don’t know the history of Henry the 8th and his wives, I do not recommend reading this.
February 22, 2020
I don’t really know what to say....the plot so contrived, the ease of guessing the ending from halfway through, the dubious historical imagination woven between high school history lectures....but I couldn’t stop either. So as a diverting read for a rainy Saturday on the train....ok. 2.5 stars.
March 5, 2020
Most interesting
The stories in this book posit some interesting deviation to histry. One would hesitate to do more than hope for some of the deviations to be reliable. All seem plausible.The tale is so well written it generates hopeful desire
The stories in this book posit some interesting deviation to histry. One would hesitate to do more than hope for some of the deviations to be reliable. All seem plausible.The tale is so well written it generates hopeful desire
March 28, 2020
What a hoot
Totally loved this story. The characters some based on real people made the book so much fun. Imagine if the stories they told were true, it’s girl power all the way. Such an easy read full of laugh out loud moments. Highly recommended.
Totally loved this story. The characters some based on real people made the book so much fun. Imagine if the stories they told were true, it’s girl power all the way. Such an easy read full of laugh out loud moments. Highly recommended.
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