What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boleyn Secret: A Novel
The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the dramatic, mysterious life of Katherine Carey, niece of Anne Boleyn, in this surprising novel that delves into one of the deepest secrets of Henry VIII's court.
At twelve years old, Katherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Kate is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death.
Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at Court, has now fallen from favor, Katherine still manages to secure a coveted role as companion to her now motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls grow as close as sisters, though Katherine has trouble ignoring the sly looks thrown her way and continual whispers behind her back. Only when her mother lies dying does Katherine learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years.
It is a secret that follows Katherine throughout her life, as she flees religious persecution with her husband and lives abroad in fear, returning home only when Elizabeth becomes queen. But the bond between the Boleyn cousins will never be the same again…
With her usual entertaining and authoritative style beloved by readers, renowned historian Alison Weir exposes a dramatic, little-known Tudor mystery in this fascinating, revelatory novel.
At twelve years old, Katherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Kate is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death.
Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at Court, has now fallen from favor, Katherine still manages to secure a coveted role as companion to her now motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls grow as close as sisters, though Katherine has trouble ignoring the sly looks thrown her way and continual whispers behind her back. Only when her mother lies dying does Katherine learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years.
It is a secret that follows Katherine throughout her life, as she flees religious persecution with her husband and lives abroad in fear, returning home only when Elizabeth becomes queen. But the bond between the Boleyn cousins will never be the same again…
With her usual entertaining and authoritative style beloved by readers, renowned historian Alison Weir exposes a dramatic, little-known Tudor mystery in this fascinating, revelatory novel.
545 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2026
About the author
Alison Weir
83 books8,617 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
April 18, 2026
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm always excited to jump into the newest Alison Weir book. Having written fictional accounts of Henry VIII, all six of his wives, his mother and daughters, and even his closest advisor, Weir is now delving into uncharted territory with a book about the Tudor king’s likely-illegitimate daughter, Katherine Carey. The eldest child of Henry’s former mistress, Mary Boleyn, and niece to Anne Boleyn, we come upon Kate at the tender age of twelve, when she is called to wait upon the disgraced queen during her imprisonment in the Tower. As Weir herself later admits, this may be more myth than history, but it forms the basis of Kate's hatred for the poisonous king who, unbeknownst to her, is also her biological father.
Alison Weir’s novels have a cozy vibe to them, and they always start strong. The irony of Kate despising Henry, only to one day learn their true connection, is set up well, although the moment of the big reveal doesn’t quite pack the punch that it should, and is dropped not long thereafter. Through Kate, we get to experience the reigns of four English monarchs, and see Elizabeth (who, the more I read about her, the more she comes across like a sociopath) through the eyes of one of her closest confidantes. Less is known about Kate’s life than those of Weir’s other subjects, giving her room to be more creative in how she crafts the story. Unfortunately, this is an opportunity that Weir does not seize, instead falling back on her habit of narrativized history over historical storytelling. Kate has many, many children, all of whose births are relayed to us, but none of whom become dynamic characters in their own right. There is a deep love between Kate and her husband, Francis, which is intended as the focal point of the book, but their romance is fairly bland and unremarkable.
More compelling is Kate’s close twenty-year bond with her stepfather, William Stafford, whom we learn was much more involved in court affairs than previously known (he even got remarried to a granddaughter of Margaret Pole, cousin of Elizabeth of York) as well as a devout Protestant convert. I would have liked to know if this was borne out of Weir’s research or if she decided to emphasize their relationship for the purpose of the story. Kate’s brother, Henry, by contrast, is rarely ever mentioned (in one unintentionally funny scene, Kate learns that Henry has had five kids since the last time she spoke to him). Weir may also be the one Tudor historian still stubbornly aboard the Jane-Boleyn-was-evil train. Despite many other historians conceding that the primary evidence for Jane’s treachery simply isn’t there, Weir makes it plain that she believes Jane betrayed the Boleyn siblings to their deaths, which she implies was spurred by years of sexual abuse at her husband’s hands (why Jane receives so little sympathy for being subjected to George's cruelty, however, is beyond me).
Unfortunately, The Boleyn Secret is worn down by the same issues as most of Alison Weir’s fictional novels: telling instead of showing, and length. This book is way, way too long. Even with a merciful time skip during Edward VI’s reign, the print book (I read the e-book) comes in at over 550 pages long. Not enough happens to justify the size beyond not wanting to cut a single detail. In that case, Weir should have opted for a traditional biography instead of a novel. Huge swaths of this book were plodding and uneventful, and it greatly weakened what could have been a much stronger novel.
I'm always excited to jump into the newest Alison Weir book. Having written fictional accounts of Henry VIII, all six of his wives, his mother and daughters, and even his closest advisor, Weir is now delving into uncharted territory with a book about the Tudor king’s likely-illegitimate daughter, Katherine Carey. The eldest child of Henry’s former mistress, Mary Boleyn, and niece to Anne Boleyn, we come upon Kate at the tender age of twelve, when she is called to wait upon the disgraced queen during her imprisonment in the Tower. As Weir herself later admits, this may be more myth than history, but it forms the basis of Kate's hatred for the poisonous king who, unbeknownst to her, is also her biological father.
Alison Weir’s novels have a cozy vibe to them, and they always start strong. The irony of Kate despising Henry, only to one day learn their true connection, is set up well, although the moment of the big reveal doesn’t quite pack the punch that it should, and is dropped not long thereafter. Through Kate, we get to experience the reigns of four English monarchs, and see Elizabeth (who, the more I read about her, the more she comes across like a sociopath) through the eyes of one of her closest confidantes. Less is known about Kate’s life than those of Weir’s other subjects, giving her room to be more creative in how she crafts the story. Unfortunately, this is an opportunity that Weir does not seize, instead falling back on her habit of narrativized history over historical storytelling. Kate has many, many children, all of whose births are relayed to us, but none of whom become dynamic characters in their own right. There is a deep love between Kate and her husband, Francis, which is intended as the focal point of the book, but their romance is fairly bland and unremarkable.
More compelling is Kate’s close twenty-year bond with her stepfather, William Stafford, whom we learn was much more involved in court affairs than previously known (he even got remarried to a granddaughter of Margaret Pole, cousin of Elizabeth of York) as well as a devout Protestant convert. I would have liked to know if this was borne out of Weir’s research or if she decided to emphasize their relationship for the purpose of the story. Kate’s brother, Henry, by contrast, is rarely ever mentioned (in one unintentionally funny scene, Kate learns that Henry has had five kids since the last time she spoke to him). Weir may also be the one Tudor historian still stubbornly aboard the Jane-Boleyn-was-evil train. Despite many other historians conceding that the primary evidence for Jane’s treachery simply isn’t there, Weir makes it plain that she believes Jane betrayed the Boleyn siblings to their deaths, which she implies was spurred by years of sexual abuse at her husband’s hands (why Jane receives so little sympathy for being subjected to George's cruelty, however, is beyond me).
Unfortunately, The Boleyn Secret is worn down by the same issues as most of Alison Weir’s fictional novels: telling instead of showing, and length. This book is way, way too long. Even with a merciful time skip during Edward VI’s reign, the print book (I read the e-book) comes in at over 550 pages long. Not enough happens to justify the size beyond not wanting to cut a single detail. In that case, Weir should have opted for a traditional biography instead of a novel. Huge swaths of this book were plodding and uneventful, and it greatly weakened what could have been a much stronger novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2026
I'm as big a Tudor fan as anyone. So, of course, I admire Alison Weir, a recognized scholar and bestselling author of all things Tudor. Unlike most other Tudor authors, Weir writes both fiction and non-fiction. But THE BOLEYN SECRET felt less like fiction to me than other Weir novels I've read. I wouldn't call it a clunker but I only gave it three stars.
This book's protagonist is Katherine Carey*, daughter of Mary Boleyn and friend-cousin-lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Katherine is usually an invisible historical figure. So, I was looking forward to Weir fleshing her out and learning more about her life living so close to the dysfunctional Tudor royal family. I did learn some. But, for me, the Katherine of this book remained two-dimensional. She observed a lot of history, but always remained somewhat removed.
The story begins with Katherine (age 12) witnessing the execution of her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn. She becomes a playmate for young Princess Elizabeth which allows us, through second hand gossip, to learn about King Henry VIII's four subsequent marriages. Eventually, Katherine goes to court as a lady-in-waiting to two queens and, at the age of 16, marries Francis Knollys. Their marriage is a happy one, peppered with many pregnancies (16!). Along the way, readers glean information about multiple monarchs [Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (if you count her), Mary I, and Elizabeth I].
As I progressed through this novel, I increasingly felt Weir wasn't clear about whose story she was telling. It's not really about a Boleyn secret - because that gets revealed about 1/3 of the way in and turns out to be more well-known conjecture than big surprise. The book contains way too much extraneous detail to simply be a story about the life of Katherine Carey. And while Katherine's life was certainly impacted by this era's contention around religion, the novel is more than a story about the tension between Catholics and Protestants.
In addition, the book felt too heavily weighted toward narration instead of dialogue. Weir explains so much, rather than allowing the characters to show us. For example, there are explanations about some of the differences between the two religions. There's horrible detail about the many Protestants burned by Queen Mary. There's extensive discussion about Queen Elizabeth not wanting to marry. Even a lot of attention to the mysterious death of Amy Robsart Dudley, wife of royal favorite Robert Dudley. And even when content IS shared through back and forth conversations between characters - I simply didn't find the dialogue the least bit believable.
The result is that THE BOLEYN SECRET felt tediously long (560 pages) and slow. While I'm generally a fan of including period detail to increase authenticity, I felt too much was heavy-handed and only tangentially related to Katherine's life. Perhaps the book would have been stronger if it had been written in Katherine's first person voice. Instead, she was mostly a witness in the room.
Or, perhaps, as a historian, Weir just knows so much about this period, it's hard for her to not include everything. It may also be that I'm a reader who already knows too much about the Tudors. I bet the book will be more engaging to those who were new to the Tudor world.
Overall, I still recommend THE BOLEYN SECRET. But I certainly wouldn't describe it as a page-turner and I've found other novels by Weir much more skillfully written. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end where Weir reveals what is actually known about Katherine Carey and what is made up.
This book's protagonist is Katherine Carey*, daughter of Mary Boleyn and friend-cousin-lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Katherine is usually an invisible historical figure. So, I was looking forward to Weir fleshing her out and learning more about her life living so close to the dysfunctional Tudor royal family. I did learn some. But, for me, the Katherine of this book remained two-dimensional. She observed a lot of history, but always remained somewhat removed.
The story begins with Katherine (age 12) witnessing the execution of her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn. She becomes a playmate for young Princess Elizabeth which allows us, through second hand gossip, to learn about King Henry VIII's four subsequent marriages. Eventually, Katherine goes to court as a lady-in-waiting to two queens and, at the age of 16, marries Francis Knollys. Their marriage is a happy one, peppered with many pregnancies (16!). Along the way, readers glean information about multiple monarchs [Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (if you count her), Mary I, and Elizabeth I].
As I progressed through this novel, I increasingly felt Weir wasn't clear about whose story she was telling. It's not really about a Boleyn secret - because that gets revealed about 1/3 of the way in and turns out to be more well-known conjecture than big surprise. The book contains way too much extraneous detail to simply be a story about the life of Katherine Carey. And while Katherine's life was certainly impacted by this era's contention around religion, the novel is more than a story about the tension between Catholics and Protestants.
In addition, the book felt too heavily weighted toward narration instead of dialogue. Weir explains so much, rather than allowing the characters to show us. For example, there are explanations about some of the differences between the two religions. There's horrible detail about the many Protestants burned by Queen Mary. There's extensive discussion about Queen Elizabeth not wanting to marry. Even a lot of attention to the mysterious death of Amy Robsart Dudley, wife of royal favorite Robert Dudley. And even when content IS shared through back and forth conversations between characters - I simply didn't find the dialogue the least bit believable.
The result is that THE BOLEYN SECRET felt tediously long (560 pages) and slow. While I'm generally a fan of including period detail to increase authenticity, I felt too much was heavy-handed and only tangentially related to Katherine's life. Perhaps the book would have been stronger if it had been written in Katherine's first person voice. Instead, she was mostly a witness in the room.
Or, perhaps, as a historian, Weir just knows so much about this period, it's hard for her to not include everything. It may also be that I'm a reader who already knows too much about the Tudors. I bet the book will be more engaging to those who were new to the Tudor world.
Overall, I still recommend THE BOLEYN SECRET. But I certainly wouldn't describe it as a page-turner and I've found other novels by Weir much more skillfully written. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end where Weir reveals what is actually known about Katherine Carey and what is made up.
June 27, 2026
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Presented by RB Media
DNF @ 66%
Bailing on this one. Just kinda bored with it! The historical stuff is interesting but Kate has become an incredibly dull character and there are exactly zero secrets here.
The story begins with Kate, niece to the queen Anne Boleyn, being sent to her side while Anne awaits death. What follows is an express lesson on the history of Henry VIII's wives and their various endings, with very little of note to report. Then it kind of devolves into Kate's personal life which is dull as dishwater, and by the time I gave up it was starting to veer into the topic of religious unrest.
I just stopped caring for anything, and realised it was not something I was excited to keep listening to. The narrator does a decent job but the content just doesn't have a lot going for it.
With a title suggestive of a big secret, this had nothing that wasn't easily predictable and immediately brushed to the side in favour of other issues. Incredibly disappointing on that front, and a dire lack of secrets anywhere else in the book.
It does give a crash course in history at the time, so fans of historical fiction may get a kick out of that aspect. But the story itself doesn't have enough to draw you in and make you really feel anything for anyone. I don't know that I could recommend it for anything other than the historical points of interest.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by RB Media
DNF @ 66%
Bailing on this one. Just kinda bored with it! The historical stuff is interesting but Kate has become an incredibly dull character and there are exactly zero secrets here.
The story begins with Kate, niece to the queen Anne Boleyn, being sent to her side while Anne awaits death. What follows is an express lesson on the history of Henry VIII's wives and their various endings, with very little of note to report. Then it kind of devolves into Kate's personal life which is dull as dishwater, and by the time I gave up it was starting to veer into the topic of religious unrest.
I just stopped caring for anything, and realised it was not something I was excited to keep listening to. The narrator does a decent job but the content just doesn't have a lot going for it.
With a title suggestive of a big secret, this had nothing that wasn't easily predictable and immediately brushed to the side in favour of other issues. Incredibly disappointing on that front, and a dire lack of secrets anywhere else in the book.
It does give a crash course in history at the time, so fans of historical fiction may get a kick out of that aspect. But the story itself doesn't have enough to draw you in and make you really feel anything for anyone. I don't know that I could recommend it for anything other than the historical points of interest.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
June 6, 2026
This story follows Katherine Carey from age 12 until her death. This unfolds during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. This is one of the best books I’ve read during this timeframe and I learned so much. This was a real page turner. Kept my attention from beginning to end. It is evident Alison Weir has done outstanding research. Amazing narrator. Highly recommend.
I was blessed with an ALC and ARC. Thank you, NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
I was blessed with an ALC and ARC. Thank you, NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
May 20, 2026
If you love Tudor history and stories about Henry VIII and his wives, The Boleyn Secret is a great read. I especially enjoyed how the story focused on Catherine, following her life from being Anne Boleyn’s cousin to her experiences at court. The political intrigue, relationships, and historical details made the novel engaging from start to finish. The narration was also excellent and really helped bring the characters and emotions to life. A wonderful historical fiction novel for fans of the Tudor era.
June 22, 2026
Whilst I found this book interesting and an enjoyable foray into historical fiction, it was very long! And I just kept wanting to know the 'secret' and I felt it took quite a while to get there.
January 25, 2026
At first, I was really interested in the story, but as the chapters went by I think it dragged on. There was a lot of repetition and I don't believe it needed to be so dragged out to 500 pages. The secret was also a let down? It makes barely any impact on the story. I understand that that is probably true to the nature of the real story, although I confess I don't know this much about history and the personal lives of past monarchs, but what brought me to keep reading after the secret was revealed was how it serves the narrative. I appreciate the amount of work and research that must have gone into this, but for me the repetition took me out of the story a lot, and I believe some parts weren't necessary. It reads like Kate's diary.
The writing is good, and the characters are interesting, but a little lackluster in my opinion. The mother I didn't care for, the father I wish I knew more about so that I could feel something about him and the whole situation, and Elizabeth... she's the most fleshed out character of all of them (including Kate) and I did appreciate seeing that, but I also didn't like her. Fair, maybe I'm not meant to. Kate's character felt a little all over the place. Going back to her parents and the backstory, I think it would have made a nice understanding of how/ why Kate is the way she is. She had no identity, no views, nothing, and is easily pushed by her husband. Except from the end where she had a litter of kids (again, going back to how it reads like a diary, I don't believe I needed to read about each of her children, which served nothing to the story, except to show that yes people had a lot of kids in that time.) I did, however, feel very sorry for Kate for being surrounded by selfish people. At first, I was disappointed in the ending, but I do think it suits the theme of the story.
However, I do appreciate the author writing about a person and part of history that isn't widely known (or at least, I didn't know!)
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.
The writing is good, and the characters are interesting, but a little lackluster in my opinion. The mother I didn't care for, the father I wish I knew more about so that I could feel something about him and the whole situation, and Elizabeth... she's the most fleshed out character of all of them (including Kate) and I did appreciate seeing that, but I also didn't like her. Fair, maybe I'm not meant to. Kate's character felt a little all over the place. Going back to her parents and the backstory, I think it would have made a nice understanding of how/ why Kate is the way she is. She had no identity, no views, nothing, and is easily pushed by her husband. Except from the end where she had a litter of kids (again, going back to how it reads like a diary, I don't believe I needed to read about each of her children, which served nothing to the story, except to show that yes people had a lot of kids in that time.) I did, however, feel very sorry for Kate for being surrounded by selfish people. At first, I was disappointed in the ending, but I do think it suits the theme of the story.
However, I do appreciate the author writing about a person and part of history that isn't widely known (or at least, I didn't know!)
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.
June 8, 2026
Advanced audio copy received through netgalley.
I am a big Tudor fan so I was excited to receive this.
We follow the daughter of Mary Boleyn, Catherine, through her life surrounded by the Tudor court and her close connection to Elizabeth. I must confess I did not know much about Catherine prior to this novel so I appreciated hearing the supporting research at the end.
The book explores a lot of the history that unfolded at the court throughout the Tudor reign of Henry VIII through to Elizabeth and we gain insight into the changes, social, religious and political, through the characters' close connections to royalty. It also touches on the many children that Catherine had although she didn't seem to have a truly developed character and came across a bit complacent in contract to Elizabeth who appears more complex.
Whilst I did think the 500+ pages of this book seemed excessive, the narration by Rosalyn Landor did keep me interested.
I would rate this more in the area of 3.5 but rounded up as I enjoyed the historical context.
I am a big Tudor fan so I was excited to receive this.
We follow the daughter of Mary Boleyn, Catherine, through her life surrounded by the Tudor court and her close connection to Elizabeth. I must confess I did not know much about Catherine prior to this novel so I appreciated hearing the supporting research at the end.
The book explores a lot of the history that unfolded at the court throughout the Tudor reign of Henry VIII through to Elizabeth and we gain insight into the changes, social, religious and political, through the characters' close connections to royalty. It also touches on the many children that Catherine had although she didn't seem to have a truly developed character and came across a bit complacent in contract to Elizabeth who appears more complex.
Whilst I did think the 500+ pages of this book seemed excessive, the narration by Rosalyn Landor did keep me interested.
I would rate this more in the area of 3.5 but rounded up as I enjoyed the historical context.
Read
May 4, 2026The Boleyn Secret is very much standard fare for Alison Weir: competently written, atmospherically Tudor, and firmly situated within the interpretive universe she has built across her historical novels. Longtime readers will recognize the familiar rhythms of her characterization and thematic interests, but they may also find little here that feels new or revelatory.
The greatest weakness lies in the portrayal of Catherine Carey. Despite the historical record suggesting a marriage of intellectual and emotional equality, Catherine is given remarkably little agency. I kept waiting for her to demonstrate the qualities that would justify her husband’s evident regard, but those moments never truly arrived, leaving her frustratingly underdeveloped.
Weir’s Elizabeth I, by contrast, is vividly drawn, if unevenly so. I appreciated the willingness to explore Elizabeth’s full spectrum of cruelty, and I spent much of the novel genuinely furious with her, a reaction that speaks to the power of the portrayal. At times, however, that cruelty tips into something more simplistic, edging toward a villainous caricature rather than a complex ruler shaped by fear, politics, and survival. In the end, The Boleyn Secret is readable and familiar, but unlikely to surprise or deeply satisfy readers hoping for fresh insight.
The greatest weakness lies in the portrayal of Catherine Carey. Despite the historical record suggesting a marriage of intellectual and emotional equality, Catherine is given remarkably little agency. I kept waiting for her to demonstrate the qualities that would justify her husband’s evident regard, but those moments never truly arrived, leaving her frustratingly underdeveloped.
Weir’s Elizabeth I, by contrast, is vividly drawn, if unevenly so. I appreciated the willingness to explore Elizabeth’s full spectrum of cruelty, and I spent much of the novel genuinely furious with her, a reaction that speaks to the power of the portrayal. At times, however, that cruelty tips into something more simplistic, edging toward a villainous caricature rather than a complex ruler shaped by fear, politics, and survival. In the end, The Boleyn Secret is readable and familiar, but unlikely to surprise or deeply satisfy readers hoping for fresh insight.
July 8, 2026
I received this for review. I have read many books about King Henry the VIII and the Tudors. I think that this book will always stand out as a favorite. Alison Weir has a beautiful writing style and is able to combine history and facts with information that she gathers and conclusions that she comes to seamlessly. The Tudor’s reign was in the 1400-1500s, so the information that we have on their lives is limited, and sometimes reading books about them can become daunting and repetitive. However, Alison‘s books are interesting and never get bogged down with boring details and information. Even though there were many characters in the story, you were able to follow along with their stories and events in their lives without getting confused. Historical fiction can be tricky to write, but Alison does a beautiful job in this book. I was hooked from page one and even though the book is quite lengthy, I was sorry to see it come to an end.
June 25, 2026
Kate girl you need to decentre men. Cozy vibes as usual, Alison I’m always going to be coming back to you!
Read
January 26, 2026Tudor novels excite me. Especially ones set around Anne Boleyn. Katherine Carey is right at the heart of the Anne Boleyn’s execution which is traumatising for her as she was only a teenager.
Katherine then goes onto play a part in the fringes of the Tudor Court, through Henry’s next two wives, and the next three monarchy’s.
This is the first novel that I have read that has included Mary Tudor’s reign and I found this quite traumatic.
I guessed the secret straight away – the fact that Henry had liaisons with Anne Boleyn’s sister is quite a well-known Tudor fact so it could be that the her child could be Henry’s. Katherine is not granted access to the King’s thoughts, and once she made up her mind that Henry was a monster she repeated this ad nauseum until his death.
I found Kate to be a woman of her time. 12 Children and a husband who just seemed to like making babies and being at Court. Katherine has no real opinion of her own and whilst showing herself to be capable of running the manor she doesn’t really stand up for herself; or frame any view other than that of her her husband.
I think maybe the length of the novel and the time periods it skimmed over put me off. Maybe if it had spent more time in one period rather than Henry, Mary and Elizabeth’s rein I would have enjoyed it more. But for me it was to long and tom detailed with events that didn’t need the tine spent on it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review. This one is for hardcore Tudor lovers.
Katherine then goes onto play a part in the fringes of the Tudor Court, through Henry’s next two wives, and the next three monarchy’s.
This is the first novel that I have read that has included Mary Tudor’s reign and I found this quite traumatic.
I guessed the secret straight away – the fact that Henry had liaisons with Anne Boleyn’s sister is quite a well-known Tudor fact so it could be that the her child could be Henry’s. Katherine is not granted access to the King’s thoughts, and once she made up her mind that Henry was a monster she repeated this ad nauseum until his death.
I found Kate to be a woman of her time. 12 Children and a husband who just seemed to like making babies and being at Court. Katherine has no real opinion of her own and whilst showing herself to be capable of running the manor she doesn’t really stand up for herself; or frame any view other than that of her her husband.
I think maybe the length of the novel and the time periods it skimmed over put me off. Maybe if it had spent more time in one period rather than Henry, Mary and Elizabeth’s rein I would have enjoyed it more. But for me it was to long and tom detailed with events that didn’t need the tine spent on it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review. This one is for hardcore Tudor lovers.
May 26, 2026
The Boleyn Secret follows the life of Katherine Carey, who was the niece of Queen Anne Boleyn. In 1536, Katherine was sent to the Tower of London to become a lady-in-waiting to her aunt, Anne Boleyn. She witnesses Anne Boleyn’s execution which had a profound effect upon her. Immediately afterwards, Katherine forms a close bond with Princess Elizabeth, who has been declared illegitimate upon her mother’s execution. When Katherine’s mother, Mary Boleyn, falls ill and is dying, she tells Katherine a secret that changes her life forever.
Katherine Carey is one of the most mysterious figures in the Tudor. This is because many historians have believed that she was secretly the daughter of King Henry VIII. Therefore, I was intrigued by how Mrs. Weir approaches the subject. I found Katherine’s character development to be pretty bland. She seems like she is mostly a background character. She is largely overshadowed by her husband and later on Queen Elizabeth. Katherine Carey immediately falls in love with Francis Knollys, who is a courtier under King Henry VIII. She soon marries him and bears his children. Francis is devoted to the Protestant faith, and Katherine becomes a Protestant because of him. When she becomes a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, she is upset because she wants to be at home raising her family. However, she realizes that she must put Queen Elizabeth’s needs above that of herself, her husband, and her children. Therefore, I found Katherine to be a very weak character. I wanted her to have more of a backbone and stand up to Queen Elizabeth at times.
Overall, this book is about secrets, family, and duty. I did like the characterization of most of the characters. Queen Elizabeth was the one I found most fascinating. I thought that this novel was meticulously researched, and I thought the descriptions of the Tudor court were well-done. I did think that this novel was very repetitive and drawn out at times. It could easily have been much shorter. Nevertheless, The Boleyn Secret was still a very enjoyable and fascinating read! I liked that it told the story of the Tudors from a different perspective! I recommend this book for fans of Rival to the Queen, The Queen’s Governess, and The Boleyn Bride!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
Katherine Carey is one of the most mysterious figures in the Tudor. This is because many historians have believed that she was secretly the daughter of King Henry VIII. Therefore, I was intrigued by how Mrs. Weir approaches the subject. I found Katherine’s character development to be pretty bland. She seems like she is mostly a background character. She is largely overshadowed by her husband and later on Queen Elizabeth. Katherine Carey immediately falls in love with Francis Knollys, who is a courtier under King Henry VIII. She soon marries him and bears his children. Francis is devoted to the Protestant faith, and Katherine becomes a Protestant because of him. When she becomes a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, she is upset because she wants to be at home raising her family. However, she realizes that she must put Queen Elizabeth’s needs above that of herself, her husband, and her children. Therefore, I found Katherine to be a very weak character. I wanted her to have more of a backbone and stand up to Queen Elizabeth at times.
Overall, this book is about secrets, family, and duty. I did like the characterization of most of the characters. Queen Elizabeth was the one I found most fascinating. I thought that this novel was meticulously researched, and I thought the descriptions of the Tudor court were well-done. I did think that this novel was very repetitive and drawn out at times. It could easily have been much shorter. Nevertheless, The Boleyn Secret was still a very enjoyable and fascinating read! I liked that it told the story of the Tudors from a different perspective! I recommend this book for fans of Rival to the Queen, The Queen’s Governess, and The Boleyn Bride!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
June 5, 2026
3.5! I love historical fiction and everything Tudor, so I jumped at the opportunity to get this ARC. The Boleyn Secret follows Katherine (Kate), the daughter of Mary Boleyn. It spans from her time in the Tower with Anne Boleyn to her final days serving Queen Elizabeth. The interesting part of this story is the bond between suspected sisters, Kate and Elizabeth, while it’s never confirmed between them.
As a main character, Kate is the trad wife final boss. She fits in with the times and wants nothing more than to be with her husband. It’s interesting to imagine a world where Henry married Mary, considering their daughter, Kate, has almost 20 children. That being said I found Kate’s husband a huge bore and his era appropriate views a drag to hear. It didn’t need to be laid on so heavy we’re well aware how women were treated at the time. If it’s a love story make me like the characters.
Elizabeth, who thinks for herself, is painted as a villain, much like Anne would be in Mary’s story. Compared to another author’s recent release, Boleyn Traitor, this story isn’t new or interesting as far as a woman’s story goes. This is history so we know Elizabeth goes on to have a great rule so why spend so much time criticizing her other than to continue the have baby and settle down agenda. While I understand that’s the period, it’s hard to hear so much “women can’t rule” and just have the main character agree. Since most of it is creative liberty, why not let Kate understand Elizabeth’s choices even a little the way the modern reader might? One might even call Alison Weir’s version of Kate a pick-me.
It’s still a great Tudor read, and I enjoyed my time listening to it!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the advance reader copy!
As a main character, Kate is the trad wife final boss. She fits in with the times and wants nothing more than to be with her husband. It’s interesting to imagine a world where Henry married Mary, considering their daughter, Kate, has almost 20 children. That being said I found Kate’s husband a huge bore and his era appropriate views a drag to hear. It didn’t need to be laid on so heavy we’re well aware how women were treated at the time. If it’s a love story make me like the characters.
Elizabeth, who thinks for herself, is painted as a villain, much like Anne would be in Mary’s story. Compared to another author’s recent release, Boleyn Traitor, this story isn’t new or interesting as far as a woman’s story goes. This is history so we know Elizabeth goes on to have a great rule so why spend so much time criticizing her other than to continue the have baby and settle down agenda. While I understand that’s the period, it’s hard to hear so much “women can’t rule” and just have the main character agree. Since most of it is creative liberty, why not let Kate understand Elizabeth’s choices even a little the way the modern reader might? One might even call Alison Weir’s version of Kate a pick-me.
It’s still a great Tudor read, and I enjoyed my time listening to it!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the advance reader copy!
June 11, 2026
I have never been one to believe that the Carey children were the children of Henry VIII. But, after reading this book, I’m willing to give a bit more credence that Katherine Carey may have been his daughter. After all, for what reason would he need to claim another girl?
I always enjoy reading history about those I don’t know as much about. Katherine Carey is one such figure. Before this book I knew she was a friend, cousin, etc to Elizabeth and knew she served her after she became Queen. Everything else, from the loving marriage she had, to how many children there were and the struggles with faith, that was all new to me.
I will say that even though the book is long, as all Weir’s books tend to be, I wish Katherine’s character had been fleshed out even more. I do feel I got to know her but it always seemed that knowing was through something else, if that makes sense.
I always enjoy reading history about those I don’t know as much about. Katherine Carey is one such figure. Before this book I knew she was a friend, cousin, etc to Elizabeth and knew she served her after she became Queen. Everything else, from the loving marriage she had, to how many children there were and the struggles with faith, that was all new to me.
I will say that even though the book is long, as all Weir’s books tend to be, I wish Katherine’s character had been fleshed out even more. I do feel I got to know her but it always seemed that knowing was through something else, if that makes sense.
May 31, 2026
I’ve not read much about Katherine Carey before beyond her being just a mention or small child in other Tudor historical fiction so I was very excited about this one. What a life she had! I really loved the way she was written. Yes, a little naive and idealistic at times, but so kind, loving and loyal. I loved seeing her grow up during such an incredibly volatile time in history between Henry VIII’s changing moods and temper to Mary’s vengeance and Elizabeth’s stubbornness. I LOVED how Elizabeth was written and enjoyed seeing her relationship with Kat, even though her selfishness and unkindness drove me crazy sometimes. I also really enjoyed the book using the theory that Katherine was Henry’s daughter and I found their scenes together so tense and interesting! I loved Mary Boleyn and Will Stafford so much. I was not expecting to cry during the book, but as always, I cry anytime I read about Anne Boleyn’s execution (which was done so beautifully here), I cried when Mary died and also at the very end. It’s a sweeping, multi decade saga filled with drama, tension and political intrigue and I think any Tudor historical fiction lover will enjoy it so much.
Thank you to Ballantine Books for the digital reader’s copy!
Thank you to Ballantine Books for the digital reader’s copy!
June 3, 2026
Tudor England seen from the eyes of Catherine Carey. Catherine is the daughter of Mary Boleyn and William Carey but rumor was that her father really was Henry the 8th.
This book starts right before Anne Boleyn is executed and goes to the death of Catherine. You see the relationship between Catherine and Elizabeth especially as Elizabeth becomes queen. A good focus of the book is when the Protestant religion is starting to take hold among the English people. Catherine was catholic and then switched to being Protestant. You see the fear that must have been growing when Mary became queen and she was wanting to get rid of all heretics and make England catholic.
A really good book! Just felt like it was a tad long. But the narrator did a great job ! I was never bored! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
This book starts right before Anne Boleyn is executed and goes to the death of Catherine. You see the relationship between Catherine and Elizabeth especially as Elizabeth becomes queen. A good focus of the book is when the Protestant religion is starting to take hold among the English people. Catherine was catholic and then switched to being Protestant. You see the fear that must have been growing when Mary became queen and she was wanting to get rid of all heretics and make England catholic.
A really good book! Just felt like it was a tad long. But the narrator did a great job ! I was never bored! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
June 15, 2026
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sending a copy of this ebook to review.
Every time, when I read a book by Alison Weir, I fall in love with the characters, follow them on their ups and downs, become happy or miserable for them.
The brilliance of Alison Weir’s writing is in the ability to immerse a reader in the story, in the time, in the world the characters live in.
This novel centers around Katherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn. Kate had a happy simple childhood, which too soon got marred by loss and tragedy. She lives surrounded by secrets, which she doesn’t know or understand. Deprived of her family, she finds joy in serving her younger cousin Elizabeth.
This bond will last all her life, changing and transforming, but strong nevertheless.
Katherine lived quite happy life - found her soulmate, had many surviving children, even exile was relatively easy - they were able to leave in time, had money to support themselves abroad and returned to England to enjoy Elizabeth’s favor.
As in parallel with her mother Mary Boleyn and Anne Boleyn, Katherine and Elizabeth had different definition of happiness.
For Katherine (Mary) her family was the main goal, Elizabeth (Anne) was not inclined to love and cherish.
Katherine (Mary) was happy in her home, even in exile, but with her husband and children, Elizabeth (Anne) needed power and court life.
Katherine was helping others, Elizabeth demanded attention to herself only.
As always, Alison Weir’s books contain loads of historical information, which I like in fictional novels.
Every time, when I read a book by Alison Weir, I fall in love with the characters, follow them on their ups and downs, become happy or miserable for them.
The brilliance of Alison Weir’s writing is in the ability to immerse a reader in the story, in the time, in the world the characters live in.
This novel centers around Katherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn. Kate had a happy simple childhood, which too soon got marred by loss and tragedy. She lives surrounded by secrets, which she doesn’t know or understand. Deprived of her family, she finds joy in serving her younger cousin Elizabeth.
This bond will last all her life, changing and transforming, but strong nevertheless.
Katherine lived quite happy life - found her soulmate, had many surviving children, even exile was relatively easy - they were able to leave in time, had money to support themselves abroad and returned to England to enjoy Elizabeth’s favor.
As in parallel with her mother Mary Boleyn and Anne Boleyn, Katherine and Elizabeth had different definition of happiness.
For Katherine (Mary) her family was the main goal, Elizabeth (Anne) was not inclined to love and cherish.
Katherine (Mary) was happy in her home, even in exile, but with her husband and children, Elizabeth (Anne) needed power and court life.
Katherine was helping others, Elizabeth demanded attention to herself only.
As always, Alison Weir’s books contain loads of historical information, which I like in fictional novels.
June 2, 2026
Oh my gosh, this book is amazing. This might be my favorite book from Alison Weir so far. This was written so well and the story was intriguing. I am so grateful that I was able to get early access to this book!
June 17, 2026
It was a good historical fiction. All books of the author is good for me. I cannot say it was fun, but it was entertaining. Honestly i was a big bored when i read in the book that Catherine Carey is pregnant again and again, but i know that was the normal in that historical time.
June 21, 2026
Ooooh….so good! I feel like I found an unexpected Philippa Gregory. Kate’s possible paternity and relationship to Queen Elizabeth seems very probable. The fact that she gave birth to so many children and survived is pretty incredible.
May 8, 2026
I love any books about Tudor history and The Boleyn Secret gave me a chance to learn about a Tudor who I was unfamiliar with - Katherine Carey. What I enjoyed about this book, was the opportunity to learn more about an unfamiliar Tudor through the backdrop of the familiar and (in)famous events of the time - from Anne Boleyn’s execution to the Queen Elizabeth’s time on the throne.
It’s a difficult book to assign a rating too. It’s a very long book, which I can understand given all that happened within Kate’s life - but when I got to the 50% mark, I felt like I had been reading the book for forever. It kept me interested and even inspired to read up further on events within the book (though in terms of the heresy burnings, I wish I hadn’t!) but around the 70% mark, my interest wained and I skim read to the end. I really struggled with many of the characters in her life (Francis and Elizabeth, I am looking at you!) who were rage bait as my teenagers would say. I did enjoy the writing and the way the author framed the tension at Anne Boleyn’s execution and during Mary’s reign was so effective.
In short, I liked a lot about the book but it could have been more effective had it been more succinct.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
It’s a difficult book to assign a rating too. It’s a very long book, which I can understand given all that happened within Kate’s life - but when I got to the 50% mark, I felt like I had been reading the book for forever. It kept me interested and even inspired to read up further on events within the book (though in terms of the heresy burnings, I wish I hadn’t!) but around the 70% mark, my interest wained and I skim read to the end. I really struggled with many of the characters in her life (Francis and Elizabeth, I am looking at you!) who were rage bait as my teenagers would say. I did enjoy the writing and the way the author framed the tension at Anne Boleyn’s execution and during Mary’s reign was so effective.
In short, I liked a lot about the book but it could have been more effective had it been more succinct.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
June 3, 2026
Ill be honest and say I thought about not finishing this audiobook. Not because of the narrator though... the storyline just never pulled my attention, and it felt like it was hard to keep it.
June 7, 2026
Three and a half. An interesting, well researched novelisation of the life of Katherine Carey. It’s easy to read and appealing to lovers of the Tudor period.
June 7, 2026
This author can do no wrong in my eyes ❤️🙏
May 31, 2026
I’m seriously Tudor obsessed so when I noted that Alison Weir was writing about a new Tudor, Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, and niece to Queen Anne Boleyn, I was all in!
The book starts with a young 12 year old Catherine who was one of Anne’s maidens during her beheading.
Catherine was also in young Elizabeth Tudor’s household as her cousin and best friend.
The story takes us through all of the intrigues through Henry’s rule, Edward’s short rule, Bloody Mary’s reign, and finally Queen Elizabeth’s.
The books goes into great detail about the persecution of the Protestants and Catherine fleeing England with her husband and children.
Catherine learns a secret about her birth which is never discussed or brought into the open. But there are whispers.
I loved seeing the Tudor history through the eyes of a lesser known historical figure. Was it a bit long and tedious in some parts? Yes. Sure it was… As is history. I still loved it.
I look forward to any and all future Tudor novels from Alison Weir as I’ve read all she’s written to date. (Historical fiction novels that is.)
*Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
The book starts with a young 12 year old Catherine who was one of Anne’s maidens during her beheading.
Catherine was also in young Elizabeth Tudor’s household as her cousin and best friend.
The story takes us through all of the intrigues through Henry’s rule, Edward’s short rule, Bloody Mary’s reign, and finally Queen Elizabeth’s.
The books goes into great detail about the persecution of the Protestants and Catherine fleeing England with her husband and children.
Catherine learns a secret about her birth which is never discussed or brought into the open. But there are whispers.
I loved seeing the Tudor history through the eyes of a lesser known historical figure. Was it a bit long and tedious in some parts? Yes. Sure it was… As is history. I still loved it.
I look forward to any and all future Tudor novels from Alison Weir as I’ve read all she’s written to date. (Historical fiction novels that is.)
*Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
June 26, 2026
As a massive fan of Alison Weir over the past several years both as a historical fiction author and a historian, I almost always have to jump in head first whenever she releases a new book and “The Boleyn Secret” I think is one of her best novels.
“The Boleyn Secret” is a historical fiction novel on another kind of obscure Tudor historical figure, Katherine Carey; the daughter of Mary Boleyn, niece of Anne Boleyn and therefore cousin of Queen Elizabeth I.
You might think following a character like Kate, a non-Royal who mostly lived outside of the court before the accession of Elizabeth I and never made any real life historical impact in anyway other than the speculation that she might have been fathered by Henry VIII, but actually I personally became quite enthralled with Katherine’s story here the further I went along.
Weir bases a good chunk of the novel from her theory about Katherine Carey being biologically fathered by King Henry VIII which she also weaved into her other novels about the six wives of Henry VIII and it’s pretty intriguing how this affects Katherine and her feelings toward Henry VIII. Though of course that’s not the only reason she has.
With Katherine Carey as our main character, we also get to take a journey through the reigns of four of the five Tudor Monarchs and I loved the emotional transitions that happened as I moved through the book. During Henry VIII’s reign, Katherine lived with a growing loathing of the King and a dread of being summoned to court because of it despite a still relatively peaceful life, Edward VI’s reign I think was possibly Kate’s happiest time as they shared the King’s religion and with the King being too young to marry, there was no risk of Kate being called to Court. Then during Mary I’s reign, I was absolutely on pins and needles, my nerves almost on fire with anxiety over Kate and her family’s safety considering Mary’s radical Catholicism and increasingly unpopular and hostile policies. When Elizabeth I finally took the throne, I thought I and Katherine could finally breathe easily, only for Elizabeth’s possessive and selfish love for Kate to result in a kind of tragic ending for the book.
I really liked how Kate’s life throughout these different monarchs’ reigns could evoke these different feelings for me and in my opinion, Weir did a really nice job bringing Katherine Carey to life and making her a likable, understandable, sympathetic and endearing character. I really felt for her position a lot, being constantly being under the thumbs of absolute monarchs who cannot be gainsaid even when they have the best intentions and especially when those obligations force her to be away from her husband and children. For me it really kept me hooked and engaged throughout the book and also think Weir has improved on writing Elizabeth I a little though I’m beginning to think she hates her as much as her mother Anne Boleyn between this and her two Elizabeth I novels.
I also liked how Weir wrote Will Stafford, Mary Boleyn’s second husband and his relationship with Kate. I think he’s my favorite version of Will Stafford that I’ve seen so far.
That all being said, at 519 pages the novel is as long as Weir’s other novels as she tends to end her novels with the death of her main character and since the book starts with Kate at age 12 being summoned to wait on Anne Boleyn during her final days in the Tower, you can imagine the extent of the journey readers will go on with “The Boleyn Secret”.
Also I have to admit at the beginning I was not a huge fan of Kate’s husband Francis Knollys as in the beginning of their marriage his ambitions in court and his highborn ways often led him to say things to Kate and make decisions that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. He did win me over in the end with how he looked after Kate and their children during the terror of Mary’s reign and the frustrations of being in Elizabeth’s service so I guess it’s a small drawback.
Elizabeth was also a frustration in the book to me. I get her terrible traumas and that they shaped a major part of her as an adult, but it didn’t really excuse her selfish unkind actions for me. Though she was not as infuriating as she was in “The Marriage Game”, it’s kind of close. I especially hated how she kept Kate separated from her husband and young children, especially in the end. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I can only imagine Francis’s reactions after the end. If you hated Elizabeth in “The Marriage Game”, I don’t think you’ll like her much better here.
Other than that I didn’t think much else was wrong with “The Boleyn Secret”. It was interesting to focus on someone so far yet so close to the royal family and to try to get into their head as much as possible. It’s not without its flaws and it’s far from the most dramatic and scandalous historical fiction novel out there, but I still think it’s pretty good and well worth reading. Especially for a Boleyn fan. I loved it and can’t wait to acquire my own copy of the book so I can read it again sometime.
“The Boleyn Secret” is a historical fiction novel on another kind of obscure Tudor historical figure, Katherine Carey; the daughter of Mary Boleyn, niece of Anne Boleyn and therefore cousin of Queen Elizabeth I.
You might think following a character like Kate, a non-Royal who mostly lived outside of the court before the accession of Elizabeth I and never made any real life historical impact in anyway other than the speculation that she might have been fathered by Henry VIII, but actually I personally became quite enthralled with Katherine’s story here the further I went along.
Weir bases a good chunk of the novel from her theory about Katherine Carey being biologically fathered by King Henry VIII which she also weaved into her other novels about the six wives of Henry VIII and it’s pretty intriguing how this affects Katherine and her feelings toward Henry VIII. Though of course that’s not the only reason she has.
With Katherine Carey as our main character, we also get to take a journey through the reigns of four of the five Tudor Monarchs and I loved the emotional transitions that happened as I moved through the book. During Henry VIII’s reign, Katherine lived with a growing loathing of the King and a dread of being summoned to court because of it despite a still relatively peaceful life, Edward VI’s reign I think was possibly Kate’s happiest time as they shared the King’s religion and with the King being too young to marry, there was no risk of Kate being called to Court. Then during Mary I’s reign, I was absolutely on pins and needles, my nerves almost on fire with anxiety over Kate and her family’s safety considering Mary’s radical Catholicism and increasingly unpopular and hostile policies. When Elizabeth I finally took the throne, I thought I and Katherine could finally breathe easily, only for Elizabeth’s possessive and selfish love for Kate to result in a kind of tragic ending for the book.
I really liked how Kate’s life throughout these different monarchs’ reigns could evoke these different feelings for me and in my opinion, Weir did a really nice job bringing Katherine Carey to life and making her a likable, understandable, sympathetic and endearing character. I really felt for her position a lot, being constantly being under the thumbs of absolute monarchs who cannot be gainsaid even when they have the best intentions and especially when those obligations force her to be away from her husband and children. For me it really kept me hooked and engaged throughout the book and also think Weir has improved on writing Elizabeth I a little though I’m beginning to think she hates her as much as her mother Anne Boleyn between this and her two Elizabeth I novels.
I also liked how Weir wrote Will Stafford, Mary Boleyn’s second husband and his relationship with Kate. I think he’s my favorite version of Will Stafford that I’ve seen so far.
That all being said, at 519 pages the novel is as long as Weir’s other novels as she tends to end her novels with the death of her main character and since the book starts with Kate at age 12 being summoned to wait on Anne Boleyn during her final days in the Tower, you can imagine the extent of the journey readers will go on with “The Boleyn Secret”.
Also I have to admit at the beginning I was not a huge fan of Kate’s husband Francis Knollys as in the beginning of their marriage his ambitions in court and his highborn ways often led him to say things to Kate and make decisions that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. He did win me over in the end with how he looked after Kate and their children during the terror of Mary’s reign and the frustrations of being in Elizabeth’s service so I guess it’s a small drawback.
Elizabeth was also a frustration in the book to me. I get her terrible traumas and that they shaped a major part of her as an adult, but it didn’t really excuse her selfish unkind actions for me. Though she was not as infuriating as she was in “The Marriage Game”, it’s kind of close. I especially hated how she kept Kate separated from her husband and young children, especially in the end. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I can only imagine Francis’s reactions after the end. If you hated Elizabeth in “The Marriage Game”, I don’t think you’ll like her much better here.
Other than that I didn’t think much else was wrong with “The Boleyn Secret”. It was interesting to focus on someone so far yet so close to the royal family and to try to get into their head as much as possible. It’s not without its flaws and it’s far from the most dramatic and scandalous historical fiction novel out there, but I still think it’s pretty good and well worth reading. Especially for a Boleyn fan. I loved it and can’t wait to acquire my own copy of the book so I can read it again sometime.
June 4, 2026
When I review historical fiction, I always review as if they are characters rather than real people. As there is too much unknown, especially on thoughts, feelings and beliefs. It's all on interpretation. So all opinions should be applied to this interpretation of their character, rather than the real person themselves. Especially when they're shrouded in mystery like Catherine carey. The records about her are scant.
This was alright. One of the big reasons I struggled with this was that I never bought the "great love story" that is woven throughout this novel. It never felt like he truly loved her at times, it just seemed he had a raging libido and she satisfied that. I truthfully thought Francis was a bit of a knob and was really cruel at times. I know he's gotta be misogynistic because it is the times, lalala and all that, but I quickly found it tiring. Like his attitude after she tries to breastfeed her child, which I know wasn't sadly normal, but I found him way too harsh towards a woman who he is supposed to love and has just give birth to your heir for 37 hours!!! "Remember your duty to me!" 37 hours of labour and he's like, breastfeeding makes it not likely to conceive and obviously we need 16! children. "Your duty is to provide me with sons and to help ensure that they are well raised, well educated, and well married. You are not a milch-cow! I will brook no further argument. A wet nurse will be engaged.” Yeah. He really sounds like he loves her deeply doesn't he? And I know it's the time period but it's not like this is a well known fact about their relationship, it's all made up so why do we need it here? "I strongly advise you to remember your vow of obedience and be compliant as a wife should.” Icky. "When Francis had seen that she was willing to obey him, he was pleased to put her small rebellion down to her deranged womb, and showed himself as loving as ever." Ahhh, such true love isn't it. True love that will only run smooth if one person gets their way 100% of the time.
I also do believe her way too many pregnancies lead to her dying earlier than maybe she would've if she didn't have that many pregnancies, like some years, she was legit having babies every single year for quite a while, legit getting pregnant a few months after birth. That can't have been easy on her body. I also didn't like that Francis wouldn't allow a bad word to be said about Henry, but would happily talk badly about Elizabeth. I felt like the character of Kate was a bit wishy washy. She didn't come across as having a strong personality and would give in, a lot. She had very little agency. Even her religious views changing, felt like it was to please Francis, rather than from her own convictions.
I also do believe that she was most probably Henry VIII child rather than William Carey's especially when we focus on Lettice's appearance. so it was interesting to see Catherine wrestle with that, though I thought it would be a slight more prominent than it was. (Her brother Henry was William's imo)
Catherine's relationship with Elizabeth was really interesting. It was interesting to see how it developed from childhood to adulthood. And I felt the personality of Elizabeth came across strongly. She could be kind, selfish, vindictive and it showed a huge wound she had from losing her mother. That wound transferred onto Catherine and Kate Ashley, Blanche Parry etc. Elizabeth was desperate to keep them close and would not let them go. I understood that some of her cruelty towards catherine came from that utter desperation.
I have gotten bored of "Jane Boleyn was evil" train and that was a feature in this book.
I also thought the relationship between Mary and William was an interpretation I haven't read a lot, their relationship was really sweet. And how close Catherine was with her step dad.
This was alright. One of the big reasons I struggled with this was that I never bought the "great love story" that is woven throughout this novel. It never felt like he truly loved her at times, it just seemed he had a raging libido and she satisfied that. I truthfully thought Francis was a bit of a knob and was really cruel at times. I know he's gotta be misogynistic because it is the times, lalala and all that, but I quickly found it tiring. Like his attitude after she tries to breastfeed her child, which I know wasn't sadly normal, but I found him way too harsh towards a woman who he is supposed to love and has just give birth to your heir for 37 hours!!! "Remember your duty to me!" 37 hours of labour and he's like, breastfeeding makes it not likely to conceive and obviously we need 16! children. "Your duty is to provide me with sons and to help ensure that they are well raised, well educated, and well married. You are not a milch-cow! I will brook no further argument. A wet nurse will be engaged.” Yeah. He really sounds like he loves her deeply doesn't he? And I know it's the time period but it's not like this is a well known fact about their relationship, it's all made up so why do we need it here? "I strongly advise you to remember your vow of obedience and be compliant as a wife should.” Icky. "When Francis had seen that she was willing to obey him, he was pleased to put her small rebellion down to her deranged womb, and showed himself as loving as ever." Ahhh, such true love isn't it. True love that will only run smooth if one person gets their way 100% of the time.
I also do believe her way too many pregnancies lead to her dying earlier than maybe she would've if she didn't have that many pregnancies, like some years, she was legit having babies every single year for quite a while, legit getting pregnant a few months after birth. That can't have been easy on her body. I also didn't like that Francis wouldn't allow a bad word to be said about Henry, but would happily talk badly about Elizabeth. I felt like the character of Kate was a bit wishy washy. She didn't come across as having a strong personality and would give in, a lot. She had very little agency. Even her religious views changing, felt like it was to please Francis, rather than from her own convictions.
I also do believe that she was most probably Henry VIII child rather than William Carey's especially when we focus on Lettice's appearance. so it was interesting to see Catherine wrestle with that, though I thought it would be a slight more prominent than it was. (Her brother Henry was William's imo)
Catherine's relationship with Elizabeth was really interesting. It was interesting to see how it developed from childhood to adulthood. And I felt the personality of Elizabeth came across strongly. She could be kind, selfish, vindictive and it showed a huge wound she had from losing her mother. That wound transferred onto Catherine and Kate Ashley, Blanche Parry etc. Elizabeth was desperate to keep them close and would not let them go. I understood that some of her cruelty towards catherine came from that utter desperation.
I have gotten bored of "Jane Boleyn was evil" train and that was a feature in this book.
I also thought the relationship between Mary and William was an interpretation I haven't read a lot, their relationship was really sweet. And how close Catherine was with her step dad.
June 30, 2026
Katherine (Kate) Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, so Anne Boleyn's niece, lived during the Tudor age. She lived through six consorts, two kings and two queens. In theory, her life, on the edge of the Tudor court, yet so intricately tied to so many important people, should be ripe for exploration.
It's a shame that it falls so flat. Because Kate doesn't have an interesting life, at least not compared to her more illustrious relatives. She gets married, she has a lot of kids, she goes to court a bit and then she sadly dies. And we spend a lot of time with each and every pregnancy.
There are some good bits, Weir is a fantastic writer in many ways and her very deep love for the Tudor period shines through in every page. And any book that writes Henry VIII as the horrible pig that he was, earns some stars in my book. Both his physical description and his behaviour show him in the worst light, and I love that in 2026 we are having a real push towards him being shown as the jerk he was.
This book is overlong. It's very bloated for what it actually is and nothing really happens for that size beyond Weir not wanting to cut any of the details she's learnt over her many years as a historian. Whole chapters of this book were utterly pointless, and it weakened the overall plot. Did we really need them to have so many conversations about fleeing aboard before they actually did? Indeed, Weir seems to delight in sharing her vast knowledge of the period, but it meant that a lot of this book is just her telling us Tudor history. We have a dive into the difference between the two religions, we have conversation after conversation about Elizabeth not wanting to marry. We follow the mysterious death of Amy Dudley... and so much of this is quotes lifted from letters and known speeches of famous people. We are to believe, for example, that Elizabeth first said to Kate; 'if he (Darnley) had been my husband, I would have taken my dagger and stabbed him' when she instead very famously said that to the ambassador of someone who was hoping to marry her.
We even have letters faithfully reproduced in their entirety and why in a novel? It makes sense in a historical book and I miss it when Weir wrote non fiction, I love those books.
When we move away from the proven historical record, its hard to get a feel of who Kate is as a character. She doesn't seem overly formed and is unfortunately rather a bland personality. She's also only at court for the last few days of Anne's life, Anna of Cleves few months and then Elizabeth's reign. The rest we are told in painful detail about and even skipping over most of Edwards' reign doesn't save the size.
Finally there is the 'secret' of the title. Which is revealed pretty early on, was very bluntly foreshadowed and thus in no way a surprise. Kate then spends the rest of the book obsessing about it - its her only personality trait, wanting it to be revealed to the world, beyond her love of her family. Almost every time it can be pushed into the thought process it is, and the ending feels rather anticlimactic. Which fits, in a sad way, with the rest of this book.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
It's a shame that it falls so flat. Because Kate doesn't have an interesting life, at least not compared to her more illustrious relatives. She gets married, she has a lot of kids, she goes to court a bit and then she sadly dies. And we spend a lot of time with each and every pregnancy.
There are some good bits, Weir is a fantastic writer in many ways and her very deep love for the Tudor period shines through in every page. And any book that writes Henry VIII as the horrible pig that he was, earns some stars in my book. Both his physical description and his behaviour show him in the worst light, and I love that in 2026 we are having a real push towards him being shown as the jerk he was.
This book is overlong. It's very bloated for what it actually is and nothing really happens for that size beyond Weir not wanting to cut any of the details she's learnt over her many years as a historian. Whole chapters of this book were utterly pointless, and it weakened the overall plot. Did we really need them to have so many conversations about fleeing aboard before they actually did? Indeed, Weir seems to delight in sharing her vast knowledge of the period, but it meant that a lot of this book is just her telling us Tudor history. We have a dive into the difference between the two religions, we have conversation after conversation about Elizabeth not wanting to marry. We follow the mysterious death of Amy Dudley... and so much of this is quotes lifted from letters and known speeches of famous people. We are to believe, for example, that Elizabeth first said to Kate; 'if he (Darnley) had been my husband, I would have taken my dagger and stabbed him' when she instead very famously said that to the ambassador of someone who was hoping to marry her.
We even have letters faithfully reproduced in their entirety and why in a novel? It makes sense in a historical book and I miss it when Weir wrote non fiction, I love those books.
When we move away from the proven historical record, its hard to get a feel of who Kate is as a character. She doesn't seem overly formed and is unfortunately rather a bland personality. She's also only at court for the last few days of Anne's life, Anna of Cleves few months and then Elizabeth's reign. The rest we are told in painful detail about and even skipping over most of Edwards' reign doesn't save the size.
Finally there is the 'secret' of the title. Which is revealed pretty early on, was very bluntly foreshadowed and thus in no way a surprise. Kate then spends the rest of the book obsessing about it - its her only personality trait, wanting it to be revealed to the world, beyond her love of her family. Almost every time it can be pushed into the thought process it is, and the ending feels rather anticlimactic. Which fits, in a sad way, with the rest of this book.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
June 30, 2026
The Boleyns were one of the most infamous families during the Tudor reign in England. The rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, her father, Thomas, and her brother, George, were seismic. However, there was one Boleyn who didn’t get nearly enough attention, and that is Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s sister, who was mistress to King Henry VIII before Anne was even part of his life. Throughout history, it has been debated that Mary’s children with her first husband, William Carey, were in fact the illegitimate children of Henry VIII. Alison Weir explores the life of Mary Boleyn’s daughter, Catherine Carey, in her latest novel, “The Boleyn Secret.”
I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. Alison Weir is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, so whenever I hear that she has a new novel coming out, I jump at a chance to read it. The idea of a new novel about Catherine Carey was an appealing concept, and I could not wait to see how she would approach Catherine’s story.
Catherine, known in this novel as Kate, did not have the greatest start at court, as her first assignment was to assist her aunt Anne Boleyn in the Tower as she awaited her execution. For a young woman, it was a time that would change her life forever. Kate would help serve her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor, the recently declared bastard child of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. The two cousins have a strong connection that will last for decades. However, Kate falls in love with a young courtier named Francis Knollys, and they begin a life away from court at their new home, Greys Court.
While Kate is creating a family with Francis, she learns two major aspects that will define her life moving forward. She becomes aware of the secret that her mother kept until her deathbed about who Kate’s true father was. This secret will radically alter how she views her own family and her connection to Elizabeth. Kate also explores her own faith, becoming one of the Reformist faith, like Francis, but it puts the family in danger during the reign of Mary I. We get to see the struggle of those who did reform during Mary’s reign, seeking refuge in other European countries like Germany, which, at the time, was more lenient towards Reformers. When Elizabeth becomes queen, Kate believes that this will be a time of peace for her and her family. But Kate learns that Elizabeth’s love towards her cousin is possessive, and Kate is in a constant state of tug-of-war between Elizabeth and Francis with her 16 children.
Catherine Carey/Kate Knollys’ story is one filled with love and dangers of living with a secret that, if it were revealed, would alter history forever. Kate’s story is often overlooked when we talk about the Tudor dynasty, but it shows the dangers of the dynasty and what it meant to fight for your family and for love in the 16th century. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Alison Weir wrote this novel and gave Kate her own voice. If you want a delightful novel full of love and danger set in the midst of the Tudor court and focusing on a Boleyn cousin of Elizabeth I, I highly recommend you read “The Boleyn Secret” by Alison Weir.
I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. Alison Weir is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, so whenever I hear that she has a new novel coming out, I jump at a chance to read it. The idea of a new novel about Catherine Carey was an appealing concept, and I could not wait to see how she would approach Catherine’s story.
Catherine, known in this novel as Kate, did not have the greatest start at court, as her first assignment was to assist her aunt Anne Boleyn in the Tower as she awaited her execution. For a young woman, it was a time that would change her life forever. Kate would help serve her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor, the recently declared bastard child of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. The two cousins have a strong connection that will last for decades. However, Kate falls in love with a young courtier named Francis Knollys, and they begin a life away from court at their new home, Greys Court.
While Kate is creating a family with Francis, she learns two major aspects that will define her life moving forward. She becomes aware of the secret that her mother kept until her deathbed about who Kate’s true father was. This secret will radically alter how she views her own family and her connection to Elizabeth. Kate also explores her own faith, becoming one of the Reformist faith, like Francis, but it puts the family in danger during the reign of Mary I. We get to see the struggle of those who did reform during Mary’s reign, seeking refuge in other European countries like Germany, which, at the time, was more lenient towards Reformers. When Elizabeth becomes queen, Kate believes that this will be a time of peace for her and her family. But Kate learns that Elizabeth’s love towards her cousin is possessive, and Kate is in a constant state of tug-of-war between Elizabeth and Francis with her 16 children.
Catherine Carey/Kate Knollys’ story is one filled with love and dangers of living with a secret that, if it were revealed, would alter history forever. Kate’s story is often overlooked when we talk about the Tudor dynasty, but it shows the dangers of the dynasty and what it meant to fight for your family and for love in the 16th century. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Alison Weir wrote this novel and gave Kate her own voice. If you want a delightful novel full of love and danger set in the midst of the Tudor court and focusing on a Boleyn cousin of Elizabeth I, I highly recommend you read “The Boleyn Secret” by Alison Weir.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews