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Wooing Jane
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 9, 2026
I was really excited to read this book, because I greatly enjoy Moore's other two books and her blog, and the synopsis of this story seemed to promise a quirky but awesome experience too.
Unfortunately, the book started out strong and entertaining but quickly went downhill for me. For one thing, there was just so much screaming and crying, which got tiring really fast. The main character was extremely weepy (and timid and clumsy), and all sorts of crazy, unrealistic slapstick stuff kept happening, like two people falling into a bathtub and getting all tangled up and a guy getting caught between his office chair and desk (which were just two of the occasions I remember that led to characters crying out). I kept imagining actually being around these people in real life and how annoyed I'd be.
The pacing also left a lot to be desired. The action slowed down after the first few chapters, and the excitement of seeing how a time-traveling Henry VIII would react to modern-day NYC was stifled when he had to stay indoors for several days to avoid being recognized (after an incident when he heroically chased a thief down the street while wearing full Tudor armor and carrying a sword).
*spoiler*
I was also expecting there to be more of a reason for Henry to show up than just to become a matchmaker. In the end, I think the two main characters could have fallen for each other in a more realistic way without Henry being there. They could have talked things through and realized how much they had in common.
And, while Henry acted the way I'd expect a 1500s king to act when he first showed up in 2024, he quickly turned into kind of a goofy, jolly, easygoing guy who spoke in a very modern way, which pulled me out of the story. I get that having him speak in authentic Early Modern English would be very hard, but I thought at least a little more effort could have been made!
Also, Henry inexplicably liked the main character, Jane, almost right away and became her champion of sorts, making it his mission to see her taken care of before he went back to his own time. In my opinion, Jane just doesn't have a strong enough personality to inspire this loyalty, at least not right away.
And I was also not quite sure what Moore was trying to say about Henry himself in the end. Because of the way the story got set up, I thought the book would do a lot more to explore Henry as a person, his relationships with his wives, and the Tudor time period. While we did get some interesting historical information, like about chivalry and how it was understood in the past versus now, I was left disappointed.
And the characters didn't seem to form a solid opinion of Henry either. Was he a bad guy, a good guy, a misunderstood guy, or a mix? After this topic was so hotly debated at the beginning, it was just kind of dropped as the story went on.
Another thing I struggled with was how many extra characters there were, including Jane's roommate, two coworkers, and 5 friends that Jane only talked to online. I could not keep track of the online friends or their personalities. The coworkers were downright cartoonish as well, very one dimensional.
This book had a promising and fun idea that didn't truly deliver. The lead male and female characters were unlikeable and uninspiring to me, and their romance didn't excite me. I did appreciate the critique of feminism and the bad effects it has had on the relationship between the sexes, but, sadly, I have to give the book 2 stars. I'm sorry, Faith K. Moore! I really do like you a lot. This one just didn't do it for me!
Unfortunately, the book started out strong and entertaining but quickly went downhill for me. For one thing, there was just so much screaming and crying, which got tiring really fast. The main character was extremely weepy (and timid and clumsy), and all sorts of crazy, unrealistic slapstick stuff kept happening, like two people falling into a bathtub and getting all tangled up and a guy getting caught between his office chair and desk (which were just two of the occasions I remember that led to characters crying out). I kept imagining actually being around these people in real life and how annoyed I'd be.
The pacing also left a lot to be desired. The action slowed down after the first few chapters, and the excitement of seeing how a time-traveling Henry VIII would react to modern-day NYC was stifled when he had to stay indoors for several days to avoid being recognized (after an incident when he heroically chased a thief down the street while wearing full Tudor armor and carrying a sword).
*spoiler*
I was also expecting there to be more of a reason for Henry to show up than just to become a matchmaker. In the end, I think the two main characters could have fallen for each other in a more realistic way without Henry being there. They could have talked things through and realized how much they had in common.
And, while Henry acted the way I'd expect a 1500s king to act when he first showed up in 2024, he quickly turned into kind of a goofy, jolly, easygoing guy who spoke in a very modern way, which pulled me out of the story. I get that having him speak in authentic Early Modern English would be very hard, but I thought at least a little more effort could have been made!
Also, Henry inexplicably liked the main character, Jane, almost right away and became her champion of sorts, making it his mission to see her taken care of before he went back to his own time. In my opinion, Jane just doesn't have a strong enough personality to inspire this loyalty, at least not right away.
And I was also not quite sure what Moore was trying to say about Henry himself in the end. Because of the way the story got set up, I thought the book would do a lot more to explore Henry as a person, his relationships with his wives, and the Tudor time period. While we did get some interesting historical information, like about chivalry and how it was understood in the past versus now, I was left disappointed.
And the characters didn't seem to form a solid opinion of Henry either. Was he a bad guy, a good guy, a misunderstood guy, or a mix? After this topic was so hotly debated at the beginning, it was just kind of dropped as the story went on.
Another thing I struggled with was how many extra characters there were, including Jane's roommate, two coworkers, and 5 friends that Jane only talked to online. I could not keep track of the online friends or their personalities. The coworkers were downright cartoonish as well, very one dimensional.
This book had a promising and fun idea that didn't truly deliver. The lead male and female characters were unlikeable and uninspiring to me, and their romance didn't excite me. I did appreciate the critique of feminism and the bad effects it has had on the relationship between the sexes, but, sadly, I have to give the book 2 stars. I'm sorry, Faith K. Moore! I really do like you a lot. This one just didn't do it for me!
October 3, 2026
There was absolutely no empty space or fluff in this book. It was jam-packed with character development, hilarity, and emotion. Although set in present time, it almost felt like historical fiction because of all the information you learn about Henry VIII and the 16th century, especially concerning fashion and courtly love. It is a true enemies to lovers romance and a true romantic comedy with a fantastic critique on modern feminism and the difficulty of finding love in the modern day. I loved it! If it were a movie, it'd be rated PG-13, but I wouldn't want my teenager to read it due to some of the content. Everything was in good taste though, and I highly recommend it!
October 11, 2026
Whimsical, and masterfully told!
Extra special if you are a Tudor fan, but a really fun read even if you're not. And interwoven with the love story, a serious look at men and women, courtship, chivalry and the patriarchy that never sounds preachy but is always interesting and nuanced. Really very fun.
Extra special if you are a Tudor fan, but a really fun read even if you're not. And interwoven with the love story, a serious look at men and women, courtship, chivalry and the patriarchy that never sounds preachy but is always interesting and nuanced. Really very fun.
October 4, 2026
Squiggle Henry and Squiggle Jane find love!
Very solid first novel. A time travel romcom like Kate and Leopold with a bit more Knight's Tale than angst. Likeable lead couple, fun fantasy worldbuilding, enjoyable historical flights of fancy, interesting interrogation of modernity vs chivalry. Excellent ending! And some great fish out of water humor, especially for squiggle Henry 5 1 1 1! Blather on!
Very solid first novel. A time travel romcom like Kate and Leopold with a bit more Knight's Tale than angst. Likeable lead couple, fun fantasy worldbuilding, enjoyable historical flights of fancy, interesting interrogation of modernity vs chivalry. Excellent ending! And some great fish out of water humor, especially for squiggle Henry 5 1 1 1! Blather on!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews