Mademoiselle Boleyn

by Robin Maxwell

From the author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn comes a  riveting portrait of Anne Boleyn’s youth and her unconventional education in the court of the King of France.

When her father is assigned the task of spying on the French Court, the charming and sweetly innocent Anne Boleyn is delighted by the thought of a new adventure. And she is not to be disappointed, for her beautiful sister, Mary, has been handed a to let herself be seduced by the King of France in order to uncover his secrets.

Mesmerized by the thrilling passion, intrigue, and betrayal that unfolds, Anne discovers the power of being a woman who catches the eye of a powerful king. And, as she grows into a beautiful young woman, she undergoes her own sexual awakening, each daring exploit taking her one step closer to the life that is her destiny.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, British Literature, 16th Century, France

355 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2007

About the author

Robin Maxwell began writing novels about the historical figures she had been obsessing about since graduating from Tufts University with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Her first novel, "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn," now in its 24th printing, won two YA awards and has been translated into fourteen languages. "The Wild Irish" - an epic tale of Ireland's rebel queen, Grace O'Malley - closed out her Elizabethan Quartet, and is now in development for a television series. "Signora Da Vinci" and "Jane: The Woman Who loved Tarzan" are tales of the remarkable women behind two of the world's most beloved wildmen - Maestro Leonardo and Lord Greystoke. She has jumped genres again with "ATLANTOS," now a #1 Amazon Bestseller. Robin lives with her husband of thirty-five years, Max Thomas, at High Desert Eden, a wildlife sanctuary in the Mojave Desert.

Reviews

[Dawn (& Ron) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reminded tonight of having read this book and it made me think about what it was that I liked about it. This tells of a different time period in Anne Boleyn's life, from when she is a little 9 year old girl and going over to the French court with her sister Mary, and finishes upon her return to England years later.

Their father is as manipulative and power hungry as he was in the tv series, with not much middle ground. Maxwell has Mary as the bed hopping sister with Anne learning from giving in too soon. If you are looking for a sweet Mary or multilayers to their father's character, you will be disappointed. Anne is really too young to have formed a well rounded personality yet, but the innocence through a child's eye perspective is done with good affect.

What I truly enjoyed about this book was the glimpse into King Francois and Queen Claude's decadent court. For those looking for the English court, there is very little here. But you do get the politics between the countries with a unique insight. The relationship between Claude and Francois was fascinating to me and I wanted to know so much more. He and his philandering, flaunting ways, she in her quiet, steady resolve. Queen Claude comes across as a very sympathetic yet strong character, one I want to know more about.

The other is that we see the last years of Leonardo da Vinci's life when he was at the French court. Maxwell admits that there is no historical proof that Anne and da Vinci ever met, but they were at court at the same time and there is reason to believe that they met and certainly knew of each other. I doubt they had the relationship depicted here but I liked that it inserted him into the storyline and I like to think that that deck of cards did exist. Some of the other interaction between them seems too far fetched, but it isn't anything that really affects the direction of the storyline or actual historical events.

For those who are looking for a different perspective of the Boleyn girls, this book certainly will do that for you with the added bonus of learning about a King and Queen rarely seen in historical fiction.

[Hannah]

2nd DNF of 2020.

At this rate, I better lower the number of books in my challenge, or lower my reading expectations.

The upside: clearing my tbr pile : )

[Missybw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! In a word, that's it, excellent. A very interesting viewpoint of the early years of one of British history's most misunderstood figures. Anne Boleyn is typically written off as a royal bimbo (more aptly that would be Catherine Howard) or worse, a royal maneater (ala Catherine the Great, but with less power). Truthfully, my take on Anne is that she was more modern than the times could allow and her power was only destroyed thru a rewrite of who she actually was. She had the misfortune to be surrounded by a father and an uncle who were willing to sell anyone or do anything in order to gain the glory and position they felt they deserved, and she was far too close to a monster who just happened to be King and well aware of the power that title came with. This historical fiction tells of Anne's growing up years in the french court and the intrigues and pecadillos that she undoubtedly witnessed and learned from. Although the book is fiction, the facts behind it are not. The book takes you to a world that is unimaginable in wealth and depravity, a world that is no place for a child but is her world that she had to live in. Truly, 15th century european court life was not a child-friendly environment, but neither was 15th century regular life. The adaptations and coping skills talked about in this book are sad when you remember that this is a child that you are reading about. Highly recommend!

[Roniya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel showcases an intriguing snapshot of Anne's life, namely her largely unexplored childhood. While the plot and incidents are engaging enough ,in my opinion, to make for a worthwhile read,you would think that any story focusing on her childhood would point out how she became the calculating schemer she revealed herself to be in England. However,it is as if the novel assumes this part of her personality to be a spontaneous eruption. Throughought the duration,she is portrayed as a rather moralistic innocent, whose only encounters with selfish or twisted thinking come from run-ins with others.She is also blessed with the favor of all the important people at court for no apparent reason.The result is a charmed life that never needs to evolve cunning for immediate survival, and leaves one at a loss to tell from whence all her legendary skills of flirtation and manipulation ever came.

This being said, I do not mean to imply that the story itself was any less than engaging- I found the plotline and included events to be fascinating and well worth the read.

[Heather Domin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read, entertaining, well written, with a large cast of supporting characters I really liked. (Poor Mary Boleyn, I felt for her the most.) The history was well done, and it was interesting to look at the time period from a different direction. The only drawback was Anne herself. When you tell a story in first person POV, that person has to be present at all the important events; I don't mind that at all. But Anne's special-ness was laid on a little thick: every royal person loved her best, every man desired her, every woman mentored her - when I got to da Vinci it was a bit too much. I'd have liked her to have more foibles, to show more fire and spunk, the things about Anne we love so much.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution to anyone who does not like to read raunchy books. Some sections made me blush! However, as anyone familiar with the Rennaissance court of Francois I knows, Francois got around. Further, women at that time period were used as pawns to advance the power of their families. Thus, while the virtual prostitution of Mary Boleyn is shocking for modern tastes, ambitious parents would often push their (young and presumably unwilling) daughters into the beds of kings. While there is no historical proof that Mary Boleyn was forced to be the kings mistress by her parents, we do know that Mary Boleyn was very promiscuous while in France and later became Henry VIII's mistress. I have read that Mary Boleyn's family forced her to return to England because of her promiscuous behavior, but this does not mean that the cause of the behavior was Mary herself. Indeed, she later became a lady in waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon in England in Henry VIII's sexually corrupt court, so it is plausible that her parents were not all that disappointed in her behavior and that she only left France because Francois had tired of her and her "job" was done.

The raunchiness of the novel is also necessary to explain the forces that shaped Anne Boleyn. Anne comes of age in this corrupt surrounding and sees how her sister is humiliated and degraded because of her promiscuity. Anne carries this knowledge with her to England and refuses to give herself to King Henry for 6 years. Most women in her position would have given herself to the King as his mistress, particularly since divorce was not a realistic option at the time.

Another important facet of the book is the influence of Princess Marguerite on Anne, which has an important impact, as we all know, on subsequent English history. This portrayal of Anne as a highly intelligent women (which we know she was) and one who garnered great respect in the French court is very important to understanding Anne in her most famous role as Henry's second queen.

Lastly, the picture Maxwell paints of the Boleyn family is very helpful in understanding how a woman such as Anne ended up as the wife of Henry VIII in the first place. While we cannot possibly know all of the internal thoughts and machinations of the Boleyn family, we do know that they were ambitious. Maxwell helps us understand what it was to be the daughter of such a family and how little autonomy Anne actually had over her body and herself.

In sum, I think this is a must read for anyone interested in the English Reformation and Tudor history. This is also a must read for anyone interested in King Francois I and the early part of his reign.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is truly interested in Anne Boleyn will want to read this book, and I think be pleasantly surprised. Even enthusiasts of Boleyn or the Tudor period might want to consider Maxwell's take. The novel is a coming of age story that examines Anne's early life at about nine years old and her time in the Netherlands and then when her father, Thomas Boleyn sent her and elder sister Mary to the French court. Everything about this book was fascinating, especially as it was written in first person, from Anne's point of view. The main thing that keeps this story going is the wide array of characters that all have an extraordinary relationship with the main character. We have Charles, the boy who is the future Holy Roman Emperor whom Anne meets as a child living in the Netherlands. Marguerite, a French duchess who resists the catholic church, and Anne at times lives in her household. One can argue perhaps marguerite would influence Anne's future, and steer her towards making the later decision to convince Henry to break with Rome.
There a lot of titillating scenes that will keep people interested too. The main thing that was so wonderful about this book is that this may be the only novel that shows Anne might not have been as scheming, ambitious and cut-throat as history says. History is written with a bias, especially by those who knew Anne Boleyn. The author paints the young Anne as a considerate, even sensitive girl who has a strong, moral code, but not a rigid one. It is believable as this Anne is well-read, intelligent, political, and still interested in her own advancement, just like history said she was. However, she appears a much nicer person than what history says, and this might actually be accurate.

The only thing that wasn't very good was some inconsistency in the characterization. For one thing Anne's father showed no depth of character. Maxwell just made him out as someone who completely did not care one iota for his daughter's, accept for how well they could further his own ambitions. I thought that one-dimensional, even during that time. Also, the French King Francois gets hurt in the story while hunting for a stag with the English king. Francois falls into a coma and suddenly changes in the story, losing some of his rabid lust and letting Anne go free, instead of making her his newest mistress. Maxwell has her characters saying that the King had a new personality since the coma. However, towards the end of the book Francois completely regains back this disturbing part of his personality.

[Bekah Porter-Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did it. I have fallen helplessly in love with Robin Maxwell and her delightfully delicious historical fiction.
I just happened upon her "Jane" novel when browsing a local bookshop, and while I initially purchased the book for its subject matter, I found myself back at the bookstore looking for her other titles because I so much enjoyed her style and unique voice.
Fortunately, I was not disappointed, and both purchases have brought me nothing but satisfaction.
I enjoy her light touch, which makes reading easy and quick, all while not sacrificing depth of character, plot, or history.
Ms. Maxwell manages to cram so much content into her books while making them seem as airy as a beach read. Hence, I apply the saying: She makes it look so easy! Seriously, she does. But it's SO good, too!
Needless to say, I will be back at the same bookshop picking up more of Ms. Maxwell.

[Recynd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book; Anne was portrayed in a positive light (for once), and accurate or not, it was sort of refreshing.

My knowledge of the Tudors is embarrassingly limited, I'm afraid; when I read fiction based on historical fact, I never know what's fact and what isn't...so I end up taking EVERYTHING with a grain of salt. I DO know that no one, famous or not, is all bad or all good; with that in mind, this book was a nice counter to all the negative portrayals about her I've read recently.

Ugh, incoherent review...sorry.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the story of Anne Boleyn as a young girl whose wit and intellect were discovered in the court of Burgundy and polished in the court of France. With such a crowded field of authors writing on this subject, this was a story that stands out and fills in some holes in Anne’s life before Henry VIII. Full review you can find on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com

[Jennifer Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this perspective of Anne Boleyn when she was a girl in French court...a time of her life that was very influential in who she would become. This fictional work gives great insight on her learning while in France...educational and behavioral.

[Jay Steinberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been such an interesting take on Anne Boleyn's youth in the French court of Francois I, and indeed, it was diverting--but it was also surprisingly crude, surprisingly often. And although this is largely fiction, her friendship with Leonardo DaVinci strains credulity. 2.5 stars.

[Literary Chanteuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read for me. The story picks up quickly. It tells the back story of Anne and Mary Boleyn, following them around France.

[YoSafBridg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Maxwell considers her Mademoiselle Boleyn to be a prequel to her previous (rather excellent) works as it tells of Anne’s youth (before she rather fatally catches the eye of the lecherous King Henry IVIII, much of it spent in the French court of King Francois and Queen Claude (daughter of King Louis XII). She befriends Leonardo da Vinci (not mentioned in the history books but imagined, i suppose reasonably, by Maxwell).

It's been quite some time since i read her earlier works and, memory being what it is, though i remember liking them, i don't remember many of the details (though i did recommend The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn to a costumer just the other day because of course i had Mademoiselle Boleyn checked out at home~i just hate having to recommend books to customers~even though it is a big part of my job when they are completely uncooperative in telling me about their personal likes and dislikes, "Well, what do you like?" they so unhelpfully ask, as if we would have the exact same tastes, anyway...)

I've been watching The Tudors lately on Showtime and Maxwell seems to have her historical accuracy down much better than the creators of that show (although i'm not quite so much up on Anne's upbringing or the peripheral figures of the Tudor court as i could be~history never was my strong point, much as i loathe to admit it). But the Showtime people seem to have confused Henry's sisters as well as a few other characters which bothers me just a tad and i wonder what else they got wrong~still and all it is a very interesting series and i would recommend for its entertainment value and for some of its historical value.

From what i know Maxwell got right i tend to trust her other details and she does have some interesting after notes. Overall, i can highly recommend this book and it gives a much better (and much more sympathetic~and i do see many of Henry's wives as quite sympathetic characters~they really were victims of there age~and the only one i would wish to be is Anne of Cleves~she had it the best of anyone of her time and all because she was judged to be ugly~go figure...) portrait (in my ever so humble opinion) than that, ahem, other, Boleyn, historical receiving so much attention of late

[Missk90 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read so many books on Anne Boleyn over the last few years that you'd think I'd have exhausted all of the possible plots by now. I did fear as much but was pleasantly surprised by Robin Maxwell's take on this popular character in Mademoiselle Boleyn.

Mademoiselle Boleyn is a novel that chooses to explore Anne's earlier life rather than the life we all know; the rise and subsequent decline of Queen Anne of England. A majority of the novel takes place in France during the early 1500's as Anne at the tender age of 12 serves as one of the ladies in waiting to Queen Claude, the weak and deformed wife of the scandalous King Francis I.

Along with her sister, Mary Boleyn, Anne finds herself falling victim to her father's ambition. As Mary rises up the ranks as the French King's mistress, Anne becomes more aware of the need to preserve her honour and dignity as she grows from an awkward, timid child into a confident and beautiful young woman.

With guidance from none other than Leonardo Da Vinci, the kind Queen Claude and the headstrong Marguerite de Navarre, you start to see the makings of a Queen, the kind of Queen that could make a powerful man change all of England just to please her.

I was hesitant to read this book at first, but am ever so glad now that I've given it a fair chance. Despite being rather lengthy, I did finish this novel in almost record speed time. Trust me, it's not your predictable Anne Boleyn meets Henry VIII kind of story.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice story set in Anne's childhood in the French court. I might have given it 5 stars, but at the end there was a Q&A with the author in which she complains about another book by a different author. ("One book actually claimed that a male child born to Mary, fathered by Henry while she was his mistress, was stolen by Anne and brought up by her at court as her own. That Anne brought up her sister's son at court, claiming it as Henry's and hers, is as far as I know, entirely fictitious...")
I think that is just tacky. The author of that book never claimed that that was true(I think we all know what book she's refering to.) That is unprofessional in my eyes, and yes, i'm leaving off a star. All authors of historical FICTION are allowed to add their own details because it is their story.
Robin Maxwell takes her own liberties by writing in a relationship between Anne and Da Vinci as far as i'm concerned. Is it possible? Of course. Is there any evidence? No.
But all those complaints aside, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to any fan of Tudor England.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who has read a lot of medieval history books, both fiction and nonfiction, I found this book a little hard to swallow. Anne Boleyn has gotten a very unfair shake in history, but I doubt sincerely she was EVER as naive as she was purported to be in this book. I found the scenes between her and some of the other characters to be cloyingly sweet and silly, and I think the alleged friendship between her and Leonardo daVinci to be totally over-the-top. Not really sure I would recommend this book to anyone who has done any serious reading on the subject, but if you're looking for "fluff reading" I suppose it would be ok.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this look at Anne Boleyn's younger years. After finishing a biography of Jane Boleyn, her sister-in-law, this was a nice look into life in the French court. You really get the feeling of just how oppressed a woman's life was in those years.

I loved the story and the insight into her character. If even half the book is accurate, then Anne has been seriously maligned. The story kept you engrossed and captured. I would catch myself in bed automatically reaching for it, just to visit that world a little longer.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh! Another book about Anne. *sigh* I enjoyed learning about her early years in France. What a smart girl that was full of life and potential.

What an eye opener on how women were nothing but pawns in a mans world. That to them, you were just something to be used for either sexual pleasure or for child bearing.

Anne's sister, Mary, had beauty for and against her. It was like she was put in to sex slavery by her father, then the King of France. Just when finally things were happy for her, King Henry had to spoil it. It was sad.

All in all, great book!

[Rosa DA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Maxwell offers an interesting and unpopular view of Anne Boleyn in this book. The story encompasses the life of Anne Boleyn in France, from her arrival as a young and naive girl, to her departure to England as a wise teenager, who was highly regarded in the court of the king of France. I found the story a little unrealistic as Maxwell attributes an intelligence and actions to Anne that seem of a woman and not a ten year old girl. However, I enjoyed learning about a period in her life that was foreign to me.

[Lisa Lap · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a time period I really love. All of the court conspiracies, the underlying strive for power at a time when women had very little recognized authority, all the behind the scenes machinations etc. Truly intriguing.

I admire the author's ability to portray Anne as a much more sympathetic character rather than the typical villification of her. I found this book a fascinating read and was really disappointed at the abrupt end.

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing this other side of Anne Boleyn and learning more about life in French court, especially because there is so much out there about English court during the same time period. However, the situations often felt implausible and the book had a layer of modern feminism imposed throughout. It was an entertaining read and a new perspective, but little of it really rang true.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about the French court and Anne Boleyn's childhood but this book is just raunchy and almost pornographic. I think the story could've been told better without all the concentration on the smuttiness.

[Zoey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

[Janine Treannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this book mainly brings you through Anne's younger years, starting at I believe the age is 9 when she is sent to live at the French court with her sister Mary up until the age of 16 or 17 when she is to leave & head back to England.

I thought the author did a really excellent job at bringing out Anne's character. Even though she is young, Anne is very clever & learns quickly. She really starts to see the BIG PICTURE of her surroundings along with a little help from Queen Claude who she served for 7 years & her very religious ways along with Leonardo da Vinci & his unique ways of seeing life in itself.

On a different note Anne's oldest sister Mary I hate to say seemed very ditzy as if to almost seem clueless, until there father Thomas Boleyn decides that she will be King Francois I, mistress. You definitely can feel her pain, confusion & anger at the mere fact that she must do some unspeakable things with this king who has a queen, only to help better her father's situation as a diplomat for England & there Kings Henry the VII & VIII. While Anne was able to find a different way of keeping her virtue after Francois starts to give her different looks & make certain comments, basically after almost loosing to a game of cards she pleads insanity which totally turns the king completely off, not only this, but he knows she is a favorite among many in his faithful court.

It was very interesting to read about her learning while at the French court. She was incredible at speaking the French language, also learning art, fashion, manuscripts, literature, music, poetry, and religious philosophy along with dance, etiquette & discovering the art of flirtation in the game of love.

The older she starts to get the more she becomes interested in King Francois's sister Marguerite who had a much different outlook on religion along with being an author in her own right. Anne seemed very interested in the way Marguerite thought as far as a women goes, because Marguerite was very independent & thought herself to belong to no one. It almost seemed as well that Marguerite did not care for the teachings of Catholic Religion, henceforth sometime later in Anne's life she would bring about the Protestant Reformation after she had married King Henry the VIII.

Also the fact that before she ever ended up with Henry the VIII she was first betrothed to her cousin James Butler, but that was ended as her father Thomas who was hoping for a much better marriage proposal, one that would benefit him. There had been one other young gentleman by the name of Henry Percy who she had truly fallen in love with who had been serving Cardinal Wolsey. It is not spoken of in the book, but apparently the betrothal ended after his father refused to support their engagement & the Cardinal refused them for many reasons.

Clearly this historical fiction talks more about Anne's life growing up versus her later life in which most of us only know of the mere fact that she had her head lopped off because the it was thought that she had committed adultery, incest & treason, which was originally brought on by her former ally Thomas Cromwell.

[Maurice Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, has been much maligned by history and unfairly so. Accused by Henry VIII of adultery, incest, treason, and other crimes, she was beheaded in 1536 still in her early thirties. Was this young woman really guilty of these crimes? One would wonder, given the character of Henry VIII.

Robin Maxwell in Mademoiselle Boleyn tries to correct the maligned image of Anne Boleyn. The title Mademoiselle Boleyn indicates that this novel is about the young Anne, before she married Henry VIII. Maxwell does an effective job making the reader feel acquainted with the still young and innocent Anne. The novel begins when Anne is nine and her sister, Mary Boleyn, is twelve. They are sent to France along with Henry VIII’s eighteen-year-old sister, Mary Tutor, who is to wed the fifty-two-year-old French King, Louis XII. Anne and Mary are sent as part of the wedding entourage. King Louis dies shortly afterward.

When Francis I succeeds Louis XII as king of France, Thomas Boleyn, the father of Anne and Mary, orders Mary, who is around twenty now, against her will to become mistress to Francis I. Maxwell does an effective job depicting the environment these young girls are immersed in. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the girls. Anne grieves for her sister, who had earlier been betrothed to someone she loved. After the French king tires of Mary, he lets his friends have a turn with her. Mary is beautiful, and many men are eager. Soon Mary becomes referred to as the “English Mare.”

Maxwell brings in some other famous historical characters like Leonardo de Vinci, whom Maxwell portrays as a compassionate man who becomes friend and mentor to Anne, Francis I’s wife, Queen Claude, who is shown as a decent woman, who bore Francis seven children and died at age twenty-five, and Duchess Margarete, aunt to Charles V and famous even today for her racy love stories. Maxwell also discusses playing cards, suggesting that “Queens” were not in the early decks. The ladies in the court passed away some of their idle time playing cards.

“Mademoiselle Boleyn” ends with Anne seventeen and having returned to England along with her sister, Mary. The novel does not go into Anne’s later years when she becomes Henry VIII’s wife and queen of England and, eventually, is executed in 1536. I learned to sympathize with Anne Boleyn from this novel. If you are interested in historical fiction, especially Tutor England, this novel might cause you to sympathize with Anne also.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Finally, a book that shows the sweet child, Anne Boleyn, as she really was meant to be except for fate. Anne was born to a man of ambition and he used his children ruthlessly. Low born Thomas Boleyn wanted power and riches and his daughters, Mary and Anne, were going to play a major part in this obsession. The young girls, sent to the French court, were ordered to spy on and seduce the French king. Anne, 9, was to spy, and Mary, 12, was to seduce. Of course, the sisters were horrified, but they could not disobey their father who was now a close confidant of English King Henry VIII. The girls followed their orders and Mary was abused terribly by King Francois before being cast aside and sent back to England where King Henry takes advantage of her as well before setting his sights on Anne. Anne was never the calculating vixen she has been portrayed in numerous books and movies. Rather, she was very well-read and highly intelligent. Her wit was well-known as was her ability to play cards (vital at that time). She was frightened of King Henry and had watched her sister's reputation topple in France and then in England. Anne knew what was at stake and even though she was in love with young Henry Percy, she used her intelligence and wit to keep King Henry's attention for six years when they finally married. The rest of the story is history. Poor Anne.

[Elle Millar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not much a book reviewer, but I bough this on audio-book and I didn't really enjoy it. Obviously, many people have enjoyed it, so I make no claims to be an authority. I can only state that I found it not very compelling and unbelievable.

First, i found the characters of the french court to be flat and one-dimensional and I didn't really get a good feeling for them. I found some of the naivete of Anne Boleyn unbelievable, including some of her interactions with laundresses, etc... I found the incorporation of more sensitive/sexual material kind of out of place. At one moment talking about menstrual rags (would the ladies in waiting really be taking menstrual rags to the basement, or would a less noble servant being doing something like this. And why include it.) I found sexuality expressed in Phillipa Gregory's books more convincing and less contrived

I'm sure many will continue to enjoy this book, but if you are picky and bore easily, look at the other reviews and consider carefully.

[Martin Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, if you are (as I was) looking for a novel about Anne Boleyn’s life as one of the wives of Henry VIII, this ain’t it. This covers Boleyn’s life leading up to her entrance into Henry’s court. As the title suggests (which I didn’t figure out until I got to the end) the novel tells of her life in the French court of Francois I. Secondly, the adult language used in this novel: all I’ll say to that is we’re all adults, aren’t we? But those two points aside, I enjoyed this novel very much and am glad that Maxwell chose instead to focus on a party of Boleyn’s life that doesn’t usually get much attention but should have because it’s really quite fascinating. You’re a lover of historical fiction, especially if your interest lays in the Tudor period, this is a worthwhile addition to your library.