Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Independently published
Pub date: 14 May 2019
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Description from Amazon
July 1540
After eight months as a maid of court, Catherine Howard has become Queen. Separated from past friends and surrounded by people who resent her rise to the throne, the sole close companion she has left is Jane Boleyn, the infamous Lady Rochford. And this is not the only strain upon Catherine. People from her past come calling, the threat that the King may find out she is not the pure, innocent maiden he thinks she is puts her in peril. Catherine must imitate the Queens of the past in order to survive.
And she must ignore her love for another man.
On the day of her wedding, Catherine begins a dangerous game, wearing a mask, hoping to fool the King, until the day she can be free.
This is book two in the Story of Catherine Howard. It is 28 July 1540 Oatlands Palace, Catherine’s wedding day and this book picks up from where the first instalment ends and continues through to her demise.
I found myself not wanting to put this down. Just one more chapter, I’d tell myself before bed and three chapters later I’m still reading.
I absolutely love the writing style.
There was an echo of the past at Hampton Court. From the walls it bounced, a whisper bounding across halls and chambers, light flitting from the windows which seemed to shine momentarily upon faces which swiftly vanished. In the glow of golden candlelight there seemed to be the soft smiles of people long since dead, smiling at jests in happier times.
Lawrence has a beautiful way of letting us see the past as it may have been and gives us a glimpse in to what a royal progress must have been like.
Loved the description of York, as somewhere I’d like to explore I was particularly intrigued by this part. Lawrence has brought the past to the reader.
I also liked how Catherine matured in this book and learnt the ways of the court and how to please the king whilst dreaming of her future. It really is a tragic story especially for someone so young. It’s sad that she is abandoned by the man who threw her at the king, the king himself and the man who claimed to love her. I mentioned after the first book that it’s a refreshing portrayal of Catherine and I still agree with that. I think she’s been shown unfairly in other books but I’m always happy to read more!
One last thing that I’ve really liked about this series is the authors note at the end. I do not think an author should have to justify their work but I always enjoy it when they provide reasoning for their view on things which is exactly what Lawrence has done here. She explains why she has portrayed Catherine in this way as opposed to the flighty manner we have seen before and I really enjoyed reading these notes.
No More Time to Dance is available on Kindle unlimited
Amy McElroy 