The Secret Bride: Diane Haeger

For Princess Mary Tudor, sister to King Henry VIII, marriage has long been viewed as something she will enter into once her brother has found the appropriate European royalty to sell her to. Mary holds her brother in the highest regard, as he does her, and she agrees to the match when he finally settles on the aged, decrepit King Louis XII of France. Unbeknownst to Henry though, Mary gave her heart to another long ago and she makes a vow to herself that she will be with her beloved no matter the cost.

After the death of their brother Arthur, Henry steps into the role of heir-apparent. His companion Charles Brandon is always by his side but young Mary finds his presence distasteful. Over time though, as their banter begins to heat, and Mary grows from a sharp-witted young girl to a clever and beautiful woman, she and Charles find themselves falling for each other. They both know that there is no possible way that they can be together, a princess and a landless duke, but Mary intends to find a way.

When she agrees to marry King Louis, all know that he will not long survive the marriage, ill as he is. As she stands on the shores of Dover, preparing to embark for France, Mary extracts a promise from her brother: when Louis dies Henry must allow her to choose her own second husband. Henry agrees, with no idea what Mary has in mind but whether or not he will honor her request Mary can't be sure. She is sure however that she will marry the man she loves no matter what; even if it means losing everything, even the love and respect of her brother the king.

There seems to be a great outpouring of Tudor-related material right now and it can get a little confusing. You begin to notice characters criss-crossing from one book to the next and the way they appear to one author is vastly different to the image that comes from the pen of another author. By all accounts though, Princess Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister, was a kind and gentle woman and Diane Haeger has done a beautiful job of bringing her to life. To do what Mary and Charles did and defy not only their duties but their sovereign king was an incredibly brave act and the author has done an admirable job of portraying these lovers. In a currently glutted market, this is a truly stand-out offering.
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Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (April 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0451223136
ISBN-13: 978-0451223135