A love that can get through any obstacle even when the couple is married to other people is considered very rare. However, star-crossed lovers at court were practically unheard of, especially multiple couples from the same family. Anne Brandon knows how rare these matches are as her father Charles Brandon married the sister of King Henry VIII. Now she must figure out her feelings about romance while navigating court life. In the modern day, Caroline Harvey has relationship problems while she navigates the loss of her famous writer, grandfather Dexter Blake. How are these two women from different centuries connected and can they fight for who they love or are they destined to be alone? Alexandra Walsh tells both women’s stories in her novel, “The House of Echoes.”
I want to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. The concept of this novel and the cover were what pulled me into the story. I know about the children of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, but when it comes to Charles’ other children, I don’t know much. I wanted to learn a bit about Anne Brandon and have a good time with the story of Caroline Harvey.
We begin with the story of Caroline Harvey as she returns home to England from America after a bad break-up with her former fiance Travis Hibbert. She is the personal assistant to her grandfather, the recluse writer Dexter Blake, the author of the Ether Heracles book series. Dexter Blake is dying and it is up to her and her family to announce it to the rest of the world while releasing the last book in the series and making movies about the books. While the world mourns Dexter’s death, Caroline is given the gift of Dexter’s home and she begins researching the history of the house, which will lead her to an old fling Gideon and his book store Ten-to-Midnight. It is through Caroline’s research that she discovers the story of Anne Brandon and the truth about her life.
Meanwhile, in Tudor England, Anne Brandon is getting used to being the step-daughter of Mary Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII. She is not used to court life, but she has friends who will become famous like Anne Boleyn and Margaret More Roper. As a young girl, Anne falls head over heels in love with Randall Hanworth and she believes that she is destined to marry him. However, fate and her father have someone else in mind; Edward Grey 3rd Baron of Powis, which made Anne Baroness of Powis. That doesn’t mean it was a happy marriage as the couple never had any children. Anne lived throughout the reign of Henry VIII, saw two of his wives beheaded including her friend Anne Boleyn, and had a great falling out with her father Charles Brandon before he died, which meant that she was left out of his will. Anne was willing to fight for the lands that she believed rightfully belonged to her and the love of her life Randall.
This was a fun novel with so many twists and turns, including one at the end that I did not see coming. I especially love the little details that Walsh included especially coming up with blurbs for each of the Dexter Blake books as well as the inner workings of the Brandon household. As someone who reads a lot about the Tudors, it was refreshing to read about Tudors that were new to me. If you want a fresh take on the Tudor with a modern twist, I greatly recommend you read, “The House of Echoes” by Alexandra Walsh.
The life of a 16th-century princess is not all that it is cracked up to be. You can have jewels, and glamorous dresses, attend the glittering yet treacherous court, and have numerous homes. You must marry the person the king says you should marry to create strong alliances for the kingdom, so the concept of marrying for love is not in your vocabulary. You had to ensure your opinions were kept in line with the monarch’s views so you didn’t meet a disastrous end. In other words, the closer you are to the throne, the more scrutiny is forced upon you. No one understood this advice better than Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII and the younger sister of Henry VIII. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a queen, a duchess, and a mother. Her remarkable story is told in Amy McElroy’s book, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France.”
When we think of those who made an impact in history, we tend to think of those who have been born to a married couple and therefore were considered legitimate children, especially when it comes to royal children. However, we know that illegitimate royal children, like William the Conqueror, greatly impacted history. Illegitimate royal children may have been barred from becoming king or queen of their respective countries of birth, but that does not mean they didn’t impact how their home country was governed. One of these children who affected politics during the Tudor dynasty was Arthur Plantagenet, the illegitimate son of Edward IV. In her latest book, “Arthur Plantagenet: Henry VIII’s Illegitimate Uncle,” she explores the life of this man who gives us extraordinary insight into the running of Calais and how Henry VIII treated other family members.
Loyalty to one’s king was imperative during times of war and strife. This statement was painfully true during periods of civil war when cousins fought against cousins. The Wars of the Roses was where we see families rise and fall like the tides, depending on which side they were loyal to and who was on the throne. One family who was able to navigate this political quagmire and end up on the side that would win in the end was the Brandons. Many recognize the name Brandon because of Charles Brandon and his rise in the court of Henry VIII, but how did they reach that point? What are the origins of the Brandon family? In her latest book, “The Brandon Men: In the Shadow of Kings”, Sarah Bryson takes her readers on a ride to find out what loyalty to the crown gave this family and why their legacy lives on today.
I am pleased to welcome Judith Arnopp to my blog today to share an excerpt from her latest novel, “A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, The Aragon Years”. Thank you, The Coffee Pot Book Club and Judith Arnopp for allowing me to host a spot on this blog tour. 
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“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” This famous quote from William Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, Part III has been used throughout the centuries to describe how difficult it is to rule a country for any duration of time. Most kings and queens of the past lasted for a few years, but there was one queen who lasted for a handful of days. She was the successor of Henry VIII’s only male son, King Edward VI, and was meant to replace his eldest half-sister, who would become Queen Mary I. It was a battle between Protestantism and Catholicism with a 17-year-old scholar caught in the middle. Her name was Lady Jane Grey, but many refer to her as the “Nine Day Queen of England”. Lady Jane Grey’s tragically short story, how she became queen, and the consequences of her reign are discussed thoroughly in Nicola Tallis’ beautifully written debut biography, “Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey”.
The story of the reign of King Henry VIII has been told mainly through his numerous marriages and through the lives of his children. Although his immediate family was a big part of his legacy, there is much more to his story than his tempestuous relationships. There were also his legal, religious, and military exploits. The ones who were with Henry when he made these decisions were the men who were loyal to him, his counselors and companions. Their tales are often told separately, until now. Tracy Borman has decided to masterfully combine their tales to explore the life of their infamous king in her latest biography, “Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him”. 
When one thinks about women reformers during the time of the Tudors, certain women like Catherine Parr and Anne Aske come to mind. However, there was one who really should get more attention and her name is Katherine Willoughby. She was the last wife of Charles Brandon. Her mother was Maria de Salinas, a lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon and a devout Catholic. Katherine knew all six of Henry VIII’s wives on a personal level and knew all of his children. She has often been seen as an afterthought; someone you associate with other people, but never a stand out herself. That is until now. Katherine Willoughby finally gets her time to shine in Tony Riches’ latest historical fiction novel and his conclusion to his Tudor trilogy, “Katherine-Tudor Duchess”.
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward.
Author Bio
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 