Flashback Friday: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

the lowdown
Mary Boleyn has come to Tudor Court to catch the eye of Henry VIII and to keep him entertained at the age of fourteen. She lures him and captures him, but soon finds that she needs more than beauty to keep wrapped around her finger. Her sister Anne has caught his eye before Mary can hatch a plan to get him back. She will go to great lengths to secure the king and her future, forever.

I had been itching to read this a few years ago after I saw the movie and I'm glad I did. Hands down it is far better than the movie, although the movie did do it justice. I love historical fiction, especially anything having to do with Henry VIII and his wives. Philippa Gregory is able to hook you within a matter of minutes and its a book you cannot put down. You want to keep finding out what Mary and Anne will do next and how far they'll go to get and keep the king's attention.

the good

• Gregory brings these characters to life. She is able to make them jump out of the pages and to me, it was like I was back there and watching everything from the sidelines. The words are so beautifully written that you get lost in them and wish for the book to never end. 
• The storyline keeps you captured and takes on all these twists and turns that end up keeping you hooked to the book. With two women vying for a king's attention, plus a queen, who wouldn't want to read a book about drama and how it was handled differently in those days? It's a love story mixed with a womanizing king, family drama, and a whole lot of English pride. If that isn't a recipe for a good book, I don't know what is.

the bad

• Sometimes the language can be confusing, especially if you aren't really paying attention. I think I only got confused and had to reread about two times but other wise its pretty straightforward. 
• The book can be a bit long at time and it may seem never ending. With a book this size its expected. I found myself willing to read faster to finish it but other times, I wanted to take my time so it would never end.

the quote
"I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do anything but think about him. At night I dream of him, all day I wait to see him, and when I do see him my heart turns over and I think I will faint with desire."

skip it/borrow it/buy it
 If you're in the market for a historical fiction, buy it. Its a great book with historical characters and interesting lives that will transport you back in time.

overall score:8/10

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