THE SECRET KEEPER: A NOVEL OF KATERYN PARR by Sandra Byrd Review

I am pleased to participate in the Blog tour for The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours today!!!!

Publication Date: June 5, 2012 | Howard Books | 352p

SYNOPSIS: The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII, as a young woman is caught between love and honor.  Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father's business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana's father's estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for "finishing" and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king's daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII's court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will undo everything she thought she once held dear.

Praise for THE SECRET KEEPER: A NOVEL OF KATERYN PARR“Rich in historical detail, full of intrigue, and starring a memorable heroine—Juliana St. John—who grows in both character and faith, Sandra Byrd’s The Secret Keeper kept me completely engrossed in the tumultuous court of Henry VIII. I felt a part of the times, thanks to the author’s skillful storytelling, vivid descriptions, and inspiring characters. Readers are in for a special treat with this remarkable novel.”

—Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

"'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,' wrote Elizabeth Barrett Browning long years after the Tudor period of Sandra Byrd's remarkable book, The Secret Keeper. But the poet's words come to mind often as I count the myriad ways I love this story. Exquisite attention to detail of time, language, and place. A deft creation of character voice that invites the reader in and never lets her go. A delicate suspense that keeps pages turning. And throughout, the evidence of a remarkable storyteller who moves emotions in ways that both inspire and satisfy. I fell in love with Juliana St. John and with her heart, and hope she and her secrets find the widest possible audience."

—Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Where Lilacs Still Bloom

About the Author
Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children. For more Tudor tidbits, please visit sandrabyrd.com.

My Thoughts:

How I love the Tudor's, let me count the ways....oh there are so many ways I love the Tudor's. The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr is the second novel in the Ladies in Waiting series by Sandra Byrd and this is one of the ways I love the Tudors. 

Kateryn, also known as Catherine was the Queen Consort of King Henry VIII, his sixth and last wife. This story is also about Juliana St. John, a lady in waiting to the Queen. She does not want to marry the man that her family has chosen for her but would rather go to court. Juliana becomes very close to Kateryn (Kate) and enjoys her day to day duties serving her. A close family friend is Thomas Seymour, who has aspirations to further his career but is in love with Kateryn and she him but she chooses to marry Henry . This time in the Tudor era sees the King as older and maybe a bit more mellow as Kateryn was instrumental in having Henry restore his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth to the succession to the throne of England after Edward. 

After Henry dies, the throne goes to Edward, but he is a child and as such is subject to the machinations of the Seymour family. Julianna continues in the household of the dowager Queen Catherine, as she is concerned for her welfare as she has had visions of a woman having her dress shredded and does not know who the victim is but knows that something is not right. Thomas Seymour returns to court and pursues his love of Catherine and they are married in secret. King Edward and Princess Mary do not approve of the match and rightly so as not too long after the marriage and after Kateryn becomes pregnant with her only child, Thomas Seymour starts behaving in an improper manner with the Princess Elizabeth who is living with them. Kateryn dies only six days after giving birth to a daughter. Little is known as to what happened to the child but the author does a great job of tying this tidbit of information into a believable ending.

This is a story full of courtly intrique, mystery, religious persecution and greed. Rich in descriptions and thoroughly researched, this is an amazing novel about the lives and pagentry of life in the Tudor era. A wonderful blend of fact and fiction that historical fiction fans will love. I look forward to reading the last installment in this series Roses Have Thorns, A novel 
of Elizabeth I. 

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours