Review : Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Anne & Henry
Author : Dawn Ius
Publication Date : September 1st 2015
Publisher : Simon Pulse
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In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Anne & Henry beautifully reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time.

Personal Thoughts

Anne & Henry is a modern retelling of Anne Boleyn and Henry Tudor's tragic relationship. I was looking forward to reading the book because I enjoy retellings and even though I knew exactly how the book would probably end. That being said, Anne & Henry was an incredibly frustrating read for me. First things first, the writing in Anne & Henry was excellent. Dawn Ius has a fantastic writing style, especially for a debut book and I can tell that she is one talented writer. To be honest, the only reason I continued on with this book was because of her writing.

What frustrated me however were all the characters. Aside from Anne, none of the characters were remotely likeable. Henry Tudor especially. I was okay with his character in the beginning. He wasn't anything remarkable, but I tolerated him, but towards the end of the book, I became sick and tired of what a spineless character he was. He was the sort of person who relied on other people's opinions to make judgements. He was frankly, excuse my language, an ass. I understood that he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but I still wish he had grown up throughout the book to stand up to the people around him who kept pushing him on a path he was clearly unhappy with.

I really disliked how every secondary character was also rude, catty and downright mean to the protagonist, Anne. They hated her for being an outsider and they treated her like crap. I would have liked for Anne to have made some good friends in the book, but that never really happened. While Anne herself was an engaging character in the beginning with her being bold, sassy and witty, I was let down by how she never really confronted any of her haters and let them walk all over her in the end. Also, I'm not really sure what Anne saw beyond the physical in Henry because he was boring and really flat as a character. To me, there was nothing remotely appealing about him.

Because of that, I was never convinced in their relationship beyond the lust phase. I guess my main problem with Anne & Henry was just how it was too close to the original story for me, which I know sounds ridiculous because it is a retelling, but I was hoping because this was a modern take to the story, Anne would have had a better fate (without Henry because he didn't  deserve her at all!).

I probably wasn't the right audience for Anne & Henry which is why it didn't work for me because I was hoping for something entirely different. I still think if you're looking for a fun modern replica of an Anne Boleyn and Henry Tudor relationship, that this might be worth the shot. I may not have enjoyed the book, but I'm looking forward to reading more from the author in the future because her writing was very promising.

**Special thanks to Lisa and Becca over at Lost in Literature for buddy reading Anne & Henry with me. Be sure to check out their reviews too here.**

Rating 

Cover : 2/5
Plot : 2/5
Characters : 2/5
Writing : 3/5

 Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon Teen for the e-ARC of Anne & Henry.