I have been fascinated by the rather mixed reviews this book has received on Goodreads. There is no doubting that the book reflects excellent scholarship and meticulous research, but then the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII is an easy topic for any historian to warp themselves around in part because there has already been so much written about them, but also, in part because the story of the King who had six wives still continues to fascinate today. Much like some of Starkey's other female readers, I did struggle somewhat with Starkey's presentation of the women's likely thoughts and feelings, and his characterisation of the real-life figures, while entertaining, may not always have reflected accurate historical reality. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as much as I identified parts of it that could have benefitted from a severe editing. I also think the latter wives could have done with a little more fleshing out. If it was a book about the six wives (rather than just their marriages) there was an awful lot more to say, especially about Anne of Cleves. I am moving on to Weir next so that I can compare.