Book Review: Anne of Hollywood by Carol Wolper

• Genre: Contemporary
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Release Date: January 24, 2012
• Series: (none)
• Source: ARC

Blurb: “I wasn’t prepared for the enemies. Had I been as gorgeous as a supermodel, or as rich as an heiress, or an actress with an Oscar to my credit, people would still not be happy that I had Henry’s attention, but they’d understand. What they resented was the king coupling with a ‘nobody.’” 

Skirts may be shorter now, and messages sent by iPhone, but passion, intrigue, and a lust for power don’t change. National bestselling author Carol Wolper spins a mesmerizing tale of a twenty-first-century Anne Boleyn.

Wily, intelligent, and seductive, with a dark beauty that stands out among the curvy California beach blondes, Anne attracts the attention of Henry Tudor, the handsome corporate mogul who reigns in Hollywood. Every starlet, socialite, and shark wants a piece of Henry, but he only wants Anne. The question is: can she keep him?

Welcome to a privileged world where hidden motives abound, everyone has something to sell, and safe havens don’t exist. With her older sister Mary, a pathetic example of a royal has-been, Anne schemes to win her beloved Henry in the only way that gives a promise of forever—marriage. Success will mean contending with backstabbing “friends,” Henry’s furious ex-wife, and the machinations of her own ambitious family, and staying married to a man who has more options than most and less guilt than is good for either of them will take all her skill. Anne will do anything to hold on to the man—and the lifestyle—she adores, however, even if sticking your neck out in Hollywood means risking far worse than a broken heart. With Henry’s closest confidante scheming against her, and another beautiful contender waiting in the wings, Anne is fighting for her life. Can she muster the charm and wit to pull off her very own Hollywood ending?


Review:

Everyone knows the tragic, soap opera-like (though, true) story of Anne Boleyn, who seduced Henry VIII away from his wife Catherine of Aragon and convinced the monarch to break with the Catholic church -all with the promise of providing him with a son, which she never had.

Author Carol Wolper puts a twist on Anne's often-explored story by placing it in modern-day holiday, where powerful connections, seduction and Hollywood near-royalty are just are important as they once were in Tudor-era England. Wolper casts Anne as a rising young socialite, who uses her intelligence, charm and sex appeal to ensnare the powerful Henry Tudor, even after he's used Anne's sister and discarded her. Anne must deal with harsh Hollywood politics, backstabbing friends, a jealous ex-wife and others who would dare take Anne's place.

Anne of Hollywood is basically like a semi-Gossip Girl-like modern retelling of the Anne Boleyn story, complete with backstabbing and all kinds of juicy social politics. Wolper's version of the tale is an interesting balance of the modern and the classic, where she attempts to keep the integrity of the tale while bringing it into the 21st century. Some of the differences may bother history junkies like myself -such as Thomas Cromwell becoming Theresa Cromwell -but once I got deeper into the story, I found the changes a welcome twist that breather new life into a story I've read far too many times. Though this time, there's much more overt sex, and not as much at stake -and heads don't role. I especially enjoyed Henry's run for political office, it just fit.

There are a few things that bothered me here though, where the translation of the story just didn't work as well in modern times. First, Henry and Catherine are already divorced at the start of the novel, as divorces are much easier to attain now. This, of course, got rid of all the drama of Henry's divorce from Catherine that created much of the conflict in the original story. Anne of Hollywood is also completely devoid of religious issue which, again, makes sense in the modern context, but the religious issues that Henry and Anne dealt with changed the course of history. There's also the whole having a son thing, which was the thing that finally pushed Henry into divorcing Catherine and marrying Anne -and that ultimately led to Anne's death. Though this isn't a centerpiece in Anne of Hollywood, the book's approach to this seems a little flimsy. Instead, the book leans more on Henry's tendencies to change his mind than on his desperate need to have a son and heir.

To really enjoy Anne of Hollywood, I just had to let these items go. Once I did, the book became much easier to read and took on a life of its own. I wouldn't say that this is a book for history lovers (like me), it's more for fans of contemporary chick lit novels who could use some good political backstabbing. But still, a unique read.