Reader Reviews

“Dear Heart, How like You This?” is a heart-rending tale of love and loss. Narrated by the poet Thomas Wyatt, the reader embarks on a fascinating journey that takes us from the yews of Hever Castle in Kent to the intrigue-laden courts of England, France, and Rome, as Wyatt recalls his desperate, and often helpless, desire for a woman whom he cannot save - the ill-fated Anne Boleyn. By turns wildly romantic and imbued with poetic melancholia, Dunn's assured prose brings to life the charismatic Wyatt, depicting through his eyes Anne Boleyn’s transformation from a spirited child to wronged woman bent on exacting vengeance from a heartless king, and a queen tormented by her own ambitions, until her final horrifying hour on Tower green - an hour that destroys Wyatt's innocence forever.

Dunn depicts Anne, and her brother George, as warm-hearted, intelligent persons, confidants in a triptych that includes Wyatt. Each in their own way is caught up in Henry VIII’s brutal machinations, but it is Wyatt who truly captures the imagination: a man with an abiding curiosity in the world around him, who cannot help but bear witness to the Boleyns dizzying rise and terrifying fall, even as he, too, is swept up in events beyond his control. His own faithless alliance with an adulterous wife; his love for a father succumbing to a relentless illness; his ambivalence toward his children; and his self-doubts as to his ultimate importance in a society overturned by the tumult of the Reformation underpin this tender story that dares to ask the question: What does it mean to love?

Though framed as an account of arguably the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, “Dear Heart, How like You This?” is far more than another re-telling of a well-trodden tale. For entwined with the glamorous, ultimately tragic, story of Anne Boleyn’s life and death, is that of an inherently good man’s struggle with the evils of his time, and of the toll that is often exacted of those who finds themselves immersed in the sweeping tides of historical change.

Christopher (CW) Gortner,
author of “The Secret Lion”,
a novel of suspense in the Tudor Court




A wonderful, wonderful novel. Seriously the greatest book I have read about Anne Boleyn. This book takes you inside their world and you have a hard time leaving it . . .  I love this book . . .

Jennifer Kay Bonnell



Those with an interest in history, romance or those who are simply in search of a good book should definitely read 'Dear Heart, How Like You This'. I found it to be, quite literally, unputdownable. The story is both beautifully written and gripping.

Through the narrator (Sir Thomas Wyatt) the characters, particularly Anne Boleyn, come alive. They stop being remote historical figures and become real people, people who love, who hope and who make mistakes.

I really cared about the characters and, despite knowing the inevitable conclusion, I found myself wishing it could end differently, happily.

This is definitely a must-read.

Holly



Seriously one of the best novels ever written about Anne Boleyn's life, “Dear Heart, How like You This?” is a vivid portrayal of Anne and her passionate nature and intelligence; Wendy is both sympathetic and yet gives Anne both spirit and warmth. It is extremely well written and captures the beauty of Anne in a tangible way. I love this book and recommend it to anyone.

Jennifer Lodine-Chaffey, reader



Wendy J. Dunn has resucitated the spirit of Thomas Wyatt in Dear Heart. Not only does she portray Anne Boleyn as a woman trapped between the power and lust of others, but as a soul in need of far more than ambition and power as most have portrayed her. Thomas Wyatt's story is amazingly written as he travels to and from England, somehow avoiding his adulterous wife and his passion for Anne. It clearly emphasizes on the power and indiscretions many had in Tudor times, such that they destroyed innocence and the pure love of friendship. I recommend this novel to anyone and everyone who has ever been interested in the Tudors, or Anne, and especially Wyatt. Dear Heart, portrays the man behind the poetry, the tortured soul that loved a woman who was loved and killed by the King, and both were victims to his unpredictable will.

Jessica R



“Dear Heart, How Like You This?” is a great book.

Glenice Whiting, from Suite101's Inspiring Women



“Dear Heart, How Like You This?” superbly blends fact with fiction.

Cindy Vallar, Author of The Scottish Thistle



When they do the film version of “Dear Heart, How Like You This?” every leading lady in the world will fight, tooth and nail for the role of Anne.

Paul Staff, Television Producer



I've finished the book, I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down! It's splendid, truly splendid. The writing is terrific, and the way you portrayed Anne through the eyes of Tom was very powerful. You really brought every character to life, so much so that with the final reading of the last few pages I had tears in my eyes.

Elizabeth Batt, History Columnist



It's Brilliant!

Bess Chilver, Tudor re-enactor



A soft elegy about a murderous king, a lost poet and an unforgettable woman, who, surprisingly (probably more for her than anyone else) in the end, loved them both.

Lyndal White, reader



A magnificent book of great emotional intensity and beauty of speech. I must admit it brought me to tears on a couple of occasions because Wendy has really tapped into the great personal sadness, not only of Tom Wyatt himself but of Anne and all the Boleyn set - thwarted in love and caught up in a great spider's web of political and courtly intrigue with the monstrous Henry at the very centre of the web. It was wonderful to hear Tom Wyatt's POV which Wendy does so poetically- you really do feel like you are hearing his true voice. It is a vivid book, beautifully researched - it just flows from scene to scene- and is the perfect antidote to Philippa Gregory's Other Boleyn Girl. Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful, enchanting novel, Wendy. It is going to be a favourite of mine.

Lynne Lewis, reader



This book is absolutely enchanting. From a fragment in poetry and a suggestion in history, Wendy J. Dunn has woven a beautiful novel around the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt's love for Anne Boleyn, the second of Henry VIII's six wives. The story is told from Sir Thomas's point of view, and has an amazing credibility because of the lyrical prose in which Wendy Dunn writes. Dear Heart really captures the joys and sorrows of living in this era when marriages were made, not for love, but for money and connections. This charming and intelligent novel really gives a flesh-and-blood portrait of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Wyatt, and I highly recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in history.

Sandra Worth,
author of “The Rose of York: Love & War”




I just finished your book. If this is your first novel, it must have lived in your heart for a very long time. I had to keep telling myself that it is a work of fiction, but it didn't feel like fiction to me. I just wanted to thank you for your good work and let you know how very much I enjoyed it.

T.Wyatt, descendant of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder




A king who would not be denied. A woman who would be queen. And a gentle poet forced to watch helplessly as his one true love slipped out of his arms forever. These are the elements in Wendy J. Dunn's poignant novel, “Dear Heart, How Like You This?”

“Dear Heart” tells the story of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. The novel is written in first person, from the point of view of Anne's cousin, Sir Thomas Wyatt. Tom has secretly loved Anne his entire life, but has always been told he is not highly born enough to pursue her. He carefully masks his feelings, especially after Anne catches the eye of the king, and remains at Anne's side as one of her staunchest friends and supporters. Then the unthinkable happens. After marrying Anne, the king tires of her and falsely accuses her of adultery. Imprisoned himself on the whim of the king's arrogant brother-in-law, Tom watches helplessly as his true love and his closest friends go on trial for their lives...

“Dear Heart” is a novel that grips you before the end of the first sentence and doesn't let go until the bitter end. In Dunn's more than capable hands, Anne Boleyn comes to life, first as a whimsical child, then as a hurt and angry teenager, then as a woman both frightened and exhilarated by the dangerous game she is playing, and finally as a bruised-but not broken-victim of the king's cruelty. Through Anne's tumultuous life, her cousin Thomas is a spellbinding narrator, reporting the events around him with a reporter's keen eye and a poet's tender heart.

I would recommend “Dear Heart” to anyone who enjoys a love story or who has even a passing interest in English history. It is a beautifully written novel of love and betrayal. In fact, I'm off to read it again, just as soon as I dry my eyes.

Debra L. Stang