The Secret Diary of a Princess: a novel of Marie Antoinette by Melanie Clegg

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Marie Antoinette

Before she was Marie Antoinette, she was Maria Antonia, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Emperor Francis I. As the title suggests, young Maria Antonia keeps a secret diary which gives the reader an intimate look at her thoughts, her family relationships and the daily life of an archduchess and the duties and responsibilities that go with it. I really liked Maria’s voice and loved her impish sense of humor,

“Consequently, I did not learn very much today.”

“It was I who put salt in the Countess Brandeis’ hot chocolate. I am very sorry.”

“It was I who put a grasshopper down the back of Countess Brandeis’ dress during the concert. I am not sorry.”

Princesses must grow up and marry where they are told, and the book continues through Maria Antonia’s betrothal to the dauphin of France, the transformation required to bring her up to snuff with the French (including wearing braces to straighten her teeth), and then leaving her old life behind to begin the long formal journey to France to join her new husband and the French court.

Every single item about my person was to be removed and replaced in an act that symbolised my domestic transformation from Austrian Archduchess to French Dauphine.”

I really enjoyed this, despite the diary format (admittedly not a favorite of mine). Clegg does a good job of setting the scene and giving the reader a good sense of time and place without clubbing you over the head with heavily detailed descriptions of every last button, shoe and petticoat. Recommended for those interested in the early days of Marie Antoinette, and would also be suitable for young adult readers. Don’t quote me, but I believe The Secret Diary of a Princess is only available as an e-book at this time. 4/5 stars.

FTC? Amazon verified purchase.

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Before Versailles by Karleen Koen

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alexandre dumas, Louis XIV of France, Louise de La Vallière

Koen’s latest book tackles a short period in the life of a young Louis XIV. Cardinal Mazarin is dead, and Louis is now in control of the government – a government seriously short of cash – although the Superintendent of Finances sure does have a pocketful of it. Louis is newly married to Maria Teresa of Spain, but at the moment he only has lust eyes for his brother’s new wife, Henriette (sister to Charles II) and Henriette definitely reciprocates the lust feelings.

Meantime Louise de La Vallière, one of Henriette’s ladies in waiting, becomes involved in the mystery surrounding a young man whose face is hidden behind an iron mask. What, if any connection is this young boy to the royal family, and why is someone so desperate to keep his existence a secret?

Yep, there’s a whole lot more to it than that but I’ll not spoil, although if you are familiar with it all you know where Louise’s story goes from here…Despite a set of circumstances that promises a deliciously meaty, scandalous read, I found this rather underwhelming, especially coming from the author who gave us Through a Glass Darkly (on my all time favorites list). The characters were all rather flat and lifeless (even Philippe and de Guiche were not as hateable as they should be), and there was definitely not much chemistry between Louis and Louise. The repetitive sentences drove me seriously batty,

The handsome young king of France was hesitant before her. The handsome young king of France desired her. The handsome young king of France loved her.

In the end, this isn’t a bad book by any means, but it doesn’t have the kind of punch Louis and his love life deserves. I have read the entire Musketeer series by Alexandre Dumas (part of which tells of the relationship between Louis and Louise as well as his own take on the Man in the Iron Mask), and I couldn’t help comparing his take on the characters as opposed to Koen’s, and Dumas definitely wins out. Library only, then buy it if you love it.

Interested in trying the Dumas books? Here’s the series in order and they are available free on Kindle. Can’t speak for the quality of the translation on these so enter at your own risk (they are free after all), but if you’re looking for a dead tree version I’d recommend the Oxford World’s Classics Editions.

The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere and The Man in the Iron Mask.

FTC? I obtained my copy via my county library.

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

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Joan of Arc

Author Kimberly Cutter recounts the short life of Jeanne d’Arc (Jehanne here), The Maid of Orléans and later canonized as Saint Joan of Arc. This is one of those too complicated bits of history to try to explain in a review, and Wik can most definitely do it better than I can.

Joan’s history is a fascinating one, and I’ve been eyeing novels on her for some time (Mark Twain considered his book on Joan his best work), so I was thrilled when this showed up on Net Galley. However, the book I read was very dry and the history itself is hard to follow – there seems to be an assumption the reader is well versed on the period. When I read a historical novel, I do so with the expectation that I will be educated and entertained at the same time, I don’t expect to have to *read up* on the historical events before I begin the book.

The chapters were very short for the most part and I found this distracted from the overall flow of the story. I also didn’t find any emotional connection with the characters, particularly Joan, nor did I pick up on any grand passion or religious fervor for her Godly mission. Overall, this was a dry and slightly disappointing read as it currently stands, but perhaps a bit of editing and fleshing out of characters can raise the bar a bit higher. 2.5/5 stars.

A Rage Against Heaven by Fred M. Stewart

A Rage Against Heaven was published in 1978 and apparently drifted off into relative book obscurity, long forgotten by readers always on the hunt for another Civil War Novel. It was mentioned by a poster who began a thread at Amazon titled “Bar none the best historical fiction” (at this writing there are 8,087 posts). Very hard to find, but Michele at A Reader’s Respite, intrepid book shopper extraordinaire, managed to find a cheap copy, reviewed it here, and passed it along to me.

Philadelphia, 1860. Lew Crandall is “The Golden Prince” and has it all, wealth, looks and the hand of Elizabeth Butterfield. Lew finds some damning evidence against a powerful politician among his dead father’s letters and he unwisely exposes him to public censure. When Civil War breaks out, Lew leaves college and his wife behind in Philly and hightails it to Washington, where he runs smack dab into the unscrupulous pair he never should have ticked off in the first place.

Lew and Elizabeth’s lives take plentiful twists and turns and ups and downs in a soap opera of the very highest magnitude. Presumed death, crooked politicians, blackmail, a long side trip to Mexico with some evil banditos, a return from the dead, turmoil in Paris as the The Franco-Prussian War heats up, a kidnapping, jewel heists and more as Lew exacts his revenge against the baddies who done him wrong. I generally love a big old soap opera with lots of strum and drang, but unfortunately there’s a big drawback in this one – Mustard seems to be one of those male authors who throws in squicky sex just for the male fantasy fun of it, and much of it was entirely gratuitous involving secondary characters. It’s easy enough to show the reader a man is overly obsessive with young girls, I didn’t need a blow-by-blow rape of a child. I can grasp that a Southern female can care about her family’s slaves, she doesn’t need to lust after one of them. An author can show me a young actress is a slut without a detailed description of oral sex including a loose hair (no, I am not kidding). I’ll give you a couple of examples of the tamer stuff, but be warned I’m quoting verbatim:

“They came to each other in the middle of the room, and flesh kissed flesh. Breasts met chest, belly met belly, thighs met thighs. She smelled sweet; he was musky and warm…After a while he stood up. His big penis was gorged with blood, white blood and black blood. She looked at it. Then she put her hand to her mouth and spat in her palm. She reached down and took his penis, slicking it slowly.”

“He wore nothing under the pants but an erection….She felt his enormous penis going into her and she moaned with pleasure…Then, slowly, he began thrusting. Slowly, the sweetness began rising up the volcano. When they both erupted, they were both covered with mud.”

Ick. Honestly around page 160 the sex toned down and I was rather enjoying it but towards the end the returns from the dead/name switches really stretched the believability factor. One further warning – despite the historical settings I would not call this a historical novel. The Civil war happens, but it is merely a backdrop – several year’s worth of history are recounted in tedious letters. One of the main characters is involved in the Mexican revolution, but again it’s merely a backdrop to further the story. In the end, if you come across a copy cheaply I’d pick it up for curiosity’s sake as well as the chuckles you’ll get at the groaningly bad sex scenes, but don’t go out of your way for it either.

The Princess of Nowhere by Prince Lorenzo Borghese

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House of Borghese, Pauline Bonaparte

   

Pauline Bonaparte is renowned as the most beautiful woman in Europe. Recently widowed, older brother Napoleon wants her to make an advantageous marriage – and Prince Camillo Borghese just might fit the bill – and he is very interested despite the rumors he’s heard about her very busy bed. The two marry and begin a stormy on and off again relationship as the very proper Prince Camillo is forced to take a walk on the wild side with his new bride.

So, sounds like the makings of a rich, meaty historical novel you’d love to sink your teeth into, doesn’t it? First off, if I’d done a bit more research not on the book, but the author beforehand I’d probably have stayed clear. Here’s the deal – the author is a descendent of that same Borghese family (although not directly from Camillo and Pauline) – and while he’s worn a lot of career hats I think this is the first time he’s written a book. According to Wik Lorenzo Borghese has been on The Bachelor and also works in the family’s cosmetics business and other business enterprises. Not exactly the background that suggests serious historical novelist to me.

On to my overall impressions – while the book isn’t *bad* by any means, it certainly isn’t great either. First and foremost, the blurb on the back promises this is told from the POV (third person) of Sophie Leclerc, a cousin of her first husband. Guess what, Sophie isn’t even in the picture much of the time and she’s most especially absent when Pauline and Camillo have to have hot hot hot sex (although not terribly hot for this reader, no chemistry there).  We really don’t get to know Sophie that well, let alone understanding her lifelong devotion to Pauline considering some of the treatment she receives. Camillo Borghese is a perfect gentleman with impeccable courtly manners, while Pauline screams SLUT SLUT SLUT SLUT. A bit partial to one side of the family, perhaps?

Those quibbles aside, I think where this really falls short is we really don’t get a feel for the real Pauline. The story begins when she’s a widow, we don’t *see* her as a young girl, nor do we find out what brought on her wild sexual behavior – or was it all rumor and innuendo? There are large periods in her life that are glossed over with a few pages of imagined letters from her, including the period where she joined her brother during his exile in Elba, yet we get page upon tedious page of her dying days and reunion with her perfect husband, including more hot sex – ‘natch. In the end, this is a novel that just teased me with what could have been (would someone please write that story?) and leaves you wanting more. This might do if you are in the mood for something *lite*, but this will stick with you just about as much as cotton candy at the fair – you’ll just be left hungry for something more substantial.

Thanks for Librarything’s Early Reviewer program for my copy.

Tamarisk by Claire Lorrimer

Tamarisk’s mother Mavreen went to Russia in search of her lover Gerard de Valle (an officer in Napoleon’s army) and is feared dead. Never fear, it takes more than a Russian winter to stop our gal, like a cat she always lands on her feet. Mavreen arrives home and shocks Tamarisk to the core when Gerard is introduced not only as her mother’s intended, but that he’s her real father! You know that’s not going to go over well and since our heroine is fifteen you know that there’s going to be tons of teenage angst, right? Raise your hands if you were a perfect joy to your parents at that age, I dare ya.

Tamarisk thinks she’s in love with her mother’s former lover (who only loves Mavreen and is much too old for the daughter anyway), and she does really stupid things to get him to marry her that get her into really stupid situations. Again and again and again and again.

“It was pretty stupid of me, I know…”

Yes. It. Was.

As for Mavreen and Gerard and their own personal HEA after all those years of strum and drang and separation?

 “She would not spoil the harmony of the moment by reminding him that throughout those twenty-three years they had spent less than one month together; that if the truth were to be admitted, neither knew the other very well.”

Uh oh. Unfortunately I really can’t tell you a whole lot more than this as the finer details would spoil a lot of what happens in the first book in this trilogy, Mavreen (review here).  This was an OK read, Tamarisk just didn’t have the *verve* that her mother had and her little escapades got old real fast – let alone how she’s always able to get off on her own even when she’s being watched like a hawk. In some ways this felt like a *set-up* book for the last in the trilogy, Chantal, and from taking a peek at the cast of characters I think we might be in for quite a ride. Pirates. Ship wrecks. Evil slave traders. Gerard’s deliciously nasty natural son Antoine.  And just you wait until you see that cover…

FTC? Paperbackswap.

The Enchantress Saga by Nicola Thorne

…it was no strange accident that had brought her here: it was Analee’s destiny, woven before time in the stars perhaps, to enchant, to be enchanted.

 The Enchantress Saga is actually three books in one, and originally published under the author name of Katherine Yorke.Book #1, The Enchantress. Analee joins up with the Drivers, a gypsy clan who involve her in a little horse thieving – although it does introduce her to Jacobite supporter Brent Delamaine in a most unusual manner. Fearing the lusty embraces of  the head of the Driver clan, she flees with a group of young siblings who make their way as traveling musicians and dancers (and boy can our girl dance).  She meets up again with the handsome rogue Brent and well…let’s just say chemistry happens, but both of our lovers are in for quite a surprise when jealous Randal attacks Brent and that sets everyone on some very unexpected paths in life. Are Brent and Analee meant to find happiness in the end? Or does her destiny lie with another? Will she forever wander England barefoot, cold and hungry?

Book #2, Falcon Gold.  Analee and her husband, the powerful general known as The Falcon arrive in Paris. No surprise, but the beauteous Analee is the toast of the town and her husband’s jealously takes a very nasty turn. Now hating all things Hanoverian, Analee devotes herself to the cause of Bonnie Prince Charlie and that little romp in the hay is quite fruitful indeed. She eventually reconciles with her husband (why?) and they spend time in London where she’s once again much sought after by the men. The Falcon is enamored of the younger beauties and packs his wife off to her home at Derwentwater in the north (she actually prefers it). There’s a bit of a duel, some Jacobite intrigue and the mystery of her parentage is finally solved (figured that one out as soon as he landed in the story).

Book #3, Falcon Fury AKA The Lady of the Lakes. Honestly, I am not quite sure what happened in this one, outside of men lusting after Analee (when she’s not having another baby that is), The Falcon lusts after young nubile females (and bedding any he can get his hands on) as poor Brent pines away for his beloved enchantress – will they even find true happiness together?

As much as I wanted to love these books, my interest faded pretty quickly around the end of book one. I would have liked to see more Jacobite intrigue and less gypsy lore – the magic stuff and love spells wore very thin indeed, let alone Analee constantly reminding everyone (and I do mean everyone) of her gypsy heritage. Huge gripe – I really really did catch on how tacky and low class Ambrose was from his burping and but-scratching. I did not need to hear about him picking his nose, nor where it went afterwards. Really.

Not recommended.

Note: if you have issues with domestic violence in your books, this is very likely not the book for you.

Marianne and the Privateer by Juliette Benzoni

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juliette benzoni

What fun! This begins where Marianne and The Masked Prince left off with Marianne returning from her mysterious wedding to the Prince Sant’Anna of Tuscany and she’s now the toast of Paris society. Whilst attending a grand ball given by the Austrian ambassador, Marianne meets old friend Jason Beaufort and this time the light bulbs go off (finally) and she realizes he is the one man for her until death do they part – but you know there’s going to be complication or two, don’t you?  The ball quickly turns to disaster from a poorly placed candle and Marianne, along with the rest of Parisian high society, are scrambling for their lives and she’s definitely in need of rescuing. Will it be Jason or Napoleon? Or perhaps the handsome Russian?

With Jason currently unavailable (can’t tell you why) Marianne moves on with her life and accepts the attention of Russian Count Chernychev – although she may have bit off more than she can chew with this flirtation. After quite a busy night with comings and goings in and out of her bedroom window (another return from the past, an assault and a duel!), Marianne is tricked into believing Jason is in dire danger and only she can save him, but is it all just a trick? Are there greater forces at work than merely the need for revenge against Marianne?

No, I’m not giving it all away, all of the above takes place in the very beginning. Marianne might be a bit too headstrong and stubborn for some reader’s tastes (I’m guessing she’s eighteen by now), and I have to admit wanting to slap her on occasion, but her scrapes and pitfalls are so much fun I don’t care. My favorite scene and picture a very stern, much annoyed Napoleon giving Marianne a dressing down for her latest escapade,

“You are a perfect menace Madame, and if I did not take good care you would disrupt the whole of my Grand Army altogether. If they’re not fighting duels over you, they’re killing people for you.”

Hehe. Benzoni does a great job setting her scenes and details, as well as placing her fictional characters in with real historical characters. A deadly fire, a kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, rape, duels, a nail-biting escape from an impenetrable prison, you name it the book has it – and she still has to deal with that mysterious husband in Tuscany, as well as the ticked-off Emperor himself. The action starts from the get-go and never stops and frankly I wish I had the next one (Marianne and the Rebels) sitting on the pile waiting for me. Don’t let those racy covers fool you (I just love them), any sex you’ll find in this one is very very tame by today’s standards. The series order of those I have read so far,

1. Marianne (and may also have been published in two volumes as The Bride of Selton Hall and The Eagle and the Nightingale).
2. Marianne and the Masked Prince
3. Marianne and the Privateer.

Marianne and the Masked Prince by Juliette Benzoni

  There are times when you come across a cover that leaves you shaking your head wondering WTF was the publisher thinking anyway and this is definitely one of them. I promise you, there is nothing like that scene in the book anywhere.

The Masked Prince picks up right where book #1 left off (review here) with Marianne recovering from the shock of the oh-so-surprising return of someone long thought dead from her past – but he’s disappeared and not even Napoleon’s secret police can find him. And if that’s not enough, Marianne has to face the fact that her beloved Napoleon is going ahead with his plans to marry Marie Louise of Austria and get himself an heir.  I’m thinking you can guess that this doesn’t go down very well at all, especially when Napoleon is too busy sparking his new bride to give her much attention at all – and  eventually does a few things in retribution that really set off the imperial temper. 

Never fear though, our intrepid heroine will soon find other things to keep herself busy, including but not limited to being blackmailed (I can’t tell you without giving away the ending from book #1) and a marriage of necessity to a very mysterious Italian prince – what disfigurement could be so horrible that he’ll let no one see him, not even his new bride?

I found this one just a wee bit slower than the first, but still darn near unputdownable, and I have to tell you her new husband and his home in Tuscany is one spooky place and there’s plenty of things that go bump in the night. I think some readers might find Marianne’s actions regarding Napoleon at bit self-centered (she is still only seventeen), but you’ll see how in the end she gets a rude awakening in the path to true love that brings a new maturity to her character. 4/5 stars and I’ve already placed my hold on book #3 Marianne and the Privateer. From the jacket description I think we’ll be seeing more of the American Jason Beaufort. Woo hoo! These books are out of print but don’t forget to check your library and/or Interlibrary Loan.

Marianne by Juliette Benzoni

  Her parents guillotined during The Terror for their loyalty to Marie Antoinette, Marianne d’Asselnat is whisked out of France by her godfather Gauthier de Chazay and taken to live with her maternal Aunt Ellis at Selton Hall in England. Ellis adores the infant on site and raises her as her own. On the brink of womanhood at seventeen, her aunt’s dying wish is for Marianne to wed Francis Cranmere, the son of an old friend and the story begins on her wedding night in 1809 – a wedding night that goes horribly awry with the turn of a card – and Marianne’s peaceful world is thoroughly turned upside down and inside out. 

I really can’t tell you much more without giving it all away (and you don’t want to miss the fun) but circumstances send our heroine to France and after plentiful toils and travails ends up the beloved mistress of the Emperor Napoleon himself. Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of action left for this royal mistress including unexpected returns from the past, abductions, and perhaps a ghost or two that goes bump in the night. And what about that mysterious American who won the game of cards and the secret he carries that could mean further danger for Marianne? So dangerous he dares not tell her? Does Jason wish her harm or does he want nothing more than to carry her off to America and safety?

This was a blast to read, the action picked up from the get go and rarely stopped until the very, very surprising twist at the end (I did not see that one coming). Better qualified as historical romance than historical fiction, there are still plentiful details of the surroundings, clothing and food – and I really liked seeing the *inside* look at Bonaparte at work and at play.  Marianne was just about the perfect heroine for me, she had plenty of *sand* and used her wits to get herself out of sticky wickets instead of waiting for an available man to do it (well….most of the time). Nice change, that. This is the first in a series and thanks to the folks at Fantastic Fiction along with a pal at Goodreads this appears to be the order,

1. The Bride of Selton Hall (1969)
1. Marianne (omnibus) (1969)
2. The Eagle and the Nightingale (1969)
3. The Masked Prince (1971)
4. The Privateer (1972)
5. The Rebels (1973)
6. The Lords of the East (1974)
7. The Crown of Fire (1976)

Do click on those links and see the other covers. The copy I received via ILL was published G.P. Putnam and Sons and includes three parts, the first of which is Bride of Selton Hall and the last is The Eagle and the Nightingale so perhaps different editions are broken down further (if anyone knows, feel free to comment). If you find you are having a hard time tracking these down at a reasonable price, but don’t forget Interlibrary Loan – they can be found.  Benzoni also wrote a “Catherine” series that I hear is even better and I believe is set in the medieval period – although the last of them was never translated into English. 4/5 stars.