I picked up this book to read following the only other Scott book I've ever read, Royal Harlot, and in preparation for the Royal Mistress challenge that I am doing next year (library copy). I greatly enjoyed the first book, finding it well written, paced well, though I couldn't attest to how historically accurate it was, not knowing much about the time period.

This book is written about much the same time as Royal Harlot, being about another of King Charles II's mistresses, Louise de Keroualle. Some historical events actually take place during both books (most significantly the meeting between Charles & his beloved sister, who lived in France), but are told from two very different point of views. The book starts with Louise's life long before she ever meets the King of England; in fact, she doesn't officially become his mistress until page 278. I think for this reason, the book really drags. Louise does seem to really love the King, so she does have that going for her. I couldn't get into Louise's character at all, even at the end of the book I just couldn't like her.


So this is another one of those books that I will only give 4 stars, because though I greatly *liked* the book, I didn't love it.