The French Mistress

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“This is a wild joyride through Restoration England, with Nell firmly gripping the reins. Susan Holloway Scott is so intuitive with period language and so involved in the psyches of her characters, that you are at all times
there
with them, seeing what they’re seeing, feeling what they’re feeling—and always,
always
rooting for the petite whirlwind of a heroine.”—Robin Maxwell, author of
Mademoiselle Boleyn

 

“This is an entertaining . . . fictionalized memoir that brings alive from an ‘insider’s’ perspective a transformation period in English history as Cromwell is out and the Stuarts are back in. Nell comes across as intelligent and witty as she uses double entendres to get the better of hypocrites who claim to know what is morally best for others (sounds so contemporarily familiar). Genre fans will appreciate the life and times of
The King’s Favorite
, as the ‘Duchess’ of biographical fiction Susan Holloway Scott provides an insightful seventeenth-century tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Witty and fascinating, this fast-paced tale brilliantly conjures the bawdy, glorious court of Charles II as well as the gritty reality of seventeenth-century London. Natural storyteller Susan Holloway Scott handles her subject with thrilling expertise—her Nell Gwyn is at once outrageous, tender, and unforgettable.
The King’s Favorite
is a luscious read.”—Susan Fraser King, author of
Lady Macbeth continued . . .

 

“Having previously provided a fictional memoir of Sarah, first Duchess of Marlborough, Scott brings to vivid life another of the seventeenth century’s most notorious, brazen, and powerful females. If anything,
Royal Harlot
is an even more assured, nuanced, and colorful portrait of a woman and her age. . . . In her intriguing portrayal, Scott tempers Barbara’s rapacious sexuality while presenting a Charles who seems far less frustrated with her tempestuousness than the historical record indicates. And although the real Barbara was better known for her ambition and avarice than her maternal devotion, the novelist incorporates her motherhood to good effect. Among this novel’s many strengths are Scott’s impressive depiction of time and place, her evocation of the Restoration-era mind-set, the exuberance of the period, and her sure, succinct presentation of complex historical events. The reader can well believe that this is a memoir penned by a woman who—in reality—was clearly too busy living to ever write one!”

—Margaret Barr,
The Historical Novels Review (
Editor’s Choice Pick)

 

“As in her popular
Duchess
, Scott captures in her latest historical novel the brilliance and hard beauty of Barbara Palmer (Lady Castlemaine), the Merry Monarch’s most famous and enduring mistress. . . . Scott finds a careful balance in Barbara, not salvaging her as a sinner, but giving her something of a heart under all that reputation.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“The Countess of Castlemaine, labeled the Great Harlot of Charles II, never denies or regrets her nature in this fascinating rendering of an outrageous love affair that defies convention and public outrage in Restoration England. . . . Relating the details of Barbara’s fictionalized life, the author takes into account the historical events and unusual influence of a powerful woman in the Restoration court, fleshing out the countess’s adventures with gusto, her flaws all the more glaring in the waning years of her power. All in all, this is a thorough and imaginative re-creation of Palmer’s long career and her extraordinary talent for manipulating circumstances to her own advantage, an informative and plausible treatment of the controversial life of a successful woman in a man’s world.”—Curled Up with a Good Book

 

 

 

“Wonderful . . . whisks the reader into a period rife with intrigue, love, sex, war, and religious strife.”

—
The Historical Novels Review
(Editor’s Choice Pick)

 

“All the trappings of supermarket tabloids: intrigue, treachery, deceit, and sexual scandals.”—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Susan Holloway Scott has brought to life the racy world of post-Restoration England in her richly researched and beautifully written
Duchess
.”—Karen Harper, author of
The First Princess of Wales

 

“No dry dust of history here, but a vivid portrait of an intriguing woman with all her flaws and strengths. Rich in period detail, the novel also has all the ingredients necessary for a compelling read: conflict, suspense, intrigue, and the romance between Sarah and John Churchill, one of history’s great love stories.”—Susan Carroll, author of
The Huntress

 

“Compelling; it grips the reader from the very first sentence and never lets go. Scott does a wonderful job of bringing Lady Sarah and her world to life.”—Jeanne Kalogridis, author of
I, Mona Lisa

 

“As wickedly entertaining as Sarah Churchill herself. . . . Scott brings Sarah blazingly alive in all her sharp-edged beauty and determination. Not to be missed!”—Mary Jo Putney, author of
A Distant Magic

• ALSO BY SUSAN HOLLOWAY SCOTT •

THE KING’S FAVORITE
A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II

 

ROYAL HARLOT
A Novel of the Countess of Castlemaine and King Charles II

 

DUCHESS
A Novel of Sarah Churchill

New American Library
Published by New American Library,
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First published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, July 2009

Copyright © Susan Holloway Scott, 2009

Readers guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2009
All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:
Scott, Susan Holloway.
The French Mistress: a novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth &
King Charles II/ by Susan Holloway Scott.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-08218-8

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