2015 Reading Challenge: A Book Set Somewhere You’ve always wanted to visit – The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie

I love France. I love the culture, I love the country, I love the atmosphere, I love Paris, I love the wine, and I love the food… I just love France. Prior to my living in London for a few years, my first encounter with Paris was at the tender age of 14 and I have loved the country ever since. I never witnessed such a place that was enriched with history, conflicted with turmoil but remained true to their identity. The French has always been, and will always be French. With beautiful blend of modern inspiration and the vintage architecture, Paris was a city that I have an eternal love affair with. Every time I go to Paris, I find something new and get to regain experiences and places that I have always loved. Unfortunately, as many times as I have been to France, I had never bothered to make the trip to Versailles. *hangs head in shame* I know! For shame! How could I have spent so much time in France and not bothered going to see Versailles! The palace of the great French monarchy that is supposed to be the most exquisite, stunning home till this day. It is on my list of places to see, and I hope to see it someday, which spurred on my curiosity of reading The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie. It’s historical fiction based in France, umm… yes please! Here is my money!

The Sisters of Versailles is the fictional portrayal of the 5 Nesle sisters, and how 4 of them managed to become the mistresses of King Louis XV. Set in the backdrop of 18^th century France, the race to find the king a mistress is on. Having grown tired of his polish wife, the young king is looking for other company to preoccupy his time and his bed. The King’s scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, the four sisters—sweet, naïve Louise; ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne—will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power. Based on real events and people, Sally does a beautiful description of life at Versailles, and what sisters are willing to do to get ahead in life. It would seem that blood is not that thick when it comes to a king’s heart.

OH MY GOSH I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved every minute I spent it, and proceeded to be wrapped up in the drama of Versailles and the Nesle sisters. The book is not only well crafted piece of historical beauty, but you can see the time and the energy Sally put into making sure the story seemed authentic. Her writing is stunning and captivating, grabbing the reader from the very first sentence. Her story telling ability is enchanting, and draws the reader into her words and creativity. This book has all the makings of a great novel; suspense, drama, love, death, life, broken hearts, scandal, and so much more.

The story of the first mistresses of the beloved King Louis XV is a fascinating journey that shows that willingness that women were able to do anything to obtain power and status. It parallel’s the women of today who are willing to do whatever it takes to create a name for themselves, and willing to destroy those around them in order to get what they want. Sally had the ability to shed light on the reality of sibling rivalry; how dark and dirty they can become to be the better sibling, especially between sisters. The bond between sisters is a strong one that can overcome any difficulty in life, but the rivalry between sisters is something that cannot be messed with. Sally, in her own elegant writing, described the brutality that the sisters Nesle had for one another in order to gain status at Versailles. Sally illustrated the dynamics and the differences between the sisters, allowing the reader to draw their own opinions and conclusions about each woman. The Sisters of Versailles is magical, smart and an exceptional piece of literature crafted to entice and enlighten any reader that reads it. A historical fiction so well done that I wondered if the women were real, and to my delight they were! Sally Christie breathed life into a story that was not well-known of the original mistresses of King Louis XV, and gave faces to the women to lived and breathed for a king.

I feel that I am not giving this book justice! It was so poignant, truthful, and deliciously crafted that any reader and history buff would love it. You all know how I love my historical fiction, and it is a great joy to see when historical fiction is done properly, given truth and life to a story that would remain in the dark. I will always read historical fiction, and will always be drawn to its story. I look forward to reading many more of Sally’s books, luckily this is the first book in a trilogy! YESS!! So… where can I pre order the other books? I am ready to commit to them now!

What is everyone reading as of late? Have you read The Sisters of Versailles? What did you think? Have you ever been to Versailles or France? Did you love it?

Buy on Amazon:The Sisters of Versailles: A Novel (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy)

Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I was sent The Sisters of Versailles for free from Netgally. This review is of my own work, and I did not copy or refer to any other reviewers/writers/bloggers for this post. All content provided on “A Comfy Chair” is for informational purposes only. I make no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. I will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. I will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

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