The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie

Historical Fiction

In Louis XV's court of the 18th century, drama can be found everywhere. Both ladies and men alike vie for the attentions of Louis XV. When it becomes clear that Louis's eye is starting to wander from his wife, his advisors look for a women with no political interests that could catch his eyes. They don't need to look far, as one of the Queen's new ladies in waiting is Louise de Mailly-Nesle, the eldest of five Nesle sisters. So starts Louis' affair with four of the five Nesle sisters.

The first is Louise, the eldest, but also the most boring. The next is Pauline, second eldest and more interested in power and controlling the country. Third is Marie-Anne, the greediest but most beautiful of the three. She only cares about herself and gathering more power. Finally is Diane, the glutton of the family but harmless in her intentions. Only Hortense avoid's Louis' grip, likely due to her pious nature.

Historical fictions usually tell the story of Louis XIV. Having read a bit about him, it was interesting to be introduced to a royal I don't know too much about, Louis XIV's grandson. That said, after this book I still don't know too much about him because this book's purpose was to tell the story of the sisters.

I don't mind not liking characters in a book but these characters were just despicable. You would think these sisters were strangers for the way they treated each other. Promises were almost always broken, sisters were banished from court, and they did other horrible things to each other. This intrigued me for most of the book but by the end I was tired of these sisters and just wanted them to get what they deserved, which none of them really did.

I appreciate Christie bringing this story to life. Otherwise I'd never know anything about it. After doing some research, I learned that the Nesle sisters weren't even the most famous mistress of Louis XIV. They were in his life before the most famous mistress. When I hop on to the internet to learn more after reading a book I know that I enjoyed the book! I'll look for the next book in the series.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour.

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First Line: "We were five sisters and four became mistresses of our king."

Rating:
(4/5)

About the Author Sally Christie is a long time history buff. She has lived in England, Canada, Argentina, and Lesotho though she currently resides in Toronto (and hence, I'm claiming Canadian author here!). The Sisters of Versailles is her first book even though she's been putting pen to paper for a while. Learn more at her website, Facebook, or GoodReads.