Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill
In the perilous world of kings and queens, she matched ambition with loyalty, ruthless intrigue with consuming passion…
London, 1673.
With her family ruined by war, penniless thirteen-year-old Sarah Jennings is overjoyed to be chosen as a maid of honor at the bawdy Restoration court of Charles II. She soon wins the trust of Lady Anne of York, a lonely princess who becomes one of her staunchest allies. And though Sarah's beauty stirs the desires of the jaded aristocrats, she wants a grander future for herself than that of a pampered mistress. Only one man possesses ambition and passions that match her own: John Churchill, a dashing young military hero. He would ask for her hand and win her heart for a lifetime…
But Whitehall Palace is ripe with ever-shifting alliances and sexual scandal, and Sarah will need all her cleverness to succeed. Titles, power, and wealth are the prizes, while an idle whisper in the wrong ear can bring a cry of treason and the executioner's ax. Will Sarah's loyalties and her dreams falter when a king is toppled from his throne and a new queen crowned? And will she dare risk everything when her one true love is tested by a passionate, dangerous obsession?
What others are saying about Duchess
The American Booksellers Association has named Duchess a Book Sense Notable Book for August, 2006. The Historical Novels Review has named Duchess an Editor's Choice.
“Sarah Jennings's ascent from poverty as a 13-year-old to the highest echelons of late 17th-century English society has all the trappings of supermarket tabloids: intrigue, treachery, deceit and sexual scandals. In this first-person telling, Scott takes a near-scholarly approach but maintains the thrills… That Sarah is an ancestor of both Winston Churchill and Lady Diana Spencer gives this novel appeal to several generations of historical fiction readers.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Scott's elegantly crafted story of two charismatic soul mates who gave up the chance to marry others, preferring wealth and advancement, is sure to appeal to lovers of good historical fiction.”
– Library Journal
“This wonderful fictional biography of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborogouh, whisks the reader into a period rife with intrigue, love, sex, war and religious strife...There are so many reasons to reccommend this book, from its myriad of believable chracters, ably drawn settings, polished and fluent prose, to its ability to totally immerse the reader in the past...Readers looking for a true escape into the past will want to add this book to ther collection and their keeper shelf.”
– Historical Novel's Review, An EDITOR'S CHOICE for November, 2006
“I couldn't put down Duchess. The portrayal of life at Court is full of the intrigue and scandal that surround any royal family, and that makes for an excellent read. I highly recommend it..”
– Bookreporter.com
Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess of Castlemaine and King Charles II
Susan Holloway Scott brought to life the racy world of post-Restoration England in her acclaimed novel Duchess. Now she returns to this decadent world with the enthralling story of one of history's most notorious women -- the voluptuous favorite of King Charles II…
London, 1660.
Ready to throw off a generation of Puritan rule, all England rejoices when Charles Stuart returns to reclaim the throne. Among those welcoming him is young Barbara Villiers Palmer, a breathtaking Royalist beauty whose sensuality and clever wit instantly captivate the handsome, jaded king.
Though each is promised to another, Barbara soon becomes Charles’s mistress and closest friend, and the uncrowned queen of his bawdy Restoration court. Rewarded with titles, land, and jewels, she is the most envied and desired woman in England––and the most powerful.
But the role of royal mistress is a precarious one, and Barbara’s enemies and rivals are everywhere in the palace. Even kings can lose their heads to treason, and swirling political intrigue brings new threats and danger—until not even Charles himself is safe.
In this world where love is no more than a game, and power the ultimate aphrodisiac, only one woman holds the key to it all: Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine, Duchess of Cleveland, and the royal harlot.
What others are saying about Royal Harlot
The Historical Novels Review named Royal Harlot an Editor's Choice Title for August, 2007.
“Having previously provided a fictional memoir of Sarah, first Duchess of Marlborough, Scott brings to vivid life another of the 17th 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 mindset, 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, Historical Novel Society Review
“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. A young but far from innocent Barbara marries rich but proper Roger Palmer, whose Royalist politics set them on the path that will make her a famous courtesan and favorite of King Charles II. Lusty, bawdy and cunning, she’s a fine match for the king, whose reign is portrayed as fraught with great expectations that go largely unfulfilled. Both Charles and his court are pleasingly debauched, and Charles, though well-intentioned, proves himself to be “a very poor king as kings went.” … 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 recreation 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.”
– CurledUp.com
The King's Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II
Acclaimed historical author Susan Holloway Scott returns to the court of King Charles II with all its intrigue and passion, to tell the unforgettable story of Nell Gwyn –– the pretty, witty beauty who rose from the slums the poverty of Covent Garden to become the King’s last love and London’s darling…
London, 1660.
Nell Gwyn was never a lady, nor did she pretend to be one. The illegitimate daughter of a royalist soldier, she is taken to London by her widowed mother to work in a bawdy-house. At fourteen, she becomes the mistress of a wealthy merchant who introduces her to the world of the theater. Blessed with impudent wit and saucy beauty, she swiftly rises from an orange-seller to a leading lady. She is still in her teens when she catches the eye of King Charles II, and trades the stage for Whitehall Palace and the glorious role of a royal mistress.
Yet even as she delights the king, she must learn to negotiate the cut-throat royal court, where ambition and lust for power drive everyone rule the hearts of all around her. For beneath her charm and light-heartedness, Nell has her own ambition: to become no less than the king’s favorite.
What othes are saying about The King’s Favorite
BOOKreviews has named The King’s Favorite a Top Pick for July, 2008.
“As she did in her previous biographical novel, Royal Harlot, Scott infuses history into a lively, readable biographical novel. Nell Gwyn's memoir is a naughty, bawdy depiction of the era through the eyes of the orange girl who became Charles II's favorite. Scott has found a heroine who lights up the pages with her sparkling wit, natural grit and sensuality. Her innocent charm turns the tale into a highly appealing read.” ––
– BOOKreviews
“Damn, this woman can write! i simply fell in love with Nell Gwyn from page one. . . . This is a wild joy ride through Restoration England, with Nell firmly gripping the reins. Susan Scott Holloway is so intuitive with period language and so involved in the psyches of her characters, that you are at all times there with them.”
– Robin Maxwell, author of Mademoiselle Boleyn
“Witty and fascinating, this fast-paced tale brilliantly conjures the bawdy, glorious court of Charles II as well as the gritty reality of 17th-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
The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth & King Charles II
Sent to the English court as a spy for the French, Louise de Kerouaille hides her ambition behind her youthful beauty. Yet when Louise becomes the mistress of King Charles II, she must rely on her cunning and resolve to defy France’s enemies, not only to survive in this decadent world, but to prosper.
The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth & King Charles II, will be released by New American Library in July, 2008.