ISBN: 9781250037220
Pages: 336 pages
How We Read It: ARC ebook
Genre: historical fiction,
European literature 17th century, romance
Our Rating: three cups
Synopsis:
Impoverished and exiled to the French countryside after the
overthrow of the English Crown, Frances Stuart survives merely by her
blood-relation to the Stuart Royals. But in 1660, the Restoration of the Stuart
Monarchy in England returns her family to favor. Frances discards threadbare gowns
and moves to gilded Fontainebleau Palace, where she soon catches the Sun
King’s eye. But Frances is no ordinary court beauty—she has Stuart secrets to
keep and her family to protect. King Louis XIV turns vengeful when
she rejects his offer to become his Official Mistress. He banishes her to
England with orders to seduce King Charles II and secure an alliance.
Armed in pearls and silks, Frances maneuvers the political turbulence of Whitehall Palace, but still can’t afford to stir a scandal. Her tactic to inspire King Charles to greatness captivates him. He believes her love can make him a better man, and even chooses Frances to pose as Britannia for England’s coins. Frances survives the Great Fire, the Great Plague, and the debauchery of the Restoration Court, yet loses her heart to the very king she must control. The discovery of a dangerous plot will force her to choose between love for herself and war for her beloved country.
In the tradition of Phillipa Gregory, debut author Marci Jefferson brings to life a captivating woman whose beauty, compassion, and intellect impacted a king and a nation.
Armed in pearls and silks, Frances maneuvers the political turbulence of Whitehall Palace, but still can’t afford to stir a scandal. Her tactic to inspire King Charles to greatness captivates him. He believes her love can make him a better man, and even chooses Frances to pose as Britannia for England’s coins. Frances survives the Great Fire, the Great Plague, and the debauchery of the Restoration Court, yet loses her heart to the very king she must control. The discovery of a dangerous plot will force her to choose between love for herself and war for her beloved country.
In the tradition of Phillipa Gregory, debut author Marci Jefferson brings to life a captivating woman whose beauty, compassion, and intellect impacted a king and a nation.
Our thoughts:
“King Charles had shown me an ancient coin:
“See this woman here. This is the figure the ancient Romans
chose to represent this land when they conquered it more than a thousand years
ago. They called her Britannia. I plan to issue new farthings….my profile shall
be on one side, and you, as a triumphant Britannia, will….(be) on the reverse”.
Thus is the infamy of Frances
Stuart and her role in the English court during the Restoration period. She led
an interesting life in two powerful countries, if half of what is written in
this novel were to be true. Overall we found this story enjoyable and
interesting to learn about a historical figure that was new to us. We just wish we could have learned more, seeing that we are not that familiar with Charles II
and Restoration England. A definite highlight is that
Jefferson provides an ‘Author’s Note’ at the conclusion explaining the
historical facts and myths taken in the novel and some of her motives in how
she portrayed the people and events.
There were a few token parts on
religious conflict and war, some sumptuous illustrative descriptions of court
and the clothes worn of the period, but overall, the authenticity was lacking
as the focus is on what we would call soap opera. Sadly at times we found this
tale to be likened to a high school drama, it read like a regency romance: who
they like and who they don’t, proposals, squeals (good and bad), rejections and
cat fights over who was sleeping with whom. This certainly makes the novel more
romantic fiction than historical fiction.
Also, as necessary as it is to
move the historical storytelling along, it did at times however, have major
skips in time that made some made events feel superficial and an ending that
was somewhat abrupt. Perhaps the book needed to be longer to provide both
characters (this would have gone a long way to help explain emotional feelings
and decision making) and events (the Great Fire of London was lucky to be
detailed in a couple of pages) with more depth.
We don't want to sound too
negative because we didn't actually dislike Girl on the Golden Coin – it was a
quick read that kept us entertained and helped provide us with a brief introduction
to Charles II reign. If you enjoy historical romance and either like this
particular period or are looking for something slightly different, in the light
historical fiction genre, you may well enjoy this. It's glamorous, sexy, and a quick
read.
This review is
based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an
honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.