Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/queenofbedlamtour
Tour Hashtag: #QueenofBedlamTourPublication Date: June 10, 2014
Myrmidon Books Ltd
Paperback; 432p
ISBN-10: 1910183016
Blurb:
London, 1788. The calm order of Queen Charlotte’s court is shattered by screams. Her beloved husband, England’s King, has gone mad.
Left alone with thirteen children and a country at war, Charlotte must fight to hold her husband’s throne in a time of revolutionary fever. But it is not just the guillotine that Charlotte fears: it is the King himself.
Her six daughters are desperate to escape their palace asylum. Their only chance lies in a good marriage, but no Prince wants the daughter of a madman. They are forced to take love wherever they can find it – with devastating consequences.
The moving true story of George III’s madness and the women whose lives it destroyed.
My Review:
“Queen of Bedlam” by Laura Purcell was a very interesting
and entertaining read. You can tell that a lot of research went into this
novel. The research along with her great writing style definitely helped to
make this novel one that was hard to put down.
The characters were excellent, and extremely well written.
You could really feel Charlotte’s anguish over the slow loss of her husband to
madness. You could also feel Royal’s pain and fear at the thought of never
being loved or finding a husband to love. Sophia is also depressed and fearful
at never finding love, and she begins to look for it in the wrong places,
because she fears that she will never find love because of her sickness. It’s a
very intimate look at a royal family that people on the outside would probably
assume were perfect. On the outside all you see if a wealthy royal family, you
don’t see the turmoil and sadness that permeates their lives.
Charlotte at times was frustrating to me. She seems a little
selfish. I mean, her husband is going mad, and she’s more upset that he is
showing affection to Lady Pembroke instead of her—like he knows what he’s
doing! I guess everyone deals with things differently. Royal is definitely my favorite
character. She has a strength that the others seem to lack, I really cared for
her as a character.
Overall this was a great novel. Purcell did a great job at
describing King George’s descent into madness—you are really able to picture it
happening. The book was a great read, and it gave you an up close look into one
of England’s great royal families.
I give this novel a FOUR out of FIVE stars.
Buy the Book
About the Author
Laura Purcell lives in Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England. She met her husband working in Waterstones bookshop and they share their home with several pet guinea pigs.
Laura is a member of the Historical Novel Society, The Society for Court Studies and Historic Royal Palaces. She has recently appeared on the PBS documentary The Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace, talking about Queen Caroline’s life at Hampton Court.
Laura’s novels explore the lives of royal women during the Georgian era, who have largely been ignored by modern history. Her debut Queen Charlotte was originally self-published as God Save the King, receiving excellent reviews as an Amazon bestseller in biographical fiction.
You can find out more about Laura and read her history blog at www.laurapurcell.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitterand Goodreads.
Follow the QUEEN OF BEDLAM Blog Tour: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/queenofbedlamtour
Stopping by from the Book Review Diva hop – thanks for such a great review – I’ll have to check out this book!
ReplyDeleteHi, Mel! Interesting book. I wouldn't want to be in that woman's shoes. I'm now following you on Google Friend Connect and Bloglovin from the Book Review Diva's blog hop. Tina from Amanda's Books and More
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