The Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie

In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour.

Over the following decade, the four sisters-sweet, nai ve Louise ambitious Pauline complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne-will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power. The King's scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed as various factions put their best foot-and women-forward. Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.

Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters-Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne-four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Goodness, but sisters are a thing to fear. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, France's most 'well-beloved' monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed. 'A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King.

The Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie