I greatly enjoyed this novel! Being a lover of the Tudor Era, I have to admit that I am not as familiar with the court of King Charles II. After a bit of study and reading up on his life and reign, I felt ready to dive into THE KING'S FAVORITE, and the author does not disappoint! He does justice to the king himself, as well as to the women he kept. But John Vance goes even beyond that, plunging his readers into the very life of England in the mid 1600's. Beautifully done and highly recommended.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Black Rose Writing and the author, John Vance, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The King's Favourite in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided a good read. The characters are well defined and the scenery descriptive. Very entertaining. Would definitely read more from this author.

Sorry but I just couldn’t get into this book and didn’t finish it. I found it slow paced and I didn’t like any of the characters, some of whom were quite crude. I also was at a loss at who or how the mystery would be solved, I completely lost the plot and life’s too short to read a book I’m not understanding or enjoying. I must admit that I haven’t read any books in this time period before and I’m not sure if I will again in future

I love this period of history and find Charles II and his mistresses fascinating. This is so easy to read and immerse yourself in that I raced through it and felt a little bereft when I'd finished. The intrigue has many twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end. I will be on the lookout for further titles by this author.

Great historical fiction! started a bit slow but came together to make an amazing book with some twists that were totally unexpected!

I wanted to love this book. It's set in my favourite period, the Restoration. But I finished it out of a sense of duty.

It began confusingly. The cover, a picture of Nell Gwynn, and the title made me expect it would be about... well, Nell. But no, the heroine is an invented court beauty. Though that wouldn't have mattered if she'd been one that I could like, or even sympathise with. Perhaps it was the fact that this book needed - badly - some serious editing that put me off, but it never convinced me that the author really knew the period more than skin-deep.

This novel may be perfectly fine for someone who's less of a history geek, it romps along and there are some amusing scenes. It just didn't work for me.

*Many thanks to John Vance, Black Rose Writing and Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
The King's Favorite is an interesting HF novel that concentrates on the plot to assasinate Charles II and in the background reaaders learn about the court intrigues and the world of the theatre in the 17th century. I found the latter truly interesting and enjoyable. The Author presents us with vivid descriptions of the theatre interior, the atmosphere, the behavious of the audiences and actors of those times. The novel reads well and I woud recommend it to anyone interested in the 17th century England.

I love books about King Charles II. He's my favorite Stuart Monarch. Nell Gwynn is my favorite of his ladies, although she was in this book, she was a secondary character. I enjoyed this book very much. It's a good mystery and a well written book. If you've never read about His Majesty, King Charles II and his wonderful long list of ladies who fight for his affections, this is a good book to start with! Highly recommend!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.Thank you so much ,Netgalley!!
All opinions are my own!

I liked reading this book, and I cared about most of the characters. and what would happen to them?
It was an interesting view of this historical period I will be looking for more by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it is not from the time period I generally read about. I was really intrigued by all of the Mistresses so much so that after finishing the book I had to Google all of them just to see how much was fact and how much was fiction. The Mistresses were my favorite characters and the author made me feel like I knew each one. I actually learned a great deal reading this book. Although some sections were very slow it was very hard to put the book down. There are minor typos throughout the book but I'm sure those will be corrected prior to publication. This book has absolutely inspired me to read others surrounding Charles II.

I really enjoyed the historical parts of this book but did find the mystery a little contrived i would have liked a longer ending it felt a little abrupt to me

Who will be the King's favorite mistress? It's a very sought out postion, but is it worth killing for? When one of the King's mistresses is found dead in his bed, there is a search to find out who killed her. Does it have something to do with a plot to overthrow the king? Full of intrigue, jealousy and suspicion. I mostly enjoyed this book. It did have a tendency to drag in certain parts. The constant talk of who is the king's favorite was too much. Explicit language. I received this book from Net Galley and Black Rose Writing for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Not all books are meant for all readers. Many months at the library book club my husband and I are the "thumb up, thumb down" opposites.

Deciding to not to finish a read a book is very personal. Although I chose not to finish these books, I hope to do justice to their merits as well as their flaws.

Having read Samuel Pepy's diary twice--abridged and in full--I was curious about John Vance's first novel set in the court of Charles II. His father Charles I was murdered under Oliver Cromwell during the militant Puritan revolution. The new government hoped to create a holy society on earth but instead instituted a religious dictatorship. In 1660, the Brits were ready to reinstate the monarchy and brought Charles II home to rule.

People were no longer forced to follow the Puritan lifestyle. With the end of the Blue Laws, the playhouses were reopened. For the first time, women acted on the stage. Fancy clothes could be worn again. Adultery and blasphemy were no longer against the law. The pendulum swung, and it swung hard. And Charles epitomized his time with his profligate lifestyle--fancy clothes, many mistresses, love of the theater, and as Pepys often complained, neglect of business.

As a scholar of this time period, John Vance shows his deep familiarity in The King's Favorite, a historical mystery involving Charles II's many mistresses, the newest found dead in the king's bed. Regicide is afoot. Getting a close look is an American in London for the first time.

The Restoration, what a time it was! And Vance brings in all the sexy scenes, the dirty dialogue, the raucous activity in the theaters, streets, and court. We meet Lady Castlemaine, the king's longtime mistress, as well as his other favorites vying for his attention.

The novel is slow going plot-wise because there is so much Vance wants us to know. All these people and history and relationships he figures (rightly) that readers won't know. But he falls into the trap many writers fall into of too much telling. Many readers enjoy these kinds of details. Others find it a dull slog. I was somewhere in the middle. Until I wasn't.

155 pages in I decided to not finish the novel. The mystery just was not grabbing my attention.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Honestly I wanted to love this but didn’t. I found the language coarse, plot weak and the characters unlikeable. I ended up skim reading the second half.
There are some good points, the descriptions of the clothing and buildings is lovely and evocative but I just couldn’t get into this.
Not one for me I’m afraid.