Unfortunately I never managed to finish this novel. A fictional life of Madame Talleyrand that simply read like a Wikipedia biographical sketch. It is too bad because it was a worthy subject.

I'm really sorry...

Many thanks to Matador and Netgalley for this ARC

When Catherine, born to a French family in India, wed an Englishman from down the river, she thought she would settle down and have lots of children. But instead her life becomes a whirl of travel, scandal, spies, and romance that eventually leads her to the highest echelons of Napoleonic society.

Poor student of history that I am, I do know who Talleyrand is. But I had never even considered the existence of a Mme de Talleyrand, and so was quite delighted to learn all about her in this slim biography. I enjoyed the writing style especially – this book is narrative nonfiction, which made me feel closer to the people in the book and made everything seem more immediate. The fun thing about this book is just how eventful Catherine’s life was, with the things she did and the people she met, so you get plunged into this vivid world alongside her and go through the highs and lows of her life.

(Speaking of which, Catherine leads the life of the heroine of a vintage ‘bonkbuster’ in many ways – and I love bonkbusters. As I zipped along through the book, I found myself wishing repeatedly that someone would pick her up as the subject of their historical novel and write a nice long dramatic book about her! I could definitely see this book serving as a source and inspiration in such a case. Who must I mail this book to to make this happen??)

I did wish the author continued the book to Catherine’s death instead of ending it on a high point. I looked her up afterward and I know her story goes on beyond the stopping point here in still interesting ways! I also sometimes found the politics discussed in here confusing; it would have been nice to get more background information in places.

Overall, a fascinating read about a little-known figure whose story weaves in and out with that of other prominent people of the time.

The author presents information in a way which will appeal to social history fans, with plenty of information about personalities and daily life as well as information on key dates and historical players. I am always pleased to see author’s reviews-exploring areas of history to give voice to previously hidden contributors (so often women or people who were disempowered) - this is done very well.

Catherine is finally about to marry Charles Talleyrand, the French Foreign Minister under Napoleon. She has finally made it, but it has been a long battle for the poor girl from India.

At the start of this biography, Catherine, only 17, has been betrayed by her husband, but a beautiful opportunist, she is a survivor. She soon gets involved with a married man, but betrayed again, she makes her waay to England. Catherine eventually starts to mix in 'high' circles, but she has to fight to be respected, even spending some time in a French prison. Will Napoleon and the Pope give the former Bishop, Talleyrand permission to marry this ex-British spy?

This was hugely enjoyable if you like history, but a strange mixture of a novel and a biography, which is full of speculation. I would rather read a biography, but there isn't enough information about Catherine, unfortunately.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was definitely not to my liking. The writing was superficial, too much telling absolutely no showing. The characters are bare bones and lifeless, you never get a glimpse inside their heads to know what's going on there. It felt like it should have been non-fiction, not fiction.

This is a biography of Madame Talleyrand, someone who has not been given enough attention in history. As a poor teenage girl from a French settlement in India, she was betrayed by her husband and separated from her family by war. Catherine becomes attached to a young Englishman and escapes to Paris to become part of Louis XVI's society. She builds her social connections and is ignorant of the growing French Revolution. When it finally comes to a head, she flees to England and is introduced to British Secret Service. Her live becomes entangled with Napoleon and she must fight for the love of her life and the life she desires. This book was insightful about a historical figure I had no prior knowledge of, and I found her story incredibly compelling.