In honor of Bastille day (which didn’t happen in the Roboticist of Versailles because no French Revolution of 1792, ergo, no fall of the Bastille and no Bastille Day), I’m stealing BookBub’s idea of a list of novels set in France. But my list is more skewed towards France in the 18th & 19th centuries, so no WWII dramas here (not that there’s anything wrong with WWII dramas, I happily read those too). I haven’t read these books yet but they are on my TBR!
First up is Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman because The Scarlet Pimpernel with vampires? Oh yeah. It’s billed as a supernatural swashbuckler that appeals to royalists. <grin> Sounds like fun, non? This is the first in a trilogy.
Next, a gender-bending version of the Three Musketeers, One for All by Lillie Lainoff. A young girl with a chronic illness is sent to a finishing school that actually exists to train young women defend their country. A YA historical fantasy that sounds like a ton of fun. I mean, look at the cover, right? http://www.lillielainoff.com/one-for-all
A female artist in Paris during the Belle Epoque? Check, check, and check. Plus there are duchesses and it’s a historical romance with people of color? And there are LGBTQ folks represented? I’m in.
For all those reasons, An Island Princess Starts A Scandal by Adriana Herrera is definitely high on my TBR. https://adrianaherreraromance.com/an-island-princess-starts-a-scandal/
I’ve always wondered about the story behind those (kinda creepy) wax statues. I didn’t realize that Madame Tussaud got her start during the French Revolution. So this one definitely looks like an interesting read.
http://www.michellemoran.com/books/madame-tussaud-a-novel-of-the-french-revolution/
And finally, some more scandal. The School of Mirrors is a “discreet villa” where potential mistresses for Louis XV were groomed by Madame de Pompadour. I love books about behind-the-scenes of historical events and a bit of scandal is fun too. https://www.evastachniak.com/project/the-school-of-mirrors/
BJ Sikes, author 