The Perfect Royal Mistress

I read THE RUBY RING when it came out and wasn't that impressed with the depth of the characters or even the plot of Hager's first novel. However, I thought I'd give her books another try and I'm really glad I did. The Perfect Royal Mistress is a huge step above her previous work, and the story of King Charles II and his mistress Nell reads like some of the best historical fiction around. The pair of them drive this tale of jealousy, love and politics, and anyone who's a fan of English history will enjoy this romp through Charles's life, complete with affairs, mistresses, and illegitimate children!

I had heard of Nell Gwynne in reading history, but I knew little about her except that she was an actress who became a King's mistress. This book really brought her to life. I couldn't put it down. The author Diane Haegar really brought Nell and the other people who surrounded her to life. I love historical novels, historical romances and anything that is historical. I shall continue to read other books by Diane Haegar, and I recommand this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels as much as I do.

This book brought front and center the traggic existance of a woman loving a king. This woman showed spirit and a true appreciation for her position. This novel very closely followed historical notes on the romance between Nell Gwynne and the king of England. It was a pleasure to read, written by a great author.

This was my first Diane Haeger novel and I must say I can't wait to read more from her. I thought it was wonderfully written and an intriguing look into a woman's life in England in a time where nothing was certain.

Nell Gwynne grew up in impoverished fire and plague racked London. She supported herself selling oranges outside the King's Theater. There she gains a reputation for her intelligent tongue that uses double entendres that catch the extra attention of her male customers. Soon her lewd wit leads Nell onto the stage itself where her humorous bawdy asides and physical charm catches the attention of womanizing King Charles II, who has left a horde of illegit offspring wherever he visits. King Charles II not so shockingly makes her his mistress as many other men coveted doing, but the stunner is he also makes her his most trusted advisor. Even when French King Louis XIV sends a beautiful noble to court Charles, he may use the visitor's obvious allure, but it is Nell he turns to in crisis. This is a fabulous Restoration historical due to THE PERFECT ROYAL MISTRESS as Diane Haeger catches the era by capturing the essence of Nell Gwynne especially after her performance in a 1668 John Dryden play. The story line focuses on the heroine especially her relationship with Charles. Though the plot implies that if she was a blueblood she would have been Queen of England not just in the royal boudoir; that concept is based on her personality remaining as bawdy as it was when she sold oranges. Still readers will appreciate a deep look at late seventeenth century London through the eyes of a woman who went from barely surviving the 1666 inferno that destroyed much of London to becoming in just a couple of years the most influential woman make that person at the court of King Charles II. Harriet Klausner