Thanks to #ballantinebooks and #netgalley for the opportunity to read #thequeensfortune
The author tells the story of Desiree Clary, who was Napoleon's first love. I never read anything about her, and this was a fascinating tale about her life. Her sister marries Napoleon's brother, and so she remains close to Napoleon as he rises in power. She witnesses his marriage to Josephine and actually becomes a friend to her. Desiree marries Bernadotte, and has a son. He becomes an adversary to Napoleon when he sees Napoleon seize power over the republic. When Napoleon offers Bernadotte the king of Sweden, this appointment changes the course of Desiree's life. The current royalty in Sweden are direct descendants of Desiree and Bernadotte. An interesting book, recommend.

This book was a pure treat. I was not familiar with Desiree Clary, the famed lover of Napoleon Bonaparte before Josephine, and I could not put this book down once I started it. Even though the romance of Napoleon and Josephine is well-documented, I didn't know a lot of the details about their turbulent romance, their extended families, or the period following the French Revolution.

The book begins in Desiree's teen years, when she and her sister Julie met Napoleon Bonaparte and his brother Joseph. The sisters fall in love with the brothers and become engaged. But while Napoleon is off fighting one of his many battles, he casts Desiree aside in favor of the sensuous--and manipulative--Josephine. Even though Josephine has destroyed Desiree's chances with Napoleon, they later become reluctant friends (frenemies?). Once Desiree's sister marries Napoleon's brother Joseph, their' lives are all entwined and impossible to separate without severing family ties. As Napoleon rises in power, he tries to control Desiree's love life, much like he tries to control the French government. His first attempt at matchmaking is a failure, but then he introduces Desiree to one his generals--and her future husband.

This book had all the grandiosity and romanticism of France at the height of its power. I've already lined up more books about this period, and I can't wait to dig into them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

"It was a rotten time to be alive in France, a time of fear so thick you could smell it in the streets, you could see it in the faces of those who passed . . ."

Very interesting story of someone you've probably never heard of before - I know I hadn't. Desiree Clary as a young girl during the French revolution met Napoleon and his brother. In fact they saved her brother. The Clarys were a wealthy family at a time when that was a death sentence in France. The Bonapart family was not wealthy, but Napoleon felt called to greatness even at that early age. Desiree is a meek, beautiful girl whose life becomes entangled with Napoleon and his whole family as he rises to power and after. Her life is woven along with theirs and she holds great importance, then and now, through her dependents, yet her name is not a well known one. The history you remember comes to life - the author tells the story in amazing detail and the story is highly interesting right to the end. Not a quick read; one to savor. A strong woman who had to learn how to be strong. Strength and character need to be built sometimes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheQueensFortune #NetGalley

Allison Pataki’s recent release The Queen’s Fortune is a historical fiction focusing on the actions of Napoleon Bonaparte and how the role a young woman played in his life and history. The author helps her readers see unfolding events through the eyes of Désirée Clary.

Pataki follows the life of Désirée, a young girl, daughter of a wealthy silk merchant who becomes engaged after being courted by Bonaparte. The author shares the details of why the engagement failed and how it changes her life. Readers see the action through Désirée’s eyes as she avoids the life of the royal court Clary is a behind the scenes participant in the history while maintaining a prominent membership in royal circles.
The storyline delivers a view of historical moments such as the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte and his Empress Josephine. Clary develops a close relationship with Josephine exposing her to the twists and turns of life in the palace. Pataki, via her research, creates the story of the relationship between Désirée and Josephine, the two women who loved Napoleon but lost him to his focus on war and power. The author weaves details of Clary’s long life touching on her relationships with her sister Julie who is married to Napoleon’s brother Joseph, and her marriage to the French general Jean Bernadotte. Pataki follows the marriage where later Jean Bernadotte is crowned Charles XIV Carl Johan, King of Sweden and Norway.

Clary’s role as the bridge between Bernadotte and Bonaparte and as the doting mother to her only child, the future Oscar I of Sweden. The author creates a fast-moving storyline that illustrates a woman who enjoys life behind the scenes, satisfied to let others stand out. Pataki shows how Désirée Clary Bernadotte’s bloodline shines above the lives of King Charles XIV John and Emperor Bonaparte. While Napoleon Bonaparte may be the great figure in history, known by many, we see Clary’s House of Bernadotte still rules today in Sweden.

Allison Pataki’s The Queen’s Fortune is a must-read and earns a five-star rating.

The Queen's Fortune is a captivating historical fiction. A story about an extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon's heart. Full of intriguing characters that are vivid and well-written making them feel more like a friend than a character in a book. The Queen's Fortune is a lovely read that I did not want to end.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great Book! I enjoyed the story. I love any type of Royal Trope fiction, so this was right up my alley. It was very well written and was just a good read.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

WOW. I really enjoyed this book. This is historical fiction. It is a story of Desiree and Napoleon. Right from the start you are rooting for Desiree. It felt like it all could have been real.
Desiree was Napoleons first fiancée. This book takes you through here entire life what she had to endure but also the love that she was able to find. It is so interesting to see the character growth of her and her sister though all the tough times they and the rest of her family had to go through. I will say there are a few scenes in the book that some may not appreciate. However all in all this was beautifully written. I loved that this book let me get lost in the beauty and hardship for France during the 1800’s.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I was totally engrossed in this book. I did not know much about these characters prior to reading this. The historical details are rich and atmospheric.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Ballantine and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I love historical fiction; in fact, it is my go-to genre when I can’t decide what to read. So, I was really looking forward to this book which was described as “A sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty, and changed the course of history.”

The writing is good and well-paced. Also, clearly the author has done her research.

However, in actuality, this book was a bit of a struggle for me to get through, and the reason is that I didn’t actually like, or want to root for, any of the characters with the exception of Josephine, and she was not in it enough. This concept of finding someone who played a role in the political life of France and then Sweden and us not knowing about her is fascinating and well worth exploring. I just felt the characters lacked the depth and definition to get the reader on their side. A lot happened, but the people did not change all that much despite all of the turmoil of France in the 1800s.

If you love French history and you are looking for an overview of this behind-the-scenes story, I think this book will work for you, but if you are looking for characters to cheer on as they traverse the tough political landscape of Europe in the 19th century, I would look elsewhere.

As a huge fan of historical fiction, and Ms. Pataki's memoir "Beauty in Broken Pieces," I was pretty sure that I would enjoy her latest book, "The Queen's Fortune." [[I shouldn't have let myself read some other reviews and worry about the quality of writing, research and storytelling]]

Pataki's retelling of the story of Desiree Clary, one-time love of Napoleon Bonaparte, as a young Corsican man that she knew earlier in life by his given Italian name, Napoleone Buonoparte, is a lovely and winding road beginning in the midst of the French Revolution in the late 1700s through the mid-1850s. I loved feeling transported to the time and place, getting a feel for life in France (and Europe at large), as well as learning more about the French dynasty, fortunes, falls, affairs and journeys of the people orbiting around Napoleon Bonaparte and his legendary appetite for more (in everything related to conquests from women to war). Admittedly, I do not have much background on this timeframe in history, so I take Pataki's story at face value. But any factual issues aside, I felt that Pataki's writing, storytelling, pace and the characters were well-done and thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, I cannot think of any glaring issues that irked me during my read of this book. Rather, inapposite - I felt propelled through the text and curious as to what would come of the characters.

I suppose my only minor gripe is that after Desiree permanently moves back to Stockholm to support her husband as the crowned King of Sweden, the readers never really get to see how the Clary sisters relationship evolved in the later years of their lives. During the earlier parts of the novel, we saw how incredibly close the sisters are, so it's disappointing to read in the final chapters, merely, that Julie and Joseph "died many years ago" with absolutely no literary real estate dedicated to the circumstances surrounding the Clary sisters' relationship in those final years or what circumstances surrounded their deaths. Additionally, early in the book, the Clary sister's brother, Nicholas, drops from view entirely. Whatever happened to him after Desiree marries?

On balance, I loved this book and Pataki's telling of Desiree Clary Bernadotte and have added Annemarie Selinko's earlier work on the subject to my TBR list (per the recommendation/comparisons made by several reviewers). But let's be clear, none of those negative reviews align with, or take away from, my experience of "The Queen's Fortune" and for those open to a the story from a new voice, I'd encourage you to cast aside the negative reviews and decide for yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this wonderful book!

This was a fascinating read! I'd never heard of Desiree Clary and her connection to Napoleon. It was very interesting to see an outsider's perspective on him and his rise to power and eventual fall.

While the concept of this story was intriguing, I could not get past the story behind Desiree. I kind of wish it had gotten better so that I could end this on a good note

This was incredible!! Loved every second! I'm a sucker for historical fiction, and I was eager to get started on this Napoleon story! I will say the cover didn't exactly capture me, but the words between the pages did. Bravo! Will recommend!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ⁣⁣⁣
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★★★★ (4.5/5)⁣⁣⁣
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𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦: 𝘈 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘕𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 by Allison Pataki
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Set amidst the French Revolution, Desiree Clary is a young woman who happens upon the Bonaparte family, leading to a short engagement with the infamous Napoleon. This singular event then alters the course of her life as she navigates a broken heart, a new marriage, children, war, travel and royalty. ⁣⁣⁣
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More than just a story of a lady's life, this tells the tumultuous, dramatic journey Desiree embarks on and how much quiet influence she had over the actions and decisions of prominent historical figures. ⁣⁣⁣
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If you are like me, you probably haven't heard of this woman before. The author wrote her story for this exact reason: although omitted from textbooks and history lessons, women played a major role in history and often had much more power in politics then we were taught. ⁣⁣⁣

Women who are lost in history but made a huge impact are women about whom I enjoy reading. Desiree Clary, a wealthy silk merchant’s daughter became engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte, only to lose him to Josephine. Yet, Bonaparte kept her close to his family and Desiree and Josephine became friends. Looking at the rise of Bonaparte through the eyes of two women is an interesting vehicle. We all know how the story ends. Bonaparte met his Waterloo. But I bet you didn’t know his first fiancé became the Queen of Sweden.

This was an interesting historical fiction read and I liked the main character and the way the story was presented but it did drag a bit in parts but was overall a good read and i would recommend it

The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire
By
Allison Pataki

Desiree Clary Bernadette is the main protagonist of this historical fiction novel.
Pataki shows she has done in-depth research about the personal dramas of Napoleon Bonaparte. The novel covers the period following the French Revolution when Napoleon meets Desiree Clary.
Desiree Clary is a wealthy sixteen-year-old and after a short romance; she becomes engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte. However, Napoleon has second thoughts when he meets socialite Josephine de Beauharnais who becomes Napoleon’s wife and the Empress of France. When her sister Julie marries Joseph Bonaparte, Desiree's future is inextricably linked to the ruling class and the Bonaparte’s. When Desiree meets Napoleon’s confidant and General, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte who she eventually marries. Bernadotte and Napoleon become political rivals and Desiree is faced with a dilemma must she choose between the love of her husband and the love of the nation and it’s Emperor?
Desiree had one son Oscar who would become the future King of Sweden
In August 1810, Bernadotte's husband was elected heir to the throne of Sweden and Desiree Queen and now in that position, she was given the official name of Desiderius. Her heart was in Paris and she was loath to leave Paris even when her husband was anointed King of Sweden. In 1823, following her son’s marriage to Josephine de Leuchtenberg, she made the decision to join her husband, taking the official court name of Desideria. Desiree would be in Paris from 1811 and would not return to Sweden until 1823. She became known as “Bernadotte’s little spy” Pataki meticulously researched the main character, Desiree, from a shy ineffectual sixteen-year-old when she met Napoleon to a formidable woman when her husband ascended the throne of Sweden. Allison Pataki never fails to deliver a superb novel with excellent research.

Way back in 2010 I read a fabulous book originally written in 1953 by Annemarie Selinko: Desiree. I absolutely loved this story about Desiree Clary, a merchant's daughter who grew up to first be Napoleon's girlfriend then eventually a major part of his family as his brother married Desiree's sister. This newest novel brings Desiree's story to us once again and while fictionalized for hist-fic's sake, it is a story that is so amazing that it inspires several other famous works as Pataki notes at the end of her novel.

I do not need to go into a listing of the intriguing facts of Desiree's life story as it starts in the novel circa 1794 but definitely must expand on the fact that Pataki's retelling of Desiree's story -- and by default Napoleon's and Josephine's as well - is not to be missed. I never tired of Desiree's story, and I always found myself eager to pick up the book even while I was reading another at the same time. While Pataki's writing is done in a matter of fact style, thankfully avoiding being overly dramatic, she gives an easy to read snapshot of the life of Desiree Clary.

And while I found myself disliking the characters of Napoleon and Josephine throughout this telling, it was tear- jerking when their saga was over and that's only because of the storytelling of Allison Pataki.

But what of fate? Just imagine if Desiree and her sister Julie didn't bump into Joseph Bonaparte when their brother was arrested, would there be such a dynasty that Desiree Clary was a matriarch of? Desiree would not have met Napoleon, who requested Bernadotte to pay special attention to Desiree in the first place. Then Desiree and Bernadotte would not have been married and would not have become King and Queen of Sweden.

Desiree becomes Queen of Sweden (her husband the inspiration for Dumas!) and her descendants are still rulers today, forever linked with Empress Josephine, hence the subtitle of this novel. I really enjoyed this story of revolution, revival, love and revenge among rulers. It even makes me want to read Selinko's novel again just to see if Desiree comes off as willing to go to heaven and hell and back again just because of her love for her beloved Bernadotte.

I’m really on a roll with historical fiction these last few weeks. Most of the ones I read are the Victorian era or WWII - so this was refreshing to explore more about the French Revolution and the rise/fall of Napoleon; and the rise of the Swedish royal family.

Thank you to #netgalley and #ballentinebooks for the advanced copy for my honest review!

Tiny Synopsis: Desiree Clary is betrothed to Napoleon Bonaparte, but when she is left heartbroken after he leaves her for Josephine, she has to pick up the pieces of her heart until he becomes her brother in law. Then she finds herself and her family intertwined in his life during his rise and fall. Her life is told in detailed accounts including how she created a dynasty with her husband and changed history forever.

My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 stars

This story starts way in the beginning of Desiree Clary’s life during the French Revolution and I loved much information Pataki included. It felt like you were reading a history book but also a gossip magazine at the same time. The pace was slow at times - I thought it was never going to end at certain points. However, Desiree’s life is so interesting. She meets so many people… and although in her life might have felt insignificant, she made history. Her offspring made history and she was apart of such historical times. There was so much information - but I felt the pace made this seem so much longer than it was. I loved learning about Desiree and her life - whom I never even heard of and glad to have read it. This book also enlightened me on how far women have come in society - how they were so accepting of their husbands having mistresses and choosing them for marriage - deciding everything in their lives - to Now. We have come such a long way but still quite a ways to go.

A very interesting look at the life of Desiree Clary, Napoleon's first love. I really knew nothing about her or her history as Josephine is always the focus in any telling of Napoleon's loves. I found the research well done and the story full developed. I liked the fact that you get to know more about her family and his. I would recommend this book for any fan of historical fiction and definitely fans of the aftermath of the French revolution.