This book — one of those stories that sates my thoughts and transports me to the past, when a young Corsican was breaking hearts and climbing the ranks of the French army, soon to be Emperor of France.

The narrator is Désirée Clary, one-time fiancée of Bonaparte. Désirée begins her story as a young girl of privilege, daughter of a wealthy silk merchant, to Queen consort of Sweden and Norway. Because Clary despised life at court, she is not an up-front-in-your-face figure in history. Make no mistake, Clary was a prominent member of royal circles. There's no doubt she was witness to historical moments such as the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte and his Empress Josephine. Clary's life would have intersected with the Bonaparte's often, leaving her privy to all the juicy gossip of palace life. Allison Pataki uses her well researched knowledge to create a relationship between two women who loved Napoleon but ultimately lost him to war and the unquenchable thirst for control. Of course, there's so much more to this story than the relationship between Désirée and Josephine. Pataki explores all aspects of Clary's long life. From her devotion to her sister Julie (married to Napoleon's brother, Joseph), her marriage to the French general Jean Bernadotte (later crowned Charles XIV John, King of Sweden and Norway), her role as messenger/influencer between Bernadotte and Bonaparte, and as a loving mother to her only child, (the future Oscar I of Sweden). Pataki focuses on a woman who appears to have enjoyed life behind the scenes, content to let others shine. However, it is her bloodline that outshines even an Emperor. Napoleon Bonaparte may be a great figure in history, known by most, but it is Clary's House of Bernadotte that still rules today.

I loved this book. I loved this book. I loved this book! So much history. Such fascinating subjects.


"The World is made for the bold impious man; Who stops at nothing, seizes all he can." — John Dryden's Aurengzebe (1676)




*ARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. Comments are my own.

I found this book slow to get into at first, unlike Pataki's book Sisi. It was a very slow pull, and I do wish she covered a bit more of the Revolution and mentioned Desiree's brother and mother briefly after Desiree's move to Paris, if only to mention that they were not close, or their deaths. It felt like a loose end that got lost in the story.

I’m a history buff but knew very little about Napoléon Bonaparte. Ms Pataki brought his story to life.I was almost scared of the man,that’s how real her story felt.
This book focuses on Désirée Clary.She was his first love who he dumped for Joséphine. She married his friend and Marshall Jean Baptiste Bernadotte and later became Queen of Sweden.
This book is so rich in history with true to life characters that you actually picture yourself right in the midst of them.Perfect for history buffs.
Thankyou Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC

The Queen’s Fortune by Allison Pataki is an amazing, epic, and thrilling historical fiction piece that tells the story of the very interesting woman, Desiree Clary Bernadotte.

I have to admit upfront that whe I know qyuite a bit of Russian and English history, I know less about French history. Ms Pataki is very talented in that she was able to weave together an amazing story of a woman that was involved with so many important moments in history, yet was under the radar for a majority of them. I absorbed every hard-fought and well-researched tidbit, devouring each page with fascination. This novel is clearly well-researched and written with a respect that should make any family proud.

I loved Desiree and because of Ms Pataki, I am searching for more on this fascinating woman of history, as well as addition information on the history of the rich nations of France and Sweden.

This novel is a triumph and I loved every breathtaking moment of it. A true gem. Ms Pataki has a great gift.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this amazing ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you again!

I've always enjoyed both learning about and reading about the French Revolution time period. As a result, Desiree Clary is not an unknown to me. This is the second book I've read about her, and I'll admit that I didn't think it could live up the Annemarie Selinko's Desiree book at first but it really did end up being just as good of a read. The characterizations were excellent as were the historical aspects. The writing style flowed nicely. Desiree was strong willed and an excellent character to center a story around given what a unique life she had. Definitely a must read for historical fiction fans!

Set during a rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Desiree Clary was the first fiancé of Napoleon and later became the Queen of Sweden.
Overshadowed by history, this book sheds a light on her life.

Marseille, France, 1794: During the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, when in need, Desiree meets Joseph Bonaparte. He is interested in pursuing her, but when she meets his younger brother Napoleon, she is intrigued with the rough-mannered but well-read and brisk Napoleon rather than the handsome and funny Joseph.

Credited with averting a civil war, Napoleon is appointed Commander of the Army of the Interior. As he rises through the leadership of the army in Paris, his letters to Desiree dwindle with each day.

From a Parisian journal, she learns about Napoleon courting Josephine de Beauharnais.

And if that wasn’t insulting enough, Napoleon corners Desiree to marry a much older man. Duphot proposal is simply jaw-dropping. “Was the man proposing marriage or discussing the pragmatic exchange of market goods?” Stunning and yet so real of the time-period.

But it is Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte that captures her heart.

While Napoleon leads his troops in Egypt, the situation at home goes from bad to worse. People continue to be hungry and unhappy. It seems as not much has changed since the time of the last king and queen. There is a talk of overthrow. The government is teetering on collapse. “All of Paris is on edge with rumors of riots.”

And Napoleon comes through again as a man who knows when and how to capture the moment for his advancement. He captures, yet again, the crumbling power.

Paris, 1810: It comes as a surprise to Desiree and her husband to be offered a Swedish crown. But it makes sense for Swedes to align themselves with Napoleon against such power as Russia.

The story very well captures the violent times and uncertain days of the time period and gives a good outline of the rise and fall of Napoleon. And the hypocrisy of going back to the tradition of coronation and to the ancient tradition of great men being called the Marshals of France, bestowing names of royalty, which was supposed to be gone.

The historical background is like a rich cake with devouring layers. You bite into it slowly to savor its richness. Josephine had too much sugar, so she hides her brown teeth behind the sealed smiling lips. Her feet dressed in sandals instead of being fully covered is simply shocking. In setting new fashion, Josephine is not to wear muslin anymore as it’s made in India, which is a British colony. She is to wear silk and satin made only in France. Hmm, sounds as history likes to repeat itself. Even countess Marie Walewska makes a short appearance. The teeny-tiny details are marvelous.

As well as engrossing presentation of feelings between Napoleon and Josephine, and how different Desiree’s feelings were. The drama of Napoleon’s family, mother and sisters, not accepting his wife. And later the erratic outbursts of Napoleon toward his wife. It’s all so real.

Fully developed characters are intriguing: some very well-mannered and some simply don’t care how they come across. Some fear bad times, but they know how to cherries the good times and others simply complain and argue about everything and everywhere. Some are vigorously ambitious and some think the life should hand them entitlements on a silver plate.

In summary, masterfully written and richly imagined, the story captures the rich history of the France’s turbulent times, textured with fascinating characters, who captivate with their raw feelings.

The stunning and impeccable prose is a hook from the first lines of the first page. “When the snow falls at midnight, blanketing the empty cobbled streets, sugaring the gothic bell tower of the Storkyrkan church, it becomes easy to imagine. For me, a girl from the south, where the breeze carried with it the warm seaside brine and the faint scent of the hillside lemon groves, the sudden appearance of these white flecks never fails to dazzle and disorient.”

Historical fiction at its best.A period in history a relatively unknown character comes alive.I was drawn back in time to lives of historical figures I knew little about totally absorbing fascinating read.#netgalley#randomhouse

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel about the little-known character, Desiree Clary. While she eventually becomes a queen, she isn’t Napoleon’s queen. I loved how Pataki portrayed the diminutive general, as I can imagine he was a “handful.” Desiree stands out as a level-headed and smart character, while the famous Josephine suffers from her husband’s abusive nature.

I recommend reading this one for sure!

A most enjoyable read. Alison Pataki has taken a minor historical figure who is little known to most people, let us into her world and made us realize her great importance. She has made history come alive and made us care about and understand people who were just names in a history book. This is a wonderful book - both thoroughly researched and well written. I highly recommend it.

"The Queen's Fortune" by Allison Pataki is a little slow to start, but once you get into it a bit it is impossible to put down. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon as well as his legacy. We meet Desiree who is at first Napolean's lover and later his sister in law. This book is one that will keep you wondering whst is going to happen next in this tumultuous time in France. I would recommend it to all fans of historical fiction, especially french historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.