I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

Giselle helps Queen Marie Antoinette with her wardrobe each day. She has a soft spot for the Queen but considers herself a revolutionary. For a while, she is a spy for her uncle. Will Giselle meet Madame guillotine or be free to marry Leon?

I really enjoyed this book by Meghan Masterson. The story was well written and full of intrigue and drama. Giselle was such a complex character because she struggled with being sympathetic to the Queen and supporting the revolution. Leon was the perfect match for her. There were a few steamy scenes between the two of them that I skipped over, but overall I liked their love story. The ending was a little abrupt, leaving me to wonder if there would be a second book. This book was first published with the title The Wardrobe Mistress. I would recommend this book to fans of the French Revolution or historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

It was an interesting read and a different outlook on the French Revolution.
Giselle is a great characters, a woman who have to choose between her loyalties.
It's an engrossing and entertaining story. good character development, a well researched and vivid historical background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and I like when the author keeps in line with what actually happened in history and does not add in.

The writing of the novel felt very elementary. I made it through about 20% of the book, and I did not feel the story would advance enough to capture my attention.

This book portrays what a difficult time the French Revolution was and how a woman was torn between change and her queen. It was well written and I learned much from it.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

3.5/5 The Queen's Dressmaker is a story about love and revolution, loyalty and betrayal, and doing what one believes is right. Giselle Aubry is a tirewoman to the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, during a time where discontent and revolution against the monarchy is brewing. As calls for revolution grow louder, Giselle meets Leon, a watchmaker and budding revolutionary himself. As Leon and Giselle falls in love, her loyalty to her love, her queen, and her family are all tested. I thought that the author did a great job in terms of researching and transporting her readers to the streets of Paris during the French Revolution. This was a turbulent and complex time in not just the history of France, but in the world, and this book transported me back in time and place as I watched everything unfold through Giselle's eyes. Giselle is an eminently likeable character and I loved seeing her speak her mind to those around her. Having one foot inside the world of the French court and another in the streets of Paris makes her perspective really interesting and compelling. For the most part, I enjoyed her romance with Leon, although I felt like he could have acted a lot better when he finds a certain thing out and their relationship momentarily fractures. I also wish the ending hadn't been quite as abrupt, but overall this was an enjoyable piece of historical fiction and a story of love tested by war, blood and loyalty.

As I had not read a book about the French Resistance I found this a very interesting and detailed account of what happened during that time.

Giselle the main character in the book works for the Queen as a servant, she is a very intelligent girl who notices what goes on around her. The Queen seems to trust her as there has been talk of people spying on the Queen. Giselle has a nice nature.

There is romance and suspense in this book with you guessing what will happen next. We all know what happens to the King & Queen bit what happens to some of the people who serve them will they have the same fate.

Well done such a wonderful historical account of this time I certainly could not put the book down.

First, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first encounter with this author and title. The cover is beautiful, the summary was intriguing and I was grateful to be given the opportunity to read it. I enjoyed learning a little more of that time of history with Marie Antoinette and life at Versaille and in Paris. Masterson did a good job of incorporating events from the time into this historical fiction. I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and writing. Easy and enjoyable book to read. I'd probably rate it 3.5 stars on goodreads- I enjoyed it, but now cant remember much to point out either good or bad.

I absolutely love to read any book which has anything at all to do with the French Revolution and this sounded intriguing when I saw it on Netgalley. There was a little too much romance for my liking and it felt very YA in places but on the whole I enjoyed this story and it gave me a different perspective on Marie Antoinette.

The main character Giselle works as a dresser/wardrobe assistant to the hated French Queen but feels sympathetic towards her however she also sympathizes with the cause of the revolutionaries not least as the man she has fallen in love with is an ardent believer in revolution. When Marie Antoinette asks for her help what will she do...

This was well written and fast paced and really made you look at both sides of the story and see things from both perspectives and I felt as conflicted as Giselle on which way to turn. However having read extensive biographies of Marie Antoinette I knew hat would happen eventually but still I was on tenterhooks while reading this. Very enjoyable and I would recommend - thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

The Girl from Versailles – Meghan Masterson



I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in order to provide a review.



This book was originally given the title of “The Queen’s Dressmaker” and “The Wardrobe Mistress”, but this title was changed to “The Girl from Versailles”. She has a book due out later this year called “A Bitter Remedy”.

Meghan Masterson is a Canadian author who graduated from the University of Calgary and enjoys reading and archery.



“The Girl from Versailles” focuses on Paris at the time of Marie Antionette, just as the people of France started their revolution.

Giselle is one of the Queen’s undertire – women, though she has dreams of sewing and designing dressed for the noblewomen of Paris and if she is lucky one day the Queen herself.

Yet the turbulent political climate around Paris and her people keeps building and building until it threatens to spill over, and spill over it does. There is a riot in Paris that Giselle finds herself caught up in but she is rescued by a handsome stranger, Leon and they soon begin a courtship.

Before long the palace is stormed at Versailles and the royal family must then flee and seek refuge. They then form a plan to escape but in order for it to work they seek the assistance of young Giselle. Torn between her loyalties to the Queen but also her compassion for the revolution, Giselle reluctantly agrees to help, though it costs her dearly.

Leon, a devout revolutionist, learns of Giselle’s part in the plot and breaks off their engagement. Now Giselle finds herself adrift in a dangerous time, feeling very alone in Paris. Though she must find a way to survive and escape if she can before anyone can suspect the role, she had to play in the royal family’s failed escape plan.



“The Girl from Versailles” is an impressive look into life for a servant at the royal court during the time of Marie Antionette. A tremendous glimpse into life in such a time in Paris from the point of an ordinary person and the struggles that they would have been faced with, how hard and awful it was for them. But it also shed a different light on Marie Antionette, it made me wonder what she was really like. Where are the rumours and things said about her now true or was there more to her?

A sumptuous and seductive historical novel, readers will be completely gripped by Meghan Masterson’s stellar tale of illicit desire and heart-stopping danger, The Queen’s Dressmaker.

It had been Giselle’s most cherished dream to become a dressmaker, but never did she imagine that her ambition and dearest wish would take her all the way to Marie Antoinette’s court. Being chosen to attend to the beautiful yet troubled queen of France seems too good to be true for Giselle, but inside the glittering corridors of the palace, Giselle quickly learns that all that glitters isn’t necessarily gold and that devious enemies can be found anywhere – even when one is this close to the throne. Yet, Giselle cannot afford to waste her time in idle gossip and instead needs to put all of her energies and efforts into ensuring that the queen looks more beautiful than anybody else at court and that not a single hair, feather or ruffle is out of place. Marie Antoinette’s inner life might be in turmoil, but she must show her subjects that she is strong and serene. But the more time Giselle spends with the queen the more she begins to hear troubling whispers about violent protests sweeping throughout the country that will plunge the royal family into devastating danger…

Giselle gets some respite from the machinations at court and the country’s shifting loyalties by visiting her family. However, when she is caught up in a riot, the handsome Leon comes to her aid. Sparks immediately begin to fly between the two of them and an attraction quickly blossoms – even if they have pledged their allegiances to two different sides. While Giselle is loyal to her queen and the royal family, Leon sides with those plotting to oust them from their throne of wealth and privilege. Does their love stand any chance of surviving? Or will the terrifying atmosphere pervading all across the city end up putting paid to any thought of a future together?

On her return to the palace, Giselle finds the entire place in chaos. With the lives of the royals at stake, Marie Antoinette appeals to her dressmaker to help her escape France leaving Giselle to make a heart-wrenching decision: risk the guillotine herself to save the life of her queen or end up betraying the man who has come to mean everything to her…

The Queen’s Dressmaker is everything readers could possibly want from a historical novel and so much more besides. Meghan Masterson knows the period she is writing about backwards and brings all the intrigue, romance, danger and jeopardy of the court to stunning life. Her characters are beautifully sketched and believable and readers will be completely immersed in their engaging and enthralling tale.

Giselle is such a fascinating character. She is strong, clever and intelligent and a heroine readers will care about. Hers is a story of courage, sacrifice, resilience and love and readers will enjoy being with her every single step of her journey. I also loved reading about the other protagonists in this story and Meghan Masterson’s take on Marie-Antoinette is sure to delight history buffs everywhere.

A scintillating historical novel perfect for losing oneself in, Meghan Masterson’s The Queen’s Dressmaker is absolutely superb.

This is a fascinating read, seeing the French Revolution from the eyes of a young woman, caught between her loyalty to the cause and her job as one of the wardrobe servants to the Queen. We see Giselle torn between family and Royalty, and I total empathised with her and the difficult choices in front of her. She came across as a clever woman and a loyal friend.
The historical details were extremely interesting and brought to life the events of the period whilst providing a technicoloured backdrop to the characters and story.

Thanks to the influence of her uncle, Pierre Beaumarchais, a playwright and former agent of the Secret du Roi, Giselle Aubry becomes one of Marie Antoinette's wardrobe mistresses. Giselle has a flare for dress design and, while she enjoys her role looking after the Queen's gorgeous outfits, she dreams of becoming famous like Rose Bertin, the Queen's favourite dressmaker.

When her uncle asks her to spy on the Queen, Giselle thinks he is trying to relive the excitement of the days when he was an agent for King Louis XV and sees no harm in passing on her observations of life at Versailles. Eventually Giselle becomes selective in what she reveals to her uncle, not quite knowing what he does with the information and gossip she imparts.

On a visit to her Parisian home, Giselle becomes involved in a riot, but is whisked away to safety by a handsome apprentice watchmaker and revolutionary, Léon Gauvin, with whom she falls in love. They share an interest in politics and literature, but their opinions of the royal family differ.

As the unrest in Paris grows worse and the lives of the royal family are threatened, Giselle is asked to help them escape. The decision she makes will not only put her and her family in danger, but also severely test her relationship with Léon.

The idea of the main protagonist caught between opposing sides of the French Revolution makes for very interesting reading. Giselle is sympathetic towards Marie Antoinette. She feels the criticism of her is unfair, but also acknowledges that the Queen can be difficult at times.

Giselle also sympathises with the plight of the common people, but does not condone the violence which she witnesses, first at the Réveillon riot where the target is the owner of a wallpaper factory and then when the royal palaces are stormed by a bloodthirsty mob. Through her association with Léon, she meets some of the revolutionary leaders and even joins in the political debates.

In contrast to the violence and ugliness of the revolution, there are brilliant descriptions of the grandeur of the royal palaces and Marie Antoinette's beautiful dresses, so admired and lovingly cared for by Giselle.

The Queen's Dressmaker is an intriguing tale of the French Revolution. My only criticism is that the ending was abrupt. It left me feeling that perhaps Giselle and Léon's story was not quite done and there may be a sequel. Regardless, I enjoyed my first read from this author and I'm sure those interested is this era in history will also find much to like about this novel.

The Queen's Dressmaker by Meghan Masterson is a historical novel set in France in the heart of Versailles during a troubled time for the royal family and the people. Meghan Masterson has weaved the lives of real people and events together with the fictional people within this story.
Giselle is Marie Antoinette's dresser and she never thought she would be chosen for this job. She makes it her mission to ensure the queen is the brightest in the room, perfection personified. Giselle is witness to the queens most private moments. As the news sweeps the palace of the violent protests throughout the country and the evergrowing threat to the royal family, Giselle begins to see her queen crumble. Giselle goes home to see her family and gets caught up in the trouble herself. She is helped by Leon a young, clever and kind man who she soon falls in love with. Leon is everything she wants apart from the fact that he is on the side of those who want the royals gone.
Giselle returns to the palace and discovers the actual lives of the royal family are at stake. Marie Antoinette herself begs Giselle to aid them in escaping France. Giselle realises she will betray someone no matter which choice she makes and could end up going to the guillotine too, what will she do?
The first book I have read about the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette. I am fascinated in any type of history and revel in reading about the past. This was a fascinating story that gives us the French Revolution through Giselles eyes. The fact that she has to make a decision as she does tore me apart for her as I could almost put myself in her shoes and know what she was going through. Meghan Masterson has created a story and characters that are very real. The history is well documented but the emotions that the author has put Giselle through are not and it was that well written that I felt like I could almost touch them.
An emotional, real and packed full of details that just made this book for me. I do hope Meghan Masterson writes more historical fiction as I would love to read what she brings next.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of the book.

The Queen's Dressmaker by Meghan Masterson
Publication Date: March 19, 2021 - Out Now!
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Description from NetGalley...
Giselle always dreamed of making beautiful dresses, but never thought she would be chosen to attend to the elegant, but troubled, queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Within the glittering, mirrored walls of the palace, Giselle ensures the queen shines brighter than anyone, with not a single feather or ruffle out of place, no matter how she might feel inside.

Being so close to the queen, Giselle is there for her most private and unguarded moments. As whispers spread through the court about the violent protests sweeping across the country and the growing threat to the royal family, Giselle sees the cracks in Marie Antoinette’s perfect image.

On a visit home to her family in Paris, Giselle experiences the troubles first-hand, getting caught up in a dangerous riot. When handsome Léon comes to her aid, she falls in love with this kind, clever young man. But Léon does not share her admiration for the royals, siding with those who believe they should no longer be in power.
Returning to the palace, Giselle is shocked to find the very lives of the royal family now at stake. Will Giselle risk the guillotine herself to save the life of her beloved queen? And without betraying the man she loves?
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Thank you to @Netgalley for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
Thank you to @bookouture @meghan_m_author for inviting me to their book tour.
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My thoughts...
Thoroughly enjoyable. Based on true events between the late 1700s to the 1800s. I really liked they way Masterson related the different historical points of the French Revolution. I was pleased to see major events related so well in this historical fiction without it sounding boring and banal. There were so many landmarks such as the Reveillon Riots, the Women of Paris marched to Versailles, the storming of Bastille, Champs de Mars massacre, the storming of Versailles and prominent revolutionists such as Robespierre and Marat were included in this book. There were so much happening and all written so well, that you could understand why Giselle’s loyalties were not simple.

Wow. This book has been fascinating, captivating and tbought-provoking. When I started this book, I had no real expectations as I knew very little about the time period and had never read anything by this author.

However, I have finished this book feeling completely satisfied and having had quite the experience! I was shocked to learn that Meghan herself had never been to Paris, as through her writing I felt like I had been transported and was traversing the streets of Paris myself. I think this is testament to the undeniable amount of research and preparation that has gone into creating this fascinating book.

Despite the fact that there is so much action, revolution and politics going on in the book, I’d still argue that this is a character driven story, and what wonderful characters Meghan creates! I really liked the character of Giselle, and respected her for her opinions. She comes across as someone who is loving, dedicated, skilled and simply facing that eternal desire to love and be loved in return, but wanting to do so without compromising her own identity. I felt she was well-placed to paint a detailed picture of Marie Antoinette.

The picture the writer paints of Marie Antoinette is an interesting one. She comes across as someone who is independent, powerful, but also, deeply unhappy. The unique perspective provided by Giselle allows us to have some sympathy for the Queen and the ongoing animosity and challenges she faces. I thought this was particularly interesting to consider in light of the current situation within our British monarchy in 2021, where we are starting to see the importance of digging a little deeper below the facade of wealth and prosperity in order to see the human lives this tradition impacts, sometimes negatively.

This was a fast paced and addictive read, spanning a number of years as the French Revolution takes hold in France. I knew very little about this part of history so found it fascinating to read and think about. There are some shocking events and twists within the book, but the focus remains on how the characters’ handle them. This makes for an emotionally charged read.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this charming, heart-wrenching and page-turning book. I devoured this one extremely quickly as I was deeply invested in the characters, and interested in the challenges they faced. I would highly recommend this book to fans of factual yet character driven historical fiction, including authors such as Phillipa Gregory, Ellie Midwood and Ella Carey.

Set during a fascinating period of French history, this novel explores the time just before the overthrow of the reign of Louis and Marie Antoinette. Both the Monarchist and the Republican viewpoints are explored through Giselle, the Queen's dressmaker and Leon, who thinks there is no place for a Monarchy.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the Court and the clothes of the period. It brought the events very much to life and although the story is that of Giselle, I would have loved to get deeper inside the head of Marie Antoinette. She seems to be a puppet to whom things happen rather than a Queen with any power. To know more of her thoughts and opinions would have enriched the story for me.
It is a heartbreaking account, no matter which side you support and the ending is perfect.

Giselle is Marie Antoinette's newest under-tirewomen, looking after the Queen's wardrobe. However, revolution has come to France, and the violent protests are becoming more and more widespread across the country. On a visit home to her family in Paris, Giselle experiences one of these riots first-hand. Fortunately, Léon comes to her aid, and they fall in love. Unfortunately, he is also a revolutionary. Can their love survive Giselle's mixed loyalties?

I was super excited to read The Queen's Dressmaker as I am a huge fan of anything relating to Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution, and it certainly didn't disappoint me!

It begins in February 1789 and continues all the way through to October 1793. Due to Giselle's role in the Royal household, we see life from two very unique perspectives which I loved. The first is inside the household, and I loved all of the vivid descriptions of the gowns, fashions and finery. While Giselle only has a few direct conversations with the Queen herself, she overhears some of her conversations. She also experiences some dramatic events first-hand, such as the Women's March on Versailles. This was all so well-written and I felt the tension and fear for the Royal family's life.

The second perspective is Giselle's home life back in Paris. We learn a lot about the struggles that ordinary people are experiencing, such as the high price of bread. I could completely understand Giselle's internal struggles about where her loyalties lie, with the queen or with the revolutionaries while she is torn between the two worlds.

Giselle is a great character and I warmed to her straight away! As a fellow chatty person, I very much related to her struggles to follow Palace etiquette. I also really liked the romance between Giselle and Léon. Their chance meeting is very sweet and I could feel the romantic sparks straight away! I liked Léon immediately and was rooting for the young couple throughout the book.

The whole story had me utterly captivated from start to finish. It's brilliantly written, and seemed to perfectly convey the confusion and fear in violent situations. Even though you know what will happen in the end, I was still left rooting for the Royal family. Megan does a fantastic job of making Marie Antoinette a sympathetic character, showing her human side that her servants would have known. And I shared Giselle's horror at the aftermath of the Palace, once it has been ransacked by rioters — again, this was written so well and so vividly. I also don't think you need much historical knowledge of the French Revolution as Meghan explains it all so well and without it feeling like a lecture. This is such a fantastic read, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of historical fiction!

This is a new author for me. I’ve read a few novels set during the French Revolution and really enjoyed them so I was in familiar territory. The story is told from a different POV than other books I’ve read, a member of the Queen’s household who is torn between her admiration for the King and Queen and the events tearing the city apart. Whose side will she pick when loyalty to The Royal Family becomes a very dangerous thing indeed? The book is researched really well and I got a real sense of the era and characters. The book is quite dark at times especially in the last days of the Revolution when the King and Queen face execution and Giselle and Léon realise their presumed loyalty to the Revolution and hatred of the King and Queen is being scrutinised, putting them in real danger. The last chapters are quite painful to read and quite grim especially the Queen’s execution. I loved this book.