Received from Net Gallery! What can you say when you have Napoleon involved in any way! Found out all sorts more about this man's life! Read a book about his relationship with his immediate family as in the personalities of his brothers sisters, mom but never knew about this one women who came before Josephine!! Was so horrified as in his treatment to this woman and her family,but then why should I be look who you are dealing with! This has so many more interesting facts about his life his family and this woman he like just left behind. It's from her point of view and a very good one at that!! It's a must read of love,hate,war,selflessness and family! A truly a must read you will not be disappointed in the events that happens in this story!! Research for sure had to go into the writing of this book,the characters you feel like you know them and just can't believe how all are treated,the events of her life and others,the wars,the history of France,description is fantastic!! Will she find her own true love and will she be able to get over this man? Not telling but you will be surprised by what happens!! This is seen through Desiree Clary Bernadotte eyes this is her story of her life and the history of France and how it came to be!

This epic novel spans most of the life of Desiree Bernadotte, Queen of Sweden, former fiancée of Napoleon Bonaparte. When Desiree Clary, a young, naïve merchant’s daughter, meets a young Napoleone di Buonaparte, she falls in love quickly. Their romance turns sour when Napoleon meets Vicomtesse Josephine de Beauharnais. Jilted, Desiree sees her former love almost every day until she finds happiness in Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a general in the French Army who later becomes the King of Sweden.
It is a beautifully written story about an often-overlooked historical figure whose life intersected with the famed French emperor Napoleon. The historical accuracy is uncanny, only varying for dramatic effect in a small number of places. Descriptions of post-Revolutionary France abound and truly bring this novel to life.

I received this book from NetGalley exchange for an honest review. Before picking up this book I knew nothing about Desiree Clary but her story is one for the ages. She was for a brief period of time the fiancée of Napoléon Bonaparte and her life was never the same after that. She marries a friend of Bonaparte, successfully keeping her in Bonaparte’s life as a friend. Her life is a whirlwind and remarkable. I learned so much and I want to know more about her. Allison does a fantastic job of keeping the reader enthralled with Desiree’s story and despite all the moving pieces, does a wonderful job of keeping everything straight. Highly recommend this story.

I really, really liked this book! This is based on the true life story of Desiree Clary, a young girl who was Napoleon's first fiancée, and later in life became the Queen of Sweden. In between, Pataki details how her life stayed entwined with Napoleon and his wife Josephine. I knew nothing about Desiree, and have not read much about this era - and I enjoyed not only the details of life in France at the time, but the politics and the look at Napoleon's career and relationship with Josephine, and the life of Josephine herself. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for the e-arc. This is only my second book by Allison Pataki, but I will definitely be reading more. Excellent book! 4.5 stars!

I wish to thank Net Galley, the author and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wonderful historical fiction about the lives of Desiree Clary who was first engaged to Napoleon and Josephine whom he later married. The splendor of the French Court, the jewels, the fashions and the lives of the ruling class at that time are just stunning to learn about. The reader can tell that Allison Pataki did meticulous research while writing this book. I knew very little about Napoleon and his life before starting this one and it makes me want to read more but it will never be as intriguing as what Allison has written.

I have already recommended this book to my book club and several friends with the confidence that they will enjoy it as much as I did.

Brilliantly done!

I am an avid fan of Alison Pataki's books. Her latest, The Queen's Fortune, is about a woman history forgot. Desiree Clary was the first fiancée of Napoleon, only to be dumped for Josephine. She remained around the epicenter of Napoleon through marriage and politics. I had never heard of her until I read this book. I was thoroughly intrigued that she became the Queen of Sweden and her son married Josephine's granddaughter. The historical note is informative and the writing very fluid. I empathized with Desiree. I've never cared for Napoleon and reading this book didn't change my opinion. He is center stage in the story, right where he always had to be. He was a cavalier cad when it came to women. His megalomania came at a high price.

I never heard of Desiree Clary and her sister and I loved their background and felt bad for how Desiree was treated by Napeleon.

The Queen’s Fortune by Allison Pataki
Source: NetGalley and Ballantine Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

I don’t normally delve into French history (unless it’s artists) when I go trolling for new historical fiction. However, I tend to enjoy historical fiction which focuses on the women rather than the men, so The Queen’s Fortune was just what I was looking for at the time. Because of the time and the place that she lived and her association with Napoleon Bonaparte, Desiree Clary often gets overlooked by historians. Thankfully, Allison Pataki has taken the life of a little-known woman, Desiree Clary and has spun a wonderfully engrossing tale that endures into the modern period.

By all accounts, Desiree Clary was a lovely young woman from a strong French family, and like most girls of her age, she was meant to be married off, advantageously in order to strengthen the family, their connections, and fortunes. As fate would have it, before Desiree could be saddled with an appropriate husband, she met and fell in love with a young Napoleon Bonaparte. Though the two pledged themselves to one another and no other, Napoleon was a fickle man whose only real interest in life was his own advancement and the acquisition of power. To that end, as soon as it suited Napoleon, he threw off his ties to Desiree and married the infamous Josephine.

Though Desiree had been cast aside, she was still tied to Napoleon through her sister who married Napoleon’s greatest supporter, his brother. From an early age, and perhaps better than anyone else, Desiree knew of Napoleon’s temperament, his lust for power, and his inability to care for anyone (even Josephine!) beyond himself. In fact, for the remainder of her life, Desiree will watch – often with a great deal of worry for herself - as Napoleon runs roughshod over those around and directs others’ lives as if they were nothing more than pawns in a game. To that end, even Desiree is advantageously married to one of Napoleon’s most trusted men in an effort to keep both she and he close. Though the arrangement turns out to be an agreeable one for Desiree, there are certainly bumps along the road and though she tries to remain separate from Napoleon and his machinations, she finds she and her family are constantly drawn back in. Through revolution and times of relative peace, Desiree watches as Napoleon and his fortune rise and fall, his life with Josephine ebbs and flows, and his turn as leader of France takes terrifying turns.

Desiree Clary grows into a woman through the reign of Napoleon, serves his wife as a part of her inner circle, and advises her own husband as Napoleon is a paranoid and temperamental man. Through the years, the decades really, Desiree becomes as adept at politics and political intrigue as any man. She learns to navigate treacherous waters and though her life (and that of her family) is often threatened, she learns to protect herself and position herself and her family for safety above all else. Though she never could have imagined what her life would become, Desiree rises higher than ever anticipated and becomes a very real part of the history she is living through.

The Bottom Line: My greatest complaint regarding this book is length; The Queen’s Fortune could reasonably be about a hundred pages shorter and still have the same impact. I am not a fan of excessive detail so, for those of you who are, this really isn’t a complaint at all 😊 I did find the environment and the atmosphere to be very well and clearly conveyed, both literally and figuratively. This book covers a tumultuous time in French history when nothing was certain and the landscape, both political and otherwise, was constantly changing. Revolution was constantly in the air, treachery always afoot, and intrigue was at every turn. All of this is expressed wonderfully in this book and very much keeps the reader on edge. Of all the characters, I found Desiree and Josephine to be the most compelling; Desiree for her maturity and ability to adapt and endure and Josephine for her over-the-top antics that often masked a shrewd and discerning mind. Though Desiree Clary never wanted power or prominence, she got both and she did so without ever betraying her own sensibilities and/or morals. Given the time and place, that, in itself was a stunning achievement. While history most assuredly remembers Napoleon and Josephine, it should also remember Desiree Clary. Afterall, it is Desiree’s line that STILL sits on European thrones today while Napoleon and Josephine’s lines have died out.

This is the rare historical fiction where truth is stranger than fiction. It's the story of Desiree Clary, one-time fiancé of Napoleon, and later a lady of his wife's court (as her sister marries his brother). Her life stays intertwined to the Napoleon family and gives her a front row seat to France in this time period.
Allison Pataki always turns history into a very readable and relatable story and I very much enjoyed this book. It surprised me and I would definitely recommend it to historical fiction lovers who are looking for a time period and character that is less known.
Thank you to Netgalley for the free, advance copy.

What an awesome recount of the life of Napoleon told by Desiree, his ex-finance and a close member of his inner circle!
This historical fiction had me captivated from the start. I had, of course, heard of Napoleon, but had not heard of Desiree, or the story behind his family and other members of his political and familial circles. I truly loved reading about his life told from a different perspective. The characters and story were extremely well developed and the events flowed easily from one to another.
Highly recommend this story.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Besides being a great primer on the politics and events of the French Revolution, Allison Pataki gives you an intimate glimpse into the relationships of the women who knew and loved Napoleon—and the price they paid for that relationship in her latest book <i> The Queen's Fortune</i>.

From the early days of the revolution through Napoleon's ascent to Emperor, and eventual exile, Pataki delivers valuable insights into the challenges, choices and consequences made by Josephine and Desiree Clary—a historical figure who finally gets her story told through Pataki's excellent research and storytelling. Discover the connections between France and Sweden and how those closest to Napoleon eventually ascended to the throne, and whose descendants still rule today.

Before reading this book, I had never heard of Desiree before, which is shocking considering her relationship to Napoleon, as well as the fact that she became the Queen of Sweden, and her descendants sit on the throne of Sweden today. The Queen's Fortune went wonderfully in depth with Desiree's entire life, beginning when she was sixteen years old, shortly before she met Napoleon for the first time.
While I enjoyed the amount of depth and admired the amount of research that was clearly done, I thought that the plot dragged at some points, especially when nothing was really happening in close proximity to Desiree and instead she was receiving information about what was happening elsewhere. Other than that, Desiree's life was clearly very exciting and the book itself included many dramatic and action-packed scenes.
I really liked Desiree as a character; I admired her resilience and intelligence, and I liked reading from her perspective. Other than that though, I didn't have much of an attachment to any of the other characters. Even Bernadotte and Julie, who were both very important in Desiree's life, didn't have much personality, and other than Desiree saying that she loved them, I didn't sense a strong connection between them. I did really like how Napoleon was characterized; he and Desiree were really the only characters I thought seemed like real people; the other characters tended to blend together and not have much individual personality.

5.0 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Allison Pataki, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Okay, I must admit that I am a REAL LOVER of historical fiction - it is my favorite genre of books. I also must admit that I knew NOTHING about Desiree Clary. But, I love the books that I have read by Allison Pataki and this was NO exception!! However, I tried my best to read this book slowly, but I just couldn't do it!!

Desiree Clary was a fascinating character who lived during horrific times but managed to survive intact. Her life was amazing, interesting, and mind-boggling at times!!

This book goes from Marseilles to Paris to Stockholm seamlessly. I learned so much and now my interest is piqued and I want to know about Desiree Clary!

Allison Pataki has a lush, real, and beautiful style of writing. It is as if you are there IN the room as the story is unfolding. This is her BEST book yet!! I cannot wait to read more!

HIGHLY recommend, but most especially if you are a historical fiction lover!!

The strange but true tale of a silk merchant's daughter who married a Jacobin general following the French Revolution who somehow became the Queen of Sweden. She also happened to be the first love of Napoleon Bonaparte, her sister married Napoleon's older brother and their lives and fates were intertwined. You can't make this stuff up if you tried.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. This was not a bad book and if you had never read about Desiree Clary before it would be a great book as it covers the major events of her life (while maybe dwelling a little too much than I would have liked about her life before Sweden). Unfortunately I had read Désirée many years ago and it to this day remains one of my all time favorite books. Both books have many historical inaccuracies but the Desiree in Annemarie Selinko's story is just more charming and a better narrator of her tale.

There was so much about this book to love! The topic was fascinating, and I appreciate how Allison Pataki always brings to light a little-known, strong female from history. I knew nothing about Desiree Clary, and her story was fascinating. At times, though, I felt as if the narrative got bogged down in details that weren't entirely necessary and detracted from the flow of the book. Overall, though, as with all of Pataki's work, I will definitely be recommending it to patrons.

Read all of Allison Pataki’s books and I can’t put them down.
Great story teller.
The in-depth story about Desiree, who met with France’s nobility, which may have caused her fathers death.
A must read.

Thank you so much for telling the story of a strong woman in history!
Desiree Clary was but a simple girl from Southern France who ended up forming a surviving royal dynasty.
She saw the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon the emperor and his ultimate demise. Not only did she see it, but she was there first hand, as a member of his closest confidantes. You see Desiree has Napoleon's first fiancé, the one that he pushed aside the moment he met Josephine.
I only see her as the women who dodged that bullet that was Napoleon, and created a life for herself that outlasted any dynasty he ever thought to hold.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will definitely be seeking out her others! Although I knew about Desiree Clary's history, it was amazing to have it brought to life in this rich and detailed historical novel. To have French revolutionary and political history, including all of the Napoleonic years, along with that of Sweden's Bernadotte dynasty's beginnings all covered in one woman's story is simply an astounding fact of history. Allison Pataki truly does it justice. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book and hated to see it end. I knew very little about Desiree Clary and was fascinated by her amazing story. The author brings to life the era of the French Revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon and Desiree becoming the Queen of Sweden.

As a child I was fascinated by the romance between Désirée Clary and Napoléon Bonaparte. I had seen it depicted in a film and never forgot it. Over the years I visited her home in Stockholm and named a poodle Désirée.

That being said, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read a novel devoted to the tale that was her life. This book certainly did not disappoint me. Pataki was able to flesh out details and bring richness to this life. As a commoner from Marseille, it’s remarkable to think that it is her descendants that rule Sweden today, and are connected to most current European royalty. .

The connection between the Clarys and Bonapartes is detailed. I truly read with wonder as I saw how these women reached the heights of European nobility. Yes, this is historical fiction, but meticulously researched. It is the kind of book that will help students understand the era of the Napoleonic Wars., and the politics of post-revolution France.

I think reading groups will savor this book and there will be discussions about other commoners who ascend to royalty.

I thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book about one of the most extraordinary lives ever led.