This was an interesting story portraying Sisi and Franz in a modern, refreshing and unique way. I enjoyed it and I think the writing was aligned well with the Netflix TV show version. I watched the show after I read the book.

Thank you NetGalley for this lovely ARC that was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I grew up watching SISSI with Romy Schneider and I LOVED IT.
I enjoyed reading the story , it was well written and I loved the characters!

If you are looking for an easy read in the historical genre, give it a try. I know what happened next but can't wait to read it.

THE EMPRESS By Gigi Griffis

Set in the year 1853, Sisi's sister is the chosen one for the Austrian Emperor Franz but fate had a different plan for them.

😊What i liked -

✔ Royal Romance/Historical Romance.
✔ I loved Sisi's character. She is strong and very clear as to what she wants.
✔ I loved the secret meets between Franz and Sisi.
✔ I liked Helene as a character too. Her insecurities and vulnerability were written very well.
✔ The book has a good storyline and keeps you quite hooked to the book.

🤔What could have been better -

✔ I wish I could just go inside the book and do the things the so-called His Excellency was so proud of doing, to him. It had me fuming.


📚Who Should read :

👶Beginners
💝Romance Lovers
👸Historical Romance

📈My Rating : 4/5

P.s - If you liked Bridgerton and The Crown then this is the book for you.

Thank you Gigi Griffis, NetGalley and Zando Projects for a copy

An excellent introduction into the life of Sisi of Austria and her romance with Franz. One doesn’t need to know the history of this pair as the author covers it beautifully. While at times this felt like a YA novel anyone will enjoy this as Sisi makes heart retching choices that affect her family.

Fans of historical fiction will love The Empress, especially if they love a good story featuring Royals. That being said, The Empress has a surprisingly contemporary feel with themes of angst, forbidden love, and intrigue.. Well written with some funny banter and steam woken into a more serious tale of choosing love or duty.

I didn't realize that this was actually an adaptation of the Netflix series, but either way, I kind of went into it with no expectations. And when I found out it was the series being retold, I didn't spoil anything by watching the show. First, because I am not a fan of dubbed or subtitles because I tend to Netflix binge while cooking and can't be reading while I follow a recipe. Second, because while the story interested me, it wasn't as interesting to me as other shows. After getting through the book, I did figure out how far along the story was in relation to the TV show (the wedding episode). Whether there will be a next book remains to be seen, and I'm kind of hopeful that we stay at the one because it ended well and told a good story. But I suspect there are future volumes to come. Ok, so enough about my back story on the show.

As a historical fiction, I enjoyed this read. Reminded me a little of Carolly Erickson whose books have always been enjoyable reads for me. The different POVs work, and you get a pretty good perspective on all of the main characters with a focus on Sisi and Franz of course. Their romance does feel a little insta love for my liking, but I guess you have to factor in how old they are, how sheltered everyone is, and the fact that this is, well, a story being woven to romanticize a real relationship. I like that Sisi is the wild child, because she seems to be a very good foil for Franz. Maxi was the one character who I would have liked to understand better. Kind of wanted to get inside his head a bit more to see where he was going and what he was really thinking. I get that he's sad that he's the spare, but his reaction to Elizabeth was surprising and I questioned his intentions from start to finish.

I don't want to include any spoilers, so I am going to leave off here before I say something that will give it away. I will say that some things in the book are different from the Netflix show, if the few snippets I watched are anything to go by. And the revolution does not really factor heavily in this book as of yet.

A fun read. Good historical fiction addition and romance.

I had seen that the Netflix show was coming out and had no clue it was a book. I was so happy that I read the book first! I loved Sisi and this book was a historical fiction done right! I really hope to read more from the author in the future!

👑 Book Review 👑

#theempress
#gigigriffis
#NetGalley published 9/27/2022
#zandoprojects
#historicalromance
#theempressbook

👗👗👗👗

Do not go into reading this book thinking you will get a lot of history. Bc you won't. It is mostly romance. A bit on the over the top lovey-dovey type. Some sibling rivalry, which I loved. With both the emperor and the empress. Some mention of arranged marriages. And some mention about how the Emperor wanted to make improvements. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but this was not it. But overall, it was well written.

Too lovey-dovey for me. But I will rate it on its merit within the genre. A 4⭐ from me.

Has anyone seen The Empress on Netflix? Does this sound like the show? Do I bother to watch it?

#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview

This was such a thrilling historical romance! I binged it in nearly two sittings and didn't want to put it down! The prose was an absolute delight to read - it was beautiful but not heavy. Very atmospheric and immersed me into the story right away! The plot moved fast which I appreciated a lot. The characters were also very well fleshed out despite how short the book was, to the point where the characters that I hated at the start, were redeemed by the end (e.g. her sister).

I did watch the show but haven't finished it - I know this book is based on the show. And somehow the book did everything far better. I thought the ending was a little rushed - It felt like something was building and building but then fizzled out. But after watching the show, I realize that was no fault to the author, given the book was based on it.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book. Particularly the sister relationship, if I'm being honest. And the fact that this was based on real historical people, which had me super intrigued. I really liked Lizbet, but I wish I had been able to understand Franz a little more.

If I'm being honest, I know nothing of the actual history happening in this area of the world and I'm still confused about the timeline. At first I thought this was going to be the Archduke whose assassination resulted in WWI. And I think that's actually my biggest complaint with this book. I love a good historical romance, but with the way that this book is written and the way it includes mentions of things like assassination attempts and Lizbet's sister has her own perspective, I think this book should have been written to encompass more of the world and to expand beyond just the romance. Ultimately, I think it's because of that insular focus that it wound up feeling a little dissatisfying because it wasn't quite romantic enough to give me a romance novel, nor expansive enough to give me a satisfying historical fiction book. That said, it was intriguing and kept me reading. I enjoyed it for the most part and I have no regrets about choosing to read it!

I wanted to read this before I watched the Netflix series, and I am so glad I did! It is perfect for all Michelle Moran and Philippa Gregory fans out there, and all the others who love their historical fiction with a dash of royalty. And the most intriguing part is - it's true. Emperess SIsi married for love in an age when royal women were forced into marriages. That in itself is a great feat, but Sisi was also known for her originality, dislike for protocol, and independence, and I believe this novel shows that. It was a wonderful read and I recommend it to everyone!

I love a good Royal story!! The Empress was filled with emotional angst, hope, love, and family obligations to accomplish.

Sisi’s hope for her own life is the opposite of her family’s desire. She has to know she can make it on her own and find authentic love, not just an obligatory pairing. ❤️

#theempress #netgalley

I found this book to be a nice companion for the Netflix series. I thought I knew a little about Sissi, but I don't think I knew as much as I thought I did. The book itself, to me, reads like a paperback romance-type novel. There is NOTHING wrong with that, I find that to be a delightful thing when you are on the beach and want a book to devote an afternoon to and I would classify this book as perfect for that. If you want to know what the book is about, it is about Empress Sissi of Austria from her days as a teen, through her marriage, reign, and then death. The book will show you Sissi's firey spirit and her marriage to the Emperor.

Any book that brings history to the forefront of conversation makes me giddy with delight! Griffis brings the screen to the page with her adaption of the scripts from the Netflix show The Empress. Sisi is brought to life in these pages. Readers are first introduced to a young Sisi whose mother is trying to arrange for her marriage. Sisi has witnessed first hand what a loveless marriage can be like and she wants nothing to do with it. That is until she meets her sister's intended. Emperor Franz Joseph falls head over heels in love with Sisi and that's when things really start to sizzle.
This is a fantasized version of the relationship between Franz Joseph and Sisi. While there are many historical facts inserted in the story, the relationship between the two was not as sumptuous as the pages made it out it be. That being said the romance created for the screen was very effectively described on the page by author Griffis. Delicious read!

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Living in northeastern Italy, in a region that borders on Austria. I have spent my fair share of time there and may or may not have a slight obsession with Austrian history.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 combines my love of both history and romance and was an absolute must read. I enjoyed this version of Sisi and Franz’s story and couldn’t read it fast enough. I also binge watched it on Netflix and have absolutely zero regrets.

I highly recommend both. I’m giving 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

Elisabeth despairs of her mother’s endless rules, her infantilizing nickname “Sisi”, and a future trapped in an arranged marriage like the one her sister Helene is destined for. Helene–beautiful, proper, and careful–is all but engaged to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph. Trapped by his own set of endless responsibilities, fears of revolution, and conflicting advice from his mother, brother, and advisors, when Franz meets Sisi in the palace gardens she feels like a breath of air. As the date for Franz to announce his marriage to Helene draws closer and Franz and Sisi’s unexpected connection deepens, they face an impossible set of choices: to stay on the safe, solid ground of the paths designed for them, or to hope that their love will be enough to keep them safe in an uncertain future.

An interesting, if relatively shallow, look at the early romance between Franz and Sisi. I’ve long been fascinated by the cult of personality around the beautiful and wild Sisi and the many tragedies of her life, so I was excited to see a new novel about her available on NetGalley. However this ultimately fell a bit flat for me, perhaps in part because it was billed as steamy but really felt more like a closed door (or at least a "door just barely cracked open") romance and had an almost YA feel to it--appropriate in a lot of ways, as Sisi is only 16 at the start of the novel. Still, I think this is a worthy introduction to her as a historical figure--although I think the show it is based on is a superior and more nuanced take on this story (the show also continues past the end of the novel in a way that I think makes for a more satisfying arc, and something I wish the novel had done as well).

Who knew historical fiction could be so intriguing? The Emperor of Habsburg needs a wife but he doesn’t want to just fulfill a duty so he meets Helene. She’s perfect for the role of Empress but there’s no zing between them and she feels the rejection. Her sister, Elisabeth, is the wild child and the breath of honesty he needs. Their path to marriage and a successful ruling was rocky and shocking. While Helene was prepared Elisabeth was far from aware of the future proceedings. The comical relief between Franz and Elisabeth was refreshing and silly, not expected at all. I really enjoyed these characters and the tie in with the war, and the realization that people actually lived this way. I just wish the issue of their mothers being sisters was addressed, were they really cousins or was “sister” just a term of endearment? I received an early copy from NetGalley and wrote this review voluntarily. Now to watch the series.

Sisi's story is so fantastic and this steamy take on her romance with Franz was a departure from anything I've read about her before. It's got a contemporary feel while still capturing the issues of the times. I can't wait to watch the series!

This is a tie-in of Netflix new TV Show series, based on the life of Elisabeth "Sisi" and Franz from Austria. The story overall is entertaining, definitely has some historical things, others where probably written in a way to keep the viewers from the show entertained. I have read and watched the show and well there are some scenes I would've loved seen more developed, bu overall it was a fun read.

A bit Princess Diaries, a bit Bridgerton but also unique in its own way, the Empress takes you on a timeless journey of royalty, court and all the glitter and tarnish you wish to see. The characters are interesting and make the story, while the plot is all you’d hope for in a princess, or empress, story! Pick this up and be transformed to another time and place.