This book was absolutely fascinating! Empress Eugénie was an important figure in history I had never heard of before this book, and it's an absolute travesty. The amount of amazing work she did around education and her efforts to improve her citizens' circumstances was impressive, and I find it devastating that all of her hard work is overlooked. I'm not often a non-fiction reader, but I'm so happy I picked this book up. It didn't feel dry at any point, and while a lot of information was given, it didn't feel like an overload.

Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, the publisher, and the author, for providing a free copy of Heir of Storms in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this audiobook did not work for me. I did not enjoy the narration, and the writing style was not to my taste. It felt like it was trying very hard to be playful. I also found it interesting that I learned enough in the first 10% to feel satisfied - even in non-fiction, I usually experience an anticipation to learn more that keeps me turning pages.

This novel made it abundantly clear that Eugénie de Montijo had a significant influence on society, culture, and France as it is today. The book details her life in such a profound way that it felt as if I was going through it myself. The author clearly had a great respect for the Empress and it comes through clearly in this biography.

Although the material and subject of this book captivated me, there were parts that dragged on slightly. I believe the author was trying to cover as much of the Empress’s life as possible and be thorough in the process, but some parts felt like it was dwelling on a part of her life that was not super significant.

Any fan of history and especially of historical women who aren’t nearly as celebrated as they are will love this book! I also highly recommend the audiobook to anyone who can get their hands on it. It’s a wonderfully immersive experience.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

The more I learn, the more I realize I know nothing. I knew nothing about ANY emperors/empresses of France, so this was all new to me.

This is a story of highs and lows of living, albeit on a REALLY high level of power and politics. So the highs were really high, which made the lows seems even lower. Also, if someone in a high position of power screws up, it's not just them that ends up being hurt. LOTS of people died from the poor decisions the last emperor and empress made. But lots of people were helped too, so 50/50 I guess.

The bit about her horrible childbirth was...wow. No C-sections back then, so she had a LOT of issues. Long time trying to give birth and it ended up BREAKING her PELVIS. Holy COW! That's INSANE to me!! Also insane that after that happening AND her bouncing back, that ANY man would think ANY woman is WEAKER than a man! OOF!

Interesting book, but I doubt I'll remember enough to get a Trivial Pursuit question about that time period/her correct. I'm not the best at remembering things though, so it's more me than the book I would say.

I did have to farf about a bit with the volume, but it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the narrator's voice.

3, solid and interesting, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an ALC to listen to and review.

Before this book, I didn't know anything about the Last Empress of France. After reading this book, I can easily say that she seems like she was a really fun person to be around. Reading this weirdly felt similar to reading Ina Garten's memior (or as similar to it as the last empress of france could be to the barefoot contessa, their personalities maybe?). The writing was very well done and didn't feel very dense, it was an enjoyable non-fiction read.

I went into this knowing absolutely NOTHING about Empress Eugénie de Montijo (embarrassing, I know), and wow! The audiobook narrator absolutely understood the assignment – making 19th century French politics feel like prestige TV drama we desperately need.

Eugénie's story is wild: Spanish countess becomes France's last empress, basically invents haute couture with Worth, serves as regent, then literally flees Paris during a revolution in a carriage?? And lives until 1920, witnessing the entire world transform? The layers!

The author brilliantly balances Second Empire glamour (the gowns! the jewels!) with genuinely heartbreaking personal tragedies. The research is impeccable without being dry, and the narrator's pacing kept me engaged even through the denser political sections. They handled French names beautifully, making everything feel immersive.

My only complaint? I wanted MORE about her fashion and cultural influence – those sections were so good I got greedy.

Perfect for: Anyone who loved The Crown but wants something French, readers who think they don't like biographies, and people who understand historical women deserve better than footnotes.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

🎧 Audiobook narrated by Jilly Bond

✨ Initial Vibes

Picked this up hoping for a brisk, elegant dive into the life of Eugénie de Montijo—and that’s exactly what I got. This is a stylish, informative biography that balances political history, fashion, and character study without ever dragging.

📖 What It’s About

A concise, engaging portrait of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III and a key figure in 19th-century French politics, culture, and fashion. The book covers her upbringing, influence on haute couture, charitable works, and her complicated role during the Second Empire—with enough context to be accessible for readers new to the period.

❤️ What I Loved
• The narration. Jilly Bond is impeccable—crisp delivery, clean pacing, and a light but confident French accent when needed. One of those narrations that just disappears into the story in the best way.
• The pacing. It moves quickly but always offers just enough background to situate Eugénie within her historical moment.
• The subject herself. Eugénie’s legacy is often overlooked, and I appreciated how this biography gave space to her political savvy, fashion influence (hello, haute couture!), and philanthropic work.

💭 Final Thoughts

A great entry point for readers interested in the Second Empire, 19th-century fashion, or influential women in history. This is not a dense academic tome—it’s a sharply focused, well-researched introduction that still feels lively and human. Eugénie comes across as both formidable and flawed, which makes her all the more compelling.

🧠 Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(4 stars for pace, accessibility, and excellent narration.)

I absolutely loved this book. Eugenie was ahead of her time and if she was a male- her name would be loudly known. The author did a wonderful job highlighting her achievements and the obstacles she overcame in pursuit of them.

The Last Empress of France is a well-researched and engaging account of Empress Eugénie, shedding light on a woman often overshadowed by her husband, Napoleon III, and the politics of her time. Evelyne Resnick does a great job blending historical detail with narrative flow, making the book accessible without losing depth. The portrait of Eugénie feels vivid and nuanced, showing both her strengths and contradictions.

At times, the pacing slows with dense detail, and the prose leans a little academic, which might not appeal to readers looking for a lighter historical biography. Still, the balance of scholarship and storytelling makes this an excellent resource for anyone interested in French history, 19th-century politics, or powerful women who shaped their era.

The Last Empress of France by Petie Kladstrup and Evelyne Resnick is about the life and rule of the little-known Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Emperor Napoléon III.
Before reading this, I was unfamiliar with Eugénie and her husband, only being aware of Napoléon I. Eugénie is a Spanish-born woman who becomes not just an Empress, but a feminist, a progressive, an adventurer, the mother of haute couture, de facto head of state of France, a mother, a wife, and a survivor of the Franco-Prussian War.
The research is thorough, detailed, well-cited, and well-rounded.
The narrator of this audiobook is Jilly Bond. I found Jilly's narration to be a bit unsuited to this story, rather her narration si more appropriate for an elderly Queen Victoria rather than energetic Empress Eugénie.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

This is a well-researched and interesting biography and I learned so much about Eugenie de Montijo. So much in French culture and society can be traced back to her influence.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

A really interesting biography of a fascinating historical figure who does not get the attention she deserves.

I’m not typically a non-fiction reader, but this book truly captivated me. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the talented Jilly Bond, and it held my attention from start to finish. While I was not actively listening, I found myself eagerly pondering what would happen next for Empress Eugénie. The engaging narration and compelling writing allowed me to forge a strong connection with her, almost as if she were a character in a work of fiction. I celebrated her achievements and felt deep sorrow for her tragedies.

As a biography, the timeline was occasionally disjointed, which made it challenging to grasp the overlapping nature of Eugénie’s projects, especially in the period leading up to her son's birth after marriage. While the chapters were thematically coherent, some began in entirely different decades, resulting in confusion about the sequence of events in Eugénie's life. Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize that this was a remarkably busy woman with a tremendous amount to cover in a short time frame.

Having heard Empress Eugénie mentioned only in passing during my time in France, I completely underestimated her significance, likability, and profound impact on culture, women’s rights, health and science, and the economy of post-revolutionary France. This exceptional woman undoubtedly deserves the recognition and attention she has been denied for too long.

This was one of the most fun historical biographies I've ever read! It was written more like a novel than a biography. I couldn't put it down!

Empress Eugenie was an incredible woman who made lasting change to the world and especially France! I didn't know anything about her and now I feel like I have a great understanding of her and her time period as the last Napoleon wife.

This is a very interesting biographical narrative that I found engaging and informative. I really like when history is presented as story, rather than a fact recitation, and story is present here in spades. The historical backdrop against which Eugenie lived and died is a huge part of the book, and I enjoyed seeing her life in context.

I loved the narration, which really grabbed me from the opening minutes. I usually prefer my historical non-fiction in book, rather than audio, format, but really enjoyed this one and had no trouble keeping everything straight in my head, even with myriad locations, personalities, and political events.

This was a great find!

This biography is fabulous. The research is thorough, the subject herself is little known and fascinating this is detailed and well rounded. I read Desmond Seward's biography of Empress Eugenie a few years ago. I found it to be a slightly misogynistic view of Eugenie and a bit one note. More recently I read Nancy Goldstone's dual biography on Empress Eugenie & Empress Sisi titled Rebel Empresses. Goldstone's book was interesting but her background on Eugenie was obviously heavily sourced from Seward. I've also found Goldstone's biographies to be fun but not well researched and she tends to present fun conjecture as if it's historically established fact. So this biography definitely needed to be written.

I found the pacing perfect and the research offered was well cited. This definitely operates from a modern and more feminist viewpoint on Empress Eugenie. I greatly appreciated the viewpoints offered by the authors and found them mostly inline with modern intersectional feminist viewpoints. I do not think Eugenie held modern anti racist sentiments and felt that viewpoint was slightly exaggerated by the authors.

The narrator of this audiobook is Jilly Bond. I found Jilly's narration to be stilted in places. The subject matter was fascinating and the text was fairly well written and I'm disappointed the narration was somewhat dull. This offered wonderful research into Eugenie as well as the times she lived in and the major players in her story. I can not recommend this biography highly enough. I ended up purchasing a copy of this myself.

Thank you to Petie Kladstrup, Evelyne Resnick, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Overall, I enjoyed this biography of Empress Eugénie. I went into it knowing very little about her, and came away genuinely fascinated. She was a remarkable, influential woman—especially for her time—and the book does a good job highlighting her resilience, political savvy, and enduring legacy.

That said, the audiobook narrator wasn’t my favorite. Her delivery took some getting used to, and at times it distracted from the story. While the content itself was well-researched and informative, the narration affected my overall experience.

Still, I’d recommend this to readers interested in royal biographies or French history. Eugénie deserves more attention, and this book is a solid introduction to her life and legacy.

Thank you to Petie Kladstrup and Evelyne Resnick, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion.

Eugenie is someone I’m thankful to have come across. I really knew nothing of her and what a life she led. Her friendship with Queen Victoria, her contribution to Tiffany blue, Louis Vuitton luggage- who knew?

Aside from that, this detailed and in-depth scope of her life and trials, love and loss, prejudice, deception, deep friendships, motherhood is harrowing insight into the life of royalty and all that comes with it.

Most notably is her ability of stay true to herself throughout her life, rarely backing down and often in control. A woman ahead of her time.

I could tell this was very well researched and the author has a wide breadth of knowledge. I do feel like I was waiting too long for the story to get going.

The Last Empress of France: The Rebellious Life of Eugenie de Montijo, a biography written by Petie Klandstrup and Evelyne Resnick, brings Eugenie de Montijo center stage and reminds readers of her lasting legacy. I received an audiobook through NetGalley and found that both the book and narration done by Jilly Bond grew on me as the book carried on. The first few chapters felt a little tedious, but I pushed through and I am glad I did. Eugenie was a fascinating lady and I found myself impressed by her grit and glamour. I would most definitely watch a mini series about her life.
The authors clearly did their subject proud through through meticulous research.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.