The Beauties
by Lauren Chater
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Pub Date Apr 03 2024 | Archive Date Apr 02 2024
Simon & Schuster (Australia) | Simon & Schuster Australia
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Description
When Emilia Lennox loses everything after her husband’s lands and title are confiscated, her beauty is her best bargaining chip with the only man who can restore their fortunes: King Charles II himself.
But the king’s favour comes at a price. He will pardon Emilia’s husband only if she agrees to be his mistress. Torn, Emilia comes up with a condition of her own: she will consent, but not until her portrait hangs among the famed Windsor Beauties, a series commissioned by the Duchess of York to showcase the fairest women in the royal retinue.
For Henry Greenhill, ambitious assistant to the court painter, the opportunity to paint Emilia’s portrait is a chance to step out of his master’s shadow. But his sitter proves as evasive as she is beautiful, and with barely a sketch to show for his efforts, Henry’s career is on the line.
As the king’s patience wears thin, it’s clear that more than creative talent will be needed to capture this incomparable beauty on canvas ...
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781760850241 |
| PRICE | A$32.99 (AUD) |
| PAGES | 384 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Christy H, Reviewer
'Beauty can only take you so far'.
'The Beauties' transports the reader to Charles II's Restoration England and immerses us in a fecundity of beauty and art. It is a time when beauty was extolled and being beautiful brought power. Emilia Lennox is a natural-born beauty. For her though, her enviable looks have only brought unwanted attention, 'Her beauty - a mere accident of birth - distorts one's view of her'. However, after her husband and his family become destitute, perhaps her beauty is all that she has, 'The only thing Emilia has ever owned is her passion for art and her good looks...'. But beauty is fleeting so is it truly the only way to get ahead? As Emilia navigates her way between fending off the King's advances - without offending him - and securing a future for herself, she begins to understand what true beauty consists of and is inspired by women who earn respect through their wits and intelligence.
I enjoyed 'The Beauties' and learning more about this era through Emelia's story. Throughout history, we have tried to capture the elusive nature of beauty and define it. During the Restoration Era, beauty was particularly lauded, perhaps as a backlash against the Puritanical asceticism that previously presided. The number of real-life characters who appear within the book, as well as the close attention to art history, adds to the story's lushness. I believe any reader of historical fiction will enjoy this book but it will have a particular resonance for readers who have a passion for art history or England's Restoration Period.
Three-word summary: educational, philosophical, and luxuriant.
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