Synopses & Reviews
From Londonand#8217;s slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet charts the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles IIand#151;and becomes one of the centuryand#8217;s most famous courtesansand#133;
Witty and beautiful, Nell Gwynn is born into poverty, and trades her motherand#8217;s treacherous grasp for the grim life of a prostitute at a precious young age. But before long she finds herself drawn to the theater, where she earns a place in the Kingand#8217;s Company.
As one of the first actresses in the newly opened playhouses, her talents and charms win the crowdsand#8217; affectionand#151;and the heart of her leading man. But when she catches the eye of the king himself, her life is transformed in ways she could never have imagined.
Surrendering her body and heart to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal courtand#151;and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined was possibleand#133;
Review
and#8220;[A] richly engaging portrait of the life and times of one of historyand#8217;s most appealing characters!and#8221;and#8212;Diana Gabaldon, author of
The Scottish Prisoner and#8220;Bawdy and poignant...An ebullient page-turner!and#8221;and#8212;Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Romances
and#8220;Hard to resist this sort of seduction.and#8221;and#8212;C. C. Humphreys, author of Shakespeareand#8217;s Rebel
Review
and#8220;[A] richly engaging portrait of the life and times of one of historyand#8217;s most appealing characters!and#8221;and#8212;Diana Gabaldon, author of
The Scottish Prisoner and#8220;Bawdy and poignant...An ebullient page-turner!and#8221;and#8212;Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Romances
and#8220;Hard to resist this sort of seduction.and#8221;and#8212;C. C. Humphreys, author of Shakespeareand#8217;s Rebel
Synopsis
Charles II is running for his life-and into the arms of a woman who will risk all for king and country.
Jane Lane is of marrying age, but she longs for adventure. She has pushed every potential suitor away-even those who could provide everything for her. Then one day, adventure makes its way to her doorstep, and with it comes mortal danger...
Royalists fighting to restore the crown to King Charles II implore Jane to help. Jane must transport him to safety, disguised as a manservant. As she places herself in harm's way, she finds herself falling in love with the gallant young Charles. And despite his reputation as a breaker of hearts, Jane finds herself surrendering to a passion that will change her life forever.
Synopsis
A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans. From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
Synopsis
A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans. From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
Synopsis
From Londonand#8217;s slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet charts the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles IIand#151;and becomes one of the centuryand#8217;s most famous courtesansand#133;
Witty and beautiful, Nell Gwynn is born into poverty, and trades her motherand#8217;s treacherous grasp for the grim life of a prostitute at a precious young age. But before long she finds herself drawn to the theater, where she earns a place in the Kingand#8217;s Company.
As one of the first actresses in the newly opened playhouses, her talents and charms win the crowdsand#8217; affectionand#151;and the heart of her leading man. But when she catches the eye of the king himself, her life is transformed in ways she could never have imagined.
Surrendering her body and heart to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal courtand#151;and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined was possibleand#133;
About the Author
Gillian Bagwell began her professional life in theater and united her lifelong love of books, British history, and the stage by writing The Darling Strumpet. Her second novel, The September Queen (U.K. title, The Kingand#8217;s Mistress) recounts the perilous and romantic odyssey of Jane Lane, who risked her life to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651. Venus in Winter is a sweeping and romantic novel of Bess of Hardwick, the formidable four-times widowed Tudor dynast who is the forebear of numerous noble lines including the current royal family of Britain.