The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen

The Making of a Duchess is set during a fascinating period of history, the French Revolution, and the period shortly thereafter. I was captured by the start of this novel with thirteen-year old Julien Harcourt, duc de Valere, trying to escape with his life from a mob of peasants. The novel then flash forwards towards the future when an older Julien Harcourt is trying desperately to find his missing brothers in Napoleon ruled France.

Julien’s life is complicated when the lovely Serafina, another French aristocratic refuge arrives in England from Italy. Serafina is lovely, and a woman that Julien’s mother would love him to marry. Little does he know that Serafina is really Sarah Smith, a governess turned spy, who is trying to determine whether Julien is a French traitor.

I loved the two main characters and really enjoyed the setting. The adventure was very exciting and I couldn’t wait to see how it all ended. I read this book easily in a day. Overall, The Making of a Duchess was a highly enjoyable and exciting romance novel. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series!

The book also allowed my husband and me to debate the French Revolution. We both decided it would be a good idea to read A Tale of Two Cities again one of these days.

Book Source: Advance Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!