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The Chateau on the Lake Kindle Edition
A compelling tale of romance and betrayal set during the danger of the French Revolution, perfect for readers of Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Jenny Ashcroft.
'Romantic, engaging and hugely satisfying' Katie Fforde on The Apothecary's Daughter
1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world. Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery offers her protection at his home, Chateau Mirabelle.
Chateau Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to secure a chance of future happiness.
Praise for Charlotte Betts
'Betts' description is second to none . . . you inhale all the sights, sounds and smells of the setting and engage with every one of the characters. I stayed awake until 3am to finish it. A superb book' The Sun
'Full of passion and drama . . . I was captivated by this moving, heart-warming and beautifully woven story - gripping, atmospheric, eloquently told and full of rich detail' Kate Furnivall, bestselling author of The Russian Concubine
'You will never be disappointed with a Charlotte Betts book!' Amazon reviewer
'Well-written and thought-provoking' Goodreads reviewer
'A fantastic story loaded with history' Amazon reviewer
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPiatkus
- Publication date6 Nov. 2014
- File size1.5 MB
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Product description
Review
A richly embroidered and memorable read ― My Weekly
Betts' description is second to none. It caters to the senses. Historically believable, you inhale all the sights, sounds and smells of the setting and engage with every one of the characters. I stayed awake until 3am to finish it. A superb book ― The Sun
Lively narrative voice ― The Lady
Full of passion and drama . . . I was captivated by this moving, heart-warming and beautifully woven story - gripping, atmospheric, eloquently told and full of rich detail ― Kate Furnivall, bestselling author of The Russian Concubine
About the Author
Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings.
Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two step-children had grown up. The Apothecary's Daughter is her debut novel and won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year in 2010, the Romantic Novelists' Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers in 2011 and the RoNA's Historical Category award for 2013. The sequel, The Painter's Apprentice was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Festival of Romance's Best Historical Read Award in 2012. The Spice Merchant's Wife was published in 2013 and won the Festival of Romance's Best Historical Read Award in 2013.
Product details
- ASIN : B00LTUC9ZE
- Publisher : Piatkus
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : 6 Nov. 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 1.5 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 391 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-0349404509
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: 227,646 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 339 in Historical French Fiction
- 2,242 in Historical Regency Fiction
- 3,321 in Women's Sagas
- Customer reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be an enthralling summer holiday read with a compelling tale of romance set against the backdrop of the French revolution. The writing is well-executed, with one customer noting that no words are wasted in the descriptions. They appreciate the character development, with one review highlighting how the heroine is convincingly portrayed in the London environment.
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Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as absolutely enthralling, with one customer noting it's a gripping summer holiday read.
"...subtly drops us back in time in a way that is comprehensible and enjoyable...." Read more
"Chateau on the Lake is yet another gripping romance from this award-winning novelist...." Read more
"I enjoyed the change of topic. It gripped me all the way through. Will the next book continue the saga?" Read more
"Very good. I thoroughly enjoyed it." Read more
Customers enjoy the romance in this historical story, with one customer noting how the setting of the French revolution adds interest to the narrative.
"Detailed historical fiction and nicely written. First time reading her books...." Read more
"Chateau on the Lake is yet another gripping romance from this award-winning novelist...." Read more
"...learning more about the reign of terror in addition to the compelling tale of romance and betrayal described." Read more
"This time Charlotte Betts transports you back in time to the French revolution and describes the culture and challenges faced on both sides of the..." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as a page turner with vivid descriptions.
"...Bett's has been able to bring the French Revolution to life with vivid descriptions and dialogue - I could hear the crowds baying and the estate..." Read more
"Detailed historical fiction and nicely written. First time reading her books...." Read more
"...This novel is real page turner, and I really enjoyed learning more about the reign of terror in addition to the compelling tale of romance and..." Read more
"Oh I loved this book, so well written by Charlotte Betts I didn't want it to end...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one review noting how the heroine is convincingly portrayed in the London environment.
"...faced on both sides of the battle , whilst placing realistic characters within her story, and their involvement...." Read more
"...It started well and our heroine was convincing in the London environment but it all went a bit pear-shaped when she went to France...." Read more
"...back in time, this time to the French Revolution, I loved the mix of characters and the twist and turns facing them. Can't wait for the next one!" Read more
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2016Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThe opening sentence of Charlotte Bett's latest book grabbed my attention, and this only increases with each chapter: "It is often said that an educated woman is an abomination in the eyes of God".
An historical novel, the reader should be prepared to delve deep into the eighteenth century - beliefs, fashion, travel, and inequality. This is all astutely obvious when we are taken to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for masquerade and fireworks. However, our author provides us with a journey from London to Paris, and rather subtly drops us back in time in a way that is comprehensible and enjoyable. Even when the climax of the story has peaked and there was only the "wrapping up" left to do, I was unable to stop thinking about our heroine, Madeleine. Having experienced life's rich pathway of ups and downs, our protagonist finally finds a new home. In this way, the story has many similar points to that of a traditional fairytale. Charlotte Bett's has been able to bring the French Revolution to life with vivid descriptions and dialogue - I could hear the crowds baying and the estate workers jeering. I could feel the anguish Madeleine experiences in the turret, and desperation in the diligence to Paris. The reader is presented with sights, sounds and sensations, evoking the emotions of the era.
Charlotte Bett's has managed to dispel the myth that the guillotined aristocrats were powdered and pompous; that it was a just revolution. Personally, having read lightly around the Revolution last year, it has re-ignited my appetite for this period in French history. Our lovely author has provided further reading of her resources for this book.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to her next novel.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2015Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseDetailed historical fiction and nicely written. First time reading her books. I did expect a little more detail in the end and how it turned out but that can be left to your imagination....
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2015Chateau on the Lake is yet another gripping romance from this award-winning novelist. I first came across Charlotte because she has written several books in one of my favourite periods - the seventeenth century, but for this novel we are invited to explore the 18th century and Revolutionary France.
After the death of her parents Madeleine Moreau must travel to France to search for the relatives she has heard of, but never met. The meeting proves disastrous and she is given shelter at Chateau Mirabelle, a breathtakingly beautiful castle which is home to the aristocrat Etienne D'Aubery. Of course there is a little competition for Madeleine's affections, with the handsome Jean Luc, and plenty of dark and sinister secrets in the Chateau's past.
Charlotte Betts recreates the detail of the period painstakingly, whilst still providing a pacy and satisfying romance. The sense of the course of the French revolution with all its horrors - the guillotine, the starving peasants, the mob violence - all these are faithfully depicted, whilst never losing the forward momentum of the plot. It is a hard thing to do, to juggle romance against such gritty realism, but Charlotte Betts does it seamlessly.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2014Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseI enjoyed the change of topic. It gripped me all the way through. Will the next book continue the saga?
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2016Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseVery good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 March 2019Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseA work or historical fiction set in the 17th Century, during the time of the French Revolution. A young English woman searched for members of her family after her parent are murdered. This novel is real page turner, and I really enjoyed learning more about the reign of terror in addition to the compelling tale of romance and betrayal described.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2020Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis time Charlotte Betts transports you back in time to the French revolution and describes the culture and challenges faced on both sides of the battle , whilst placing realistic characters within her story, and their involvement. Her writing always manages to get your attention from t he start.
Top reviews from other countries
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LecteurXReviewed in France on 21 May 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Un excellent roman historique palpitant et parfaitement documenté. Bravo !
Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseJ'ai acheté ce roman car je me disais qu'à 0,99 euros, je ne risquais rien. Une couverture un peu kitsch faisant craindre un roman à l'eau de rose. J'ai cassé ma tire-lire. Et me voila en 1792, en Angleterre, puis en France. Les ingrédients classiques d'une romance sont là : une jeune femme à l'origine mystérieuse, un gentilhomme français séduisant. L'intrigue démarre, change de direction. L'atmosphère s'alourdit. Est-ce un remake de Rebecca eu du Mouron rouge ? Je me prends au jeu, je ne lâche plus le livre, je veux connaître le dénouement. Une précision. Je peux attester que l'auteure s'est sérieusement documentée sur cette période de notre histoire. En effet, je la connais bien pour avoir moi-même écrit un livre sur cette période (Le dernier des Morthemer chez Amazon, la biographie romancée d'un ancêtre, le Général de Heymann, qui fut maître-espion et diplomate de Louis XVI et du Roi de Prusse au plus haut niveau).
Un dernier point : l'anglais est excellent et l'auteure prend soin d'utiliser des termes de l'époque passés en désuétude mais dont on trouve le sens facilement grâce au dictionnaire intégré au Kindle (Oxford Dictionnary).
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ClienteReviewed in France on 22 August 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice book
Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseRomance, a bit of easy French revolution history and suspence makes this book quite pleasant to read and difficult to put down.