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The King's Favorite
Nell Gwyn has never been a lady, nor does she pretend to be. Blessed with impudent wit and saucy beauty, she swiftly rises from the poverty of Covent Garden to become a sensation in the theater. Still in her teens, she catches the eye of King Charles II, and trades the stage for Whitehall Palace and the role of royal mistress.
Even though she delights the king, she must learn to negotiate the cutthroat royal court, where ambition and lust for power rule the hearts of all around her. For beneath her charm and light-heartedness, Nell has her own ambition to become no less than the king's favorite.
Even though she delights the king, she must learn to negotiate the cutthroat royal court, where ambition and lust for power rule the hearts of all around her. For beneath her charm and light-heartedness, Nell has her own ambition to become no less than the king's favorite.
427 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
23 people are currently reading
1248 people want to read
About the author
Susan Holloway Scott
9 books791 followersAka Miranda Jarrett
Aka Isabella Bradford
Susan Holloway Scott is the author of over fifty historical novels and historical romances. Writing under several pen names, she has received numerous awards and honors for her bestselling books. With more than three million copies of her books in print, she has been published in nineteen foreign countries around the world and translated into fourteen different languages.
Susan has also written as half of the Two Nerdy History Girls (twonerdyhistorygirls.com), a popular book & history blog with a worldwide following. Follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/susan_hollo...) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/2nerdyhistgirls). She is a graduate of Brown University, and lives with her family outside of Philadelphia, PA.
Aka Isabella Bradford
Susan Holloway Scott is the author of over fifty historical novels and historical romances. Writing under several pen names, she has received numerous awards and honors for her bestselling books. With more than three million copies of her books in print, she has been published in nineteen foreign countries around the world and translated into fourteen different languages.
Susan has also written as half of the Two Nerdy History Girls (twonerdyhistorygirls.com), a popular book & history blog with a worldwide following. Follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/susan_hollo...) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/2nerdyhistgirls). She is a graduate of Brown University, and lives with her family outside of Philadelphia, PA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 23, 2012
As a fan of Susan Holloway Scott’s "Dutchess" and “Royal Harlot”; it was nice to give my favorite mistress, Nell, a chance in Scott’s “The King’s Favorite”. Nell is spunky yet smart, humorous and yet with a touch of sadness. Does Scott bring this to life?
Susan Holloway Scott’s “The King’s Favorite” lacks a proper introduction to Nell. Although this successfully “gets the story moving”; it prevents a character arc or the building of a relationship with the reader. Furthermore, Scott’s portrayal of Nell is too extreme on the goodie-goodie side. Historical fiction authors always create Nell as either a slut or an angel versus a complacent middle ground. This causes an unbelievable factor in her character. Further, Nell lacks the wit she is known for in the “The King’s Favorite”.
“The King’s Favorite” has a slow start (which never seems to pick up) and fails to bring both Nell or the time period alive. The rich, illustrated scenery and depth which could be accessed is instead one-dimensional and hardly explored. One could even forget that “The King’s Favorite” is a HF novel. Plus, Scott takes too many historical liberties with Nell and the events of her life. Versus being a biographical-based novel, “The King’s Favorite” is almost like a novel with Nell simply in it.
One of the odd (and annoying) traits of “The King’s Favorite” was each chapter skipping ahead many months (or even a year) at a time in sequencing; breaking up the story and inhibiting Nell’s development. This, along with a slow storyline, causes an absence of depth and something to cling to. Missing is the growth and build-up of tension which a reader seeks. Holloway attempts to stylize the novel by occasionally using Nell to narrate and look back at her story like a memoir or autobiography; however, this isn’t implored with much strength and simply “doesn’t work”. The foreshadowing of Nell’s future with the King is blunt and leaves nothing to the imagination. Not to mention, Scott seemed to do the opposite of what would strengthen the story: more eventful possibilities (Lord Buckhurst and Nell’s summer with him) were glossed over while minor events were dragged out adding to the boredom of the novel.
Nell’s childish antics also brought great annoyances. If Scott declared that Nell would do a jig one more time… I was going to scream! Or, if Nell tells the King she will do “whatever he wishes”… vomit! Lacking in intrigue, I found myself only reading to the novel to end versus to find out what happens because arguable, Scott’s version doesn’t have anything happening.
Most historical fiction novels pertaining to Nell include interactions between Nell and Rose (her sister), other mistresses, and other fellow female actresses which adds depth and demonstrates Nell’s personality. “The King’s Favorite” missed that boat, as well. Although these minor characters would be mentioned, they were never involved in any dialogue. Furthermore, some of the well-known confrontations between Nell and other mistresses were disjointed and “thrown-in” without flowing smoothly. This was also the case with the mention of politics with didn’t flow with the plot.
The ending is quite abrupt and concluded on a political note which doesn’t make sense with much of the focus of the novel. The “Author’s Note” was much more compelling than the entire novel and thus, is recommended for reading.
Although I overall didn’t enjoy “The King’s Favorite”, I will still read “The French Mistress” because I like Scott’s previous works and therefore, I want to see if this novel is an isolated fluke. It is possible that Scott attempted to make Nell’s character too approachable (since she wasn’t high-born) and instead created a characterization that was a simpleton. Ironically, she describes Nell better in the “Author’s Note” than in the novel. Simply, “The King’s Favorite” is another Nell novel which did not blow me away.
Susan Holloway Scott’s “The King’s Favorite” lacks a proper introduction to Nell. Although this successfully “gets the story moving”; it prevents a character arc or the building of a relationship with the reader. Furthermore, Scott’s portrayal of Nell is too extreme on the goodie-goodie side. Historical fiction authors always create Nell as either a slut or an angel versus a complacent middle ground. This causes an unbelievable factor in her character. Further, Nell lacks the wit she is known for in the “The King’s Favorite”.
“The King’s Favorite” has a slow start (which never seems to pick up) and fails to bring both Nell or the time period alive. The rich, illustrated scenery and depth which could be accessed is instead one-dimensional and hardly explored. One could even forget that “The King’s Favorite” is a HF novel. Plus, Scott takes too many historical liberties with Nell and the events of her life. Versus being a biographical-based novel, “The King’s Favorite” is almost like a novel with Nell simply in it.
One of the odd (and annoying) traits of “The King’s Favorite” was each chapter skipping ahead many months (or even a year) at a time in sequencing; breaking up the story and inhibiting Nell’s development. This, along with a slow storyline, causes an absence of depth and something to cling to. Missing is the growth and build-up of tension which a reader seeks. Holloway attempts to stylize the novel by occasionally using Nell to narrate and look back at her story like a memoir or autobiography; however, this isn’t implored with much strength and simply “doesn’t work”. The foreshadowing of Nell’s future with the King is blunt and leaves nothing to the imagination. Not to mention, Scott seemed to do the opposite of what would strengthen the story: more eventful possibilities (Lord Buckhurst and Nell’s summer with him) were glossed over while minor events were dragged out adding to the boredom of the novel.
Nell’s childish antics also brought great annoyances. If Scott declared that Nell would do a jig one more time… I was going to scream! Or, if Nell tells the King she will do “whatever he wishes”… vomit! Lacking in intrigue, I found myself only reading to the novel to end versus to find out what happens because arguable, Scott’s version doesn’t have anything happening.
Most historical fiction novels pertaining to Nell include interactions between Nell and Rose (her sister), other mistresses, and other fellow female actresses which adds depth and demonstrates Nell’s personality. “The King’s Favorite” missed that boat, as well. Although these minor characters would be mentioned, they were never involved in any dialogue. Furthermore, some of the well-known confrontations between Nell and other mistresses were disjointed and “thrown-in” without flowing smoothly. This was also the case with the mention of politics with didn’t flow with the plot.
The ending is quite abrupt and concluded on a political note which doesn’t make sense with much of the focus of the novel. The “Author’s Note” was much more compelling than the entire novel and thus, is recommended for reading.
Although I overall didn’t enjoy “The King’s Favorite”, I will still read “The French Mistress” because I like Scott’s previous works and therefore, I want to see if this novel is an isolated fluke. It is possible that Scott attempted to make Nell’s character too approachable (since she wasn’t high-born) and instead created a characterization that was a simpleton. Ironically, she describes Nell better in the “Author’s Note” than in the novel. Simply, “The King’s Favorite” is another Nell novel which did not blow me away.
March 23, 2025
“This was Charles, my Charles, just as I was his Nelly, and king or not, I’d follow him anywhere in creation.”
Nell Gwyn grows up poor, struggling with her sister and mother to make ends meet, but blessed with endless determination, enchanting looks and a razor sharp wit. Refusing to end up yet another poor girl begging for scraps, she makes something of herself: first she charms all of London as an actress and later King Charles II himself. The King's Favorite, based on the true Cinderella story of Nell Gwyn, is a story of a love between the king and his lowborn mistress, the tumultuous politics of Restoration England and one woman's journey to fulfil her wildest dreams.
The King's Favorite did some things really well but other things not so well at all, so my feelings about it are quite mixed. I will go through the positives first and then move on to my criticism.
First of all, I liked the way Susan Holloway Scott depicted this time period in English history. Charles II is known as the Merry Monarch, but his reign was also marked by wars and political upheaval that threatened to push England into a civil war. During his reign, the tension between protestants and catholics became worse and worse, and Charles's lack of a legitimate heir (he had tons of kids, but none with his queen) caused its own problems, due to his brother, his legal heir, being catholic. All of this was really well depicted and I felt like I learned quite a bit about him as a ruler and his time when reading Nell's story. The language used also felt authentic for the time and I appreciated how Holloway Scott included quotes from plays, poems and so on of the era to make it feel even more vibrant. The story isn't just set at court - it takes almost half the book for Nell to become Charles's mistress - so the reader also gets to see what the life of an actress would've been like in this time and what kind of life those outside the court would've lived. There is a certain debauched vibe to Charles's England despite its highly religious debates, so brace yourselves for lots of drinking and partying and sex.
Even though this book is described on the cover as a story of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, it felt more Nell's story than anything else. I liked that Holloway Scott took her time showing the reader the kind of world Nell grew up in and developing her as a character before she becomes a royal mistress. By the time she becomes Charles's Nelly, we know who she is, what she wants, what has made her who she is, what she is good at and why exactly she makes herself so integral to the king that they stayed together for years up until his death. I felt like this book did justice to Nell, depicting her as this clever, witty, smart beauty who is not afraid to make fun of herself and who has a singular ability to make the king laugh at himself and those around him. Of course we will never know what Nell truly thought of herself and her station, but we know how she presented herself in public and Holloway Scott's depiction rings true to that. Nell feels like a multifaceted character: she is enchanting and witty and she makes the characters and the reader laugh, but she can also be mean, savage in her words and she can take her jests too far. I also really loved how Holloway Scott wrote about her love of acting and how she was never loved solely for her role as the king's (protestant) mistress but also as one of the most loved comedic actors of her time (it was fun reading about the people's adoration for her as one of them, a protestant of low birth - Nell became during and after her time something of a folk heroine, definitely the most loved of Charles's women). This book emphasises what many often forget when talking about any royal mistress or woman linked to a king: she was never just one of the king's women, no one is. She was a whole person.
Nell and Charles's relationship was well done. It was not romanticised or made into any cutesy lovely Disney love story where a lowborn girl becomes the one true love of a king through her good heart (Nell has often been written, by historians, to exemplify the "tart with a heart of gold" -trope). Yes, Nell is thoroughly dedicated to him and there is a lasting love between these two, but the situation is so much more complex than a simple love affair. Nell is known as the king's mistress, but he is married, so there can never be anything legally binding between them. Nell loves Charles and he loves her, but he also has other mistresses, and Nell accepts it, even if she doesn't like it. Nell acknowledges the power imbalance between them and knows that Charles could, if he wanted to, throw her away with ease, because he is the law, he is England. Nell doesn't feel pressured by him because she loves him so much and is willing to do anything for him, but even knowing that creates a strange vibe between them. I liked that, as I did how Holloway Scott emphasised Nell's role as the king's true friend as one of the most important aspects of their relationship and why it lasted so long. Charles doesn't have many people he can trust to not have an agenda when interacting with him (even his closest friends, Earl of Rochester and Lord Buckingham, are constantly testing their boundaries, causing mischief and being nuisances to the king) but with Nell, he can trust that she has his best interest at heart. It's quite sad, when you think about it. But with all its complexities and as much as I sometimes wanted to shake Charles for how he treated Nell more poorly than his other lovers (he made all of his other mistresses nobility but not Nell - he gave titles to their sons, but not her, due to her past), I did like their scenes together. I could feel the love there and I could understand why Charles wanted her by his side for so long.
Lastly, before I get all negative, I want to highlight Nell's friendship with the Earl of Rochester, one of the most notorious rakes and bad boys of the time. He was a wild libertine who got into all kinds of trouble, was banished a few times by the king, had sex with men and women, wrote naughty poetry and so on. But he was also a lifelong friend to Nell. They might've been an item - historians debate this, but as far as I know there is no concrete proof that they were, Nell seems to have been fiercely loyal to Charles - but in this story, they are friends, bound together by a shared love of wit, humour and wild joy. I don't know if them meeting as kids (11 and 14) is accurate, but it was so much fun following their friendship develop over the years as they both become notable members of the court, up until the end, when
Now, time to complain. I think the biggest issue of this book is its length. There simply isn't enough story to fill 418 pages. Nell wasn't a particularly political mistress, so we do not get a front-row seat into political debates, and she also wasn't a particularly scandalous mistress, so there is no wild stories of her doing crazy shit. The last 150 or so pages start to feel really repetitive and it is hard to get super excited about the political machinations when they are always simply told to Nell and we only really see her reacting to them. Instead, it felt like we got so many similar scenes of Nell making a few jokes and dancing a few jigs, making Charles laugh, him wondering where he would be without her and them having sex. I think the problem of the last quarter of the book is that it tried to be both a political story and an intimate love story, but because it tried to be both at the same time, it didn't do either super well. Sometimes, it felt like big political stuff was glossed over very quickly and in other times, it felt like Holloway Scott forgot that Nell is the heart of the book. The ending especially lost its center and became so much about politics that I felt like there was no proper, satisfying ending to Nell's arc - I was also baffled that this book ended where it did. I guess Holloway Scott didn't want to write about the sadder stuff, like Charles's death and Nell's death not long after him, and wanted the story to end on a high note, but, I don't know, it felt like a bit of a cop-out. At least there is the writer's afterword to tell the reader what happened to everyone later on.
While Nell and Charles's relationship was well depicted, as was her friendship with Rochester, there were some relationships that were woefully neglected. We are told Nell loves her sons, but we really do not get to see them interacting at all. There is perhaps one or two scenes of her and little Charles, but I'm 98% there was not a single conversation between her and little James, which meant that when And then there's every single female relationship Nell has - none of them felt fully realized. She has plenty of scenes with her sister, Rose, but then Rose too mostly disappears from the story with Nell hardly ever thinking about her. We are often told that this or that woman of the court or the Playhouse is a good friend to Nell, but then they appear perhaps once or twice and we never hear from them again. We are told Nell has grown to respect the Queen, but we never see them talk - in general, I don't think the Queen talked once. There was clearly an attempt from the author to make sure Nell doesn't only hang out with dudes and to show that her social circles were wider than just the merry band of men she parties with, but all these "friendships" were so hollow - they made no difference to her character or story.
So, unfortunately, what started out as a strong 4/5 novel eventually became a 3/5 novel. There was much I liked about it but unfortunately it ended up not being what I hoped it would be and what I feel like it had the potential to be. I would recommend it still to people interested in the story of Nell Gwyn, her beloved king and his tumultuous reign.
Nell Gwyn grows up poor, struggling with her sister and mother to make ends meet, but blessed with endless determination, enchanting looks and a razor sharp wit. Refusing to end up yet another poor girl begging for scraps, she makes something of herself: first she charms all of London as an actress and later King Charles II himself. The King's Favorite, based on the true Cinderella story of Nell Gwyn, is a story of a love between the king and his lowborn mistress, the tumultuous politics of Restoration England and one woman's journey to fulfil her wildest dreams.
The King's Favorite did some things really well but other things not so well at all, so my feelings about it are quite mixed. I will go through the positives first and then move on to my criticism.
First of all, I liked the way Susan Holloway Scott depicted this time period in English history. Charles II is known as the Merry Monarch, but his reign was also marked by wars and political upheaval that threatened to push England into a civil war. During his reign, the tension between protestants and catholics became worse and worse, and Charles's lack of a legitimate heir (he had tons of kids, but none with his queen) caused its own problems, due to his brother, his legal heir, being catholic. All of this was really well depicted and I felt like I learned quite a bit about him as a ruler and his time when reading Nell's story. The language used also felt authentic for the time and I appreciated how Holloway Scott included quotes from plays, poems and so on of the era to make it feel even more vibrant. The story isn't just set at court - it takes almost half the book for Nell to become Charles's mistress - so the reader also gets to see what the life of an actress would've been like in this time and what kind of life those outside the court would've lived. There is a certain debauched vibe to Charles's England despite its highly religious debates, so brace yourselves for lots of drinking and partying and sex.
Even though this book is described on the cover as a story of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, it felt more Nell's story than anything else. I liked that Holloway Scott took her time showing the reader the kind of world Nell grew up in and developing her as a character before she becomes a royal mistress. By the time she becomes Charles's Nelly, we know who she is, what she wants, what has made her who she is, what she is good at and why exactly she makes herself so integral to the king that they stayed together for years up until his death. I felt like this book did justice to Nell, depicting her as this clever, witty, smart beauty who is not afraid to make fun of herself and who has a singular ability to make the king laugh at himself and those around him. Of course we will never know what Nell truly thought of herself and her station, but we know how she presented herself in public and Holloway Scott's depiction rings true to that. Nell feels like a multifaceted character: she is enchanting and witty and she makes the characters and the reader laugh, but she can also be mean, savage in her words and she can take her jests too far. I also really loved how Holloway Scott wrote about her love of acting and how she was never loved solely for her role as the king's (protestant) mistress but also as one of the most loved comedic actors of her time (it was fun reading about the people's adoration for her as one of them, a protestant of low birth - Nell became during and after her time something of a folk heroine, definitely the most loved of Charles's women). This book emphasises what many often forget when talking about any royal mistress or woman linked to a king: she was never just one of the king's women, no one is. She was a whole person.
Nell and Charles's relationship was well done. It was not romanticised or made into any cutesy lovely Disney love story where a lowborn girl becomes the one true love of a king through her good heart (Nell has often been written, by historians, to exemplify the "tart with a heart of gold" -trope). Yes, Nell is thoroughly dedicated to him and there is a lasting love between these two, but the situation is so much more complex than a simple love affair. Nell is known as the king's mistress, but he is married, so there can never be anything legally binding between them. Nell loves Charles and he loves her, but he also has other mistresses, and Nell accepts it, even if she doesn't like it. Nell acknowledges the power imbalance between them and knows that Charles could, if he wanted to, throw her away with ease, because he is the law, he is England. Nell doesn't feel pressured by him because she loves him so much and is willing to do anything for him, but even knowing that creates a strange vibe between them. I liked that, as I did how Holloway Scott emphasised Nell's role as the king's true friend as one of the most important aspects of their relationship and why it lasted so long. Charles doesn't have many people he can trust to not have an agenda when interacting with him (even his closest friends, Earl of Rochester and Lord Buckingham, are constantly testing their boundaries, causing mischief and being nuisances to the king) but with Nell, he can trust that she has his best interest at heart. It's quite sad, when you think about it. But with all its complexities and as much as I sometimes wanted to shake Charles for how he treated Nell more poorly than his other lovers (he made all of his other mistresses nobility but not Nell - he gave titles to their sons, but not her, due to her past), I did like their scenes together. I could feel the love there and I could understand why Charles wanted her by his side for so long.
Lastly, before I get all negative, I want to highlight Nell's friendship with the Earl of Rochester, one of the most notorious rakes and bad boys of the time. He was a wild libertine who got into all kinds of trouble, was banished a few times by the king, had sex with men and women, wrote naughty poetry and so on. But he was also a lifelong friend to Nell. They might've been an item - historians debate this, but as far as I know there is no concrete proof that they were, Nell seems to have been fiercely loyal to Charles - but in this story, they are friends, bound together by a shared love of wit, humour and wild joy. I don't know if them meeting as kids (11 and 14) is accurate, but it was so much fun following their friendship develop over the years as they both become notable members of the court, up until the end, when
Now, time to complain. I think the biggest issue of this book is its length. There simply isn't enough story to fill 418 pages. Nell wasn't a particularly political mistress, so we do not get a front-row seat into political debates, and she also wasn't a particularly scandalous mistress, so there is no wild stories of her doing crazy shit. The last 150 or so pages start to feel really repetitive and it is hard to get super excited about the political machinations when they are always simply told to Nell and we only really see her reacting to them. Instead, it felt like we got so many similar scenes of Nell making a few jokes and dancing a few jigs, making Charles laugh, him wondering where he would be without her and them having sex. I think the problem of the last quarter of the book is that it tried to be both a political story and an intimate love story, but because it tried to be both at the same time, it didn't do either super well. Sometimes, it felt like big political stuff was glossed over very quickly and in other times, it felt like Holloway Scott forgot that Nell is the heart of the book. The ending especially lost its center and became so much about politics that I felt like there was no proper, satisfying ending to Nell's arc - I was also baffled that this book ended where it did. I guess Holloway Scott didn't want to write about the sadder stuff, like Charles's death and Nell's death not long after him, and wanted the story to end on a high note, but, I don't know, it felt like a bit of a cop-out. At least there is the writer's afterword to tell the reader what happened to everyone later on.
While Nell and Charles's relationship was well depicted, as was her friendship with Rochester, there were some relationships that were woefully neglected. We are told Nell loves her sons, but we really do not get to see them interacting at all. There is perhaps one or two scenes of her and little Charles, but I'm 98% there was not a single conversation between her and little James, which meant that when And then there's every single female relationship Nell has - none of them felt fully realized. She has plenty of scenes with her sister, Rose, but then Rose too mostly disappears from the story with Nell hardly ever thinking about her. We are often told that this or that woman of the court or the Playhouse is a good friend to Nell, but then they appear perhaps once or twice and we never hear from them again. We are told Nell has grown to respect the Queen, but we never see them talk - in general, I don't think the Queen talked once. There was clearly an attempt from the author to make sure Nell doesn't only hang out with dudes and to show that her social circles were wider than just the merry band of men she parties with, but all these "friendships" were so hollow - they made no difference to her character or story.
So, unfortunately, what started out as a strong 4/5 novel eventually became a 3/5 novel. There was much I liked about it but unfortunately it ended up not being what I hoped it would be and what I feel like it had the potential to be. I would recommend it still to people interested in the story of Nell Gwyn, her beloved king and his tumultuous reign.
June 13, 2011
I really like Susan Holloway Scott's writing style and I love that she pays close attention to historical detail. I read Royal Harlot and I loved it. Barbara Villiers Palmer (aka Lady Castlemaine) was not a very nice person, nor is she looked at positively throughout history. However, Scott makes her seem human, and almost likable.
Because I read Royal Harlot first, I had high hopes for The King's Favorite. I love the Cinderella story of Nell Gwynn, born the daughter of a prostitute, raised in a bawdy house/brothel, and works her way up to be the King's mistress. That said, while I liked The King's Favorite, I had a hard time reading it. Somehow, the story fell flat and didn't keep my interest. I felt like I slogged my way through the last 100 pages or so. I think it might have been the constant foreshadowing. The way it read it seemed to be like "you'll never BELIEVE WHAT KIND OF DOOM WE ARE FACING! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!" And then I was kind of like "wait, that was it?"
I liked the character of Nell, really I did. She was a very funny and it seemed kind person (from what I read about her on wikipedia, anyway) and I think Scott did a good job in portraying Nell as likable and humorous and good at making King Charles laugh. I enjoyed her antics (especially when she mocked Louise de Kerouaille, the Duchess of Portsmouth (and another of Charles' mistresses) and her banter with Rochester.
Overall, it was good, but I felt it was lacking something (and please, the use of foreshadowing was a bit much)...so instead of 4 stars, this one only merits 3. I do strongly encourage reading it if you read Royal Harlot and plan to read The French Mistress.
Edited: After reading The French Mistress, I decided that The King's Favorite merited 4 stars.
Because I read Royal Harlot first, I had high hopes for The King's Favorite. I love the Cinderella story of Nell Gwynn, born the daughter of a prostitute, raised in a bawdy house/brothel, and works her way up to be the King's mistress. That said, while I liked The King's Favorite, I had a hard time reading it. Somehow, the story fell flat and didn't keep my interest. I felt like I slogged my way through the last 100 pages or so. I think it might have been the constant foreshadowing. The way it read it seemed to be like "you'll never BELIEVE WHAT KIND OF DOOM WE ARE FACING! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!" And then I was kind of like "wait, that was it?"
I liked the character of Nell, really I did. She was a very funny and it seemed kind person (from what I read about her on wikipedia, anyway) and I think Scott did a good job in portraying Nell as likable and humorous and good at making King Charles laugh. I enjoyed her antics (especially when she mocked Louise de Kerouaille, the Duchess of Portsmouth (and another of Charles' mistresses) and her banter with Rochester.
Overall, it was good, but I felt it was lacking something (and please, the use of foreshadowing was a bit much)...so instead of 4 stars, this one only merits 3. I do strongly encourage reading it if you read Royal Harlot and plan to read The French Mistress.
Edited: After reading The French Mistress, I decided that The King's Favorite merited 4 stars.
March 14, 2014
This is the story of Nell Gwynn
…a little, teenaged nobody from nowhere, three centuries ago, who is remembered to this day not only as one of Charles II's mistresses, but as a great wit of her time. Even the most casual history buff will instantly recognize her various portraits (most of which are not appropriate for general audiences). Nelly might have crawled out of the gutters to the bed of the king, but she was famously funny and well-loved—not only by her lovers but by all but the most priggish Puritans of England.
It was this book that initially grabbed my interest when perusing the historical section at (ironically) the 2nd and Charles bookstore. One of the staff let me know that there were several books by this author, and I snatched up the lot of them.
Nell has always fascinated me. According to this author, she was the daughter of a war widow-turned-whore, and Nell's sister Rose joined their mother's profession, but even though she grew up in a bawdy house, Nell hoped for more. According to this book (and I don't know how factual this part is) Nell's ambition from her childhood was to be the lover of King Charles II.
Does anyone else think he looks a little like Robert Downey Jr.?
In this book, their paths crossed a number of times during Nell's 'tweens: King Charles II often left the beds of his various mistresses to pass the rest of the night at whorehouses (yeah, that wouldn't be a selling point for me, but this was all Nelly knew), including the one where Nell slung beer and entertained the gentlemen (in the barroom, not the bedrooms). Later Nell went into the keeping of a dressmaker, and when they parted ways she turned to the theater, starting at the bottom as an orange girl. (This was pre-popcorn, so the scantily clad girls sold fruit to patrons of the theater, and basically pimped the actresses.) Again, she encountered the king, and while he was interested, she was still too young and almost-virginal. It seems Chuck favored women with a few miles on them.
Eventually Nell's quick wit earned her a spot on the boards. She found favor with actor Charles Hart (her Charles I), and the two became lovers as he taught her the craft. Nell was not a great actress, but she had a gift for comedy, and she won the hearts of her audiences. She later went into the keeping of Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (her Charles II), for a summer. She was treading the boards again by fall.
Meanwhile the king had taken up with another actress named Moll Davis. While this book does touch on the theatrical rivalry between Moll and Nell, it unfortunately skips the delicious, perhaps apocryphal story in which Nell slipped laxatives into Moll's afternoon tea to make sure Moll was unavailable to the king. In the end, however it happened, Moll was out and Nell was in.
The story outlines the political intrigues of the day. Charles II faced a Parliament that sounds far too familiar—these guys were so desperate to make a failure of the king that they obstructed every move he made, even when they were for the betterment of England. Given no room to maneuver, Charles turned to France to underwrite his wars against Holland; and, in exchange, secretly promised to deliver England back to the Roman Church. Today, with Pope Francis in the Vatican, that might not sound so awful, but in Charles's day the Inquisition was still strong in people's minds, and England hadn't forgotten Bloody Mary, either. Protestants in England—a majority by far—were not keen to submit to another Catholic rule.
Is it me or does text of this era read like the writer had a liſp?
Through it all, Nell sometimes questions but always trusts His Majesty, even when every evidence suggests that he has sold out to France and by extension Rome. And more personally, she stays with him even after he ennobles Barbara Palmer and then Louise Keroualle and their offspring, granting them lands with guaranteed incomes for life, while leaving Nelly and her sons with no assurance for their future. There were some powerful moments in the story around these issues.
History doesn't tell us Nell's true motivations, but based on her actions I think Scott is justified in assuming that Nelly really loved the king and did her best to ease his burdens. Over and over we see her great pleasure in being able to make him laugh and forget his troubles, even while he failed to assure her the financial security he accorded every other mistress, and, more hurtfully, even when her sons remained unnamed bastards while his natural children by Barbara Palmer and Louise de Keroualle were named "Fitzroy" and given titles.
We remember and love Nelly three centuries later, even though she was never ennobled, while her rivals were made duchesses. Nelly's one surviving son was eventually made Duke of St. Albans—a title that continues to this day. But Nell herself ended almost as poor as she was born, in debt and dying young, likely from syphilis that was her one bequest from Charles. Any fortune associated with St. Albans today was bought by the intercession of Nelly's friends, and the hard, hard work of her antecedents.
I liked Nelly even when I knew very little about her. Now I love her. This book is a lovely portrayal of a woman who deserves her place in history, not for her power or her ambition but for her humor and her heart. I'll give this one an extremely rare
And by the way: Whatever happened to Nelly's prized silver bedstead? Does it still exist today? I'd love to see it.
…a little, teenaged nobody from nowhere, three centuries ago, who is remembered to this day not only as one of Charles II's mistresses, but as a great wit of her time. Even the most casual history buff will instantly recognize her various portraits (most of which are not appropriate for general audiences). Nelly might have crawled out of the gutters to the bed of the king, but she was famously funny and well-loved—not only by her lovers but by all but the most priggish Puritans of England.
It was this book that initially grabbed my interest when perusing the historical section at (ironically) the 2nd and Charles bookstore. One of the staff let me know that there were several books by this author, and I snatched up the lot of them.
Nell has always fascinated me. According to this author, she was the daughter of a war widow-turned-whore, and Nell's sister Rose joined their mother's profession, but even though she grew up in a bawdy house, Nell hoped for more. According to this book (and I don't know how factual this part is) Nell's ambition from her childhood was to be the lover of King Charles II.
Does anyone else think he looks a little like Robert Downey Jr.?
In this book, their paths crossed a number of times during Nell's 'tweens: King Charles II often left the beds of his various mistresses to pass the rest of the night at whorehouses (yeah, that wouldn't be a selling point for me, but this was all Nelly knew), including the one where Nell slung beer and entertained the gentlemen (in the barroom, not the bedrooms). Later Nell went into the keeping of a dressmaker, and when they parted ways she turned to the theater, starting at the bottom as an orange girl. (This was pre-popcorn, so the scantily clad girls sold fruit to patrons of the theater, and basically pimped the actresses.) Again, she encountered the king, and while he was interested, she was still too young and almost-virginal. It seems Chuck favored women with a few miles on them.
Eventually Nell's quick wit earned her a spot on the boards. She found favor with actor Charles Hart (her Charles I), and the two became lovers as he taught her the craft. Nell was not a great actress, but she had a gift for comedy, and she won the hearts of her audiences. She later went into the keeping of Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (her Charles II), for a summer. She was treading the boards again by fall.
Meanwhile the king had taken up with another actress named Moll Davis. While this book does touch on the theatrical rivalry between Moll and Nell, it unfortunately skips the delicious, perhaps apocryphal story in which Nell slipped laxatives into Moll's afternoon tea to make sure Moll was unavailable to the king. In the end, however it happened, Moll was out and Nell was in.
The story outlines the political intrigues of the day. Charles II faced a Parliament that sounds far too familiar—these guys were so desperate to make a failure of the king that they obstructed every move he made, even when they were for the betterment of England. Given no room to maneuver, Charles turned to France to underwrite his wars against Holland; and, in exchange, secretly promised to deliver England back to the Roman Church. Today, with Pope Francis in the Vatican, that might not sound so awful, but in Charles's day the Inquisition was still strong in people's minds, and England hadn't forgotten Bloody Mary, either. Protestants in England—a majority by far—were not keen to submit to another Catholic rule.
Is it me or does text of this era read like the writer had a liſp?
Through it all, Nell sometimes questions but always trusts His Majesty, even when every evidence suggests that he has sold out to France and by extension Rome. And more personally, she stays with him even after he ennobles Barbara Palmer and then Louise Keroualle and their offspring, granting them lands with guaranteed incomes for life, while leaving Nelly and her sons with no assurance for their future. There were some powerful moments in the story around these issues.
History doesn't tell us Nell's true motivations, but based on her actions I think Scott is justified in assuming that Nelly really loved the king and did her best to ease his burdens. Over and over we see her great pleasure in being able to make him laugh and forget his troubles, even while he failed to assure her the financial security he accorded every other mistress, and, more hurtfully, even when her sons remained unnamed bastards while his natural children by Barbara Palmer and Louise de Keroualle were named "Fitzroy" and given titles.
We remember and love Nelly three centuries later, even though she was never ennobled, while her rivals were made duchesses. Nelly's one surviving son was eventually made Duke of St. Albans—a title that continues to this day. But Nell herself ended almost as poor as she was born, in debt and dying young, likely from syphilis that was her one bequest from Charles. Any fortune associated with St. Albans today was bought by the intercession of Nelly's friends, and the hard, hard work of her antecedents.
I liked Nelly even when I knew very little about her. Now I love her. This book is a lovely portrayal of a woman who deserves her place in history, not for her power or her ambition but for her humor and her heart. I'll give this one an extremely rare
And by the way: Whatever happened to Nelly's prized silver bedstead? Does it still exist today? I'd love to see it.
October 4, 2024
I looove this book. The way Scott describes the time period Nell and King Charles lived in feels, as though you've time traveled, sitting in the tiring room of the theater, sharing a cup of Tea with Nell herself, having her tell you her lifes story.
10/10 would recommend 🤭
10/10 would recommend 🤭
August 15, 2008
The King's Favorite is Susan Holloway Scott's 3rd novel (although I recently discovered that she's written several historical romances under the name Miranda Jarrett.)
I liked this book, but not nearly as much as her previous two, Duchess and Royal Harlot.
Nell Gwyn is an endearing character to be sure, but I found her less relateable than I would have liked. She genuinely loved King Charles II, but they were so far from equal that it was hard for me to consider their relationship real or important. That feelig, I'm sure, is a result of living in 21st century America and not 17th century England ;)
The story was fun to read, but not very interesting. The plot felt weak to me, with not much happening. It was a bit repetetive, and the constant foreshadowing (at the end of nearly every chapter!) was tiresome.
I liked this book, but not nearly as much as her previous two, Duchess and Royal Harlot.
Nell Gwyn is an endearing character to be sure, but I found her less relateable than I would have liked. She genuinely loved King Charles II, but they were so far from equal that it was hard for me to consider their relationship real or important. That feelig, I'm sure, is a result of living in 21st century America and not 17th century England ;)
The story was fun to read, but not very interesting. The plot felt weak to me, with not much happening. It was a bit repetetive, and the constant foreshadowing (at the end of nearly every chapter!) was tiresome.
July 4, 2012
A pretty good read, although the ending felt somewhat inconclusive. I guess that can be the case with historical novels about real people; lives do not always follow a tidy story arc! I liked Nell's character, but she did seem a little under-developed to me--actually, most of the characters did. Nell is supposedly an observer of court life, but there are many aspects of that life that are merely hinted at because she doesn't actually have the opportunity to see them first-hand. Also, the way the story skipped over large chunks of time could be jarring.
Still, I enjoyed it for what it was, a densely imagined pseudo-memoir of an intriguing historical figure. Susan Holloway Scott's writing is lyrical and descriptive, and paints a vibrant picture of life during the Restoration in England.
Still, I enjoyed it for what it was, a densely imagined pseudo-memoir of an intriguing historical figure. Susan Holloway Scott's writing is lyrical and descriptive, and paints a vibrant picture of life during the Restoration in England.
September 10, 2023
During my UK trip I learned a ton about the civil war and restoration period so I decided I wanted to find some historical fiction books about King Charles II. Turns out Susan Holloway Scott has three books each about a different one of his mistresses. I started with the one on Nell Gwynn after seeing her name all over London (including her house on Pall Mall)! This is fulllll of history and told in an really digestible way. This is a new historical period for me. I learned a lot and liked following the political and court drama through Nell. I enjoyed it but it was a little slow for me (also very long) and by the end I was ready to be done. I will be reading the other books about the king and his mistresses.
June 8, 2017
Poor Nell Gwynne. If ever there was a cautionary tale about how, "if you don't advocate for your own needs, no one will", this is it.
A perfectly serviceable piece of historical fiction.
A perfectly serviceable piece of historical fiction.
August 26, 2011
I did enjoy this book more than three stars but not quite four. It was cool to read this after The Royal Harlot to see some of the same stories from a different perspective. Nell was also a likable person in the book and most likely in real life. I did feel too much of the first half of the book was spent in the playhouse. It seemed to drag a bit there. Also somewhere along the way Nell started using the phrase Od's blood way too often for my taste. I mean she said it a lot. Other than that I was an enjoyable book and I plan on reading the third in the series.
December 31, 2011
Nell Gwyn was born poor and a commoner. Her mother and older sister were both prostitutes and Nell herself worked in the brothel at barely fourteen, singing for the punters to earn her coin. Despite the location, Nell held onto her virginity until her mother sought to auction it off – Nell was bought and paid for and went to become the mistress of a tailor.
Whilst she was his mistress, he took her to the theatre and Nell became enthralled with the acting, the stories, even the beautiful girls that walked around selling oranges to the theatre-goers before the commencement of the play. Always one with a quick retort and a sassy remark, Nell was pretty sure she could act on stage even though she could not read. She had a good memory and she knew that she could earn her lines simply by hearing them. She went for the owner and asked for a tryout but he would not touch her while she was still mistress to his friend. Eventually the man who kept her married and Nell was free to move on – first as an orange girl, and then later as an actress.
There she saw the King, Charles the II, who was a frequent theatre-goer, often with his long-time mistress the Duchess of Cleveland, Lady Castlemaine Barbara Villiers and more rarely, the Queen. Nell, who was both beautiful, smart and famously witty, caught his eye first as a girl who sold him oranges and then later when she was up on the stage. Charles would often stop by and see the actors backstage after a performance and his banter with Nell became well known.
Always knowing that fate had something high and special in store for her, Nell becomes one of Charles II’s most devoted mistresses and probably was his mistress for one of the longest lengths of time. She becomes of his favourites (yes I know this book is technically titled The King’s Favorite but refuse to spell it that way) and during their long liaison she bears him two sons and survives the rivalries and intricacies of a Court recovering from the Puritan era of Oliver Cromwell and moving into much more sexually freer one. Charles is well known for his roving eye and large sexual appetite but he also remains faithful on one level to his barren wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, who was unfortunately barren (which often seemed to be the way of Queens!). Despite urging from several advisers, he refused to divorce her and take another wife and Nell never expected him to.
A well known figure of the time in history, Nell Gwyn rose from total poverty to become mistress to a King for more than half her lifetime, earning herself houses and riches beyond belief. However despite this, Charles never granted a title to her (unlike two of his other significant mistresses, the aforementioned Duchess of Cleveland, and Louise de Karouaille, who was later granted the title Duchess of Portsmouth) and rumour has it she had to beg for her sons to be granted titles of their own. Despite this, she remained loyal and faithful to Charles until the end, believed to be the only one of his mistresses to do so.
I’m so glad Marg recommended this time period to me to fill the seventh continent of my 2011 Global Reading Challenge because I have to say, I am really enjoying it. Up until last year I wasn’t really a reader of any historical fiction at all, reading mostly contemporary novels but slowly I am filling in some gaps in the timeline. This is the second novel I’ve read set in the court of King Charles II and the protagonist here was an antagonist in my previous book which is always interesting. Sometimes you can develop an opinion of a character taken from history and nothing can change it but because I didn’t particularly enjoy Louise de Karouaille in the previous novel and she was one of my narrators, I was mostly ambivalent towards Nell Gwyn when I started this book.
Nell is noted throughout history for her famous wit and quick tongue and if you didn’t know this before starting the book, then you will certainly know it by the end. Much is made of her famous banter, especially with the King and at Court and often with Louise de Karouaille as the butt of her jokes. In this novel the two are bitter enemies and given it’s from Nell’s point of view, she often gets the better of Louise, particularly in verbal stoushes. It seems the only time Louise triumphs over Nell is a point taken from fact in that she was granted a title, the Duchess of Portsmouth and Nell never was. I actually didn’t find a lot of the much-lauded funny moments funny but it’s evident that many did.
Although I don’t have anything remotely resembling her background, I found that it wasn’t too much trouble to relate to Nell – she was a normal, low-maintenance sort of woman who rarely ever harassed the King unless it was about securing rights for her children. She certainly wasn’t flawless, at times she is portrayed as rude, nasty, and quite frankly, a bit of a bitch – not someone that you’d particularly want to go up against! But Court is a tough world and she played it with everything she had, ensuring the King’s favour for well over a decade, succeeding where many others had failed. She was a go-getter, keeping up her acting for as long as she could before giving it up due to her status. You got the feeling throughout the novel that she wasn’t mistress to the King just because he was the King (although that probably did help) but because she genuinely loved him. She wasn’t just a kept woman, she had her own interests and life and could live independently of the King.
I notice that Susan Holloway Scott has written novels on all of Charles II’s notable mistresses including the Duchess of Cleveland and the Duchess of Portsmouth so in the new year I’ll be looking at tracking them down and reading them to further flesh out my picture of the Court and its workings. I’m sort of interested to see which mistress I’ll like the best when I’m all done!
Whilst she was his mistress, he took her to the theatre and Nell became enthralled with the acting, the stories, even the beautiful girls that walked around selling oranges to the theatre-goers before the commencement of the play. Always one with a quick retort and a sassy remark, Nell was pretty sure she could act on stage even though she could not read. She had a good memory and she knew that she could earn her lines simply by hearing them. She went for the owner and asked for a tryout but he would not touch her while she was still mistress to his friend. Eventually the man who kept her married and Nell was free to move on – first as an orange girl, and then later as an actress.
There she saw the King, Charles the II, who was a frequent theatre-goer, often with his long-time mistress the Duchess of Cleveland, Lady Castlemaine Barbara Villiers and more rarely, the Queen. Nell, who was both beautiful, smart and famously witty, caught his eye first as a girl who sold him oranges and then later when she was up on the stage. Charles would often stop by and see the actors backstage after a performance and his banter with Nell became well known.
Always knowing that fate had something high and special in store for her, Nell becomes one of Charles II’s most devoted mistresses and probably was his mistress for one of the longest lengths of time. She becomes of his favourites (yes I know this book is technically titled The King’s Favorite but refuse to spell it that way) and during their long liaison she bears him two sons and survives the rivalries and intricacies of a Court recovering from the Puritan era of Oliver Cromwell and moving into much more sexually freer one. Charles is well known for his roving eye and large sexual appetite but he also remains faithful on one level to his barren wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, who was unfortunately barren (which often seemed to be the way of Queens!). Despite urging from several advisers, he refused to divorce her and take another wife and Nell never expected him to.
A well known figure of the time in history, Nell Gwyn rose from total poverty to become mistress to a King for more than half her lifetime, earning herself houses and riches beyond belief. However despite this, Charles never granted a title to her (unlike two of his other significant mistresses, the aforementioned Duchess of Cleveland, and Louise de Karouaille, who was later granted the title Duchess of Portsmouth) and rumour has it she had to beg for her sons to be granted titles of their own. Despite this, she remained loyal and faithful to Charles until the end, believed to be the only one of his mistresses to do so.
I’m so glad Marg recommended this time period to me to fill the seventh continent of my 2011 Global Reading Challenge because I have to say, I am really enjoying it. Up until last year I wasn’t really a reader of any historical fiction at all, reading mostly contemporary novels but slowly I am filling in some gaps in the timeline. This is the second novel I’ve read set in the court of King Charles II and the protagonist here was an antagonist in my previous book which is always interesting. Sometimes you can develop an opinion of a character taken from history and nothing can change it but because I didn’t particularly enjoy Louise de Karouaille in the previous novel and she was one of my narrators, I was mostly ambivalent towards Nell Gwyn when I started this book.
Nell is noted throughout history for her famous wit and quick tongue and if you didn’t know this before starting the book, then you will certainly know it by the end. Much is made of her famous banter, especially with the King and at Court and often with Louise de Karouaille as the butt of her jokes. In this novel the two are bitter enemies and given it’s from Nell’s point of view, she often gets the better of Louise, particularly in verbal stoushes. It seems the only time Louise triumphs over Nell is a point taken from fact in that she was granted a title, the Duchess of Portsmouth and Nell never was. I actually didn’t find a lot of the much-lauded funny moments funny but it’s evident that many did.
Although I don’t have anything remotely resembling her background, I found that it wasn’t too much trouble to relate to Nell – she was a normal, low-maintenance sort of woman who rarely ever harassed the King unless it was about securing rights for her children. She certainly wasn’t flawless, at times she is portrayed as rude, nasty, and quite frankly, a bit of a bitch – not someone that you’d particularly want to go up against! But Court is a tough world and she played it with everything she had, ensuring the King’s favour for well over a decade, succeeding where many others had failed. She was a go-getter, keeping up her acting for as long as she could before giving it up due to her status. You got the feeling throughout the novel that she wasn’t mistress to the King just because he was the King (although that probably did help) but because she genuinely loved him. She wasn’t just a kept woman, she had her own interests and life and could live independently of the King.
I notice that Susan Holloway Scott has written novels on all of Charles II’s notable mistresses including the Duchess of Cleveland and the Duchess of Portsmouth so in the new year I’ll be looking at tracking them down and reading them to further flesh out my picture of the Court and its workings. I’m sort of interested to see which mistress I’ll like the best when I’m all done!
December 20, 2023
I read this so slow I didn't want it to end! I had no idea how this was gonna go but I'm so so glad I got this randomly at a thrift store!
I hate that she struggled so much and Charles couldn't do right by her and treat her to the things the other mistresses had gotten from him. But I'm so glad to have been introduced to her through this book, will definitely be added to my reread list!
I love and adore Nell so much and she has easily become a new fav woman historical figure of mine, if one day I get to travel I'd love to go to England to the tavern named after her and also find her statue <3
I hate that she struggled so much and Charles couldn't do right by her and treat her to the things the other mistresses had gotten from him. But I'm so glad to have been introduced to her through this book, will definitely be added to my reread list!
I love and adore Nell so much and she has easily become a new fav woman historical figure of mine, if one day I get to travel I'd love to go to England to the tavern named after her and also find her statue <3
January 22, 2018
This was a 3-star book for awhile, but went up to 4 by the end. There wasn't any particular moment in which this changed, but the strong depiction of Restoration England finally won me over. I felt the author showed what life was like and what the mindset was. I did get annoyed by the banter!banter!, especially toward the beginning, but I grant that that kind of thing can be hard to depict on the page. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Otherwise, this was pretty good.
June 1, 2019
I have read several books on Nell Gwyn and I enjoyed this one the most. Susan Holloway Scott has a most enjoyable way of bringing the intimacy of the characters without overboarding them. She brings a softer side of Nell out, without losing her sassiness, and it was a page turner all the way through. Took me a long time to read because I just became a grandmother for the first time and well I have other things to occupy me now!
June 15, 2019
A good 3.5 star historical fiction novel about a 5 star historical character. Nell Gwynn is a joy to read about and it’s a shame she doesn’t get more attention in literature as through Nell we can experience so much of Charles II’s fascinating reign. Not to mention, the whole Cinderella feel of her rags to riches story. A good indulgent read.
March 6, 2018
The good was "fine" -- an easy read about an interest historical figure. I would classify this book as a "beach read" not something I'd recommend for a book club .
September 17, 2018
Interesting 17th century historical fiction but too vulgar for my taste. Susan Scott did a lot of research to make this period-appropriate though. The dialogue and banter felt authentic.
July 28, 2020
This is my first read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a good story and well written.
July 29, 2022
Entertaining, but dragged in places and was quite repetitive. Was a great depiction of the late 1600's in England, although it was from a "whore's" perspective.
January 15, 2018
I’ve unfortunately lost interest. Historical fiction is my favorite genre but .. it’s not terrible and I actually like her writing style .. it’s just not holding my interest so I’ve decided to call it a day.
March 20, 2011
After thoroughly enjoying Susan Holloway Scott's Royal Harlot, I was eager to jump into another of her wonderful Restoration-era novels. I, was, however, curious has to how this one would measure up. I'd already read about the Countess of Castlemaine, Sarah Churchill and the Duchess of Portsmouth in previous novels, so I was a little concerned about reading practically the same story yet again, only through the eyes of another character. Plus there's the fact that I read Diane Haeger's The Perfect Royal Mistress earlier this year, which is also about Nell Gwyn, so I already had a very clear idea of what to expect.
Despite all of this, Susan Holloway Scott thoroughly enchanted me with The King's Favorite. The King's Favorite tells the story of Nell Gwyn, a low-born woman from the dregs of London. After getting a job as an orange seller at the local playhouse, she meets Charles Hart, and, through him, works her way up to being an actress. In this new role, she captures the attention of King Charles II himself, who has always had a vice for beautiful women, despite his long-time liaison with the Countess of Castlemaine and his wife, Queen Catherine. Using only her wit, her wanton-ness and zest for life, Nell captures the heart of the King and of London, but she soon finds that the perils of court are unlike anything else that she's experienced.
Nell is painted as an incredibly lively, fun character with something of a crude mouth, but a knowledgeable sense of what really makes the world go round. From beginning to end, I was in love with Nell's character. She was well-developed and fun to read about, not to mention lively, but somewhat innocent in the world of court politics. Just like all of Charles II's other mistresses, Nell constantly risks the threat of him putting her aside while trying to keep his favor, bear him sons (even though they are illegitimate) and, most importantly, overcome the taint of her low birth.
Scott does another exquisite job of painting the bawdy court of Charles II and depicting the cutthroat, yet thrilling world of royal mistress politics. However, now that I've read about this same period four times from Scott, I feel like it's time for something else. But still, King's Favorite is another great offering from Scott.
Despite all of this, Susan Holloway Scott thoroughly enchanted me with The King's Favorite. The King's Favorite tells the story of Nell Gwyn, a low-born woman from the dregs of London. After getting a job as an orange seller at the local playhouse, she meets Charles Hart, and, through him, works her way up to being an actress. In this new role, she captures the attention of King Charles II himself, who has always had a vice for beautiful women, despite his long-time liaison with the Countess of Castlemaine and his wife, Queen Catherine. Using only her wit, her wanton-ness and zest for life, Nell captures the heart of the King and of London, but she soon finds that the perils of court are unlike anything else that she's experienced.
Nell is painted as an incredibly lively, fun character with something of a crude mouth, but a knowledgeable sense of what really makes the world go round. From beginning to end, I was in love with Nell's character. She was well-developed and fun to read about, not to mention lively, but somewhat innocent in the world of court politics. Just like all of Charles II's other mistresses, Nell constantly risks the threat of him putting her aside while trying to keep his favor, bear him sons (even though they are illegitimate) and, most importantly, overcome the taint of her low birth.
Scott does another exquisite job of painting the bawdy court of Charles II and depicting the cutthroat, yet thrilling world of royal mistress politics. However, now that I've read about this same period four times from Scott, I feel like it's time for something else. But still, King's Favorite is another great offering from Scott.
April 18, 2020
I loved this book! I'd heard of Nell Gwyn before, just in quick reference in some other books I've read, but this was my first book solely about her. I think Ms. Scott did a fantastic job of capturing Nell's voice and character.
Nell is a tiny scrap of a woman with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. The story of her rise from a dingy London whorehouse, to orange girl at the King's Theatre, to a player at said theatre, to finally, the King's mistress, is one filled with wit and laughter, but also pain and suffering. With an abusive, alcoholic, whoring mother, and a sister who's following in her footsteps, Nell decides she wants more for herself and does everything she can to achieve this goal. However, she does it honestly, using her extraordinary wit and gift of making people laugh, not by scheming and backstabbing, as so many others of her time did.
I absolutely recommend this if you're at all interested in British history. I've spent a good deal of time in Tudor-Era England, so it was a nice change of scenery for me to read about Restoration England, a period I knew hardly anything about. I will say, the ONLY issue I had (and the reason for 4 stars and not 5)...it was a tad long. It seemed, towards the end of the novel, that we'd been down that road before...Rochester's crazy antics, Buckingham's traitors ways, and all the grievances with Parliament...got a little repetitive. Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ms. Scott is a wonderful storyteller, and I'll DEFINITELY be picking up her other novels.
Nell is a tiny scrap of a woman with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. The story of her rise from a dingy London whorehouse, to orange girl at the King's Theatre, to a player at said theatre, to finally, the King's mistress, is one filled with wit and laughter, but also pain and suffering. With an abusive, alcoholic, whoring mother, and a sister who's following in her footsteps, Nell decides she wants more for herself and does everything she can to achieve this goal. However, she does it honestly, using her extraordinary wit and gift of making people laugh, not by scheming and backstabbing, as so many others of her time did.
I absolutely recommend this if you're at all interested in British history. I've spent a good deal of time in Tudor-Era England, so it was a nice change of scenery for me to read about Restoration England, a period I knew hardly anything about. I will say, the ONLY issue I had (and the reason for 4 stars and not 5)...it was a tad long. It seemed, towards the end of the novel, that we'd been down that road before...Rochester's crazy antics, Buckingham's traitors ways, and all the grievances with Parliament...got a little repetitive. Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ms. Scott is a wonderful storyteller, and I'll DEFINITELY be picking up her other novels.
September 27, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed Nell Gwyn's story. It ended on an upbeat note, although I knew without reading the author's note that there could only be one ending for Nell. Poverty. The writing was excellent. The narrative well done and the dialogue was authentically natural. I think was appealed to me the most was how ordinary Nell was. It was easy to identify with her because of the fact that she was a commoner. That she was able to hold the attentions of the King for all the years she did is extraordinary when one considers the political minefields she had to traverse.
While the story doesn't have any exciting events in the way of battles or other fanfare, it was still a wonderful read. The manner in which the story is told mirrors Nell's simple goodnatured charm. It's a straight-forward honest telling of a woman without means rising to have a place at the royal court because she was herself. Quite refreshing really -- the idea that a woman can rise to the top of the heap without being a witch.
I really loved the book. Exceptional research, good characters and excellent writing.
While the story doesn't have any exciting events in the way of battles or other fanfare, it was still a wonderful read. The manner in which the story is told mirrors Nell's simple goodnatured charm. It's a straight-forward honest telling of a woman without means rising to have a place at the royal court because she was herself. Quite refreshing really -- the idea that a woman can rise to the top of the heap without being a witch.
I really loved the book. Exceptional research, good characters and excellent writing.
March 9, 2011
This book did not hold my attention and was not as page turning as Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess Castlemaine and King Charles II which comes before this book. Royal Harlot is about Barbara Villiers (mistress #1.) This book covers Nell Gwyn (mistress #2's) story. I've also read Diane Haeger's book of Mrs. Gywn The Perfect Royal Mistress and even though her version was very different from this one (on Nell's early life) I felt she told the story better. For whatever reason Nell wasn't very likable in this one. If the author wrote "Nell did a jig" one more time, I'd scream. Having liked Susan's version of Barbara Villiers so much, I was definitely disappointed in this one. With so many books out now about Nell, I'd check your other options
March 30, 2012
It has been awhile since I have enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed this one. I love reading about the times of the kings and queens, but good stories like this one really captivate me, especially the fact that these people actually did live at once.
I did sneak and look at the Author's Note about halfway through the book. I'm glad that the author put these notes in the book, it helps me understand a lot more about the characters.
There were times were there were some slow parts in the book, but they didn't last very long. I feel like I can relate to Nell because of her wittiness and that cleverness that she has about her. This is the first novel I have read out of all of Susan Holloway Scott's books. I will definitely pick up another one of her books.
I definitely reccommend this book for people who love fiction books as well as history, just like I do.
~Brooke~
I did sneak and look at the Author's Note about halfway through the book. I'm glad that the author put these notes in the book, it helps me understand a lot more about the characters.
There were times were there were some slow parts in the book, but they didn't last very long. I feel like I can relate to Nell because of her wittiness and that cleverness that she has about her. This is the first novel I have read out of all of Susan Holloway Scott's books. I will definitely pick up another one of her books.
I definitely reccommend this book for people who love fiction books as well as history, just like I do.
~Brooke~
July 2, 2009
I read this intermittently with Snow to help me through the pathos: pathos/fluff/pathos/fluff,etc. It certainly did the trick being much fluffier than Snow which I am still wading through (moments of brilliance and much of convoluted tedium). This book just finished dealt with Charles II England which was the backdrop of others I have read that dealt with the king and court more peripherally. This part (the history) I enjoyed. However, there was no big conflict driving this novel: Just a witty, poorly educated actress who was used by the king, even if she enjoyed the ride. Moderately interesting, at best.
September 15, 2010
I stumbled upon this author while doing a review for another site. She definitely rivals Philippa Gregory in her historical fiction. Her detail and life she brings to her novels are fantastic. This story is about Nell Gwyn, the mistress to King Charles II. I thought the author put a lot of heart and soul into her characters. I could feel the love shared between the King and "his Nelly". This was a work of fiction but the fact was Nell was his mistress and this could of been what her life was like back then. I found out recently this author wrote historical romances under the name Miranda Jarret, might be worth checking out.
November 30, 2010
Telling the story of Nell Gwynn and King Charles II, I really did enjoy this one. Nell Gwynn is the most vibrant of the Merry Monarch's mistresses, and Ms. Scott tells her story with plenty of verve and zest. You can't help but love Nell Gwynn in this one. Very much recommended.
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...
July 23, 2013
I honestly don't know what the deal was with this book. I loved Scott's noel of Barbara Villers. I also have the one she wrote about the Duchess of Portsmouth on my to read shelf.
Maybe it's just that don't care for Nell Gwyn. It's hard to trail in Viller's shadow, even in book form.
I might pick this one up later and give it a second chance. But the first try just didn't work too well for me.
Sorry, Susan- it's not you, it's me!
Maybe it's just that don't care for Nell Gwyn. It's hard to trail in Viller's shadow, even in book form.
I might pick this one up later and give it a second chance. But the first try just didn't work too well for me.
Sorry, Susan- it's not you, it's me!
February 17, 2009
An interesting account of Charles II and his mistress, Nell Gwyn.
The language can be a bit rough at times, but the spirit of the court is captured quite well. I thought some of the most interesting details were in the afterward, which I would have included as part of the book.
Charles II's horrific end along with Nell's deserved to be part of the story.
The language can be a bit rough at times, but the spirit of the court is captured quite well. I thought some of the most interesting details were in the afterward, which I would have included as part of the book.
Charles II's horrific end along with Nell's deserved to be part of the story.
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