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    Girl on the Golden Coin: A Novel of Frances Stuart
    Unavailable
    Girl on the Golden Coin: A Novel of Frances Stuart
    Unavailable
    Girl on the Golden Coin: A Novel of Frances Stuart
    Ebook409 pages6 hours

    Girl on the Golden Coin: A Novel of Frances Stuart

    By Marci Jefferson

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Debut author Marci Jefferson's Girl on the Golden Coin brings to life a captivating woman whose beauty, compassion, and intellect impacted a king and a nation.

    Impoverished and exiled to the French countryside after the overthrow of the English Crown, Frances Stuart survives merely by her blood-relation to the Stuart Royals. But in 1660, the Restoration of the Stuart Monarchy in England returns her family to favor. Frances discards threadbare gowns and moves to gilded Fontainebleau Palace, where she soon catches the Sun King's eye. But Frances is no ordinary court beauty—she has Stuart secrets to keep and her family to protect. King Louis XIV turns vengeful when she rejects his offer to become his Official Mistress. He banishes her to England with orders to seduce King Charles II and secure an alliance.

    Armed in pearls and silks, Frances maneuvers the political turbulence of Whitehall Palace, but still can't afford to stir a scandal. Her tactic to inspire King Charles to greatness captivates him. He believes her love can make him a better man, and even chooses Frances to pose as Britannia for England's coins. Frances survives the Great Fire, the Great Plague, and the debauchery of the Restoration Court, yet loses her heart to the very king she must control. The discovery of a dangerous plot will force her to choose between love for herself and war for her beloved country.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateFeb 11, 2014
    ISBN9781250037213
    Unavailable
    Girl on the Golden Coin: A Novel of Frances Stuart

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    Reviews for Girl on the Golden Coin

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Well-researched, interesting and intriguing.

      I usually enjoy historical novels. Firstly, I like to learn about real people, but in a fictionalized account. It usually makes the book more readable, than a straight biography. Secondly, it gives a nice balance to the YA, NA and romantic fiction books that make up the bulk of my books-to-review backlog.

      I didn't find this book to be overly fast-paced or full of suspense or action. It's a slower paced book, that brings a real person to live through meticulous research and opens a window to a different time and an unusual women, who is mostly unmentioned in history.

      well worth reading.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Although I have read much about Charles II and his many mistresses, I have read little about Frances Stuart. She serves as our narrator, so it was very surprising to me that I didn't feel like I really got to know her, on the surface yes, but in depth, no. Still it was an interesting and quick read and I did enjoy much of this book. The court, their clothes, the political maneuvering, the mistresses, the key players were all present as was the whole religion debate. Loved the author's note because I never knew that if William of Harry succeed to the crown, the Stuart line will again reign. Would have liked a little more depth but all in all a good read.
    • 3/5
      An interesting novelization of Frances Stuart's scandalous life in Restoration England. In this version, Frances, a lady serving Charles II's sister Minette in France, initially rejects King Louis XIV and is then charged by him to support an alliance between France and England by becoming Charles II's mistress. While the novel makes for fun reading about the bawdy Restoration period, many of the characterizations seem undeveloped and at odds with historical personalities. Nevertheless, Restoration England never makes for dull reading.
    • 5/5
      When Frances Stuart turns down the french King, she is sent to England with orders to seduce King Charles II and force through a French-English alliance. Determined to maintain her virtue, she finds a way to give everything to Charles but her virginity. Amazingly, this is an effective strategy and he falls in love with her. Overall, this was a well written and intriguing book. Although Frances Stuart has been depicted through history as a feather-brain, this book shows her depth and strategy as she struggles to maintain her vows to two warring kings. An interesting historical figure, I have read little about Frances Stuart until now. I look forward to reading more books from Marci Jefferson.I received a signed copy of this book through the publisher at PLA's annual conference.
    • 3/5
      A captivating glance at a woman who stole a king's heart. Girl on the Golden Coin was a fast read for me, which was surprising given the rather frightening cast of characters at the beginning. I can't be the only one, though, who found the king more interesting than Frances?

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I obtained an advanced copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

      I really enjoyed this debut novel about Frances Stuart, a woman I was not really familiar with but am fascinated by now. I love historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. It is well-written and well-researched and put some interesting historical events into a personalized perspective. I think it would make a great movie!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      If one word could be used to describe Marci Jefferson GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN, it would be: captivating. It’s beautiful, lush, and breathtaking. I didn’t want it to end!Not many people may know the story of Frances Stuart, but no doubt you’ve seen the image of Britannia on British currency. Dressed in roman robes, she’s seated holding a trident while wearing a Corinthian helmet and beside her is a shield depicting the unification of Scotland and England. In 1672, Frances served as the model for Britannia and since then has been featured on medals and coins. She’s since been retired, but in 2006 appeared on the fifty pence. Right in front of me as I write this review is that fifty pence though I’m lucky to have several 19th century British coins that feature Britannia. Since reading GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN, I find myself looking at them and am in awe of the woman who ultimately said no to one of world’s most powerful men.As far as characterization, we have good character development. Our primary character is Frances Stuart who has been living in France with her mother and siblings. There she is attached to the royal household when Henrietta Maria of France’s daughter gets married to King Louis XIV’s brother, Phillipe. I won’t go into detail regarding characters since we have a wide array of secondary characters that a play an important and yet at times a minor role. Don’t let this put you off from reading since Jefferson gives us a handy guide at the beginning of the book which is detailed enough that you get an idea of who’s who. The characters of most interest and the ones that play a vital role besides Frances are Henrietta Maria of France, Louis XIV, Charles II, the Duke of Buckingham, Lady Castlemaine, and the Duke of Richmond and Lennox.Narration is first person via Frances and it makes sense since this is about her. Frances is a trustworthy narrator though at the beginning I doubted I could trust her because I wasn’t sure how open she would be. As her journey progresses, she becomes quite comfortable in her storytelling. Jefferson could have easily made this narrative a bit jaded with an older Frances looking back, but instead we get an innocent girl who is forced to play a game she had no interest in. We see her stumble, go with the flow and ultimately hold her own, but I really liked that growth progression we see at the start of narrative so by the time we get to the end, we get the Frances from the beginning. The language is a bit too modern, but it doesn’t distract the reader from enjoying this.I know people tend to shy away from historical fiction because they worry they will be inundated with nothing but historical facts. While it’s evident Jefferson did extensive research for GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN, she doesn’t overwhelm the reader with history. She subtly interweaves historical fact with fiction and it’s easy to read and enjoy. At no point does the reader feel like they are sitting in a history course or will be quizzed at the end. If I have one slight complaint, it’s the reference to Frances not wanting to be Anne Boleyn. As a historian, it felt a bit too modern and while I’m not saying people in the 17th century weren’t aware of Anne Boleyn and her influence, the way Anne Boleyn is spoken of, it’s more towards a modern point of view. Ultimately, what I adored about Jefferson’s GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN is how innocent and real it felt. It’s rare for an author to portray a king as a man and not someone with an abundance of power who can’t take no for an answer. Jefferson gives us a king who is human and we can make a connection with him. It’s easy to develop a crush on him and find him sexy as he comes alive on page and you can’t help but feel a bit jealous of Frances. And yet, when the Duke of Richmond and Lennox makes an appearance, you’re comfortable with him and want him and Frances to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Regardless of which two men you will root for, they are very much alive as you read and it is a testimony to Jefferson’s talent. I’m not going to lie and will admit how disappointed I felt when I read the last page. Jefferson has written a beautiful novel that will leave you thinking about the characters long after you’ve read the final page.If you’re a fan of historical fiction I highly recommend Marci Jefferson’s GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN. Just be aware: I’m not responsible if you develop a crush on Charles II.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is a fascinating fictionalized look at Frances Stuart's life. I did not know much about Frances before reading this book so I did some research on her and it made me eager to read this. Frances' face was used as a model for Britannia on British coins and medals. King Charles II of England fell in love with Frances while she was a lady-in-waiting to his wife.While this is a fictionalized view of Frances Stuart's life, the author does base it on history. There are some unknowns about Frances and I feel like the author did a good job at filling in those unknowns and then explaining to readers her reasoning based on certain sources and known historical facts. I loved how she portrayed everyone in this book. I felt so connected with Frances and couldn't help but cheer her on throughout the book.I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans and particularly to people wanting to know more about Frances Stuart. I look forward to reading more from Marci Jefferson.Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this book.
    • 3/5
      Sadly a poorly written portrayal of a historically famous woman. History seemed centered around sexual conquests. To be perfectly honest, the book wasn't worth my time reading it. In the end, Frances Stuart really annoyed me. Oh well :(
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. I thought that it was an interesting read. I was not really familiar with France Stuart’s story. It was definitely worth taking a look at. I think that this author may be one to watch out for in the future. Really good for a debut novel!! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.