Diane du Pont

It is France, 1785, mere months before the start of the Revolution. Sixteen-year-old Manon d'Epinay is on her way to marry the very rich and very powerful Comte de Crequi when she and her family are set upon by marauding revolutioners. Their leader, Andre, is young and handsome, seemingly gentle and kind but rogue enough to rob Manon of her virginity in the carriage on the side of the dark road. She doesn't seem to mind, but once they reach the Comte he shrewdly guesses what happened and instead of becoming his wife, Manon becomes his mistress. Pampered and spoiled and even finding herself growing quite fond of her master, Manon still thinks of Andre; but, it is a dangerous game she plays, made all the more so by the passions of the Revolution.

This book has a lot of history and some bodice-ripping. I enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns of the story. You get to see the French Revolution from both ends of the spectrum, from the very rich to the very poor, for Manon sees it all and it is really quite interesting.… (mais)