The Accidental Empress

I absolutely love a great historical fiction that is based so much on historical fact. Obviously you have to take some liberties as an author to fill in the proverbial blanks when viewing something that happened in the late 1800's in Europe. While the historical facts give us a broad overview, we often wonder what happened behind the scenes to bring to life the events that are now part of our unshaken historical past. Allison Pataki is such an author with the skill to breath life into the story of Empress Elizabeth or affectionately known as "Sisi" by those who love her including her beloved people in her latest novel The Accidental Empress. She was much like Princess Diana later would be referred to as the people's princess.

This is the story of her life as a young girl at 15, who found her love of the outdoors would be the jewel in her crown to winning the heart of Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Europe. What I love most about the way this novel begins is the brief introduction into the story that outlines the countries that the Emperor had control over. It's not like Downton Abbey where Lords ruled the land, Emperors ruled and controlled the countries that bordered one another in hopes of keeping them together to prevent against the threat of wars from others.

Here we see the evolution of Elizabeth as she goes from being a young girl with a title, being sent away with her sister Helene who their parents believe will be a suitable match as the future Empress. But it isn't Helene that Franz falls for, but the younger sister Elizabeth. Her undisciplined manners from growing up in the outdoors in Bavaria appeals to him. His mother Sophie is the epitome of the wicked Aunt and soon to be Mother In Law, who will ensure that Elizabeth maintains the proper decorum suitable for an Empress along with all the duties and responsibilities.

We see how the events of being thrust into this lifestyle weighs on Sisi as the novel moves forward in time, from trying to procure an heir for Franz to learning to deal with his control mother, Sophie. She has no real alliances and the romantic notions she has built her marriage on soon come crumbling down when reality of war threatens on the countries horizon. Her husband is pulled away to help manage politics but avoids sharing that part of his life with her, instead letting his mother and officials lead him to do what they believe is best. So Sisi is forced to find interests wherever she can even though in her heart, she just wants the love and the man she fell in love with to come back. It is an unforgettable journey that will leave you with a different impression of what life among the royals was really like.

I received The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are my own. I absolutely loved a birds eye view into Elizabeth's life, from humble, innocent, romantic backgrounds, to one of being exposed to the difficulties of marriage during turbulent times that would force one to grow up rather quickly. I loved the insight the author shares at the conclusion about how much of this is historical fact, and the fictional fill in elements she added. This for me was a beautiful added bonus and one I enjoy especially when reading historical fictional novels. This one is definitely remaining a keeper on my bookshelf and one I know I will enjoy rereading again and again which is why I feel it deserves a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. My only hope is Allison will write a sequel to this one in the very near future!

For more information about The Accidental Empress, Allison Pataki or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below"

The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki

You can find Allison Pataki on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Accidental Empress, please visit Howard Books' website.

The Traitor's Wife - Giveaway and Review

I remember reading about Benedict Arnold in high school and all I can remember even now was that he was a traitor to this country. I had forgotten the circumstances surrounding the details of his betrayal to this country during the American Revolution as we were fighting the British to declare our freedom from King George. What's even more remarkable is the novel from author Allison Pataki that takes all her research into the events surrounding Benedict Arnold and George Washington and filling in the rest with some amazing insight as told from the lady's maid perspective to Margaret Stippen-Arnold, Benedict's wife.

In this novel, we meet Clara Bell who is arriving at the Shippen household to serve as a lady's maid for the two daughters of Judge Stippen, Margaret, the youngest, and Betsy who is engaged to be married. Only Margaret, also known as Peggy believes that since Betsy is already engaged, she doesn't need the help to prepare for social outings as much as she does and commands that Clara work exclusively for her needs. Betsy doesn't seem to mind much and soon Peggy is the belle of the ball. Only her rival Meg Chew is vying for the attention of the same man she is interested in John Andrè, who likes playing them both against each other.

But Peggy believes she has the advantage on her side as long as she is willing to comprise some of her lady-like standards to keep Johnny interested in her much to the dismay of Clara and her parents. But when the war begins to move closer to home, and requires that John Andrè leave for the North, Peggy is heartbroken until she gains the attention of Major General Benedict Arnold who is completely captivated by this eighteen-year-old beauty. Peggy believes that in order to escape the confines of her restrictive household she will stop at nothing including attracting the attention of a man who is twice her age to get what she wants, money, power and a place above everyone else. With Benedict Arnold having closed all the stores in Philadelphia to prevent the goods that were shipped from London from being sold and the money going back to aid the King, he begins to smuggle the merchandise up North to make a tidy profit for himself.

Soon Clara finds herself in the middle of what could be considered treason but has no one to tell. She is just a servant in the household and who would believe her story over that of a decorated General and his soon to be wife. What's worse is the more Peggy tries to manipulate the situation with Arnold to gain what she believes she is due in the world, when things don't go her way, she takes her frustration out on Clara. But with no where to go if she leaves the household as a maid, she knows she must bide her time until she can find a way to help her country before she is found guilty of aiding in their treason attempts with what she knows.

I received The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. Being a fan of Downton Abbey, I love how Allison chose to use the maid's perspective of the historical facts to bring this story to life in her debut novel. Interwoven beautifully into this story are the real facts about the betrayal of Arnold's service to this country as well as the role Margaret Shippen-Arnold truly played in this event. I applaud her diligence to the research it took to bring this into a masterful novel that keeps the reader both entertained and captivated by the events. There is even a discussion guide included in the back that is perfect for book clubs as well as the details and research it took in creating this novel. I easily give this novel at 5 out of 5 stars and will definitely be looking for more of Allison Pataki's novels in the future.

For more information about The Traitor's Wife, Allison Pataki, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki

You can also find Allison Pataki on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Traitor's Wife, please visit Howard Book's website. 

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books (February 11, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1476738602
• ISBN-13: 978-1476738604
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches 

Now for the best part, thanks to the generosity of Howard Books, they are providing a giveaway to one lucky follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines to enter:

1. "Like" Howard Book's Facebook page. It will allow you to not miss out on their latest novels coming out along with great giveaway opportunities.

2. If you're a Twitter follower, be sure to "Follow" Howard Books on Twitter. 

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you would love to win a copy of The Traitor's Wife. Don't forget to leave your email address along with your comment. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email when it ends on February 17th!