Louis the Well-Beloved

by Jean Plaidy Book 1 in the French Revolution series.

Amazon

4.2(162)

Louis XV comes of age amid hopes that the young king will restore confidence and glory to France after years of government by regents and ministers. Court expectations quickly collide with Louis's preference for hunting, gambling and private pleasure, while factions around Versailles compete to influence a monarch who has not yet decided how personally he intends to rule.

His mistresses become part of that political world rather than merely court gossip. Access to the king can mean patronage, hostility or policy influence, and each relationship creates new enemies. The novel follows the early and middle reign of Louis XV as popularity, dynastic duty and private appetite begin to pull the 'Well-Beloved' king in conflicting directions.