An incomparable beauty. A promise to a king. A portrait that can never be completed.
When Emilia Lennox loses everything after her husband’s lands and title are confiscated, her beauty is her best bargaining chip with the only man who can restore their fortunes: King Charles II himself.
But the king’s favour comes at a price. He will pardon Emilia’s husband only if she agrees to be his mistress. Torn, Emilia comes up with a condition of her own: she will consent, but not until her portrait hangs among the famed Windsor Beauties, a series commissioned by the Duchess of York to showcase the fairest women in the royal retinue.
For Henry Greenhill, ambitious assistant to the court painter, the opportunity to paint Emilia’s portrait is a chance to step out of his master’s shadow. But his sitter proves as evasive as she is beautiful, and with barely a sketch to show for his efforts, Henry’s career is on the line.
As the king’s patience wears thin, it’s clear that more than creative talent will be needed to capture this incomparable beauty on canvas…
From bestselling author Lauren Chater comes this seductive story of rivalry, artistic passion and a woman bold enough to wield her beauty as a weapon.
Since publishing her historical fiction debut, The Lace Weaver, in 2018, Chater has quickly established a name for herself as one of Australia’s leading writers of the genre. Following her bestselling debut with Gulliver’s Wife, The Winter Dress and now The Beauties, Chater has demonstrated a thrilling talent for excavating women’s stories from history and restoring them to their rightful place at centre stage.
Set amid the streets, theatres, artist studios, opulent courts and private parties of London, Paris and The Hague during a time of upheaval in the 17th century, The Beauties is a shining addition to Chater’s growing list of breathtaking historical novels. In typical Chater style, it delves into how power defines relationships behind closed doors and on the public stage – both for men and women, but particularly for women who possess the double-edged sword of beauty (read: desirability).
Alongside its fascinating historical themes and exquisite attention to lavish period details, what makes this novel truly memorable is its nuanced exploration of beauty in all its guises. There’s the kind of beauty that is hard won, like a painter’s masterpiece or a theatrical production, and there’s the kind that comes with danger, like the beauty that Emilia possesses, which catches many an undesired eye. From so-called ‘pretty privilege’ to fine art, from the false allure of expensive finery to the value in holding fast to true love and loyalty, The Beauties is a timely (and timeless) examination of beauty that rings truer than ever in today’s image-obsessed world.
Chater’s glittering prose and suspenseful plotting beds this fascinating social critique in a riveting romantic narrative that is utterly escapist and impossible to put down. The Beauties will leave you captivated and transported, holding your breath as Chater weaves the fortunes of three unforgettable characters through its richly detailed pages…
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