Rachelle Dushane-Macquinet loves her work as a grisette under her grandmere, a famous couturiere commissioned to create a silk trousseau for Princesse Marguerite Valois. But intrigues abound in the court as Marguerites mother, the evil regent Catherine de Medici, plots to keep her power and destroy the Huguenots. A masked man arrives at the palace, and Rachelles brother-in-law Sebastien has disappeared.
Huguenots themselves, Rachelle and her grandmere enlist the help of a Catholic marquis, Fabien de Vendome, who is on his own search for answers after the questionable deaths of his parents. Despite their differences in rank and religion, Rachelle and Fabien are drawn to each other, while being drawn deeper into Catherine de Medicis traps.
This exquisitely written novel lives and breathes French. No need to step back into another time and place Linda Chaikin instantly transports you there, with enough subtle hints to help you find your way around. Many of the characters are painted sharply as good or evil, yet they dont detract from the intrigue of the story. Prepare for a read you want to savor as you flip pages to see what happens. Highly recommended, especially for female fans of historical fiction. Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com