Book Review / The Chateau on the Lake by Charlotte Betts

1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world. Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery offers her shelter at his home, Chateau Mirabelle.

Chateau Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to secure a chance at future happiness.

The Chateau on the Lake is a breath-taking historical novel set during the time of the French Revolution; rich, evocative and immersive. If you love Philippa Gregory and Joanne Harris, you will adore Charlotte Betts.

Published:     1st August 2015
Publisher:  Piatkus Books
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

My Review

What I loved about this book...
Historical fiction is a genre that I dont' pick up very often and I should.  Nearly every historical fiction book that I have picked up I have loved and this one is one of those.  Absolutely loved this book.   What I loved the most was the depth of the characters.  My favourite character has to be the Compte Etienne d'Aubery who is a very mysterious character but seems very genuine in his motives.  The ending of this book was particularly shocking, I had a suspicion of what would happen but the level of the action at the end I was not expecting.

What I did not like about this book...
There were parts in this story that I could not 'feel' the history but that's probably the way I was feeling at the time of reading this rather than a reflection on the writing but I didn't let that affect wanting to read this book.  It was amazing! 

About the Author
(from Goodreads)
 

Charlotte Betts discovered a passion for writing after her five children had grown up and left her in peace. Demanding careers in hotel design and property force her to be inventive in finding time to write but she has achieved seven novels in eight years. One of her short stories was published in Scribble and others short-listed by Writers’ News and Real Writers’. She has won first prize in five short story competitions and wrote a regular column on interior design for The Maidenhead Advertiser for two years. She is a member of WordWatchers http://www.wordwatchers.net/ and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.