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Oct 31, 2015JEM_LPL rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This Halloween, there will be a lot of little girls (and grown women) dressing up as princesses. And why not? You get power, plenty of pretty clothes, a handsome prince, and wealth beyond belief. What a lovely dream. Unfortunately, that dream often turned into a ugly nightmare in real life, as Thomas Chantal shows in his new novel, "The Exchange of Princesses." Ten year old KIng Louis (the King Louis who reigned between the Sun King and the King Louis who was executed in the French Revolution) will need a queen, so his regent, Phillipe d'Orleans, has a brilliant idea. Phillipe will send one of his daughters to Spain to marry Dom Luis, the heir to the Spanish throne, so she will become queen of Spain. Meanwhile, Spain will send one of Dom Luis's half sisters to marry KIng Louis and become queen of France. Well, it sounded good at the time. The five year Spanish infanta is sweet and pretty, but that is not enough to win her twelve year old husband's interest, let alone his love. On the other hand, young Dom Luis is smitten with the French Princess before she even arrives; however, she finds him disgusting and the Spanish court dull. She is sullen, rebellious, and defiant (in other words, a typical teenager) who would rather play hopscotch and jump in fountains than wear formal gowns and learn foreign languages. What seemed like marriages made in heaven turn into matches made in Hell for two Princesses. If you like Phillipa Gregory, or C.W. Gortner, then you'll love this funny, albeit heartbreaking look at a forgotten corner of history.