LADIES IN WAITINGBy Laura L. Sullivan
Young Adult Historical Fiction
Harcourt, 2012
ISBN: 978-0547581293
Available from IndieBound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your favorite local bookseller.
England, 1662 – Charles II has returned to the throne after fifteen years of exile, and dour Puritanism is replaced by the riotous debauchery of the restored king’s court. The three Elizabeths – Eliza, Beth and Zabby – are scheming to find their place in this new society, even as others plot to eliminate the new queen. Wealthy merchant’s daughter Eliza is destined for marriage but yearns for the stage; sweet Beth is pimped by her mad mother; scientific Zabby is lured into a dangerous, impossible obsession with the king. The three newest Ladies in Waiting navigate love, treason and treachery in England’s most licentious period.
Reviews:
"...she certainly paints a colorful and largely accurate portrait of Restoration London. The unusual ending, especially, anchors the book more to history than to romance. A mixture that may well intrigue readers." -- Kirkus
"...a Philippa Gregory spin-off for teens." VOYA, Julie Bowersox
"In this sometimes bawdy tale of trying to be more than just someone’s mistress or wife, three Elizabeths—Eliza, Beth, and Zabby—meet and bond as ladies-in-waiting to the new bride of Charles II. While at first the novel seems a simple romp about love, lovemaking, and friendship (sort of a seventeenth-century Sex and the City), it deepens as it progresses, offering no simple solutions to the trio’s dilemmas." --Booklist, Karen Cruze
"...like The Young and the Restless, as done by HBO. Think smut. There's so much coarse, bawdy talk about sex. And the way it's talked about is so not of the sweet "make love" variety. I mean, lady parts are referred to with slang my innocent ears have only heard coming out of the gutter mouth of Titus Pullo. I felt more than a little awkward reading this at work!" Small Review Blog
