When status is survival, every choice has its consequence.

Blois, 1705. The chateau of Duc Hugo d’Amboise simmers with rivalry and intrigue.
Henriette d’Augustin, one of five mistresses of the duc, lives at the chateau with her daughter. When the duc’s wife, Duchesse Charlotte, maliciously undermines a new mistress, Letitia, Henriette is forced to choose between position and morality. She fights to maintain her status whilst targeted by the duchesse who will do anything to harm her enemies.
The arrival of charismatic tarot reader, Romain de Villiers, further escalates tensions as rivals in domestic politics and love strive for supremacy.
In a society where status is a matter of life and death, Henriette must stay true to herself, her daughter, and her heart, all the while hiding a painful secret of her own.
My Review
The Orange Grove tells a story of rivalry and intrigue set in Blois, France in the 1705 chateau of Duc Hugo d’Amboise through the eyes of one of his five mistresses, Henriette. A new young and beautiful mistress sets already high tensions between the mistresses and the Duc’s wife even higher, then a charming tarot reader adds himself headfirst into the mix.
I enjoy reading tarot cards and found the readings and explanations to be fascinating and cleverly added to the building tensions. Murdoch has thoroughly researched the history of France has and I enjoyed the way that she painted a picture of what it would have been like to live as a mistress of a French nobleman. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it very much, but it certainly makes for fascinating reading!
Details
Title: The Orange Grove
Author: Kate Murdoch
Published: November 1, 2019, Regal House Publishing
Format: Paperback, 253 pages
RRP: $16.95 USD
Source: Author
Goodreads: The Orange Grove