The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki

I knew nothing about this fascinating woman, Desiree Clary, who was seduced and then dumped by Napoleon. The story should have ended there but Desiree was kept close to the Bonepartes when her sister married Napoleon's brother and later when Desiree married one of his trusted army friends. Allison Pataki paints a clear picture of the violence and uncertainty during the French Revolution and the stormy aftermath under the egomaniac Napoleon and his scheming wife, Josephine. Desiree ended up surprisingly on top as she was able to marry for love and she and her husband went on to become the rulers of Sweden where their descendants are still on the throne. For fans of historical fiction that paints a vivid picture of the lives of the well known and not so well known characters.