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A review by colleenlovestoread
Pleasing Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift
4.0
Something I love most about historical fiction is the fact that there are just so many stories to be told, from such a variety of perspectives. As many stories as I've read centered around some point of English history, I can't think of another novel I've read that's set against the rebuilding of London after the great fire. How I've missed this I don't know, but Deborah Swift does an excellent job of setting our characters within this topsy turvy world of upheaval and growth and showing just how dangerous this world can be if you take a wrong step.
Right off the bat the novel pulls the reader in with a whip-quick murder, one that had me wondering just what other thrills the novel would have in store for me. The story soon moves to Deb Willet as we see her leaving her domineering and cruel aunt's home for a post with the Pepys's and I began to wonder...how will this sweet and intelligent girl end up embroiled in the violent action that the story opened with? I've read a number of novels that deal with historical spy rings and the dangers and benefits that can come from being pulled into this exciting yet vicious world, however I was particularly drawn to this aspect within Pleasing Mr. Pepys mainly due to the fact that Deb Willet seemed so unlike the typical person ensnared into this sort of environment. She comes from a well-to-do family, is well-educated, and seems so innocent at first, wanting simply to do well in her new circumstances and to make a better world for her and her sister. If she's able to find her mother, who abandoned her and her siblings and who, she believes, ran off to London, more's the better. Watching Abigail, so adept at intrigue and deception, pull Deb into this sinful hidden domain, against everything Deb wanted for her life, was gripping and entertaining.
Something else I very much enjoyed was seeing London from two distinct perspectives. We get to see the opulent theatres and homes of people like the Pepys, but we also get to see the dank, dirty, and dangerous back alleys of the city, where people turn to sin to feed their families and plot intrigue against a King that refuses to pay them for work done to protect his throne. It's this aspect that really excited me as the double dealing and intrigue was absolutely fascinating. Seeing people brought as low as nearly possible and then watching some of them try to right the wrongs they've committed made this a redemption story as well, and I always enjoy stories where characters scrabble back onto the right path.
Pleasing Mr. Pepys is scintillating and exciting historical fiction, all the more so since many of the character were actual people living and breathing this story. Like with all my favorite historical fiction, Swift includes historical notes at the end to flesh out fact from fiction. Having turned the last page on Deb, Abigail, the Pepys', and all the rest I now want to read more about their lives and the world they lived within. This is always a sign for me that the author did a great job of bringing their history back to life and I think historical fiction lovers will find much to enjoy in this story.
Right off the bat the novel pulls the reader in with a whip-quick murder, one that had me wondering just what other thrills the novel would have in store for me. The story soon moves to Deb Willet as we see her leaving her domineering and cruel aunt's home for a post with the Pepys's and I began to wonder...how will this sweet and intelligent girl end up embroiled in the violent action that the story opened with? I've read a number of novels that deal with historical spy rings and the dangers and benefits that can come from being pulled into this exciting yet vicious world, however I was particularly drawn to this aspect within Pleasing Mr. Pepys mainly due to the fact that Deb Willet seemed so unlike the typical person ensnared into this sort of environment. She comes from a well-to-do family, is well-educated, and seems so innocent at first, wanting simply to do well in her new circumstances and to make a better world for her and her sister. If she's able to find her mother, who abandoned her and her siblings and who, she believes, ran off to London, more's the better. Watching Abigail, so adept at intrigue and deception, pull Deb into this sinful hidden domain, against everything Deb wanted for her life, was gripping and entertaining.
Something else I very much enjoyed was seeing London from two distinct perspectives. We get to see the opulent theatres and homes of people like the Pepys, but we also get to see the dank, dirty, and dangerous back alleys of the city, where people turn to sin to feed their families and plot intrigue against a King that refuses to pay them for work done to protect his throne. It's this aspect that really excited me as the double dealing and intrigue was absolutely fascinating. Seeing people brought as low as nearly possible and then watching some of them try to right the wrongs they've committed made this a redemption story as well, and I always enjoy stories where characters scrabble back onto the right path.
Pleasing Mr. Pepys is scintillating and exciting historical fiction, all the more so since many of the character were actual people living and breathing this story. Like with all my favorite historical fiction, Swift includes historical notes at the end to flesh out fact from fiction. Having turned the last page on Deb, Abigail, the Pepys', and all the rest I now want to read more about their lives and the world they lived within. This is always a sign for me that the author did a great job of bringing their history back to life and I think historical fiction lovers will find much to enjoy in this story.