Margins
By the King's Design book cover
By the King's Design
2012
First Published
3.72
Average Rating
369
Number of Pages

Strong-willed Annabelle Stirling is more than capable of running the family draper shop after the untimely death of her parents. Under her father's tutelage, she became a talented cloth merchant, while her brother Wesley, the true heir, was busy philandering about Yorkshire. Knowing she must change with the times to survive, Belle installs new machinery that finishes twice the fabric in half the time it takes by hand. But not everyone is so enthusiastic. Soon, riled up by Belle's competitors, the outmoded workers seek violent revenge. Her shop destroyed, Belle travels to London to seek redress from Parliament. While there, the Prince Regent, future King George IV, commissions her to provide fabrics for his Royal Pavilion. As Belle's renown spreads, she meets handsome cabinetmaker Putnam Boyce, but worries that marriage will mean sacrificing her now flourishing shop. And after Wesley plots to kidnap the newly-crowned King—whose indiscretions are surfacing—she finds herself entangled in a duplicitous world of shifting allegiances. Painting a vivid portrait of life in the British Regency, Christine Trent spins a harrowing tale of ambition, vengeance, love, and complex loyalties against the dynamic backdrop of the early Industrial Revolution. Praise for the novels of Christine Trent "Marguerite is a strong heroine, and following her adventures is enjoyable. . .Readers interested in the battle of Trafalgar will find this retelling compelling." —"Publishers Weekly "on "A Royal Likeness" "Readers are truly gifted with a wondrous portrait." —"Romantic Times "on "A Royal Likeness "(4 stars) "Exuberant, sparkling, beguiling. . .brims with Dickensian gusto!" —Barbara Kyle, author of "The Queen's Lady "on "The Queen's Dollmaker" "Winningly original. . .glittering with atmospheric detail!" —Leslie Carroll, author of "Royal Affairs" on "The Queen's Dollmaker"

Avg Rating
3.72
Number of Ratings
248
5 STARS
31%
4 STARS
29%
3 STARS
26%
2 STARS
8%
1 STARS
6%
goodreads

Author

Christine Trent
Christine Trent
Author · 15 books

Christine Trent is the author of ST. CLEMENTS BLUFF, Book 1 in her new Heart of St. Mary's County series set in her beloved Maryland hometown. She is also the author of the ROYAL TRADES series about women in unusual professions, including THE QUEEN'S DOLLMAKER (a dollmaker to Marie Antoinette), A ROYAL LIKENESS (an apprentice to the great waxworker, Madame Tussaud), and BY THE KING'S DESIGN (a cloth merchant to the Prince Regent). These books were re-released in 2023. Christine is best known for her LADY OF ASHES series featuring Violet Harper, a Victorian undertaker with a passion for her macabre work. Christine's latest entry in this historical mystery series is THE DEADLY HOURS, an anthology written with Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, and Anna Lee Huber, which follows the travels of a cursed pocket watch through time. Can't get enough historical mystery? Christine has also written two novels (NO CURE FOR THE DEAD and A MURDEROUS MALADY) featuring Florence Nightingale as an intrepid sleuth. Learn more about Christine at www.christinetrent.com.

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