Prurient gossip disguised as scholarship and written in twee and precious prose. ( )

The subject matter here is fairly interesting, but this is a case where the author got a bit in the way of actually enjoying the book. While Georgiana Devonshire and Elizabeth Foster (later Devonshire) were both women of unusual character living in very interesting times, Calder-Marshall keeps the reader and himself at a respectful distance even while trying to delve into the minds and motives of these ladies, which means the book never quite gripped me. Calder-Marshall's choice of being present in the telling (there are many asides and comments in which he specifies he is speculating or that various documents aren't available to him) is jarring, and his bias toward the Second Duchess Elizabeth is apparent. Also, the book's distance means people and events flowed by at breakneck speed and often I was lost amid piles of lengthy names and untranslated phrases in French.

The final effect is that of hardly any effect. Yes, there's scandal, sexual intrigue, adultery and unusual situations here, but rather than relish them, decry them, or even attempt to understand them, Calder-Marshall seems a bit put off by it all. He's wearing latex gloves as he writes so that he can poke and prod without getting any on his hands, so to speak. It's all quite interesting, but not as interesting as it could be, which made a very short book a bit of a slog. I suspect there are better versions of this story around. ( )