The Devil's Berries

The Last Favorite's Page #2

by Patti Flinn

Book Two of The Last Favorite's Page Trilogy.

Inspired by the true life of Louis-Benoit Zamor.


Serving Madame du Barry by day and rubbing shoulders with revolutionaries at night, Louis-Benoit Zamor is ready to find his greatness. In this, his time in the sun, he will lend his voice to the revolutionary movement and love like he’s never dared.

But the Ancient Régime isn’t done with him, yet.

Much like the deadly devil’s berries, Madame’s bitter anger takes root at the chateau. Zamor will discover that when facing the devil in disguise only one thing is for

Every fox must survive its own hunt … and all that.

Genres: Historical Fiction

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2024

Reviews

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, rounded up

Trigger warning : A horse is killed. Also, there's a gruesome description of a surgery without anesthesia.

The Devil's Berries is the second book in "The Last Favorite's Page" trilogy. It continues the story of the child who was captured by slave traders in India (somewhere around 1770), sold, and shipped to France. There he was gifted to Madame Du Barry and was renamed Louis-Benoit Zamor.

This second book delves into the time leading up to the French Revolution. Zamor is now a young man and has joined the side of the revolutionaries and Jacobins. I was very impressed by his values, fictional or not!

Prior to the mid-1800s, surgeons could not offer patients much more than opium or alcohol (if available) or something to bite on when dealing with the agonizing pain of surgery. I can't even imagine!! That part of the book felt spot-on!

Many thanks to both Gilded Orange Books and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Devil's Berries. This book is #2 in The Last Favorite's Page series, with the expected publication date of June 15, 2024.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil's Berries by Patti Flinn is book two in the Last Favorite Series. This book picks up right after book one, following Louis-Benoit Zamor, the African slave to Madame du Barry.
The French Revolution is still picking up speed in this book. We also meet other historical figures in this book, such as Thomas Dumas and Joseph Bologna de Saint-Georges.
This book also continues on with the story between Veronique and Zamor, and we’re introduced to their love story, which is exciting.
Before this series, I did not know much about the French Revolution or anything about Zamor in history. I enjoyed learning about the Why behind why the revolution was started, and seeing this time in historical fiction, made the content enjoyable.
I am looking forward to the third and final book in this series!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it!! A story inspired by a real character set in the turbulent times of the French Revolution ! I had "met" Zamor in book 1, and couldn't wait to hear his sarcastic comments again! The French Revolution felt very vivid and colourful indeed! Because of its rich details of the historical background, this novel gives an accurate account of France in those days. The writing is very lively while the novel is based on extensive research. This novel can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend book 1 as it is also excellent.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing where Book 1 ends, this book begins exactly where the previous one ends, for that reason I would recommend reading the previous book before starting this one.
We found ourselves in the times previous to the French Revolution with Zamor taking active part in the Jacobite movement, not only as a participant, but also as a member of the highest level of the leadership. His writings are being published, under another name, and he is even invited to give a speech.
I love how much I learned about the events that led to the French Revolution with this book, a subject I wasn’t so familiar with, but thanks to t( extensive research done by the writer, I can truly say that I know a lot about it now.
I also enjoyed Zamor and Veronique’s love story, and I was very happy that the book dedicated a lot of space to it. This story is tender but strong as the same time.
Before reading these two books I have never heard the name of Zamor, and he’s such a fascinating character in history. Can’t wait to read the next, and last book of the trilogy to learn more about this extraordinary man and his story.

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a huge thanks to the author, Patti Flinn, the publisher, Gilded Orange Books, and Goodreads for the privilege of winning a digital copy of The Devil's Berries (The Last Favorite's Page, #2). I thought it was a really rich and well-researched story grounded in the events of the French Revolution. The settings and characters are really interesting and provide a new perspective while learning about the revolution. I could tell in reading this book that the author has a lot of passion for the history and in writing stories that feature powerful characters. I jumped into this book without reading the first one, and was able to piece together the context, but I think it would've been better to read the first in the series before reading this one.

I would definitely recommend this tale to those who enjoy stories focused during the French Revolution, underdog but strong-willed main characters, and detailed historical fiction!

3.7 stars, rounded up.