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The Grand Couvert
One man trying to survive the revolution. One man trying to climb out of the gutter. One cat trying to kill them both…
Edouard Laurent is a young man struggling to survive in a tumultuous Paris during the dying embers of the Revolution. He was a hesitant participant in a chateau burning and has been conscripted to the Republican army. So, when Ivo Armel, a power-hungry official offers the chance of a pardon if Edouard retrieves a mysterious relic, Edouard and a strange team of adventurers set off. Unknown to them, they are being pursued by a small feline, who believes himself to be the Comte of the chateau Edouard helped reduce to ashes.
Will Edouard and his friends unravel the mystery of this relic and its significance to Armel’s revolution? Can the Comte endure terrible wine, worse lovers, and the indignity of repeatedly getting his head stuck in glasses while in pursuit for his vengeance?
A highly comedic, heartwarming and oddly, historically accurate novel by Eoghan Brunkard, author of ‘Clementine Lane’, of the trials of surviving late 18th century Europe.
Edouard Laurent is a young man struggling to survive in a tumultuous Paris during the dying embers of the Revolution. He was a hesitant participant in a chateau burning and has been conscripted to the Republican army. So, when Ivo Armel, a power-hungry official offers the chance of a pardon if Edouard retrieves a mysterious relic, Edouard and a strange team of adventurers set off. Unknown to them, they are being pursued by a small feline, who believes himself to be the Comte of the chateau Edouard helped reduce to ashes.
Will Edouard and his friends unravel the mystery of this relic and its significance to Armel’s revolution? Can the Comte endure terrible wine, worse lovers, and the indignity of repeatedly getting his head stuck in glasses while in pursuit for his vengeance?
A highly comedic, heartwarming and oddly, historically accurate novel by Eoghan Brunkard, author of ‘Clementine Lane’, of the trials of surviving late 18th century Europe.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
About the author
Eoghan Brunkard
2 books7 followersAward winning novelist and Dublin native Eoghan Brunkard likes nothing better than giving himself fictious awards and promoting his previous book, Clementine Lane, which is available on Amazon and is very good.
Eoghan works in the management of a community development project in Dublin’s inner city. Qualified in social policy and research, Eoghan started his career providing enterprise and training advice to people in long term unemployment. From there he has supervised a labour activation scheme and several community led youth services. As a qualified social researcher, he has also worked on several policy papers and research projects for civil right advocacy bodies.
Spurred on by his encouraging and long-suffering wife, Emma, and beautiful son, Oscar, Eoghan has always held a fascination with history and has long held the ambition of writing an adventure about revolutionary France, particularly, after he accomplished the same. Eoghan's unofficial motivation, as with all his writings, remains money and plaudits, which he hopes will one day come…
Eoghan works in the management of a community development project in Dublin’s inner city. Qualified in social policy and research, Eoghan started his career providing enterprise and training advice to people in long term unemployment. From there he has supervised a labour activation scheme and several community led youth services. As a qualified social researcher, he has also worked on several policy papers and research projects for civil right advocacy bodies.
Spurred on by his encouraging and long-suffering wife, Emma, and beautiful son, Oscar, Eoghan has always held a fascination with history and has long held the ambition of writing an adventure about revolutionary France, particularly, after he accomplished the same. Eoghan's unofficial motivation, as with all his writings, remains money and plaudits, which he hopes will one day come…
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 2, 2025
Informative, funny and witty - an unusual combination in a historical novel but, boy, does it work!
Edouard Laurent is a young man caught up in the final throes of the French Revolution. Discovered participating - reluctantly - in some wrongdoing he jumps at the chance of redemption offered by official Ivo Armel which sees him setting off on an adventure as part of a team of strangers, all followed by a cat which thinks it's a human . . .
Whilst I was aware of the bare bones of the French Revolution, this gave me a closer insight into the goings-on - and goings-on there are a-plenty. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous novel, Clementine Lane, this is a complete departure from contemporary writing and it is terrific! Funny, witty and the inclusion of the cat is no less than a stroke of genius. Entertaining in the extreme, this is one I have no hesitation in recommending and easily give it five stars! I cannot wait to see what Eoghan Brunkard comes up with next!
Edouard Laurent is a young man caught up in the final throes of the French Revolution. Discovered participating - reluctantly - in some wrongdoing he jumps at the chance of redemption offered by official Ivo Armel which sees him setting off on an adventure as part of a team of strangers, all followed by a cat which thinks it's a human . . .
Whilst I was aware of the bare bones of the French Revolution, this gave me a closer insight into the goings-on - and goings-on there are a-plenty. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous novel, Clementine Lane, this is a complete departure from contemporary writing and it is terrific! Funny, witty and the inclusion of the cat is no less than a stroke of genius. Entertaining in the extreme, this is one I have no hesitation in recommending and easily give it five stars! I cannot wait to see what Eoghan Brunkard comes up with next!
May 1, 2025
Comte d’Bois is out there seeking a resolution.
The Comte has found himself in the streets, as the Revolutionaries have turned him out of his home, reducing him to a commoner that longs for his home and his wine (which is very, very important, mind you). The problem is that the Comte is a feline that finds himself in more adventures than he could handle.
And he's currently stuck tailing a particular Frenchman; a naive man who participated by chance in the events that made Comte a stray. When this man is burdened with a mission to retrieve a relic for an official, Comte gets on a wild goose chase after him.
Happy publication day! This book has been odd and funny in a way I didn't expect. It tackles a historical period that's in and of itself rather interesting, the French revolution era, and the choice to make a protagonist a cat resembles magical realism with a funny twist. All in all, it's whimsical and had me blinking quite a few times. I will probably do a re-read soon, as I feel I need to tackle it one more time in order to appreciate it better.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Comte has found himself in the streets, as the Revolutionaries have turned him out of his home, reducing him to a commoner that longs for his home and his wine (which is very, very important, mind you). The problem is that the Comte is a feline that finds himself in more adventures than he could handle.
And he's currently stuck tailing a particular Frenchman; a naive man who participated by chance in the events that made Comte a stray. When this man is burdened with a mission to retrieve a relic for an official, Comte gets on a wild goose chase after him.
Happy publication day! This book has been odd and funny in a way I didn't expect. It tackles a historical period that's in and of itself rather interesting, the French revolution era, and the choice to make a protagonist a cat resembles magical realism with a funny twist. All in all, it's whimsical and had me blinking quite a few times. I will probably do a re-read soon, as I feel I need to tackle it one more time in order to appreciate it better.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 23, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Opening Impressions:
The Grand Couvert is historical fiction with dark humour, excellent comedic timing, revolutionary chaos, and an evil cat.
Not metaphorically evil either. An actually evil cat.
After witnessing his Countess die during the fervour of the French Revolution, the cat decides to track down everyone who was there that night and kill them. Yes, genuinely kill them.
Alongside this deeply normal plotline, we follow Edward, a hapless Parisian caught up in revolutionary fever while also desperately trying to avoid army service. To survive both the guillotine and the politics around him, Edward ends up sent on a mission to Rome to track down a relic capable of saving the very revolution he has absolutely no interest in fighting for.
The book was bloody great.
History at Its Most Ridiculous:
What really worked for me was how grounded the whole thing felt in its historical context while still managing to be completely ridiculous.
The history felt real and a bit absurd, which is usually when you know the history is well told.
Because the French Revolution was absurd. It was chaotic, ideological, theatrical, violent, and full of people loudly pretending they knew what they were doing while events spiralled far beyond anyone’s control.
The Grand Couvert captures that atmosphere brilliantly. It feels researched without ever becoming dense or self-important. There’s enough detail to make the setting believable, but never so much that it slows the pace down.
As a history teacher, this was exactly my kind of historical fiction. The sort where you can tell the writer genuinely understands the time period but also understands that history is often weird, petty, dramatic, and occasionally very funny.
The Evil Cat:
The evil cat is easily one of the strongest parts of the book.
The concept sounds completely unhinged on paper and somehow works perfectly in execution because the novel commits to it fully. The humour lands because the book never backs away from how ridiculous the idea actually is. He pushes over statues, moves people’s objects around to make them crazy. It’s like a regular cat turned up to 11… no wait, a regular cat works.
That said, my one real critique is that the cat occasionally feels slightly one note. The repeated descriptions of people as “assholes” started to lose impact after a while because the joke gets used a lot. A lot a lot.
Still, the cat remains memorable throughout and ends up giving the book a really distinct personality. There are plenty of historical fiction novels about revolutions. Far fewer involve a revenge-driven cat stalking his enemies across France.
Edouard, Europe, and National Character:
Edouard also works really well as the centre of the human story because he’s not some fearless revolutionary hero. He’s mostly just trying to survive.
There’s something genuinely funny about following a man trapped inside one of the most dramatic political moments in European history while privately wanting no part in any of it.
I also really appreciated how well the different nationalities and European characters were handled. With an Irish writer, the Irish character Tony was particularly well done. This feels like a writer who genuinely understands European nuance and nationality rather than flattening everyone into stereotypes.
The characters feel culturally distinct in a believable way, which adds a lot to the humour and dialogue throughout the novel.
Final Thoughts:
I mean this in the best way possible, but this is exactly the sort of historical fiction I could imagine doing brilliantly in an airport bookshop.
The sort of book you buy before a flight, read in two days, and finish feeling both very amused and vaguely smarter.
It’s funny, well paced, historically textured, and genuinely entertaining. It also benefits massively from being a standalone. In an era where every historical or fantasy novel seems determined to become a trilogy, there’s something refreshing about a book that simply tells its story well and finishes.
The Grand Couvert is ridiculous in exactly the way history often is.
And that’s exactly why it works.
Opening Impressions:
The Grand Couvert is historical fiction with dark humour, excellent comedic timing, revolutionary chaos, and an evil cat.
Not metaphorically evil either. An actually evil cat.
After witnessing his Countess die during the fervour of the French Revolution, the cat decides to track down everyone who was there that night and kill them. Yes, genuinely kill them.
Alongside this deeply normal plotline, we follow Edward, a hapless Parisian caught up in revolutionary fever while also desperately trying to avoid army service. To survive both the guillotine and the politics around him, Edward ends up sent on a mission to Rome to track down a relic capable of saving the very revolution he has absolutely no interest in fighting for.
The book was bloody great.
History at Its Most Ridiculous:
What really worked for me was how grounded the whole thing felt in its historical context while still managing to be completely ridiculous.
The history felt real and a bit absurd, which is usually when you know the history is well told.
Because the French Revolution was absurd. It was chaotic, ideological, theatrical, violent, and full of people loudly pretending they knew what they were doing while events spiralled far beyond anyone’s control.
The Grand Couvert captures that atmosphere brilliantly. It feels researched without ever becoming dense or self-important. There’s enough detail to make the setting believable, but never so much that it slows the pace down.
As a history teacher, this was exactly my kind of historical fiction. The sort where you can tell the writer genuinely understands the time period but also understands that history is often weird, petty, dramatic, and occasionally very funny.
The Evil Cat:
The evil cat is easily one of the strongest parts of the book.
The concept sounds completely unhinged on paper and somehow works perfectly in execution because the novel commits to it fully. The humour lands because the book never backs away from how ridiculous the idea actually is. He pushes over statues, moves people’s objects around to make them crazy. It’s like a regular cat turned up to 11… no wait, a regular cat works.
That said, my one real critique is that the cat occasionally feels slightly one note. The repeated descriptions of people as “assholes” started to lose impact after a while because the joke gets used a lot. A lot a lot.
Still, the cat remains memorable throughout and ends up giving the book a really distinct personality. There are plenty of historical fiction novels about revolutions. Far fewer involve a revenge-driven cat stalking his enemies across France.
Edouard, Europe, and National Character:
Edouard also works really well as the centre of the human story because he’s not some fearless revolutionary hero. He’s mostly just trying to survive.
There’s something genuinely funny about following a man trapped inside one of the most dramatic political moments in European history while privately wanting no part in any of it.
I also really appreciated how well the different nationalities and European characters were handled. With an Irish writer, the Irish character Tony was particularly well done. This feels like a writer who genuinely understands European nuance and nationality rather than flattening everyone into stereotypes.
The characters feel culturally distinct in a believable way, which adds a lot to the humour and dialogue throughout the novel.
Final Thoughts:
I mean this in the best way possible, but this is exactly the sort of historical fiction I could imagine doing brilliantly in an airport bookshop.
The sort of book you buy before a flight, read in two days, and finish feeling both very amused and vaguely smarter.
It’s funny, well paced, historically textured, and genuinely entertaining. It also benefits massively from being a standalone. In an era where every historical or fantasy novel seems determined to become a trilogy, there’s something refreshing about a book that simply tells its story well and finishes.
The Grand Couvert is ridiculous in exactly the way history often is.
And that’s exactly why it works.
June 3, 2025
ITA
The Grand Couvert ci trasporta tra il 1789 e il 1796, nel cuore della Rivoluzione francese, seguendo le avventure di Edouard Laurent, figlio di un falegname, e del… Conte d’Bois.
Edouard, per non perdere la testa (in senso letterale), partecipa ai principali eventi rivoluzionari insieme al suo amico Honoré. Una serie di circostanze imprevedibili lo trascina in un’avventura rocambolesca e affascinante, in compagnia di Honoré, un irlandese e una spagnola, alla ricerca di una reliquia di grande importanza.
Parallelamente, seguiamo la storia del Conte d’Bois, un personaggio oscuro e tormentato, mosso dal desiderio di vendetta per la morte della contessa. Il suo disprezzo per l’umanità è palpabile, e le sue azioni si intrecciano con quelle di Edouard, dando vita a un intreccio narrativo ricco di tensione e colpi di scena.
Il romanzo alterna sapientemente momenti del presente narrativo con flashback che arricchiscono il contesto storico e psicologico dei personaggi. Dopo una prima parte più frammentata, la narrazione si concentra sull’anno 1796, con una missione avventurosa e quasi cinematografica alla ricerca del “Sacro Graal”.
Nota di contenuto: il libro contiene linguaggio e scene violente.
Consiglio vivamente questo libro a chi ama le storie storiche con un tocco di mistero, azione e personaggi ben costruiti.
Ho ricevuto una copia gratuita di questo libro tramite Booksprout e sto volontariamente lasciando una recensione.
ENG
Set between 1789 and 1796, The Grand Couvert transports us to the heart of the French Revolution. We follow the adventures of Edouard Laurent, the son of a carpenter, and the Count d'Bois.
To literally avoid losing his head, Edouard takes part in the main revolutionary events alongside his friend Honoré. A series of unforeseeable circumstances draws Edouard and Honoré into a daring and fascinating adventure alongside an Irishman and a Spanish woman in search of a relic of immense importance.
Meanwhile, we follow the story of the Count d'Bois, a dark and tormented character driven by a desire for revenge for the countess's death. His contempt for humanity is palpable, and his actions intertwine with Edouard's, creating a plot full of tension, twists, and turns.
The novel skillfully alternates between the present narrative and flashbacks that enrich the characters' historical and psychological contexts. After a fragmented beginning, the narrative focuses on 1796 and an adventurous, cinematic mission to find the "Holy Grail."
Content note: The book contains violent language and scenes.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical stories with mystery, action, and well-developed characters.
I received a free copy of this book through Booksprout and am leaving a voluntary review.
The Grand Couvert ci trasporta tra il 1789 e il 1796, nel cuore della Rivoluzione francese, seguendo le avventure di Edouard Laurent, figlio di un falegname, e del… Conte d’Bois.
Edouard, per non perdere la testa (in senso letterale), partecipa ai principali eventi rivoluzionari insieme al suo amico Honoré. Una serie di circostanze imprevedibili lo trascina in un’avventura rocambolesca e affascinante, in compagnia di Honoré, un irlandese e una spagnola, alla ricerca di una reliquia di grande importanza.
Parallelamente, seguiamo la storia del Conte d’Bois, un personaggio oscuro e tormentato, mosso dal desiderio di vendetta per la morte della contessa. Il suo disprezzo per l’umanità è palpabile, e le sue azioni si intrecciano con quelle di Edouard, dando vita a un intreccio narrativo ricco di tensione e colpi di scena.
Il romanzo alterna sapientemente momenti del presente narrativo con flashback che arricchiscono il contesto storico e psicologico dei personaggi. Dopo una prima parte più frammentata, la narrazione si concentra sull’anno 1796, con una missione avventurosa e quasi cinematografica alla ricerca del “Sacro Graal”.
Nota di contenuto: il libro contiene linguaggio e scene violente.
Consiglio vivamente questo libro a chi ama le storie storiche con un tocco di mistero, azione e personaggi ben costruiti.
Ho ricevuto una copia gratuita di questo libro tramite Booksprout e sto volontariamente lasciando una recensione.
ENG
Set between 1789 and 1796, The Grand Couvert transports us to the heart of the French Revolution. We follow the adventures of Edouard Laurent, the son of a carpenter, and the Count d'Bois.
To literally avoid losing his head, Edouard takes part in the main revolutionary events alongside his friend Honoré. A series of unforeseeable circumstances draws Edouard and Honoré into a daring and fascinating adventure alongside an Irishman and a Spanish woman in search of a relic of immense importance.
Meanwhile, we follow the story of the Count d'Bois, a dark and tormented character driven by a desire for revenge for the countess's death. His contempt for humanity is palpable, and his actions intertwine with Edouard's, creating a plot full of tension, twists, and turns.
The novel skillfully alternates between the present narrative and flashbacks that enrich the characters' historical and psychological contexts. After a fragmented beginning, the narrative focuses on 1796 and an adventurous, cinematic mission to find the "Holy Grail."
Content note: The book contains violent language and scenes.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical stories with mystery, action, and well-developed characters.
I received a free copy of this book through Booksprout and am leaving a voluntary review.
June 27, 2026
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: One man trying to survive the revolution. One man trying to climb out of the gutter. One cat trying to kill them both…
Edouard Laurent is a young man struggling to survive in a tumultuous Paris during the dying embers of the Revolution. He was a hesitant participant in a chateau burning and has been conscripted to the Republican army. So, when Ivo Armel, a power-hungry official offers the chance of a pardon if Edouard retrieves a mysterious relic, Edouard and a strange team of adventurers set off. Unknown to them, they are being pursued by a small feline, who believes himself to be the Comte of the chateau Edouard helped reduce to ashes.
Will Edouard and his friends unravel the mystery of this relic and its significance to Armel’s revolution? Can the Comte endure terrible wine, worse lovers, and the indignity of repeatedly getting his head stuck in glasses while in pursuit for his vengeance?
A highly comedic, heartwarming and oddly, historically accurate novel by Eoghan Brunkard, author of ‘Clementine Lane’, of the trials of surviving late 18th century Europe.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: "Ivo" and "Armel" are Breton saints...the latter spent the end of his life defeating a dragon burning up a Breton forest, the former a sainted abbot who championed the rights and care of the poor; on the nose much, Author Eoghan? It was a fun read for me. I cheered when the comte died, and thoroughly reveled in his afterlife as a stray cat.
I liked the read because I was sent to Holy Scripture aka Wikipedia to test my knowledge of Revolutionary France while giggling. It wasn't paced that well, some scenes too long; but overall I'd be glad to read Author Eoghan's next book.
He only wants $4.99 for a Kindle edition which feels reasonable to me.
The Publisher Says: One man trying to survive the revolution. One man trying to climb out of the gutter. One cat trying to kill them both…
Edouard Laurent is a young man struggling to survive in a tumultuous Paris during the dying embers of the Revolution. He was a hesitant participant in a chateau burning and has been conscripted to the Republican army. So, when Ivo Armel, a power-hungry official offers the chance of a pardon if Edouard retrieves a mysterious relic, Edouard and a strange team of adventurers set off. Unknown to them, they are being pursued by a small feline, who believes himself to be the Comte of the chateau Edouard helped reduce to ashes.
Will Edouard and his friends unravel the mystery of this relic and its significance to Armel’s revolution? Can the Comte endure terrible wine, worse lovers, and the indignity of repeatedly getting his head stuck in glasses while in pursuit for his vengeance?
A highly comedic, heartwarming and oddly, historically accurate novel by Eoghan Brunkard, author of ‘Clementine Lane’, of the trials of surviving late 18th century Europe.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: "Ivo" and "Armel" are Breton saints...the latter spent the end of his life defeating a dragon burning up a Breton forest, the former a sainted abbot who championed the rights and care of the poor; on the nose much, Author Eoghan? It was a fun read for me. I cheered when the comte died, and thoroughly reveled in his afterlife as a stray cat.
I liked the read because I was sent to Holy Scripture aka Wikipedia to test my knowledge of Revolutionary France while giggling. It wasn't paced that well, some scenes too long; but overall I'd be glad to read Author Eoghan's next book.
He only wants $4.99 for a Kindle edition which feels reasonable to me.
August 22, 2026
The French Revolution of 1789, did absolutely nothing for the wearing of ties and expensive jewellery made for the Aristocracy of Paris.
Times are hard, with starvation and general discontent being caused by the failure of the harvest, which means that the daily baguettes are scarce, even though the Queen, Marie Antoinette, has helpfully recommended that they eat cake, ( she possibly means the butter enriched Brioche) but even that is hard to come by for the masses of the peasants.
The Countess de Blois has always been discreet in her food shopping, but is attacked one day, and later that night, a mob came calling. She confronts them, but is killed when someone throws a stone at her head, and then her necklace is stolen.
The Comte is a grey haired character, well educated with a fine set of whiskers. He vows retribution upon both the thief and the main instigators of the riot. His methods are very enterprising and he is surprisingly agile, which comes as a revelation to both himself and the astonished readers.
There are some delightfully eccentric people and use of colourful language in this chaotic and enjoyable story of spies and assassins, and they do collide with many historical figures of note.
This is a madcap farce, such fun to read, and includes factual historical events and a comedic timeline with slightly acerbic footnotes on the persons involved in this alternate history of the Revolution in France.
This has been an absolute joy to savour, wonderful in all aspects. A five star rating, well deserved.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Clementine Lane Publishing, for my copy, freely given in return for my honest review. Copies will be left to Goodreads and Amazon UK.
Times are hard, with starvation and general discontent being caused by the failure of the harvest, which means that the daily baguettes are scarce, even though the Queen, Marie Antoinette, has helpfully recommended that they eat cake, ( she possibly means the butter enriched Brioche) but even that is hard to come by for the masses of the peasants.
The Countess de Blois has always been discreet in her food shopping, but is attacked one day, and later that night, a mob came calling. She confronts them, but is killed when someone throws a stone at her head, and then her necklace is stolen.
The Comte is a grey haired character, well educated with a fine set of whiskers. He vows retribution upon both the thief and the main instigators of the riot. His methods are very enterprising and he is surprisingly agile, which comes as a revelation to both himself and the astonished readers.
There are some delightfully eccentric people and use of colourful language in this chaotic and enjoyable story of spies and assassins, and they do collide with many historical figures of note.
This is a madcap farce, such fun to read, and includes factual historical events and a comedic timeline with slightly acerbic footnotes on the persons involved in this alternate history of the Revolution in France.
This has been an absolute joy to savour, wonderful in all aspects. A five star rating, well deserved.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Clementine Lane Publishing, for my copy, freely given in return for my honest review. Copies will be left to Goodreads and Amazon UK.
August 29, 2026
The Grand Couvert is a surprising novel I picked up because it had a Black Cat on the Cover.
I'm not extremely into Black Cats or Grand Couverts BUT, I had a reading prompt to read a book with a Black Cat on the Cover. NOW. I am fairly sure the person who did this bookstore reading prompt expected me to pick up some fluffy Halloween themed Rom-Com. I was down for that, but this popped up on NetGalley and did look infinitely more interesting than a standard Rom -com.
This was a unique read for me and I was sort of surprised and oddly charmed at every twist and turn in this novel.
Probably my favorite twist was learning how the cat actually fit in to all of the business goings on at the time of the French Revolution.
The French Revolution- yes it's the French Revolution, and we have a reluctant participant- hero Edouard, who crosses paths with Edouard and offers him a chance he can't refuse. All he has to do is find a secret relic. And off we go... Edouard, and his team (who are ready for all adventure!) find themselves hot on the relic's trail. They are, of course pursued by a Comte, or is that a Cat? You'll want to read to find out!
I enjoyed this novel which was full of wry humor, and twists around every turn. This is a good one to buddy read with your history buff friend, as it's fictional but also highly accurate.
I'm not extremely into Black Cats or Grand Couverts BUT, I had a reading prompt to read a book with a Black Cat on the Cover. NOW. I am fairly sure the person who did this bookstore reading prompt expected me to pick up some fluffy Halloween themed Rom-Com. I was down for that, but this popped up on NetGalley and did look infinitely more interesting than a standard Rom -com.
This was a unique read for me and I was sort of surprised and oddly charmed at every twist and turn in this novel.
Probably my favorite twist was learning how the cat actually fit in to all of the business goings on at the time of the French Revolution.
The French Revolution- yes it's the French Revolution, and we have a reluctant participant- hero Edouard, who crosses paths with Edouard and offers him a chance he can't refuse. All he has to do is find a secret relic. And off we go... Edouard, and his team (who are ready for all adventure!) find themselves hot on the relic's trail. They are, of course pursued by a Comte, or is that a Cat? You'll want to read to find out!
I enjoyed this novel which was full of wry humor, and twists around every turn. This is a good one to buddy read with your history buff friend, as it's fictional but also highly accurate.
June 19, 2025
I was attracted to this book because it was about a cat. Maybe that’s not the best reason to choose a book, but it came up as historical too which is a genre I enjoy, so I thought I’d give it a read. The cat in question is the Comte, and when his Countess is killed during the French revolution and his home destroyed, he sets out on a revenge mission to kill those he thinks responsible. It’s an adventure set in revolutionary France, and it revolves around the Comte and the various misfits he’s tracking down to kill.
It took me a few chapters to get into the book, then as the plot developed along with the various characters I really started to enjoy it. There were twists and turns in the plot all the way, and the ending was quite a surprise too. The history was well researched and although grisly at times, it was well written and interesting. As for the viewpoint of the cat, having two myself I think the author got the Comte’s opinions of his two legged minions pretty much down to a T….. 🐈⬛.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It took me a few chapters to get into the book, then as the plot developed along with the various characters I really started to enjoy it. There were twists and turns in the plot all the way, and the ending was quite a surprise too. The history was well researched and although grisly at times, it was well written and interesting. As for the viewpoint of the cat, having two myself I think the author got the Comte’s opinions of his two legged minions pretty much down to a T….. 🐈⬛.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 30, 2026
The Grand Couvert is a wildly entertaining historical adventure that balances Revolutionary-era intrigue with sharp humor and unexpected heart. Set against the chaos of post-Revolution France, the story follows reluctant hero Edouard Laurent on a dangerous quest for a mysterious relic, accompanied by an unforgettable cast of misfits—and relentlessly pursued by a vengeful cat who may be the book’s most determined character. Beneath the laughs, the novel weaves real historical details into a fast-moving tale filled with political schemes, perilous journeys, unlikely friendships, and plenty of absurd mishaps. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a playful edge will find themselves swept along by the mystery, staying for the clever banter, and eagerly turning pages to see whether Edouard can survive the revolution, his mission, and the wrath of one very angry feline.
June 25, 2026
I picked up The Grand Couvert expecting a historical adventure and ended up laughing far more than I anticipated. The book drops readers into the uncertainty of post-Revolution France, where Edouard Laurent finds himself dragged into a hunt for a mysterious relic while trying to avoid becoming a casualty of politics, war, and bad decisions. I enjoyed the wonderfully chaotic mix of history, adventure, and comedy, especially whenever the self-important feline Comte appears to wreak havoc. Between the dangerous journeys, ridiculous mishaps, and surprisingly touching moments of friendship, this is the kind of book that keeps finding new ways to surprise you. If you enjoy historical fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously, this one is worth the trip.
June 23, 2026
A very unique and unusual story involving the Revolution. It follows them on a mission followed by a cat believing they are a reincarnation of one of the dead. See just where it will all lead
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great read
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