The title "Royal Harlot" should have tipped me off.

I picked up Susan Holloway Scott's novel about Barbara Villiers Palmer, notorious mistress of England's Charles II, expecting a certain amount of titillation, but also hoping for an enlightening glimpse into merry Restoration London.

I got smut.

A third of the way into "Royal Harlot," I already felt bludgeoned by the sex scenes. Reading this novel was a bit like watching "Showgirls."

I finished the book totally unenlightened about Charles' Dutch wars or his divisive religious policies. Scott spent just a few pages on the Great Plague and Great Fire of London. (I learned more by quickly skimming Wikipedia entries than I did from this book.)

But I did discover Charles II and Barbara Villiers liked sex. A lot.

Very interesting account one of the Royal Mistress' to King Charles II, Barbara Villiers Palmer or as she later became (through royal favor) Countess of Castlemaine, Duchess of Cleveland. This is a fast moving and entertaining read about a woman who is generally reviled in history as she was in her own time period (late 1600's). An interesting and well written account of the world of King Charles II and the "bawdy Restoration court". According to "The Historical Novels Review", "Wonderful...whisks the reader into a period rife with intrigue, love, sex, war and religous strife.". I enjoyed this book. It does have some sexual content but not in the extreme (at least in my view).

A total raunch-fest. I was bored with 'sex with the king' early on in the book. It could have been so much better than it was.

Jean Plaidy's "The Loves of Charles II" is a better portrait of Barbara Villiers Palmer (and Charles' other mistresses) than this novel is.

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I borrowed this book from the library, and I'm glad I did't buy it. It is a good read. It did't take me long to read it from start to finish. But that't about it. I am in no hurry to read it again- ever.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was not at all slow or dull and certainly not as smut-filled as purported. I will read other books by Susan Holloway Scott as her writing was intriguing.

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