I liked it but I have read better books on Sarah Churchill. This book didn't dive enough into her true frustrations with dealing with Queen Anne and all the demands put on her and the sacrifices she made to her family - even though it was alot of self greed that led her that way. Additionally, the whole Abigail Hill and the trilogy of the three was barely mentioned. All in all a fairly quick read. ( )

The historical fiction version of the life of Lady Diana Spencer's ancestress, Sarah Churchill. Fascinating and well written. Sarah became friends with an 8 year old Anne Stuart and they remained very close during the three decades before Anne became the queen. Infamously close. ( )

Full review can be seen at Fire & Ice http://www.icewarmth.com/2011/06/book-review-duchess-novel-of-sarah.html ( )

A fascinating story of Sarah Jennings, who rose from obscurity to be one of the wealthiest duchesses in England and took an important role in history. Through her marriage to John Churchill, a talented soldier who became the first Duke of Marlborough, and her friendship with the future Queen Anne, Sarah occupied an important place in the political power structure of late seventeenth-century England. However, she could also push too far and I felt that the deterioration of her relationship with Anne was as much Sarah's fault as it was Anne's. This novel has certainly peaked my interest in this fascinating couple and I would now like to read more about them. ( )

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a few years now, and I decided to take it with me on a short vacation. While I can't say that I was totally enthralled by it, Duchess ended up being pretty good fare for plane trips and layovers.

The novel is based on the life of Sarah Jennings, who first came to the court of Charles II as a twelve-year old when she became a maid of honor to his brother James's wife. There, she befriends the younger Princess Anne and, at 15, meets the love of her life, the soldier John Churchill. Despite their passion, both Sarah and John initially reject the idea of marriage; both are ambitious commoners who expect to make a socially and economically advantageous match. When they decide that they cannot live without one another, the couple works together to get ahead, mainly by pinning their hopes on Anne, who is third in line to the throne. They rely on Anne's obsessive love for Sarah and her promises that nothing will ever change her feelings--as well as their belief that, due to their unpopularity with the english people, her Catholic father James won't last long on the throne, nor will her sister Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange.

Scott presents a fairly interesting overview of the politics, fashions, customs, and rivalries in the late 17th-century court, and Sarah and John are fascinating figures of the day. I do have one caveat, which may not apply to most readers: I might have enjoyed the book more if I had not seen (several times) the excellent 1970s PBS series 'The First Churchills.' In many ways, I felt that I was reading a summary of the series, because nothing really new was added or further developed. I anticipated every event and plot turn (while picturing in my mind Susan Hampshire, John Neville, and Margaret Tyzak--which wasn't a bad way to read it!). So if you haven't seen the series, I'd recommend this book with a higher rating (4 stars). If you have seen 'The First Churchills,' just be prepared for a decent summary review. ( )