Abandoned to live with her Aunt, Deb Willet is educated but nothing else. Her aunt arranges for her to become companion/lady's maid to Elisabeth Pepys, wife of a civil servant in London. It is not long after the restoration of the monarchy and the great fire but London is an exciting place for a girl like Deb. However as time goes on she realises that friendships have their costs and reputations are easily lost.
The premise of this novel is a clever one, hidden in the pages of Pepys' diaries are references to various women that he chased and Deb Willet is one of the em. Little remains of her story but Swift has chosen to embroider a tale around it linking social unrest and espionage to the life of a maid. There's lots to really like about this book, the setting, the knowledge of London in the late 1660s etc. However I felt it dragged in places and the credibility of the plot was definitely stretched in places. ( )

Despite the title, Mr Pepys is a central character, rather than the main protagonist. It's those who please him that take centre stage.

I like how the author has taken a virtually forgotten person from history and made her a main character. Deborah Willet is only mentioned a few times in Pepys’s famous diary, yet Deborah Swift has used what scant info there is to bring the heroine to life.

Abigail Williams is another barely-remembered historical personage – I admit to never having heard of her or Deborah Willet – and again, the author uses her creative prowess to make Abigail an engaging character, perhaps the best in the novel.

The story, set in London during the late 1660s, follows Deborah, Abigail, plus several other characters whose lives become entwined. Events revolve around the problems with the Dutch during this time, while espionage is at the heart of Deborah's troubles.

One element I really like is how Deborah gradually slides into deeper water, which continues to build and build as the story develops. This reflects good plotting skills and adept characterisation.

If you like fast-paced stories set in seventeenth-century England, written by an author who knows the period well, give “Pleasing Mr Pepys” a try. ( )

Deb Willet's aunt has found employment for Deb as a companion to Mrs. Pepys. As the companion to the wife of Samuel Pepys, administrator to the navy of England and Member of Parliament, Deb is placed among society's finest. However, Deb quickly learns that Mrs. Pepys is insecure in her placement and Mr. Pepys has roaming hands. One of the Pepys' favored pastimes is going to the theatre. Through their theatre outings, Deb is introduced to Abigail Williams, the mistress of Lord Bruncker, President of the Royal Society. Needing a friend, Deb takes up Abigail's invitation. However, being a friend to Abigail is much more complicated than simple outing. Soon, Abigail is having Deb bring her things from Mr. Pepys office and having Deb copy letters of Lord Bruncker. Before she knows it, Deb has become a spy for the Dutch, just like Abigail.

Intricate and historically detailed, Pleasing Mr. Pepys brought me into the spy world of the 17th Century. I really didn't know much about Samuel Pepys or what was happening around London in the late 1600's except for some notorious doings of Charles II and his mistresses. I felt for Deb's character while at the same time being intrigued. I felt like she continually received the short end of the stick throughout her life; her mother left, she was thrust into the care of an aunt who saw her and her sister as a nuisance, was then sold off as a companion to Mrs. Pepys only to be taken advantage of by Mr. Pepys and cajoled into being a spy for Abigail Williams. Throughout all of this however, Deb manages to find strength and carry on. At one point she states "Very well, if she was a whore and a traitor, she would be one that survived." I found myself continually pulled into the writing by different elements, the mystery of Deb's mother, the blossoming romance between Deb and Jem and the continual danger of the spy games. Through Deb and Abagail, I was pulled into the world of a spymistress and given a different look into a woman's life in 1600's London.
I was pleased to find out that Deb Willet was a real character in the life of Samuel Pepys and written about in his diary. While Deb's true role in his life might not be fully known, Deborah Swift's creation is an exciting possibility.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )