The Loves of Chrles II is three of Plaidy's works combined into one volume. First is The Wandering Prince, which is much less about Charles than about his sister, Henriette. It is also about his first mistress and the mother of James, Duke of Monmouth, Lucy Water. I enjoyed this story, until the end, when I felt it began to drag a bit. I would rate it 3 stars.The second book is A Health Unto His Majesty, about Charles wife, Catherine of Braganza, and his favorite mistress, Barbara Villiers. I did not like the way Plaidy portrayed either woman, but her Barbara was especially offensive to me. I rated this one just 2 stars.The final book, Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord, was about Nell Gwyn and and Louise de Keroualle. I liked this book best and felt like Nelly was the only woman in all 3 books (with the possible exception of Minette) that was portrayed in a positive way. In sharp contrast to the other 2 books,t he ending of this one was quite poignant and stayed engaging. I would rate this one 4 stars.
