Banners of silk

Bookseller recommended as historical romance but there is no love in this, not even good sex scenes! Seamstress falls in love with a french army officer who wants her to be his mistress, and she marries a man who's a liar and a wifebeater. BORING and no real happy ending. Not a romantic book.

Reader follows dressmaker Louise from lowly beginnings to the high-fashion world of Charles Worth, from love with a dashing soldier (who treats her dishonorably) to an abusive marriage of convenience and finally "love" with a friend (although this is reduced to the single paragraph on the last page, when she realizes her dear friend has always been waiting for her). Extremely disappointing to someone looking for romance, and that's how this novel was marketed. Gets two stars only for its interesting portrayal of the 19th century fashion industry. The story itself is only worth one

Few books evoke human emotion with visual impact. Ms. Laker does just that in this beautifully crafted novel. She is an excellent story teller and has a wonderful way of getting inside the human heart and soul through her characters. I have also read "The Silver Touch", another excellent book of character and human emotion.

Set in elegant post-Napoleon Paris, Banners of Silk tells the story of young and impoverished dress designer Louise Vernet. The story opens as the newly orphaned Louise meets a grisette, Catherine Allard, who takes her in and fosters her. Louise works hard, learning every thing she can about the art of dress designing, eventually establishing herself at one of the premier maison de couture. The romance in this novel is raw and complex, and more real than most romance novels. Louise falls innocently in love with one man but soon out-grows her feelings for him. Next, Louise falls in love with a dashing military man whose inherent short-comings cause her anguish. Finally, Louise finds love with a friend. Although the ending was a bit of a disappointment for the romantic at heart, Laker's sharp characterizations and attention to historical details make Banners of Silk a thoroughly enjoyable read. Frankly, I did not see huge comparisions between To Dance With Kings and Banners of Silk (as the above review implies) but, as a writer, I understand that a good writer does have a unique and distinct style. Ms. Laker's is the finest I have ever read in the genre of historical romance. Buy this book, you would never be disappointed with her efforts. Leah Marie Brown, Author of Willing Captive

Most people don't get this book. It is a very heart felt book. What most people don't realise about it is that Charles Fredrick Worth is an actual Person in our worlds history. When it talks about all of the clothing for different people, he actually did make those pieces. He was the man who was completely resposable for changing our ideals of fashion in todays society. If it weren't for him we may not have the fashions that we have today. In the edition that I have read there is a page that says that Charles Worth's grandson helped get the facts straight. I read this book at least 5 times a year. The way that Ms. Laker intertwined the other peoples lives together makes you feel like you are really there with them. Don't just read these reviews and make your decision based apon there words. Read the book for yourself and then decide. Just remember that some of these people really did exist and that they helped make our life what it is today.