This was a nice light read. Seemed odd that a lot of the drama in Hortense's life was left for the afterward. ( )

I was rather disappointed in this book. I was hoping it would cover her entire life, or at least until the fall of Napoleon. But it did not even reach the point of her marriage. And the way it ended left no hope of it being the first part of a trilogy [as the Josephine B. books had].
I understand it was intended for a juvenile reader, but many YA historical fiction are still able to hold the interest of older readers, whereas this one could not. ( )

The Game of Hope is a fictional account of the teenage years of Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte's step-daughter. Sandra Gulland does a nice job weaving historical fact with fiction allowing readers to get to know Hortense. In 'The Game of Hope' Hortense takes that final step from childhood to adulthood, something most readers can relate to, regardless of their year of birth! While the book is nicely written and Gulland's plot line flows well, Hortense is a very proper young lady who almost borders on the boring. At times the book seems to plod along, missing some of the excitement Gulland had in her earlier Josephine Bonaparte trilogy. What I absolutely loved about the book was the use of terms common in the late 1700's. It added to the authenticity of the book and was interesting to see, even at a glimpse, how issues such as suicide, ones ethnicity, and 'feminine issues' were viewed. Well worth the read. ( )

Hortense de Beauharnais grew up during the unfortunate time of the French Revolution. During this time many members of the aristocracy were woken in the middle of the night, dragged away and then imprisoned or killed. Hortense's father was one of the many executed by guillotine and Hortense's mother, Josephine was one of the many imprisoned. Josephine is now married to Napoleon, who is rising to power. While Napoleon is fighting, Hortense attends The Institute, a boarding school for young women. Hortense is a good student, especially in the arts. Hortense prayis for the protection of her brother Eugene, while fighting with Napoleon's troops. She is also secretly pining for Christophe, a fellow officer with Eugene and dealing with Caroline, Napoleon's troublesome little sister. Hortense has many painful memories of the past and her future is quickly changing as Napoleon gains power.

The Game of Hope is the story of Hortense de Beauharnais' coming of age. Hortense would go on to become the Queen Consort of Holland; however, the events of her childhood help mold the adult she will become. Focusing on the years of 1798-1800, we get to see a few years of Hortense's life as the Revolution was shaping France, it's people and Napoleon's rise to power. Throughout everything that was going on with her country and her personal life, I felt that Hortense was very much captured as a regular young woman. Written with much historical detail, I was fascinated to learn about the effects of the Revolution on those who survived as well as details of Hortense's private life. I was amazed to know that Hortense was a composer, and that I am able to listen to her pieces being performed today. While the focus of the story was on Hortense, I also had many glimpses into the rest of her fascinating family including the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine as well as fascinating Caroline. Overall, an engrossing historical biography of an amazing woman in history that is filled with hope and strength.

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

This was a great piece of historical fiction. I don't know a ton about French history, and it was extremely interesting to read about what life was like during the time of Napoleon. Hortense is a very well-written character here, and her relationships with everyone around her felt very believable and real. I also love that the author included a historical note at the end (although it wasn't the most uplifting thing I've ever read). For me, it adds a lot to a story to know that there is real history behind it. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes YA historical fiction. Thanks to First to Read for the advance copy. ( )