This was a decent look at the lives of eight women who were destined to rule in a country they were not born in. For the most part, these women all lived in the same century. It's a light and enjoyable read. If you're looking for a book about politics, keep searching. This is about the personal lives of the profiled women. I particularly enjoyed reading about Empress Leopoldina of Brazil, who is not someone English readers get much material on. The joint chapter on British Queen Alexandra and her sister Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia was very good reading.

Profiled in this book are Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette of France, Maria Carolina of Naples, Leopoldina of Brazil, Eugenie of France, Vicky of Prussia, Alexandra of Britain, and Marie Feodorovna of Russia. Recommended reading for those who want a more personal overview of their lives. ( )

Short chapters on eight royal women. The chapters are short and badly organized; the information within them is suspect. Moreover, there is no connecting thread or thesis behind the eight chosen ladies. It seems to be a random assortment. This would have been a much better book if the author had a point to make or was a better historian. ( )

Short biographies of eight woman sent overseas in arranged royal marriages. The author has done some good background work, and the essays on some of the lesser known women were thorough enough to be interesting--you're glad you met them but probably now know enough about them despite the shortness of the essay. Obviously not a good critical review of her more famous candidates (Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette) and such a short review suffers by contrast to thorough biographies. If she'd chosen only the more obscure candidates, this would have been a better book, but it's an easy read and not a waste of time if you're interested in monarchical history. ( )