title: The Accidental Empress: A Novel
author:  Allison Pataki 
description: "A love match alters the course of history...Pataki deserves kudos for choosing her subject matter wellSisi's life is ideal fictional fodder." (<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>)<br /><br />"Intricately plotted, Pataki's latest is engrossing and incredibly real." (<i>Romantic Times (four stars)</i>)<br /><br />"Another absolutely compelling story. I loved it." (Mary Higgins Clark)<br /><br />"This novel is captivating, absorbing, and beautifully told--I can't wait for the sequel!" (Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House)<br /><br />"The Accidental Empress is lush, romantic, and enlighteninga truly lovely novel." (Therese Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z)<br /><br />"Allison Pataki brings to life one of the most enigmatic, intelligent, and stunningly beautiful women ever to have graced a court in Europe. A remarkable novel about a truly remarkable empress!" (Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen)<br /><br />"Once again Pataki stuns by diving deep into the pages of history and bringing up a heroine who is not only a jewel, but a red-blooded, complicated woman, allowing us to see history through a refreshingly new perspective. Smart, interesting, and chock-full of betrayal, intrigue, and love -- The Accidental Empress had me glued to the page." (Lee Woodruff, New York Times Best-Selling author and CBS This Morning contributor)<br /><br />With her meticulous attention to historical detail and powerfully entertaining storytelling skills, Allison Pataki is a force in historical fiction. Set amid the grand landscapes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the wilds of the human heart, The Accidental Empress is an epic tale of honor, power, and love. Breathtaking! (Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway's Girl)<br /><br />"A glorious novel about a misunderstood empress...With a sumptuous sense of history and evocative attention to detail, Allison Pataki conjures the rebellious, glamorous spirit of Sisi of Austria." (C.W. Gortner, bestselling author of The Queens Vow)<br /><br /><i>"The Accidental Empress </i>is a tale of royal love we don't know but should, and who better to share it with us than the supremely gifted and entertaining historical novelist, Allison Pataki. A delightful gift for readers...<i>The Accidental Empress</i> is enthralling." (-Allegra Jordan, Author of The End of Innocence)
zlib_text: Praise for
  T he A
  c c idental Empress
  “A love match alters the course of history. . . . Pataki deserves kudos for choosing
  her subject matter well—Sisi’s life is ideal �ctional fodder.”
  —K irkus Reviews
  “The Accidental Empress is a stunning masterpiece of imagination, enriched with
  lavish historical detail. Utterly riveting, amazingly insightful. A splendid saga
  sure to capture the heart.”
  —Jan Moran, bestselling author of Scent of Triumph
  “Pataki’s fully drawn Accidental Empress is an indelible portrayal—not only of
  one of the most complicated and misunderstood Habsburgs, but of a turbulent
  royal marriage during a tumultuous era.”
  —Juliet Grey, author of the acclaimed Marie Antoinette trilogy
  “Allison Pataki so vividly depicts the world of the Habsburg court, you’ll feel the
  silk of Sisi’s gowns under your very �ngers as you eagerly turn the pages of The
  Accidental Empress. As a woman both ahead of her time and wholly situated
  within it, Sisi makes for a captivating central �gure, and