Confession: Back in the late '80s when all of my friends plastered their walls with posters of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Kirk Cameron and the Coreys (IYKYK), mine were covered in homemade posters of Princess Diana. (And by homemade I mean B&W photocopies of pictures from magazines that I cut out and glued to poster board. They were low rent, people.) I was OBSESSED with all things royal - I subscribed to Majesty magazine, recorded Andrew & Fergie's wedding (I still have the VHS tapes) and kept scrapbooks of all mentions of Diana, Charles and the rest of the Mountbatten-Windsors. I eventually outgrew my fascination but I'm still a sucker for stories related to The Firm.

𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗢𝗥 isn't about the royal family but focuses on another Windsor family (this one in Pennsylvania) whose matriarch, Debbie, is a shopaholic and hoarder. Her house is filled with stuff that reminds her of the UK, where Debbie studied abroad, and Princess Diana, whose relationship with Charles paralleled Debbie's own with her husband.

When her son gets a job working on 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧, a 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴-esque reality show, he volunteers his mother and his sister, Sarah, an etiquette expert, to take part, but the process of decluttering the house forces family secrets and their buried issues into the light.

Contino mixes royalty, 1980s nostalgia, family drama, reality TV shows and some romance to create a unique and entertaining story. The supporting characters are wonderful and there are some very touching moments. Even if you're not a royal fanatic like me and Debbie, this tale of letting go, literally and figuratively, is one you won't want to miss.

Thanks Get Red PR Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

A book about London / The Royals and hoarding? Sign me up please!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a British-American family living in New York, who’s American mother is a shopaholic and compulsive hoarder and hides it well from friends. That is, until her son gets a job on ‘Stuff’, a show about hoarding, and volunteers his mom Debbie to be on it and promises his very famous sister will participate. As the family works through the implications of this on each of their lives and their relationships, they are forced to deal with the past so they can all hopefully move on and move forward.

I was entertained from the beginning of this one and loved the references to London, the Royals, Princess Diana, and how these commemorative items were what Debbie was hoarding. (I’m not mad at you for that Debs as a Royal lover myself!) The story was all very well done, from the show to the relationships between the siblings and their parents and how they all worked through their baggage.

Thank you to NetGalley and GetRedPR for the digital copy to review.

I love a good play on words and this title is perfection. A House Full of Windsor might make you think of royalty, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But it also alludes to one of the main characters, Debbie Windsor, and her house full of clutter, most of which happens to be her collection of royal family memorabilia. Debbie is a hoarder and her home has become unhealthy and unsafe. Her kids get her to appear on a reality tv show similar to “Hoarders” and the family drama unfolds. I love the two points of view we get throughout the story from Debbie and her etiquette expert daughter, Sarah. There’s something for everyone here: family drama, royal sentimentality, and even a bit of romance.

This was an interesting and well written book but if you’re expecting a light read, this is not that. Nothing terrible happens but it’s not fluffy, so know that going in.

I loved how the author connected Debbie’s story to the royal family. Debbie was living in England for college snd was there when Diana got married. She unexpectedly found herself married soon after and staying in England.
Debbie and Diana’s pregnancies even lined up. While the two never knew each other, Debbie felt a connection and I can see why. They were milestones that they went through at the same time.

Now Debbie is divorced, living in the US and has been hoarding for decades. Her house is filled with royal family collectibles. It’s gotten bad enough to be unsafe.

When her son Will gets a job offer on a show about hoarders, he tries to get his mom to agree to be on the show. He also wants his sister Sarah to help. Their sister Anne isn’t given as much of a storyline as Sarah. Sarah’s Job is at risk if she agrees to do the show but everyone agrees it’s best for their mom. They just have to convince Debbie of that.

This story also flashes back to several big moments in Debbie’s past.

I enjoyed the story but it was sad at times. I was happy with the conclusion.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

This was a really cute, unique story. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the Royal history against this normal family's life. I thought that this book was very upbeat and fun!

DNF at 40%. I wanted to like this book so much so I tried to keep reading, but I was just not connecting with the story. By the time I go to about 25%-30% it just didn’t seem like there was a lot happening. It was mostly a lot of back and forth between Debbie and her children as they persuaded her to be on the show, Stuff. I did enjoy the flashbacks to the early days of marriage and motherhood for Debbie and I was intrigued to see how her past shaped her hoarding obsession. There was just too much of the present day that weighed down the story and I was too disinterested to finish.

Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon
Not finished yet-will update soon

This novel is a fresh take on the royalty-related genre. Forget about those wannabe princesses who want to meet a prince and lead a fantasy life. The author penned a moving story about the other side of the royal business: the everyday people who are fascinated by them and purchase the endless memorabilia and the toll it has on their lives. It was a very interesting take on the issues faced by hoarders, the messy side of the aristocratic lifestyle, and the impacts of divorce on all parties involved. I thought the chapters focused on Debbie were the best ones, because of the flashbacks to her past in the 80s and 90s and the possibility to follow her inner turmoil. All in all, it was a good read that I would recommend.

This book takes a good look at divorce & hoarding, as bitterness and regret keep adding to the “pile” of issues for this Family. It explores how it affects family relationships, a person's view on life & love, and intrinsically shapes who they are as a person. While not every time, sometimes our parents' choices (whether good or bad) can influence our opinions of them, but we have to remember they are human too, and make mistakes just like the rest of us.

I strongly related to this book, coming from a "broken" home and simultaneously balancing two completely different home lives, while also playing mediator between my mom and dad. They got pregnant, married young, and it didn't work out for them.

Another thing I noticed was the emphasis and letting go vs. holding on. Do we need to hold onto all the bitterness, anger, and resentment? What good does it really do for us? And the little mementos we collect along the way, hoarding trinkets & knick-knacks like the memories we gained from them are trapped inside & its the only way to remember the good (and sometimes bad)

Overall, family is everything. People are who they are, unless they don't want to be that anymore. Only you can decide to change (or not to) and understanding how we all think/act in our own weird (sometimes messed up) ways, is how we come to terms with it...and make the best of it.

Told in dual timelines, we see how Debbie became a hoarder, as well as how her adult children deal with it.

Debbie hoards very specific things: memorabilia of the British royal family. And she’ll buy anything and everything that falls into that category, to the point where she can’t sleep in her bed and her home is unsafe.

In the current-day narration, we focus on daughter Sarah, who is an etiquette expert on morning television. Sister Anne is a neat freak. Brother Will, also works in TV and has just been hired as an assistant producer on a hoarding cleanup show. You can see where this is going, right?

I like that this book is sympathetic to Debbie’s situation, while not being shy about the damaging effects it has on her and her children. All of her kids have issues, and they can be tied more to Debbie’s problem than to her split from their British father during their childhood.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Hoarding isn’t pretty. Unmarried sex. Drinking. Drug use. Swearing. One of the characters is gay.

Who Might Like This Story:
Might be of interest to older teens. Anyone who likes stories about difficult family dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Also reviewed at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2021/08/july-releases-for-summer-downtime.html

This book was provided to me via Kindle by Get Red P, Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A House Full of Windsor is a light, charming, fun story. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good beach read with heart.

Royal obsession, anyone?!

Yes, I love anything Royal. This book is the perfectly humorous look into what hoarding memorabilia can do to a family. Such crisp and fun writing! This book is perfect for anyone looking to cuddle up with a cuppa and dive into the world of Royal entertainment.

Thank you Get Red PR for sending a copy of this to me.

A really fascinating dual perspective about a family with a problem. With little knowledge of the royal family, it really did feel a bit like being on the outside looking in in a truly different way that I'm used to. This is the story of Debbie, an American woman who is a compulsive hoarder of royal collectibles, royal trinkets, really anything related to the British royal family. When we meet Debbie, we get to see not only her perspective but the dual timeline of her early life in the 80s and 90s when she was beginning her collection and when it began to get out of hand. Debbie's children have decided to put her on a reality television show for hoarders called Stuff.

I think what most drew me to Debbie as a character was the way that the author allowed her life to parallel Diana's, with milestones etc, to allow us the reader to really feel for her and connect with her on a deeper level as opposed to just feeling like this woman had a problem and needed to sort it out. By giving us something to grapple with and grab onto, it really allowed us to understand Debbie in a better way. I think this was very clever.

This book could have become dark quite easily, and it also could have made light of hoarding. However, I don't think it did either one and I think the perfect balance was struck. It was a great mix of lightheartedness and also serious handling of difficult topics. A quick easy read that will also get you into your feelings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve watched shows about hoarders, but I have never read about one. I liked how the hoarder, Debbie, was a “clean” hoarder. Her house was not dirty and full of junk and trash, she just had a ton of royal collectable items in storage boxes that made it difficult to get around.

I loved the dual timeline within Debbie’s POV. Not only did we get to see how see felt through the whole cleaning process, but we also got to see the events at caused the problem in the first place. While I sympathized with Debbie after knowing her past, I think I sided with her children a little more.

Sarah’s POV was an all-around look at the family, and I enjoyed her chemistry and banter with Pierce. I loved how there was humor and some romance to break up the family drama.

I would have liked a little more of Debbie facing the root cause of her problem, that part seemed a little quick. But the growth from the whole family made it a heartwarming read.

I am all about all things Royal. I remember getting up before the sun to watch Diana’s funeral. And, true story, when my kids were little, we took them to London and while waiting in line for Westminster Abbey, my son (age 4 at the time) said, full of excitement, “we are going to see Downton Abbey!!”
Maybe it was a sign that I needed to tone down my Anglophile ways…

Well, when I heard about A House Full of Windsor by @royallykristinc , I knew I needed it in my life. It is the story of an American woman, Debbie, who is a shopaholic and a compulsive hoarder of all things related to the Royals and her adult children who put her on a reality show for hoarders called “Stuff”. As the story unfolds and Debbie sorts through the piles in her house, she reminisces about her past through dual timeline chapters of her life in London in the 1980s and 1990s. This book is the perfect mixture of royalty, memories of Princess Diana, reality tv antics and delicious dysfunctional family drama. There is also such humor and biting wit peppered throughout. The chapters alternate between the point of view of Debbie and that of her eldest daughter and I loved seeing both of their perspectives on the hoarding. The flashback chapters highlight how Debbie’s life mirrors Diana’s life in all milestones which is such a clever addition to the story. I also love the introspection going on throughout this book as to the impact of the actions by your parents on your personality and view of the world and how to move past your childhood. I just loved this book so much with its cast of complicated, flawed and lovable characters.

This review first published on Oh Just Books.

A fun read about royalty, hoarding, reality TV, etiquette hosts, English manors, and American consumerism. How does it straddle so many topics? With ease and grace! The author, Kristin Contino, is well-versed in royalty as a whole topic, and knows pretty much everything there is to know about the royal family, and it shows. Who knew commemorative tea towels were a thing? Not me! This book just casually mentions so much royal stuff that I didn't even know existed, and I kinda understand a bit more about the royal craze now.

I shan't get into plot details because obviously you're going to want to read this chick lit with a twist, but suffice to say that apart from these two, the rest of the characters are also quite fun and well-written. Although I would have liked to see a bit more of present day Alan. The story flows well too and I'd love to see how Sarah's life progresses from here onward.

Oh, and nobody named Santosh or Rekha is going to have the surname Khan. Get the token brown character right!

Overall, a fun story that's easy breezy while still dealing with real issues. Good chick lit with a hoarding twist, lovely descriptions and likeable characters. And definitely read if you love the royals!

Thank you to Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing and Netgalley for the e-arc.

A very interesting read - although don't let the title deceive you - it is not a "boring, historical, non-fiction" account of the Royal Family.
Instead it focuses on the home (House) of Debbie (Windsor) and her hoarding/collecting habit - definition depends on who's talking in the book.
As the story develops we learn what happened in Debbie's world and why her collection of all things Diana seems to have spiraled out of control. We also see how she grows and puts the past back where it belongs thanks to her children putting her on a show about hoarders.
A good read that I really enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

What a delightful story!!! The characters make this book 100%!!! Sarah has to go home with her twin sister and her brother to deal with their mom's problem. She is a hoarder. She is obsessed with anything of England royalty and Charles and Diana. Sarah's brother works on a show about hoarders. He nominates their mom 's house for an episode! During filming is where the fun begins! Family dysfunction, love of family, and some romance make this such a heartfelt book! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Loads of potential in this story about a family with the last name of Windsor. But this story is actually about a hoarder in the USA, only Debbie’s not a typical hoarder and doesn’t need therapy. Odd. I think the book is trying to relate that you need to live for the future and quit living In the past. Early in the book, we find Debbie, educated in England, where she met a London man from a wealthy family and got knocked up. After having her children she then watched her marriage implode. Debbie can’t let go of her past which results in an obsession with all things British including tea cups, Princess Diana Postcards, Charles and Diana memorabilia and all things royal related. Fair warning, this story isn’t about England, it’s about finding yourself and moving forward from the messy life she had created.

I love anything Royal, and this book really satisfied all the cravings in a funny and absolutely heart warming story I really enjoyed.

This is a story about one woman’s Royal obsession taken a little too far leading to an unhealthy hoarding enough to bring the whole family down.

Contino writes a lighthearted and witty story perfect for a relaxing weekend read with a cuppa!

Check this one out if you are even a bit obsessed with the Royals or Anglophile.