Interesting look at a royal often overlooked. Nice fast read. Kept me interested in learning more about Margaret

If you don't like historical fiction with a dash of romance (seriously, it's barely a skoach of romantical notions), then you're gonna want to give this a hard pass. Same warning for those that don't particularly care about royalty, namely British Royals. So, the story starts out strong, gets tedious and annoying in the middle then redeems itself with a satisfying end. The atmosphere is very well written and transports you to the superficial glam and grace of the late 40s, the illusory beauty of the 50s and the progressive "freedom" of the 60s.

Main character Vera feels lost after her fiancée dies during WW2. As the daughter of a Baron, her prospects were to marry well (fiancée) and live up to her parents (and society's) standards and rules. Her cousin Rupert takes her away from the engagement party of the new heir to her fiancée's family (depressing, humiliating). They hit up a party that hosts Princess Margaret and her entourage (Set). Vera & Margo hit it off and Vera finds herself sucked into the glam and privilege by proxy of royalty. This helps get her parents off her back about her spinster status leading to Vera becoming a Lady in Waiting to the Princess. In her dedication to Margo, Vera will give up her dream of going to New York and also turn down an offer of marriage.

Getting through the shenanigans and tantrums of Princess Margaret while also being a supportive friend for her is a difficult balancing act. Eventually after a decade of dedicated service, Vera's sense of friendship versus employee is overridden and she speaks truthfully, without sugarcoating, her belief that if the Princess marries the man she's fallen in lust with, she will be miserable. Needless to say, Vera is fired and forced to go back to her parents. All in all the saving grace of this story is Vera's journey in reinventing herself after the loss of her fiancée and then shedding what becomes the heavy burden of essentially babysitting the Princess and denying her own wants and needs.

I absolutely loved this racy novel about Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. I don't know how much is fact and how much is embellishment but it was a really fun read.

I thought the choice of narrator was a great addition and added to the story. Vera Strathmore, the writer of racy romance novels turned lady-in-waiting was an interesting subplot as was Vera's own romance and family life.

In short, this was a good debut novel and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I love historical fiction and I am fascinated by the Royal family, so this book was perfect for me! It was a quick, easy, and fun read. It was so interesting to read more about Princess Margaret from the point of view of one of her ladies-in-waiting and friends. I want to read more about her now! I will definitely be reading other books by this author. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and a behind-the-scenes peek at the royal family. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. If you like the crown or reading about the royal family you’ll like this one.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love all things Royal, but this story dragged. I wanted to like it so much, however it was a struggle to get through.

For readers who love anything about the Royal Family of England, this is for you. This is a fictionalized account of the life of Princess Margaret as told through the eyes of her friend-- and lady-in-waiting The Honorable Vera Strathmore. A relative introduces her to Princess Margaret, and her life will never be the same. Fans of The Crown will love some of the "inside details" of the Royal life---whether they are true or not. I thought this was a very charming fictionalized story. I have always thought Princess Margaret had a lot more to offer and lived in the shadows far too much. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this title.

Being a Royal is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially for Princess Margaret. The story is told from the point of view of Vera Strathmore, a friend turned Lady in Waiting, This fictional character is by the Princesses side for the best and worst days of her life. The reader gets an interesting look inside the royal family and the demands and expectations they face.

I really enjoyed this book, and if you like The Crown you will love this book!


Thank you to The Book Club Girls, NetGalley, William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers and Georgie Blalock for the ebook.

Courtesy of Netgalley I received the ARC of The Other Windsor Girl by Georgie Blalock. This was a great rendition of the era of Princess Margaret, her personality captured perfectly. In creating the character of Vera, her lady in waiting, the author added to the reality of the historical narrative, portraying the obligations and expectations of the royal family and their daily lives.

2.5 stars, rated up to 3,.

I love historical fiction, I love WWII themed historical fiction, I love learning about the past generations of the BRF - I wanted to love this book as I thought it would. be a home run for me, but unfortunately it was not. I had a very difficult time finding my way with this book as I wasn't able to connect with the characters, and found myself unable to care about them in the furthering of the story.

Special thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for a reader copy of this novel. All opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.

Princess Margaret is presented here as a poor little rich girl who wants to have her own way and when it comes to romance, she rarely succeeds. The fictional character of Vera, lady-in-waiting has a more positive outcome even though she initially makes some difficult choices of her own.
This book gives us insight into the royal family, the influence of the queen on her family members and a lesser known royal who has all the restraints of a royal life, with fewer of the benefits. It also makes me think about the whole Harry/Meghan debacle and wonder how much of what happened to them was from the same forces acting on Princess Margaret 60 years ago.
As for the writing, it was good, not outstanding, readable, but not compelling. If you are a big fan of the royal family, this might make an interesting read, but if you are not looking for more dirt on the royals, I'd say skip this one.

The Other Windsor Girl was a very enjoyable read. So much is written about Queen Elizabeth so it was interesting to learn about her sister Margaret. She was in a very difficult role and often rebelled against this role. It cannot have been an easy role to play and she often struggled with it even as she felt great love for her sister, the Queen. I would recommend this book.

First I want thank NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This a great summer beach read! Delve into the post WWII world of royal society told through the eyes of the Honorable Vera Strathmore. Vera first meets Princess Margaret when she accompanies her cousin to a royal event and quickly becomes part of the princess' "set". Eventually Vera becomes her second lady-in-waiting.

At first Vera loves the glamorous life filled with parties, fashion and friends but she quickly learns to be cautious with the entitled and impetuous princess who could have one black balled with the wave of her gloved hand.

The story follows Vera for the 9 years she is involved with princess Margaret and the unique bond they share as they both search for happiness.

I just finished The Other Windsor Girl and loved the characters and history that was woven into the story. The look at Princess Margaret isn't anything you haven't seen before in other shows or books. But looking through Vera's eyes was an interesting take. Vera learning to navigate the Princesses world, moods and trying to be the best friend she could be.

A glamorous tale of Princess Margaret’s life and lives, as seen by her confidante Vera. It felt as a true testament to the spirit of a woman ruled by her deepest passions. A beautiful and at times heartbreaking novel.

The story about Princess Margaret. This is reminiscent of the Netflix series, the Crown. It gave a new perspective of growing up royal and being second to the Queen. A difficult possition to be in and a roll that would be difficult for most.
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend.

Pass me a book on Princess Margaret and I will read it and inevitably love it. I just can't get enough of her side of the story and the life she lived. Told from the perspective of one of her lady's in waiting this at time read like the best gossip mag. Ultimately both women will have to face the choices they've made and the ones they will have to make. I think so many people focus on the Queen they don't always see the people in the background who have to make many many sacrifices in their own lives in the name of The Crown. Excellent read.

What is life like when your sister is the heir to the throne of England and you're the spare?

For Princess Margaret, it's the high life--from exclusive parties, travel, and affairs with all the interesting men in England. For the Margaret set, the young aristocrats and minor royalty who spent their days and nights with the princess, it's a life of fun, providing one stays on Margaret's good side. One wrong word or comment can lead to devastating consequences.

Told from the perspective of a very minor royal (The Honorable Vera Strathnmore) who becomes a lady-in-waiting, friend, and confidant to Princess Margaret, the historical fiction novel blurs the line between fact and fiction. It reads as if it could have been written by the (sadly fictitious) Vera, and the historical details are impeccable. Margaret's life and demanding personality are fairly well-known and the fictitious behind the scenes look is definitely keeping with the facts.

Another day, another historical fiction book! I love historical fiction for its ability to transport me to another era and life, even if there are a few embellishments along the way, and this one did not disappoint. I received a free ebook of The Other Windsor Girl as a member of the Book Club Girl Facebook group. Every other Friday you can get a free ebook and it is a great way to interact with other readers and hear about new reads.

The Other Windsor Girl was the perfect escape for me. I’m an avid Royal watcher, but don’t actually know that much about Princess Margaret, sister to Queen Elizabeth beforehand. The author admittedly took a few creative liberties with a few historical facts such as timelines. However none that took away from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

Most of the novel focused on the span between her love of Captain Peter Townsend and shortly before Margaret became engaged to Tony Armstrong-Jones. Told through the eyes of fictional lady in waiting, The Honorable Vera Strathmore, the two young women shared more than they often realized. I both liked and disliked this perspective though.

At times I wish I could hear more about Princess Margaret’s perspective, and that the story would have alternating character narration. Aside from that, if you enjoy learning more about the English Royal Family or are just a fan of historical fiction, I recommend you check this one out!

The Other Windsor Girl, a historical fiction novel is told through Vera Stratmore. Vera is a lady in waiting to the Princess and former romance novelist. She enters the glamourous life of Princess Margaret, a lifestyle of parting, affairs and rebellious behavior. As a fan of The Crown and the Windsors, this book captured my intention.