I was very disappointed in the book. There was a basic story but nothing of interest. Most of the book focused on women's drinking, smoking and parties. A lot of time was spent on socialization rules but not enough of a story line to hold my attention or interest.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the opportunity to read and review The Other Windsor Girl. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Princess Margaret (sorry, I haven't watched The Crown... so she was entirely new to me!) through the eyes of a fictional friend/lady in waiting. I found myself Googling various members/spouses of the royal family I knew nothing about and learning a lot more about post-WWII British history than I ever would have thought. The fashion, cultural changes, landscape, and food all played supporting characters in this clever retelling of modern history. Having been to London and many of the places described provided a mental backdrop that was particularly enjoyable.

I am a British Royal Family fan, and I truly enjoyed this book about Princess Margaret. The character development and writing were top notch, and I love Vera as the protagonist. I recommend this read!

This is an excellent book about Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's younger sister. It is told through the eyes of Margaret's fictitious Lady-in-Waiting, Vera Strathmore who is also an author. The details are very true to the period and Margaret's schedule. The majority of the characters are real people who were part of Margaret's set. The book starts at the end of the war before the King's death. Margaret is starting to feel left out of the family with her sister's marriage and concentration on becoming queen. She parties voraciously to gain attention and as a general response to years of austerity. It is helpful, but not necessary to watch the first season of the Crown to see the locations and wardrobes.
The book jumps to 1953, then 1955 (Captain Townsend's removal), 1959 (Antony Armstrong-Jones) and finally 2007
To learn more about the austere war years read, Debs at War: How wartime changed their lives 1939-1945 by Anne de Courcy, Anne which includes Lady Elizabeth Montagu-Douglas-Scott and the older siblings of some of Margaret's set.

A relationship is easy. It can be the most tenuous of connections that brings two people together or something deep and enduring over time. A friendship requires more: equality, sacrifice, empathy, trust. The narrator, Honorable Vera Strathmore, learns over time that her connection to Princess Margaret is really more the former than the latter. She is always at the beck and call of Margaret and can be dismissed from her post in an instant if she says the wrong thing – something she seems to constantly live in fear of. In this book Princess Margaret doesn’t really have any friends, and I’m not sure if this was the case in real life or not. A lot of this is due largely to her own behavior, and some of it is due to being in the difficult position of not knowing why people want to be around you. Those circumstances give a person some leeway for forgiveness, and certainly for being wary, but this is a young woman who treats many people around her poorly, only fulfills her responsibilities when she feels like it, and is not used to the concept of there being consequences for her actions. When she falls in love with someone she “shouldn’t” and the match is not approved she pitches a royal temper tantrum. Despite envying all her friends that get married, she’s not willing to sacrifice her privilege and life of luxury to be with someone she’s convinced she’s deeply in love with, instead convinced that she should be entitled to both without making any concessions. Who, after all, could possibly tell her of all people no? Vera learns the hard way, and after many years of sacrificing her own opportunity for love and the career of a writer she always wanted, that Margaret getting what she wants is more important than anything else. The story is fascinating, the peek into a hidden world is interesting, and the character at the center of the story is definitely one with layers and depth, but it still doesn’t make her likable.

If you like tales of royals, you need to read this one. I dont know much about Princess Margaret but I did enjoy reading about the "royal rebel" It was so easy to get swept up in the glitzy royal lifestyle of being a princess, and even though it was so out of this world, she still wasn't happy. This book grabs you and doesn't let go.

I really enjoyed this book. The stories of Princess Margaret's exploits told through the eyes of her lady in waiting were entertaining and heart rending. I enjoyed the historical references to people and events of the time. I highly recommend this book!

The Other Windsor Girl is a book about a young woman who becomes Princess Margert's Lady-in-Waiting. Vera Strathmore has a hard life after the war. Her finance is killing during WWII and her life is hard. She wants to go to New York and write.
She meets Princess Margaret and her life changes. We follow her through the time she sacrifices her own life to be in the limelight of royalty.
I really enjoyed this book and the story it told. I recommend it highly.

I love this book. It was so fun getting (what felt like) a behind the scenes look at princess Margaret and what types of feelings she would be having. The characters were fun to follow through over the years and I loved that the book had an ending that left you with no questions

Just finished reading “The Other Windsor Girl” by Georgie Blalock. Loved this book (4 1/2 stars) - got a free early ebook from NetGallery at 9 a.m. this morning and had finished it by 5 p.m. — I was that caught up in this story of Princess Margaret and her (fictional) lady-in-waiting Vera Strathmore who sets aside her own lifes desires to serve the Royal Family. With it’s behind closed doors glimpses of the lives of the Royals, this historical fiction is perfect for those who have loved reading “The Gown” or watching “The Crown”, and offers a fascinating look at the tumultuous life of Princess Margaret!

I devoured this book and I wasn't even sure I wanted to read it before I started it! I have not watched The Crown at all and I still found it engrossing- there's no prerequisite to reading this book. It's simply a great story of a strong woman who faces a lot of challenges