The cover, title, and premise of the book, In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore, intrigued me. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I hadn’t heard much about Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise, so I was interested in learning more. The depth of research was impressive, and I enjoyed reading the author’s notes in the back of the book. It definitely made me want to learn more about this royal family. It did not, however, make me long to be a princess, especially in Queen Victoria’s family. They seemed to have more than their fair share of problems and drama.

I enjoyed the epigraphs at the beginning of the chapters taken from actual letters and journals. That added interest and showed much of the personality and thoughts of the people involved and brought them more to life. There were parts of the story that I felt dragged a bit, and I wish there was a little more about Louise’s later accomplishments. The ending felt rushed to me. However, I feel that Moore has done a creditable job of capturing the complexities of the royal family during this particular slice of history.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was uncertain if I'd enjoy this book or not, but I really did!

I often have a hard time with books of fiction where the main characters are real, historic characters. However, I felt like Heather Moore handled it very well.

I read almost exclusively historical fiction, and the vast majority of them are set in England. Reading a book about the royal family itself was definitely different from what I was used to and was a good change of pace. It was interesting to see the power struggle that went on between Louise and Queen Victoria.

I still think that books of fiction where the main characters are historic figures still aren't my favorite, but this book was definitely worth reading.

Heather B. Moore does an amazing job condensing her research into an engrossing story. Even with an extensive list of characters, I was able to keep track of everyone and come to know Queen Victoria's family and understand the dynamics within. I appreciated the pacing as she explored Louise's experiences as a child, before and after her Father's death, time spent as a teenager watching her siblings marry and strike out on their own, and as a young adult navigating her own marriage arrangements and early married life. Moore explores her developing responsibilities and opinions, deals tactfully with difficult situations, and I appreciate that the overall presentation of Louise was in a positive light.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This will take you back in history and behind the scenes of the royal family. It's so interesting to learn about customs and expectations. I enjoyed seeing the view from Louisa's perspective. Very thorough and well done!

My experience with historical fiction mostly about ancient kingdoms political dramas and wars such as Egypt, Mongolian, Japan or Chinesse. And a chance to learn more about England royal family is excited me.
I'm impressed with author's extensive research in this novels. Each stage of year life is detailed describe but still easy to follow. The rescene of events come flawless and natural. All characters flesh out and have depth. Although Queen Victoria's image is widely known but her daughters are mostly mystery for us. The author successfully bring all of them, mostly Princess Louise.

Some reasons why I enjoyed this story:
1. I learned about the royal family dynamics daily life and how they get through passed all the grieves.
2. I enjoyed read about all royal prince and princes are united to supports their country with every talents they have.
3. I mostly love read about unique princess who brave to live with her own choices and fight for another women's life. She with her free spirits found her place in world, did great and out from her Queen mother's shadow.

This story intrigues me enough to make extra researching and the author give all detail where I can starting. This book is worth to read and highly recommended for modern historical fiction readers.

Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for let me read this copy. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own. This book will publish at 4 October 2022.

3.75 stars

"In the Shadow of a Queen" was a relaxing read mostly because I liked the writing so much. It just flowed well and kept me reading.

The story itself wasn't all that intriguing. I think it would have been much more interesting if the author had focused on the protagonist's achievements throughout her life than on her romantic woes which were the main focus of the second half of the book.

What an amazing book …. So fascinating…so good .. loved reading about the royal family ., their lives and trials and joy .. such a different life …. Just loved looking into their loves
Would recommend this to any one ..
have shared one Facebook, Everyone should read this ☺️

In the Shadow Of a Queen

Based on the true story of the free-spirited daughter of Queen Victoria.

As a young woman, Princess Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is also strong-willed and resists following the queen’s rigid rules and strict protocols for a princess.

After her father’s untimely death, Louise’s life is upended by the inconsolable grief of her mother and the rippling effect that rocks the British Empire. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control, attend balls, or have any kind of relationship outside the royal family. She is relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother—the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.

Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters without Queen Victoria’s approval, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy and resources to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.

In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of an epic battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost.

This was an okay read for me. I had a hard time really getting into the story, perhaps because I’m not overly familiar with that part of the royal family. I just didn’t have enough interest to really love it,

#IntheShadowofaQueen #NetGalley

This book gave me a glimpse into what life would be like, living in a royal family, your life is not your own, life is dictated by those who rule. The story is told through the eyes of Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria, ,soon after her father's death. Princess Louise, is a free-spirited young lady, who wants, to see a more active role in women's suffrage, despite her mother's refusal, to give it any attention. When Queen Victoria, continues to insist, that her family wear morning clothes, years after her husband's death, it is hard on the royal family and their servants. With Princess Louise, getting older, her mother tries to find a suitable match for her, I loved this part of the book. I didn't know much about Queen Victoria and her family, I found this book, to be well researched, and I love the cover,

Like other fans of historical TV dramas, I became intrigued by Queen Victoria and her sweetheart Prince Albert while watching the TV miniseries a few years ago. I've always wondered what it must have been like to raise 9 children in a royal household during the 19th century. Queen Victoria is a larger-than-life historical figure, who left many words (and descendants!) behind to memorialize her. I loved reading about Victoria and Albert's family from the perspective of their daughter Louise, a middle child who seemingly broke all the rules: she became an artisan, married Scottish nobility instead of royalty, and supported women's rights even when (ironically) her mother the Queen insisted that a woman's place was in the home. For someone who held so much power, Queen Victoria has always seemed contradictory to me. This novel gives the reader a good sense of the Queen's quirks and how they affected her children and country. I couldn't help but thing that perhaps if the Queen had access to Zoloft, things might have been a little easier on her posterity. There is no such thing as a perfectly normal, functional family, especially when it comes to royalty. Princess Louise was a loveable character, even if at times I wished she'd been bolder. I loved the portion of the book that talked about how she met and fell in love with her husband--it left me wanting more.

This book offers a fascinating glimpse into life as a royal under Queen Victoria’s rule. The story follows Princess Louise, who was the fourth daughter and sixth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of England, during a ten-year period from when she was age 13 until age 23. The book is well-named because it seems like Queen Victoria attempts–and often succeeds–to control as much of Louise’s life as possible, despite the princess's fiercely independent nature.

At times this book felt a bit slow-paced and at other times the text was fairly repetitive. However, the work as a whole is worth recognizing because it is very well-researched and there are even historical notes included at the back of the book. I found these just as interesting to read as the story itself.

I will give warning: do not pick up this book expecting it to be a historical romance. Yes, it does take place during a historic time period, and yes, there is some romance. However, I would consider this more a work of biographical fiction than anything else. I say this because the story follows a broad time span of Louise’s young life and relatively little of the book is focused on her courtship and marriage.

Something that really struck me was the sacrifice that royals make in order to serve their country. The responsibility of being a member of the royal family is something that most royal family members are born into--they don't typically choose it. They sacrifice privacy, a normal social and family life, personal dreams and desires, and deal with enormous pressure (from themselves or others) to conduct themselves a certain way. It was humbling to consider what these and other monarchs have given up in behalf of their country and as I read, I felt gratitude for the monarchs who did their best to live exemplary lives.

In all, I thought the book was fascinating and shed light on a family I didn’t know as much about as I thought I did. I recommend it for fans of the British monarchy.

Content Guide:

Sex & Affection--Brief kissing, one character reflects in very general terms on how she enjoys her physical relationship with her husband.

Language--None

Alcohol, & Substance Use--None

Violence & Crime--None

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.com. All opinions are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book, going into this I didn't know much about Princess Louise. This was such an interesting read, there was a lot of research that must have gone into this book, I really appreciate this. Her search to find love was great and the highlight of the book. Heather Moore is a really wonderful author, this book was very entertaining and did not disappoint.


It was a great historical read , well written and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Queen Victoria or any of the royals.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading In the Shadow of a Queen about Queen Victoria’s daughter, Louise. I find it fascinating to read about real historical characters and always end up doing a little more research on them to satisfy my curiosity.  I didn’t know much about her before reading this book and was delighted to learn of this talented young women with her forward thinking ways. I enjoyed seeing how she tried to push her boundaries and stay true to herself without alienating the queen. The author pulled me into her story and kept me interested to find out how Louise resolved her dilemmas until the very end. The real letters at the beginning of each chapter were an added bonus that I found very interesting. I was curious to find out how the author would end the story as I got closer to the end and Princess Louise was still a young woman, but I found the last chapter to be a perfect ending!

Thank you, Heather B. Moore for writing such a riveting story based on historic facts. Louisa is such a sweet princess. I feel as if she and I could be friends. She loves her family dearly and finds ways to honor them despite the friction and one disappointment after another. I'm amazed at the good she offers to those around her, the relationships she builds and the affluence she has when she has been so sheltered through adulthood. I think her creativity not only blesses her with innate joy but a lot of patience as she deals with the whims of her Mama. I'm relieved that she has more freedom to live her life as she becomes more acquainted with John. This story was very easy to read yet it took me several days more than usual. I think it was because I had to reframe my ideas of who the Queen is. I argued with her the entire way through this story...Seriously? Why? What the heck? Really? I cannot believe....and on and on and on. I'd be happy to vent with someone who has read and felt the same way. I did feel relieved and I guess "in like" with the queen as Louisa's voice was heard and her happiness more of a forefront in life decisions. If you love historical fiction or just need a great recommendation, please read In the Shadow of a Queen.

I’m so grateful I was given an advanced copy from NetGalley. This book covers 10 years of princess Louise’s life. The daughter of queen Victoria. It begins right before her father, Prince Albert passes away and ends.… well, you’ll have to read it to find out.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
-First off, that cover gets a chef’s kiss from me. It couldn’t be more perfect for the story.

-The people, political events and society at the time was combined together beautifully. I LOVE historical fiction, and this was like that warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. I felt right at home learning about this extraordinary woman.

-The extensive research that went into this book and its splendid execution has raised my respect for Heather Moore as an author. It is a longer book than I think Moore usually writes so when you pick this up, get comfortable. (384 pages)

- For the first 60% of the book, I was on a swing of intrigue. The tempo was high and then it was low and back again. But I didn’t mind it. I only mention that because if you go into this book expecting a fast-paced plot with lots of twists and turns like you’d find in a regular novel, you’ll probably be bored at times. Remember that there’s not a lot of liberties you can take with a princess of England’s life story. She did have an extraordinary life. Especially considering the time period and her parentage.

-I loved her artistic pursuits and while I understand why the focus eventually shifted, I wish there would have been more time spent in that time of her life.

-It drove me crazy how long it took to meet her future husband. (More than halfway through the book) This is not a critique against Mrs. Moore. It’s simply how history played out and I admit that the wait made it that much sweeter. The graceful way Mrs. Moore wrote their love story will stay with me for some time.

-I wish that the characters who had accents would have had their cadence in the dialogue. For example, there are a few Scottish characters/people, and I would have appreciated a simple “nae,” “Lass,” or “wee bit” thrown in. While it was mentioned that they spoke with a Scottish accent, I wanted to have it in their conversations.

-I loved that at the end of the book, each chapter had brief historical notes. It was fascinating and it made me appreciate the respect and attention to detail Moore gave to Louise’s story even more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This comes out October 4th, 2022.

Characters - 10
Atmosphere/Setting - 10
Writing Style - 8
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 9
Logic/Relationships - 9
Enjoyment - 9

Total: 64
Divided by 7 = 9.1 ( 5 Stars )
1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

Louise, sixth child of Queen Victoria, loses her father, Prince Albert when she is turning thirteen. Her life changes overnight and, forced into a lengthy period of mourning that would last for years, she finds herself a prisoner of the throne. Gifted artistically she longs to study sculpture in a time when futures were limited for young women, especially one who has to rely on permission from her mother to do anything. Finding a husband becomes an international affair. Heather B. Moore uses actual correspondence to base her interpretation of this talented, caring and popular royal figure and to flesh out the events of her life. This is my second novel by this author; her storytelling pace is good and held my interest throughout. Louise is a likable character.

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ YES! It cannot be anything else!
I loved this, based upon true story novel, by Hannah B Moore. I don’t think I’ve read anything I didn’t like yet. I haven’t read them all, but I love her writing. In this she talks of and describes the life of Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It starts out with Princess Louise in her young years, then her teen years, then her in her twenties and ready for marriage if she can find the right man. It was just a marvelous book and I enjoyed reading every word.

As one who loves learning about Queen Victoria, I chose to read this novel, despite it being a different genre than what I normally choose. I definitely don’t regret that choice! I was (and still am) fascinated by Princess Louise, her siblings and mother, Queen Victoria. Between the life story of Princess Louise, the dynamics of her family and her and John Campbell’s sweet love story, I thoroughly enjoyed and looked forward to reading this book every chance I got. I now want to learn more about the royal family, thanks to Heather B. Moore’s thorough research and beautiful talent for storytelling. This is one I will be recommending to my fellow Queen Victoria fans.

I received an ARC of novel but all thoughts and opinions are unbiased and my own.

If you love the Victoria and Albert era, you will be enticed by the excerpts from historic letters and diaries that introduce each chapter. The aftermath of Prince Alberts death is not always flattering to the Queen, but I have to believe that her own love story softened her heart when it came to a match for Princess Louise. The princess was impressive and definitely ahead of her time. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT google her until after you finish the book. It was more fun to read about her early years without knowing all of the places her 91 years of life took her.