The Royal Windsor Secret is very much a story about a young woman who is keen to uncover facts surrounding her birth. Who are her real parents? But it is also a story about creativity, being true to yourself, following your dreams, finding love and following your goals. It is about family and what that means— not necessarily blood connections but also other relationships— including those who are guardians. As you’d expect, there are some great twists in the parentage plot, with plenty of secrets and lies that swirl around the topic to keep interest high.

Without question, I enjoyed all the mayhem, mystery and royalty connections that ooze from this novel but I particularly found a nugget in the jeweller design journey of Cleo Davenport. The horrid losses and effects of World War II, the political and financial nightmares that abounded, the painful ebb and flow of romances, the childhood friendships that change in adulthood, the disappointing roadblocks and discoveries in seeking true parentage, the ups and downs of royal figures: these are all worthy topics explored well in The Royal Windsor Secret but for me the golden centre of the story that shines beautifully is Cleo’s jewellery creations and the talent she never abandons because it is part of her soul.

Cleo’s dedication to pursue her dream, does come at great personal expense, though. Is the sacrifice worth it? I think so. These parts of the story really sparkled for me. I love how she draws inspiration from her circumstances, art and artefacts in the Louvre, and natural environment like snowflakes and sunsets. And when she is feeling empty from all the trials happening in her life, the beauty of the night sky sets her imagination back on fire. Stunning elements of nature flow through her art and make it sing with authenticity. This act of creativity realigns her core and even sets the world right in her eyes. True purpose provides real pleasure. Pleasure and fulfilment that lasts long after the party sparklers have died down and the crowds have diminished. The wonderful thing about standing on her gut instincts and staying true to herself, brings love back to her in full measure. She gets to have both by not compromising.

The power of jewels is not only present in Cleo’s life but they are also prominent in Marguerite the courtesan’s life: to the point she would risk her life to save them (as she tried in the story). But her attachment to the jewellery is different from Cleo’s. Marguerite’s identity and self-worth is tied up in them. Cleo’s jewellery designs are an extension of herself. And she certainly never pulls the stunts that Marguerite does to gain position, fame or money. This woman is quite a colourful character and adds a large dose of spice to the plot with her constant conniving and outrageous antics. As her character traits unveil, we begin to wonder like the author if she has a mental illness.

Other characters to mention are Lord & Lady Grayson who are a wonderful couple and support Cleo in so many ways. They have an intriguing part in the story that readers will find satisfying when all is revealed. And, of course, Cleo’s longstanding childhood friend Brodie who has also been embraced by the Grayson’s with love and protection. Of course, the royals King Edward III and Wallis Simpson and Marguerite were real people and part of this story but there are some fictional elements added where needed. In fact, this novel is a wondrous mix of fact and fiction. The Grayson’s, Brodie, Cleo, Serafina and the Santerres are fictional but inspired by various people and their events. And we must not forget Shepheard’s Hotel that played host to many prominent people over the years so it makes a great setting for Cleo’s life. It is an exhilarating journey as we are whisked back and forth between France, Egypt, Portugal and Scotland.

The Royal Windsor Secret is an intriguing story told from Cleo’s and Marguerite’s viewpoints. It is well researched and covers plenty of drama, real and imagined, that will keep most historical fiction lovers fascinated with its mystery, mayhem, colourful figures and settings. Fans of Christine Wells will most certainly enjoy her latest offering. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to HarperCollins Australia and Netgalley for a review copy.

'You have served your apprenticeship, my dear Cleo. Now you must set yourself free'.

Cleo Davenport has lived a wonderful life, growing up in Cairo in the opulence of its Shepheard Hotel, living with her adopted Aunt Serafina. But as luxurious and lucky as her life for the last 17 years has been, one thing has always niggled: just who were her parents? Forced to depart Cairo in order to make her debut in London's social scene, she summons the courage to ask around. Surely, despite appearances, she's not a love child of Edward VIII, future King of England? However, with the outbreak of WW2, her personal agenda needed to be cast aside, alongside her dream of becoming an infamous jewellery designer. In a world of chaos, tragedy, and loss, Cleo learns that love and acceptance are closer than she thinks.

Christine Wells's latest novel offers more than solving a scintillating secret; it's.a journey of self-discovery. The journey spans across countries, and throughout the war, blossoming with the importance of staying true to yourself and pursuing your dreams. Within all of these segues, Wells's research is apparent; dropping names, places, and key events for this era. All of these add up to a relatively pacy story that doesn't dwell on one theme for too long. Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciated the broad view rather than a focused one. I'm confident fans of WW2 fiction will enjoy it.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an ARC of Christine Wells newest novel.
Cleo Davenport is adopted by a wealthy woman in Cairo in the 1920s. She believes she may be the daughter of the Prince of Wales and she spends many years seeking proof of her parentage.
She also has a passion for jewellery design with a desire to follow this as her lifes work.
Encompassing the second world war the story moves from Cairo to Paris, London, Scotland and Portugal with Cleo chasing her dreams and desires. Incorporating a generous sprinkle of romance and peppered with famous people makes this a thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing tale.

I'm such a huge fan of historical fiction and anything royalty, so put the two together and I'm in.

Whilst I did overall enjoy this one, it's not a favourite of mine and certainly based on the many wonderful reviews, I think it's a "me" issue and not the book.

Maybe I've read too many books that centre around this theme but I just found it a little slow as the book went on and to be honest, I had to force myself to keep reading unfortunately.

Cleo was raised in a luxurious hotel in Cairo after being abandoned on it's doorsteps when she was a baby. Rumours have always circled her that she is actually the illegitimate child of the Prince of Wales.

At the age of 17 Cleo leaves Cairo and travels to London with her Aunt and begins a journey of trying to find out the truth behind her parentage.

Set across the backdrop of WWII there really was so much to love about this book, especially if you are a fan of this time period, just for me, I found it a little slow, maybe the right book, I just read it at the wrong time.

This book offers a steady-paced narrative that skillfully alternates between two timelines. While Cleo's journey is intriguing, I found it challenging to connect strongly with her character, given her privileged upbringing and apparent lack of gratitude for her circumstances.

The author's note at the end is a delightful addition, making me want to know more about some of the real-life characters. The mystery element kept me engrossed until the final pages.

Rumours about illegitimate children of the Duke of Windsor (King Edward VIII) have abounded for years but none have ever been proved as far as I am aware. This novel explores that possibility.

Cleo Davenport is abandoned as a baby at the famous Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo in 1918 where she is raised by an archaeological scholar, Serafina, one of the hotel’s permanent residents. On the brink of adulthood, Cleo starts to question her origins, but is met with silence or conflicting reports. Could her mother be the mysterious Marguerite, a French courtesan obsessed with jewels, and her father one of her lovers, the Prince of Wales?

Cleo has artistic skills, her own passion being the design and creation of the kind of jewels adored by both Marguerite and Wallis Simpson, the future Duchess of Windsor. Her childhood friend, Brodie, is another disadvantaged child who is raised at the hotel. The two of them are fortunate to be taken under the wing of an aristocratic British couple and given opportunities for inclusion in upper-class society while undertaking education in England and France.

With her impulsive nature, Cleo can seem to make arbitrary decisions, especially regarding the long-suffering Brodie. Marguerite’s devious manipulation extends to the reader as, for much of her story, we don’t know which of her actions are real or fake.

The clunky title is a curious choice. While it might catch the eye of those looking for a lightweight romance about the royals, it does not do justice to a novel with so many disparate threads that include the dubious loyalties of the self-absorbed Windsors; details of French jewellery design, manufacture and sales; a notorious London murder trial; WW2 secret activities in Lisbon; Anglo-Egyptian politics; and even the founding of the SAS (Special Air Service) - not to mention how the status of women and society changed as the 20th Century progressed.

The resolution and ending are neatly tied and will satisfy the romantics, but for others wanting to know what is truth or fiction, the thorough author’s notes detail background sources and which characters were real people and those she invented.

Four stars.

I really enjoyed this book. It had enough love, romance, secrets, mystery, jewels, great characters and gorgeous locations to keep me thoroughly entranced from beginning to end. I loved Cleo’s determination to make something of herself in a world dominated by men in post war Europe. I loved how she did what she thought was the best even though it really hurt her to do that. And I loved how she finally found out the truth and was happy with that. I can’t wait to read more books by Christine Wells.

I discovered Christine’s books a couple of years ago with Sisters of the Resistance and fell in love with the way how she weaves in real and fictional characters into lesser known historical events. I have them eagerly devoured her other novels and was so glad to get my hands on this eARC- it’s her best yet. I loved being transported not only back in time but to an array of stunning destinations- Cairo, Paris, London, The French Riviera, Scotland and Lisbon. It also had such a luxurious feel with visits to Chanel, Cartier and Angelina’s tea house.

Told from dual point of views we get to know both Cleo Davenport, a jewelry designer and Marguerite Fahmy, a Paris Socialite. Whilst both women were chalk and cheese, Marguerite may not have been the most likable character but she definitely had an interesting life! I was a bit sad to see that Cleo was a fictional character, I really enjoyed her story for her search for her parents, her life in Cairo and her jewelry designs.

Another amazingly researched novel- I enjoyed the backdrop of the King’s Coronations and then abdication, very fitting with recent events. I had done some reading on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor last year and found them very fascinating. This time round it was The Shepheard’s Hotel and Marguerite that got me Googling to find out more. I look forward to the next gem that Christine unearths next.

Wow. Yet another book I have read recently that I love. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and found the facts and fictions of this book worked really well together.

The main story revolved around Cleo, a young girl left on a doorstep in Cairo only to be taken in by Serafina Davenport. She is brought up in the Shepherd's Hotel and becomes friends with Brodie. So this story really does revolve around Cleo, her life, her love of designing jewelry, her love of Brodie and her passion to find out who her real parents are.

I loved the dual-timeline and the many different characters that made this story so enticing. There are plenty of twists within this story and some you don't see coming. It is well written, flows effortlessly between characters and timelines and is such an interesting tale.

A wonderful read and one I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A truly wonderful historical fiction story that has mystery, romance and family secrets all set around the glittering world of Cairo, Paris and London.
Cleo Davenport believes that her father is the Prince of Wales - future King of England but how does Cleo find out the truth. Her guardian won’t speak of her heritage and so Cleo begins a search for information.
We are transported from the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo where Cleo was raised by her guardian to London where she will make her debut; but not before she is dressed by the finest fashion houses in Paris. Cleo dreams of being a jewellery designer and her time in Paris sees her being mentored by one of the great designers. Cleo becomes a force to be reckoned with as she grows into a confident woman who knows what she wants in life and how important family really is.
This is a sweeping tale filled with intrigue and a very satisfying ending. Another great read by Christine Wells.