Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. Christine Well's earlier novel, Sisters of the Resistance, was my first ARC on NetGalley ever! The Royal Windsor Secret is another great historical fiction novel. I loved learning about WWII Cairo because I feel as though that is not often a focus of mainstream WWII writing. Cleo and Brodie were lovely. In spots, it felt like there were too many side characters to keep track of but overall I think the way in which Wells took this character of Marguerite Alibert and spun out a whole narrative from her was incredibly deftly done and well developed.

I loved this book. The history that was built into it is AMAZING!!! It kept me guessing the whole time!!! Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read!!

This biography for middle-grade, part of Giants of Science series, brings a figure of Sigmund Freud, a man who was ahead of his time.

When Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is four, his family moves from Freiberg to Vienna, Austria. At school, he is an eager student. Each month he buys a new book and adds to his library. He is inspired by great leaders he reads about. When attending the World Exhibition in Vienna bursting in science and technology, he gets inspired and sees a future in science.

In 1859, when Charles Darwin publishes his book On the Origin of Species, he rocks the world with his controversial theories. But Freud sees advancement and decides to study medicine. He is fascinated with bacteriology. He enjoys observation over microscope. He becomes interested in curing serious diseases. He is appalled by mistreatment of mentally ill patients.

When he falls in love, he realizes that he can’t provide for a woman. The microscope research doesn’t pay much. He searches for something revolutionary. He tries experimenting with cocaine. He hopes for a breakthrough in his research. But the addictive side of the drug makes him look suspicious. He drops this research.

At thirty, he opens his own office to treat patients with mental illness as this is something that interests him.

It’s fascinating to see how understanding the brain has progressed over one hundred years. Some of the past methods to treat the mental patients were simply barbaric.

There is a lot of information here which is explained in the most possible simple way. Despite that I’m not sure if it all would be understood by young readers.

This biography is mostly focused on his work, which is understandable. However, it would be nice to get to know him more on personal level; how his childhood shaped him and how he was with his own children. There is some mention of it, but to have it shown would make his character more engaging.

Overall, it is written interestingly and has a good flow.

This book grasped my heart in so many ways I didn’t expect. I love a good historical fiction and this one is perfection.

Not only was it set in one of my favorite time periods (as a history lover WWII has always fascinated me) but it was such a women’s empowering story.

You can tell the author was really educated on the history, but the mixing of fact and fiction was was seamless and beautiful. I cannot find many more words other than saying how perfect this book was and how much I absolutely adored it.

Wow, this book had me captivated from the beginning all the way to the end. I love a good historical fiction book, and this one was perfect. I loved Cleo’s story and how she turned into a strong female protagonist. She stood for her morals and chose herself a lot which I appreciated. I loved the love story between her and Brodie but I wish it would have been extended a bit. I felt like I was wanting to know more about their relationship. The ending was perfect and I can’t wait to buy this one for my shelf when it comes out. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were 'alive' and believable, with the initial setting of Egypt quite entrancing (as were all the locations portrayed.)
Well written, well researched with just the right touch of keeping the reader wondering what would happen next - where, how and why with all the intriguing consequences.
Bravo to the author, an entertaining read which I heartily recommend.
5 star

The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells floats between Cairo, Paris, and Britain's shores. This novel focuses on Cloe's quest for identity and love while suffering personal losses, along the way. The author is a master at portraying her characters and their surroundings in vivid detail to engage her readers in the history of the time, place, and events happening. An extremely exciting novel for anyone who has a love for the history of jewelry, Egypt, or the abdicated King of England, Edward VIII, and his wife, Wallis Simpson, and their exile briefly in Portugal.

I was planning to give this book 4 stars, because all these various dramatic bits felt too far-fetched and unrelated: We have an aspiring jeweler learning from the greats at Cartier; we have Edward and Wallis; we have a murder mystery; we have WWII drama; we have the Shepheard Hotel’s fire. But then I read the authors note and learned how much of this story is based on real events! Incredible. Bravo to the author for her research. My only complaint is the drama of Cleo turning down Brodie so they could chase their dreams. *sigh* What a boring cliche. But at least the ending was sweet. Loved this and would recommend it.

The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells takes us on a journey from exotic hotels of pre-war Cairo to the glittering jewelry ateliers of Paris. A tapestry of richly layered stories of intrigue with familiar faces such as of Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor. This story captivated me from the very first chapter as the characters struggle for identity during a time that social classes must do whatever is necessary to gain respect and survive.
Readers will revel in this story of ambition, dreams and love and the jewelry designs. I loved that the history of Cartier was part of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Content warnings: war, death of a friend, death of a parental figure

Cleo Davenport was raised at Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, where they call her "princess." The name stems from rumors that the girl left on the doorstep was the Prince of Wales' daughter. When her adoptive mother sends Cleo to England with her aunt, Cleo's world is shaken as she leaves Cairo for Paris, London, and Scotland. Cleo wonders about her heritage and begins a quest to track down her birth mother.

When the prince becomes King Edward VIII, Cleo is presented before him like all other wealthy women coming of age in England. Cleo is not a typical debutante; she dreams of designing jewelry for the legendary Cartier. She begins studying formally in France and meets with a Cartier designer as much as she can.

When a World War threatens, Cleo puts her dreams on hold and volunteers to help however she can. When she ends up in Portugal serving the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, she finally confronts the man she thinks is her father.

Filled with the twists and turns of life in the early twentieth century, The Royal Windsor Secret is more about an intelligent, driven woman born into a time when women were limited in their choices more than a dirty little royal secret.

Recommended for fans of historical women's fiction.

Representation: Egyptian side characters, immigrant side characters, orphan

The description says perfect for fans of Shana Abe, Bryn Turnbull, and Marie Benedict, and I couldn't agree more. This is such a fun read. The premise really drew me in, and the main character of Cleo is delightful. I enjoy how the author inserts us right into each scene so that we're on the journey with Cleo. The historical details seem accurate, and the author's research is inserted seamlessly into the narrative. The conclusion is satisfying. I recommend THE ROYAL WINDSOR SECRET for fans of historical fiction.

While I didn't love this one I did enjoy looking at the royal family through the eyes of an outsider. If you are fan of historical fiction about the royal family then you will love this one.

I found this novel swung from interesting sections to overlong, random segments. It’s hard to review a novel which had this level of divergence. I also question some of the historical references.

So, with that being said, I suspect that those of us who enjoy historical fiction might find a better vehicle. The heroine is very likable, but her character is wasted on tracking ghosts and gossip. Some of these rumors simply don’t hold up to scrutiny.

Thank you Netgalley.

While I enjoyed this book, it took me some time to get into it. Based on the description, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the book, but I would have enjoyed more buildup around the romance part of it. That's why I gave it two stars.