The Windsor Conspiracy
Its 1937 and Amelia Montague has excepted being a private secretary to her cousin Wallis Simpson in France. Yes, that Wallis Simpson. The Wallis Simpson that Edward VIII gave up his throne in England to marry her. Amelia would rather do anything than be Wallis’s secretary but with not many prospects after her husband who she eloped with killed himself because of shady dealings there aren’t many prospects. Amelia finds that the now ex King Edward who is called The Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson’s life is not this romantic fairytale. Wallis is ambitious and lets her rage at how she is treated push her and the duke into becoming self-centered Nazi supporters with their own interests in mind. After abandoning Amelia in Paris after the Nazi invasion, Amelia finds herself in position to help the FBI uncover the Windsor’s shady dealings with the Nazis, leading her to Nassau.

Research, Writing & Characters/Real Historical Characters
While The Windsor Conspiracy is a historical fiction novel, Georgie Blalock put a lot of research into the novel. Much of what you read in the book is taken from what really happened despite not every character being a real person but being based off many different people. The writing is excellent too! I knew I would enjoy this one after falling in love with The Other Windsor Girl about Princess Margaret last year. The only odd thing was at one point in the book there was a line that said Things must be bad for Sir Walter to lose his cool. I found that sentence to be odd considering the time. Other than that, there wasn’t much I disliked.

Overall
If you don’t have a physical or digital copy of The Windsor Conspiracy, preorder the novel coming out on July 16th! Thank you, Georgie Blalock, for the early copy! I can’t wait to do our Behind The Book Q&A discussing the novel more in depth!

Am thankful for being able to read an ARC of this book. Very interesting story about people I haven't read a lot about. The writing is exceptional and defines the characters extremely well.

I sped through this book in a few days time. Well-written and filled with fictional and actual personalities, The Windsor Conspiracy contains actual events surrounding the Duke of Windsor and his wife, Wallis. Intermixed with fictional characters that bring the story to life.

The amazing story of a fictional cousin of Wallis Simpson as she tries to grapple with Wallis’s selfishness and attempts to become a Queen without duty. Hard to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Amelia is escaping her past. Her husband embezzled money and offed himself when his deeds were discovered. Rumors abound about Amelia's level of knowledge and involvement and she needs a fresh start. This backstory leads Amelia to take a position as private secretary to her cousin, Wallis Simpson.. Simpson has recently married the Duke of Windsor (formerly the king of England who gave up the throne to marry a divorcee) when the book begins.

While the Duke was allowed to retain his royal title, Buckingham Palace denied the title to Simpson, which both seethed about for the rest of their lives. Before reading I thought I knew quite a bit about this power couple, including the fact that they were Nazi sympathizers. I was ignorant, however, of the depth of their involvement and the treasonous acts they committed. This book goes into some detail and I was shocked that they weren't tried and hung. Anywho...Amelia tries to go about her business and do her job, but Simpson plays to her emotions and then presents tests of loyalty to ensure she's adored. Eventually, Amelia winds up working for the allies as a spy in the house of the Windsors. 4 stars.

The character of Amelia is an amalgamation of several of Wallis's secretaries and statements they made about Simpson after their employment ended. The treasonous acts committed by the Windsors are taken from historical documents. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in royalty or historical fiction.

The Windsor Conspiracy is a great book that illustrates what the inside of the lives of the Windows after their marriage, which took place after the abdication of Edward VIII, King of England, in 1936.

Well-illustrated from an outside view, we see all the possibilities that could have motivated many things and how the lives of the former Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson could really have been. It also gets one's imagination to even assume a reality that's plausible!

Anyone interested in British history, especially British Royal Families would find this book of great interest. A fascinating book that kept my interest and had difficulty putting it down! In other words, this is a must read!

Many thanks to Net Galley for the advance reader ebook copy of “The Windsor Conspiracy “ by Georgie Blalock! I had previously greatly enjoyed Blalock’s earlier historical fiction, “The Other Windsor Girl” and rated it 4 1/2 stars. “Conspiracy “ tells the story of (fictional) Amelia Montague, whose late husband’s crimes have left her penniless, alone, and in disgrace. And so she has finds herself grateful when her now-infamous cousin, Wallis Simpson, provides a position for Amelia: serving as her private secretary. This provides us, as the reader, that same “behind the scenes with the royals” perspective that made “The Other Windsor Girl” such a fantastic read; and “Conspiracy” is a great read, too. We sympathize with Amelia, and Blalock even manages to draw out some circumstances that allow us to feel twinges of sympathy for Wallis, as well. But overall, Wallis is such an unbelievably selfish and self-centered, which even Amelia finally realizes. A great read - I definitely recommend - 4 stars! #TheWindsorConspiracy #NetGalley

A tantalizing tale of Wallis Simpson's fictionalized cousin, who spies on pro-Nazi Simpson and her husband, the Duke of Windsor. Thrilling!

Told from the point of Wallis’s personal secretary, Amelia, Wallis’s cousin who is a destitute widow (her character was based on numerous personal secretaries). Written starting at the time shortly before the marriage of David and Wallis took place, there’s history, drama, enjoyable scenery, fashion, unlikeable characters (David and Wallis), and espionage.

I find British royal history fascinating, and after being invited to read The Windsor Conspiracy - that cover and the synopsis decided me - I downloaded this and it pulled me right in. Ms Blalock obviously put a lot of time into research for this story and the result is terrific historical fiction that’s well written and engaging.



Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC

I didn't know much about Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor. Even though this is a fictional story, according to the author's notes, many of the events are true. I found this book to be quite eye-opening to the depths Wallis went to be known as Her Royal Highness. I recommend this book as a compelling addition to WWII fiction.

I received an email that The Windsor Conspiracy was available and as a prior fan of Blalock's novels, would I Like to read it? Of course I would!

Told through the eyes of her private secretary, The Windsor Conspiracy focuses on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, their desperate attempts to regain the throne and the HRH title they believe is being withheld from Wallis, and their ties to Nazi Germany.

Amelia is Wallis' cousin, now widowed and destitute, disowned by her own family after marrying the wrong man. With obvious sympathies from Wallis, she is hired on as a personal secretary to the Duchess, bringing her into a world different than her own. As she makes connections with other Americans in Paris, the Duke and Duchess' actions become suspect as Nazi sympathizers amongst their questionable circle of friends. Amelia is left to join forces with the Allies to watch the Duke and Duchess from the inside.

I'm rather obsessed with most books on the Royal Family and this was one no different. I can still remember both my grandmothers' (one American, one Scottish) distaste for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and what they had chosen to do. This was long before the suspected Nazi ties were more publicly know. While this is a work of fiction, Blalock has done her research into the couple and crafted a highly believable story based on what is already known. David comes across as the spoiled pompous playboy and Wallis the bitter social climber. Amelia, the fictional heroine, is much more sympathetic and the reader will find themselves on her side, wishing for a more satisfying end to the Duke and Duchess.

The story and life of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor has always been of interest. This book although fictionalised provides a really interesting narrative of the relationship between Wallis Simpson and her private secretary Amelia Montague (her fictional cousin) before and during WWII.
There was obviously a lot of research undertaken for the book and the abdication of the Duke changed the lives of some many people. Wallis Simpson expected to be Queen but the Duke’s abdication changed not only the future of England but their own future life.
If you love historical fiction and the royals then you will enjoy this book.

I usually read my ARCs the month before their publishing date but I was so excited to get this that I read it immediately. I enjoyed The Other Windsor Girl and An Indiscreet Princess also by this author. This is a hard one because it is about Wallis Simpson and her husband the Duke of Windsor and they are both very self centered people. It also takes place during WWII and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were supportive of Hitler. This story is told through the eyes of a fictitious character, Amelia, who is Wallis's personal secretary. Amelia is caught up in all of their ridiculousness and all she wants to do is get to safety from the war but the Duke and Duchess have other plans. Wallis and the Duke are more concerned with their belongings than the Nazis or the well being of their staff. WWII was a rough time because it seemed like everyone was a spy. You didn't know who to trust.

-Aunt Bessie was right; Amelia could learn a lot from Wallis, including how to face difficulties with grace and rise above her past.

-The truth dawned on Amelia. They weren't here to see the real Germany, but a pretty picture postcard with none of the ugly things she'd glimpsed during the car ride here.

-...but if there was one thing Wallis was good at, it was seeing only what she wanted to see.

-"It's not the diplomats but their wives you have to worry about."

-The Duke and Wallis were experts at getting other people to pay for things.

-...but Wallis rarely saw how her actions led to her troubles.

-"France is falling, women and children are being shot on the roads, and all you care about is yourself and your pride. Stop being so selfish and start seeing what's around you. Europe is at war."

-Their obsession with their things was maddening.

A story about a fictionalized character compiled from actual various personal secretaries and Wallis Simpson. Well written with plenty of drama, scenery, fashion, characters and accurate history. One can only imagine what if........Great book! Thanks to Netgalley, author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book. There was definitely a slow build to the espionage element, which didn't come in until about three quarters of the way through. Still, the first three quarters of the book were interesting building the characters and seeing the scene. Definitely worth a read for anyone who enjoys this period of British history.

"The Windsor Conspiracy" is an excellent historical novel. It is based on the early years of the marriage and the war years of David & Wallace Windsor. It is told through the eyes of Wallace's private secretary and cousin, a fictional character. There is a great deal of historical information included in the book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. David was not well developed in the story and appeared as a very weak person but Wallace was well developed and portrayed as a complex person with both good and bad traits. You get a good feel for the aimlessness of their life after the abdication and the struggle to find a meaningful way to contribute. I recommend this book. #TheWindsorConspiracy #NetGalley.

The Windsor Conspiracy: A Novel of the Crown, a Conspiracy, and the Duchess of Windsor by Georgie Blalock is a unique and interesting historical fiction about the controversial woman herself.

I have always been fascinated by the royal family, including some of their familial dramas, relationships, and feuds…because when it comes to down to it, they are just like the rest of us, imperfect and flawed.

The author helps us readers dive right in to the thick of it by weaving a fictional character by way of Amelia Montague as a fictional cousin joining the enter ague of Wallis Simpson as her secretary and later on…a fixture in a different way.

It was entertaining to see behind the scenes and imagine what was really happening behind closed doors. Drama indeed.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/16/24.

The Windsor Conspiracy is the engrossing, fictionalized story of the relationship between Wallis Simpson and her personal secretary just before and during WWII. While Amelia Montague, Wallis’ secretary, was not a real person, the author drew from many real-life resources to inform her character and the book as a whole.

This is Georgie Blalock’s strongest book yet. Her research is impeccable and her writing continues to improve with each book. Most of all, I really admire her for choosing to tell the story of the people who tried to stop the damage done by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, rather than apologizing for or even glamourising the former king and his wife.

I rate The Windsor Conspiracy 4 stars and recommend it as an alternative to historical fiction fans who are burnt out on the usual WWII-era fiction and to anyone who can’t resist a royal tale well told.