A royal christmas, Hazel and Heather's writing and a second chance romance?!

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Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC.

This is exactly what a cozy, charming, holiday historical fiction book should be! Curl up with this book and the time flies reminiscing on a young Queen Elizabeth at Christmastime, a gutsy young journalist forging a path for herself and how grief, an open heart and mind, and the magic of the holidays all add up to the most wonderful time of the year. Thank you Hazel, Heather and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Christmas with the Queen.

I have a deep admiration and love for books that put me in the mood for Christmas, especially during the crazy times which we are experiencing, however this book surpassed that. I loved this book. As someone who reads purely for enjoyment, this book hit home. Thank you to NetGalley and to William Morrow Books for the early Christmas gift of this ARC.

The book begins in 1952 when the beautiful Queen Elizabeth is very young and is working on the broadcast of Christmas Day following in the capable footsteps of her father, King George VI who had recently passed away leaving Elizabeth next in succession to the throne. She also has the responsibility of preparing Sandringham for the upcoming holidays.

We also follow the relationship between Olive,, who works as a reporter for the BBC and Jack, a widower and a chef.

I appreciate the charm and beauty of this novel that made me feels as though I was there and enjoying Christmas with Royalty.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a lovely choice for my first Christmas read this year. I have enjoyed all of the books that these two authors have written together, and this one was no exception. I thought the parts that involved the Queen seemed believable, as in these things could have happened, and I enjoyed the stories of the two main characters. I look forward to recommending this book to our patrons.

If you are looking for a hardcore Christmas novel, this is not it. That is not a criticism. I decided to read this a bit too early (in my mind) for holiday books because I enjoy these authors' works and love historical fiction. This fits the bill.
In addition, if you are the kind of historical fiction person that does not enjoy romance featuring prominently in your books, this may not be the novel for you. Romance is as important in this novel as the history. Personally, I enjoy my historical fiction with and without romance.
I also read a critique of Christmas with the Queen that stated that the reader would have preferred more pomp and circumstance because, after all, Queen Elizabeth is a character in the book. There is a point to this, depending on what you like. This is NOT about the queen as a Queen, per se. She is not even what I would call, a main character. This explores the Queen as a human being and a woman rather than a representative of the monarchy. The fact that Queen Elizabeth is not who the novel is really about is indicated in the title. It references people who are with the Queen during the holidays. It is really a love story between Jack, a chef, and Olive, a reporter. The romance overtakes the history, which is fine and it works for me, but potential readers should know this so that they expect a romance with a historical angle instead of a work of historical fiction with a side of romance.
The characters, including the side characters are compelling. There are elements about the story that are, perhaps a little on the maudlin side but given the state of the world today, that did not bother me.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐⭐⭐⭐3/4

"'Tis the season! The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally in the latest heartwarming historical novel from Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, bestselling authors of Last Christmas in Paris, Meet Me in Monaco, and Three Words for Goodbye.

December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue the tradition of her late father's Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must evolve with the times, and the queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, old friends - Jack Devereux and Olive Carter - are unexpectedly reunited by the occasion. Olive, a single mother and aspiring reporter at the BBC, leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, but even a chance encounter with the queen doesn't go as planned and Olive wonders if she will ever be taken seriously.

Jack, a recently widowed chef, reluctantly takes up a new role in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. Lacking in purpose and direction, Jack has abandoned his dream to have his own restaurant, but his talents are soon noticed and while he might not believe in himself, others do, and a chance encounter with an old friend helps to reignite the spark of his passion and ambition.

As Jack and Olive's paths continue to cross over the following five Christmases, they grow ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret that threatens to destroy everything.

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen's first televised Christmas speech, there is one final gift for the Christmas season to deliver..."

Chance encounters can often lead to change during the most magical time of the year.

A feel good story of second chances and good mix of historical and fanciful happenings starting with Queen Elizabeth’s II inauguration and Olive Carter, a reporter with the BBC and their rare and intricate relationship. This is also a story of a chance meeting that leads to a second chance for both Olive and Jack Devereux. This is a sweet ‘feel good book’ with engaging characters and delightful descriptives of the happenings and historic events in the Palace and at Sandringham.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collin’s Publishers for the early copy of this truly delightful book. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's Christmas 1952 an young Queen Elizabeth has just ascended the throne and preparing for her first Christmas as queen and first Christmas speech to be broadcast across her kingdom. Ambitious new journalist Olive Carter has managed to snatch a plumb assignment covering the preparations at Sandringham House in Norfolk. She even stumbles her way into meeting the queen even helping with her speech. When lunch is brought to her she can not believe her eyes, its Jack. Jack Deveraux has had a rough year and lost his way after the tragic death of his wife. Originally from New Orleans he has been working as a chef in England since the war ended. He had a friend set him up with a position at the palace cooking for the royal family. He is shocked to see Olive, a beautiful young woman he met the day the war ended. They had become fast friends and then she vanished from his life. Here she is sitting in front of him, their second chance.

I am a huge fan of Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb individual but had not read any of their joint work and was excited to receive a copy. This was an enjoyable light Christmas romance. The story unfolds over the course of five years as Sandringham prepares each year for the holidays. I absolutely loved the scenes with the royals and the descriptions of the Christmas preparations but it is really in the background of Jack and Olive's romance. Their part of the story becomes a bit repetitive by the end. There was not a lot of action and the story dragged at points with too much filler like her parents relationship. That being said the writing style is very good and liked the dual POV with the Queen sprinkled in. Given the title of the book I expected her to be a bigger part of the story. Overall this is a great holiday read and I will definitely read more of their work both together and solo.

What a wonderful story to read for the holiday season. Christmas with the Queen is an interesting story from a dynamic author duo. I have read all of their previous collaboration and have enjoyed them all. This story starts with Queen Elizabeth's first holiday radio broadcast in 1952 and continues through subsequent years. The main story of the interactions between Olive and Jack from 1945 on had me hooked from the beginning. This is definitely a feel-good tale and I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher and Netgalley - thank you! All thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.

It just did not capture me to be honest and I DNF-ed the book. I don't doubt that it has a lot of potential but it just wasn't for me. It felt like the beginning was very slow roll bambi and I didn't feel excitement to sit down and continue to read it.

****Publishing November 19, 2024****

The story begins at Christmas time soon after Queen Elizabeth has become Queen. It’s the first Christmas without her father. She is nervous about her new role. Each chapter mostly alternates between two professionals whose job took them to the Sandringham Estate at Christmas time. From the Queen herself, to a royal chef, Jack, to a reporter trainee, Olive, for the BBC. This gave different prescriptive on what it was like at this busy time of year through out the years. This reunites Jack and Olive a friendship they made during the VE Day celebrations. Both had career boosting opportunity at the Sandringham Estate, will they be successful? Will they reconnect?

A well researched, well thought out, and well written book that is fascinating to read. It keeps your attention from the beginning to the end! The different perspectives give the story more insight and viewpoints surrounding the Christmas Holidays. I especially enjoyed the chapters written from the viewpoint of Queen Elizabeth. A heartfelt and entertaining book. If you are a fan of The Crown, then you will enjoy this book! A great book to give as a gift!

Thanks to William Morrow (William Morrow Paperbacks), I was provided an ARC of Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor; Heather Webb via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully entertaining story set at Christmas.

This story brings two old friends, Jack and Hazel together at the palace for the Christmas holidays. Hazel is an aspiring journalist hoping for a big story to make her name. Jack is a grieving widow chef that takes a position in the royal kitchens to help move on in his life. The storyline is so hopeful and the characters are so enjoyable. It's a wonderful, historical holiday story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

When Olive is given the opportunity to replace another reporter who is having health problems, her life changes. Suddenly she’s thrust into another life, and when the Queen requests her help with some speeches she plans to make as the holiday approaches, Olive is eager to help and to prove her worth.

When Olive realizes that a man that was important in her life is a chef who was somewhat recently added to the staff, she is cordial, but while she could share her story with him, she is reluctant to do so. She knows that his wife passed away recently, but she is not ready to delve into the past.

This is largely shared from Olive’s perspective, as well as Queen Elizabeth, in conversations regarding her speeches, as well as Jack, whose story evolves slowly, but ends perfectly.


Pub Date: 19 Nov 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by William Morrow / William Morrow Paperbacks

Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor wrote stories that go together like one author is writing. Thjs story was sweet, informative and full of Christmas cheer. I loved it. I smiled all the way through

I absolutely loved this book and I will recommend it to everyone. Anything with the queen I will always read and enjoy. I loved how aaccurenate everyting was, and the female writer. The ending was my favorite.

Christmas with the Queen is a delightful and heartwarming story that sees Jack and Olive’s pasts collide and their futures unravel - all amidst several Christmas times spent at the royal Sandringham Estate - the writing of which was very descriptive and rich in detail. The reader is able to really glimpse into the festive setting of Sandringham.

The portrayal of Queen Elizabeth is perfect - her grace, her dedication, her compassion and also her sense of fun really come across in this book. The authors have also beautifully captured the essence of Prince Philip - his personality and the love and humour he shared with the Queen.
Another excellent collaboration from these authors.

I am grateful to the publisher, William Morrow, via NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two ordinary people, meet, date, part, then reconnect under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth, fresh to the crown herself. The cover is what drew me, plus the idea of getting an inside look at Christmas for the young, as yet untried, Queen. Although still in mourning for her late father, who died of lung cancer, Queen Elizabeth is determined to carry on his tradition of giving a Christmas greetings radio speech on Christmas Day. Elizabeth and Philip, however, are really minor characters in the story. Instead, the focus is on Jack, who is working in the royal kitchens of Sandringham, and gutsy Olive, who with a bit of luck and pluck, earns the BBC job of covering the speech. They have a past. Needless to say, they meet again.

I won't detail the plot. It covers five years of Christmas meetings and slowly coming to realize that there are still feelings there. As the book opens, Jack has just lost his wife in the London fog storm, I guess you'd call it, of 1952, and Olive is a single mother. She has a secret although, quite frankly, if I were a betting woman, I'd say you'll figure out what it is pretty easily and quickly. That said, it remains her secret for years as they meet and separate. In the process, Olive forms an unexpected bond of sorts with the Queen as both are young mothers, while Prince Philip offers advice to Jack. It was a delight to imagine the royals as "real people", you know, just like us, even if it took awhile for Jack and Olive to ultimately come together. Oh, come on. This is a holiday romance. You know there will be a happily ever after. It's the getting there that will alternately charm and frustrate readers as slow build romance meets its true match here. You'll like the characters, however, and learn quite a bit of history and human spirit, so to speak, as you follow them through those years.

Bottom line, despite finding it slow at times, I thoroughly enjoyed this charming historical love story. Be sure you read the authors' notes at the end, too! It was beautifully written with multiple themes. ranging from the expected second chance at love, to love and loss, aspirations and dreams, of somehow maintaining traditions while beginning new traditions as well, themes as applicable to the Queen and her Prince as Jack and Olive, I might note, and doing one's duty through it all, never letting your dreams of the future slip through your fingers. Yes, a bit of a cliche, but it works. My thanks to #WilliamMorrow for giving me an early peek behind the scenes of Sandringham, so to speak. Despite the setting, the authors created a cozy feeling with characters you'll enjoy spending time with. It also made me wish I'd "known" Queen Elizabeth in her younger days. I admired her greatly as a Queen but the woman behind that throne, you know, the one who in more modern times than related here made a appearances with both James Bond and Paddington Bear, made her relatable to us "commoners".

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a wonderful Christmas story written about the Queen of England and the love story of Olive and Jack.

Any book by these two authors is exquisite and this one was absolutely perfect! It’s a lovely holiday story that transports the reader to Christmas in London and introduces us to characters you want to root for. Add this book to your Christmas list this year!

I jumped on the chance to read this when I saw that it was by the authors (Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb) of Last Christmas in Paris, which I enjoyed very much. Christmas with the Queen is a much different kind of story. I have started doing seasonal reading and this makes a nice holiday read especially if you’re looking for a love story with a holiday theme and a historical tie in.

It starts in 1952 early in Queen Elizabeth’s reign. It’s told from the perspective of Olive (a young BBC aspiring reporter), Jack (a young chef with New Orleans roots), and a young Queen Elizabeth (though we hear much less from her).

Jack and Olive had first met on VE Day with a group of friends. There are flashbacks to this period throughout the story. But the story marches forward in time. I would make a terrible romance writer, as I really just want to get them together quickly! But as in any good romance, things unfold gradually. So naturally, as an impatient romantic, I got a little frustrated. But the authors did a good job with this story as they built the basis for romance. I liked how they brought these characters together and the tie in with the Queen was well thought out and believable, as fiction goes. There is some sadness early on, some bumps in the road, and a secret. But you know things are going to work out in the end, so there’s no additional stress for your holiday reading (or anytime). So just sit back and enjoy the ride.

#ChristmaswiththeQueen #netgalley