Christmas with the Queen- it was fine, it was filled with a lot of tropes I normally cannot stand, but I tried to look past them because it was a Christmas/ Hallmark feeling book with historical elements. Overall not bad, but if it was not Christmas themed I would have scored it a lot lower.

Hallelujah for another invigorating holiday read by this amazing duo. Based on actual events, the authors take some liberties while showcasing a young Queen Elizabeth II of England. Her earlier life with Prince Philip is refreshing as she prepares the traditional Christmas Day speeches following a decades-old tradition. It was fun learning of Royal Christmas traditions, the menus, trips, and their relationship. At a time when the royals are all over the news, this was a remarkable story. While “Queen” is in the title, this story revolves around Jack and Olive’s love story. When it finally takes off, it is proof all things are possible. I enjoyed the book and would certainly recommend it.

What a wonderful story! As a kid, I lived in Australia so I have always had a fascination with the Queen and the royal family. I particularly enjoyed the historical context, including the struggles of women, particularly single moms. Thanks #NetGalley #WiliamMorrow

I love when historical fiction picks a real figure and tells the lives of people around them. Olive and Jack are rich characters that both look up to the Queen and service her. Get your mind out of the gutter. 😂 Jack works in the kitchen and Olive is a budding reporter trying to make a splash reporting on her. They also have some history.

I’ve always been fascinated with the Royal family and their ways. This felt like I was stepping into Sandringham and the royal ways. The time when Elizabeth was first becoming the queen the world can to love.

I loved Jack and Olive’s (kinda) second chance romance and their past connection and Jack’s bits from his time in the war.

I was captivated from the start through the author’s note at the end detailing the authors’ research and planning.

This is a great read for anyone enamored with the Queen or maybe fell in love with the crown.

I read the last page with tears in my eyes as I loved this story and the authors' notes so much that I didn't want it to end. Whether you're a historical fiction lover or enjoy a beautiful romance this book is for you. I adored Jack and Olive's chapters, but was entranced by the glimpses into royal life that at times seems otherworldly on the outside yet with relatable emotions and challenges on the inside. Such a fun and captivating look at the upstairs/downstairs lifestyle of the 1950's.

This was a wonderful holiday read that I really enjoyed. Taking place in the 1950s, the young Queen Elizabeth prepares for her famous Christmas Day broadcast. We also follow a romance between a reporter and a widowed chef. I love reading anything that has to do with the Queen or the royal family and I loved everything about this. This was a charming royal Christmas story that I highly recommend.

Cute second chance romance set in the halls of Buckingham Palace and Sandringham with the Queen. The cameos by Queen Elizabeth II were touching and heartwarming, both for the message sent and received by Her Majesty. I would have loved more with her but Jack and Olive take center stage in this one, with their busy jobs and their missed opportunities. A nice, light romance perfect for the holiday season.

I received a copy from #NetGalley and #williammorrowbooks for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Books and the authors for the gifted e-arc!

I absolutely LOVE this writing duo! When these two put their pens together, magic happens! Last Christmas in Paris is one of my all time favorite Christmas books, ever!!! … and will always be at the top of my list for a holiday rec! Soooo pure joy & excitement doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings when I found out they were bringing us another Christmas offering! Gah.

This one combines Jack & Olive’s fictional second chance love & life journey with the real life peek into 5 Royal Christmases with the highlight each year being Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas speeches to her adoring nation. Perfection! It made for the perfect cozy, feel good holiday story!

I also really loved that there were some Easter eggs from Last Christmas In Paris! That just made my heart smile so big!

The flow of this book as it travels between timelines was so well done & all the characters, events & settings really captured the spirit of the story, making me feel like I was right there! All the stars for another favorite Christmas read!

Sweet and simple. Like a Hallmark movie. Wish it had more perspectives from The Queen. Well written and easy to read. Perfect mood booster during the holiday season. Would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet easy read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. What a wonderfully perfect holiday novel! I cried through the ending and will now seek out more books by both authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor. This book was an enjoyable and lighthearted read, perfect for the holiday season. It had a charming, cozy feel reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, with a festive atmosphere that truly captures the spirit of Christmas.

While the secret/lack-of-communication trope is not my personal favorite, the delightful setting made it easy to keep reading. Fans of The Crown will especially appreciate this story, as it beautifully complements that series' feel.

Overall, Christmas with the Queen is a lovely read for those seeking warmth and royal holiday cheer.

I absolutely adored this charming historical fiction novel! I loved all the main characters, despite their flaws. The inclusion of Queen Elizabeth as a main character and woman with worries and aspirations and not just a queen made me see her in a whole new light. The way the author describes the royal residences really took me to a different place, and the Christmas setting makes this a delightful holiday read!

I enjoy all the books this author pair write! This one was really good, as I’m also fascinated with all things royal. I liked the transition time period they set the book in, post war and at the start of her reign. Excellent backdrop for the story of Jack the chef and Live, the aspiring journalist at the BBC trying to make it in a male dominated industry. Puts me in the Christmas spirit!

Another amazing read from Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor.

Told from the perspective of Olive, Jack and the Queen this is a delightful story that I enjoyed thoroughly and could not stop reading.

I will read anything these two ladies write!!!

I enjoyed reading this story, and if you’re a fan of the British royal family, this would be a fun book. Well written and well researched historical fiction! The authors’ note reveals that the two authors wished to tell a story that involved a young Queen Elizabeth, and a romance that involved two people who had a reason to be near the royal family, and I think they accomplished that.

Following the years from Queen Elizabeth’s first Christmas radio broadcast to her first televised one (1952-1957), the book follows Jack, a grieving widower who works as a chef in the royal kitchens, and Olive Carter, an aspiring journalist at the BBC. These two old friends reconnect and meet up over the space of five years, until they finally fall in love. But will Olive’s big secret tear them apart?

I enjoyed the love story between Jack and Olive, but I wish it had been more condensed, rather than taking place over multiple years. Or that the book was simply about them so their romance could have had the main stage.

I enjoyed the bits of the story that were about the queen, and I wish there could have been more. Perhaps the entire story could have centered around her?

Basically, I understand the authors’ intent, and I also think I would have enjoyed the story more if the romance and the queen could have been two separate stories, rather than entwined into one. There were so many interesting parts to both the historical story and the romance that I felt weren’t delved into enough!

I was a bit annoyed with Olive for taking so long to discuss her secret with Jack—if I were Jack, I would have been mad too! I almost felt that the writers didn’t make him mad enough!

There is also an accidental pregnancy storyline (it happens before the story begins) which isn’t my favorite in a book.

The authors’ first book written together is Last Christmas in Paris, which is phenomenal and has become a favorite of mine. I do think it’s hard to write two historical fiction Christmas books and have them both be slam-dunks! Clearly I have many thoughts about this book, but despite my criticisms, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and the royal family. The writing of these authors is fantastic and I will be reading more of their books!

Any book that gives me a lot to think and to say is obviously a book worth recommending!

Queen Elizabeth II continues her family tradition of a Christmas Day broadcast. This book is set in the years between 1952-1957 and is set around these broadcasts. At the beginning of each year, we find out what is happening with the Queen and King.

But the nucleus of the book is Olive and Jack. These two young people are trying to make a name for themselves in their respective fields. Olive in broadcasting and Jack in the culinary world. Both of these characters have phenomenal backstories which carry us into their interactions each holiday season.

I would read this book any day of the year. I loved the history, the romance, the drama, and the food descriptions.

I simply love this author duo and the British royal family has always been a topic of fascination for me.

This book really helped me get into the holiday spirit. I could really imagine myself being in England at Christmastime - maybe even in a castle all decked out to the nines.

This book is a fusion of historical fiction and romance. It follows the newly coronated Queen and the book starts right before her first Christmas broadcast.

The book also follows Jack, a chef starting out in the Royal kitchens, and Olive, a BBC reporter trying to make a name for herself. Jack and Olive know each other from the past and they share a secret - but only one of them knows it.

Will the secret be revealed? And how will the Queen fair during her first few years on the throne? - told in multiple POVs during Christmastime only (jumping from one year to the next), this book is fantastic. Some history, a little bit of romance, and a sprinkle of holiday spirit on top! The perfect read.

A cozy Christmas story. Predictable, but sweet. An easy, fairly fast paced read. A couple characters are a little frustrating, but it works out in the end. I enjoyed the look into the royal family at Christmas and imagining if that’s really what it was like. Glad I read it even though it’s not my kind of story

What a charming novel! There are really two stories here-one about Queen Elizabeth II, her family, and the early Christmases of her reign, and the other about Olive Carter, a budding reporter for the BBC, and her friend Jack Devereux, chef for the royal family.

We are privileged to see what life in England was like back then, starting at the end of World War II. The story really begins on the day the war ended and takes well into the beginning of the 1950s. Some great food is described here, as Jack is from New Orleans and was trained by his grandfather.

It’s a really lovely story! Four stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, we are officially in holiday season now and I am kicking it off with historical fiction - Christmas with the Queen. It is the delightful story of two old friends whose jobs surrounding Queen Elizabeth II bring them together every year at the holidays. Jack is a chef grieving the death of his wife and Olive is a single mom reporting on the Queen for the BBC. There are so many wonderful aspects about this story. I loved the historical component learning about the Queen’s early days of her reign and the pressure she felt to address the country as a young woman. I loved Olive’s incredible strength and determination as not only a single mom but a working mom trying to prove herself in a man’s job in the 1950s when that was unheard of. I loved Jack finding his way out of grief. I loved the food descriptions that made me hungry. And I loved Jack and Olive’s relationship and the way they interact. It was a charming holiday book with real depth but also so heartwarming and inspiring.