Olive and Jack's love story was a slow burn, but the surrounding details were delightful and made the wait enjoyable.

The story starts out in 1952 with Olive trying to advance her reporting career despite the reluctance of the male-dominated BBC to have anything of importance reported by a woman. Jack is excited to leave the toxic kitchen he's been working in for a short assignment in the Sandringham royal kitchen during the new queen's holiday stay.

Fast forward a bit, and Olive and Jack end up seeing each other over the holidays during good career developments for both of them. They got along fine when they ran with the same social group of singles years ago, and getting reacquainted is a pleasant surprise for them both, even if it is just for a few minutes.

Both their lives continue to progress, with Queen Elizabeth II's life and reign an influential event that continues to affect both of them. The descriptions of the settings where the story takes place and the other people in both their lives are charming and a fun escape to read about. The book also included a few quotes from the queen's Christmas speeches over the years, which were intriguing and reinforced the historic part of this pleasant fiction.

Overall, it was quite nice to read about the early years of Elizabeth II's monarchy, her life with her husband (sorry, forgot his title right now) and their children. The Christmas details and descriptions made the story a fun holiday read as well. The book earned 4 out of 5 stars and would be great for anyone who likes British royalty stories, 1950s fiction, and modest love stories.

I enjoyed this novel about two lovers, Jack and Olive, who are separated by circumstances, including Jack's marriage to another woman, Andrea, he loved. As the story opens Andrea is killed in a car accident. She leaves behind the dream she and Jack had for Jack to open his own restaurant. Olive harbors a secret, and these two things keep them apart for most of the book. (Full review at: https://novelpastimes.com/2024/12/16/book-review-christmas-with-the-queen-by-hazel-gaynor-and-heather-webb/

Wonderful Historical Fiction for the Holidays! Beautiful and descriptive, this novel brings Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to life and adds an engaging story of a chef who’s story will have you cheering for him and take you into the royal household.

Readers who are fascinated by the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II will enjoy this glimpse into her imagination and thinking as she takes the reins (reigns!) of her new role as queen. The main plot of the story features two friends who still long for each other as more than friends after many intervening years. This is a multiple time line story that wings backwards to the time when the main characters met, forward to 1950's, and back again.

While I especially enjoyed the sections about the royals, the story of Olive and Jack seemed long drawn out and got to be repetitious after awhile. The author notes at the end detail their meticulous research for this novel and they certainly did their homework.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are mine alone.

Christmas with the Queen was the perfect holiday read! Sweet, likable characters and vivid descriptions of London made this a treat to read. I loved the scenes with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh - they were reminiscent of the early seasons of The Crown (I’m planning a rewatch now). I’m so excited to check out other books by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb! I think I have found my new favorite historical authors.

The magic of Christmas is unmatched, especially when you spend it with the Queen . . . and her dogs.

Told from various perspectives, specifically Olive and Jack, this book is the cozy welcome and intro to the Christmas season every royal book lover needs. As we follow the stories that unfold for Oliver and Jack, spanning 5 Christmases, we see the struggles and triumphs for Olive and Jack while relishing Christmas with the Queen.

I dream of visiting England for Christmas someday but, until then, I am thankful to have spent Christmas with the Queen between the pages of this book.

Princess Elizabeth became the Queen in February, 1952 when she was just 25 years old. As this story begins, it's getting close to Christmas and the Queen is worried about her first Christmas Day radio broadcast. England and the other colonies are still suffering from the results of the war and she wants to give a speech that is hopeful and uplifting and show her plans for changes in the upcoming year.

Olive is working for the BBC. She's in a clerical position but she wants to be a reporter. When the reporter who covers the Royal Family becomes ill, she begs to take his place for the Christmas celebration at Sandringham House. They agree to give her a chance so she leaves her young daughter with her parents and goes to spend Christmas with the royal family. She has a chance encounter with the Queen and ends up helping her with her Christmas address. While she is there, she runs into Jack who is the newest addition to the kitchen. He is an old friend and a recent widower who took the job with the royal family to help him deal with his grief over losing his wife. Olive and Jack had been friends several years before but after Jack got married they lost touch with each other. When they meet again, there are sparks between the two of them. But they both have their new careers to work on so they say goodbye with no plans to meet again. Over the next five years, Olive and Jack continue to run into each other and getting closer but Olive can't let it go too far because she is keeping a big secret from him that will alter their relationship if he ever finds out. Will their relationship continue to grow or is it doomed for failure?

I always admired Queen Elizabeth and even though this was fiction, the authors provided us with an inside glimpse of her as not only Queen but also as a wife and mother. I enjoyed reading about all of the hard work that went into the meals that the family ate especially for Christmas. Plus there was a lot of talk about food - preparing it and trying new recipes that was fun to read. I also really enjoyed the characters of Olive and Jack. They were very well written and their growth as characters throughout the story was very well done.

This book is not just about the Queen but is also a love story of second chances for Olive and Jack. When she reveals her secret to Jack, will that be the end of their relationship or will the spirit of Christmas give their relationship a chance?

I really enjoyed this book, Christmas with the Queen. I've read these authors before in "Last Christmas in Paris" which I enjoyed, and this book did not disappoint either.

Taking place over a period of about 5 years, with flashbacks to the end of WW2 as well, this story follows 2 main characters, Olive and Jack, who met at the end of WW2 when celebrating the end of the war, but life took them in different directions until they run in to each other again, both in service to the royal family.

This was a great story, although a little sad at times, but also showing that good things can come about even with life is complicated or difficult.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley and really glad I was able to add it to my holiday reading this December.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set around when Queen Elizabeth began her reign. It has dual perspectives and timelines. Very well done and enjoyable.

From the kitchens of Buckingham Palace to the country lanes leading to Sandringham and the Queen’s first televised message, this ‘will they-won’t they’ romance is a delightful Christmas adventure.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Paperbacks, and authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Christmas With the Queen is a charming book that is a lot of fun, while at the same time showing just how hard society was on women who wanted a career following World War II. It was a time of change in England as Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne, while at the same time, widespread misogyny in society marginalized the women who wanted to keep working outside of the home.

Olive Carter is a single mother who has worked in the BBC typing pool for several years but has ambitions to do much more. An opportunity opens up to work on a story on the Queen's first Christmas radio broadcast after having ascended the throne following the death of her father. Olive looks at it from a bit of a different angle, rather than the traditional report the male correspondents have made.

Meanwhile, Jack Devereaux, an American sailor and chef who married a British girl and settled in London, is facing the holiday season alone for the first time after a tragic accident kills his beloved wife, Andrea. They had plans to one day open their own restaurant together, but Jack is paralyzed with grief. A friend had arranged for him to start working in the kitchen at the Queen's Sandringham estate for the holidays, but he's reluctant to get on with his life. His friends bring him to Norfolk for the holidays, and they convince him to go to work at Sandringham.

Olive and Jack knew each other following the end of World War II. They were part of a group of friends that formed in the celebration of VE Day. Over the years, they lost track of each other but met up again at Sandringham.

Christmas With the Queen follows Olive, Jack, and Queen Elizabeth through the early years of her reign as their lives continually intersect, usually at Christmas. The Queen and Olive form a bit of a bond as Olive coaches her on her speeches. They are both females in male-dominated worlds. Jack's distinctive cooking style gets him a job on the Palace's staff as a chef, and he and Olive manage to renew their friendship. Could it be more than that?

If you enjoyed the series The Crown, I think you'll enjoy Christmas With the Queen. The story humanizes Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and their family in a holiday setting. She's the Queen of England but she is nervous about the changing times and doubts herself as much as anyone. The story follows her Christmas message from when she first takes the throne until the first television broadcast of the message. She thinks of her own father and what he had to overcome with his speech impediment as she works to blend tradition and progress.

At the same time, Jack and Olive's tepid romance gave me something to root for. I'm not a huge fan of romances, but this was sweet without being saccharine. They are both people I could root for. Olive has a secret she has managed to keep from just about everyone, but she's still very sympathetic. We all make decisions in our lives based on the circumstances at that time, and in hindsight, it's not always the right one. Jack and Olive arent' good at communication, and their lives seem to keep throwing them together until they get it right.

If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted Christmas romance, you can't go wrong with Christmas With the Queen. The authors did a great job with the setting as well as the story itself. It's hard to believe that this was seventy years ago now, and the time before television will be alien to many of today's readers. The historical setting is depicted very well, and I could picture what it must have been like in those years.

This book tells the story of Olive, a single mother and BBC correspondent, and Jack, a recent widower and aspiring chef. Through many fortuitous events they each find themselves working around the royal family through the early 50s early during Queen Elizabeth’s reign and especially during Christmas celebrations over the years. This book explores buried secrets and second chances along with a modernizing monarchy and a young QEII newly on the throne.

This was a delightfully cozy read. I especially liked the snippets of Queen Elizabeth and royal life at Christmas. The personal stories of Olive and Jack are sometimes painfully cheesy and the coincidences that unfold in their lives are almost too much at times. BUT the Christmas coziness and royal family references kept me enjoying this read throughout. (3.5/5; thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy)

The story itself was interesting, and I liked the concept, and for the first half of the story I was invested in both Olive and Jack`s storylines - hearing a little about the traditions of the royal family was somewhat interesting for me. The authors did seem to meet their goal of showing what might happen if ordinary people go entangled in the royal traditions.

The characters were enjoyable to follow, but I think what fell flat for me was that the relationship and communication between Jack and Olive was too dragged out and beating around the bush too long and it felt unrealistic for me. Though, if you are looking for a lightish mid 20th century romance and long slow burn romance then this is the book for you .



Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for this ARC . This is my honest review.

First off - this cover is easily one of my all-time favorites! I just love the color palette with the dark green jacket and red door. The snow is perfect and I just feel cozy and wintery every time I look at it.

I'm so glad that Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb are back with another Christmas historical fiction! There are a severe lack of adult historical Christmas books so this one really made me happy. This book features two timelines for readers to escape into. It has a royals, a sweet romance, an unforgettable setting, and all the holiday scenes you could ask for!

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.