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.

Christmas With the Queen includes royal family interactions, second-chance romance, and dreams realized.

In December of 1952 as the royal family prepares to spend Christmas at Sandringham House, a young Queen Elizabeth struggles to find the right words for her Christmas Day radio broadcast. Meanwhile, Olive, a single mother and aspiring journalist, receives an unexpected opportunity to cover the Royal Family’s Christmas holiday. Elsewhere, Jack, a grieving widow and chef, accepts an invitation to fill in as a cook in the royal kitchen for the Christmas events. Olive and Jack are surprised to see each other as they share a brief romantic history. They grow closer as they reunite over the next few years and interact with and serve the royal family. Sparks fly, but Olive is keeping a big secret.

The royal family Christmas gathering at Sandringham House sets the scene year after year. We gain glimpses into the preparation and festivities and are treated to brief interactions with the young Queen. However, this is Olive and Jack’s story, so we share their limited behind-the-scenes perspectives.

Olive and Jack have a complicated relationship that develops over five Christmas seasons. Olive is keeping a big secret and Jack is grieving the death of his wife. Plus, they must reconcile their brief romantic history. Miscommunication is frustrating for readers (like me) who don’t list this as a favorite trope! I totally understand Jack’s anger at the third-act breakup!

Sweet second-chance romance saves the day once miscommunication is resolved and the carefully-guarded secret is revealed. A satisfying conclusion awaits a patient reader.

Content Consideration: unplanned pregnancy, grief

I recommend Christmas With the Queen for fans of historical fiction, second-chance romance, and the Gaynor/Webb writing team. Readers looking for a story with a Christmas setting will want this on their December TBR.

Thanks #NetGalley @WilliamMorrow for a complimentary e ARC of #ChristmasWithTheQueen upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Just finished Christmas with the Queen. I liked it a great deal, but if you as a reader are looking for a true glimpse into what it might be like to have Christmas at Sandringham, even down to just decorations or food, you will be disappointed. It was a great love story, and the main characters, Jack and Olive, were well fleshed out. However, I knew more about Jack's New Orleans background and his relationship with his grandfather and about Olive's parents poor relationship and her poor cooking than I ever found out about the Queen's Christmas.

I really enjoyed reading this. As with all of the Gaynor books I have read, her characters feel so real to me. I also enjoyed the passage of time throughout the years that the plot followed. At times the book felt too long, as if it dragged, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Christmas with the Queen.

In 1952, a young Queen Elizabeth II has recently become the Queen, and is trying to find her footing on a path she feels she must make her own while honoring her father’s legacy. When an opportunity arises for Olive Carter, an employee in the typing pool at the BBC with aspirations of becoming a reporter, to stay at Sandringham and report on the royal family’s Christmas, she jumps at the chance. While there she has a chance encounter with the Queen, and offers to listen to her speech and give advice on how to improve and make it make her style. She also encounters Jack Devereux, who is recently widowed and has taken a job in the kitchens at Sandringham. Friends from right after the War, they share a history, but haven’t seen each other in several years. As the royal family and Olive and Jack run into each other over the years at Sandringham and on royal tours, a new friendship forms and past secrets must be revealed for them to have a chance at a future.

Told alternately from the point of view of the Queen, Jack, and Olive, this is a sweet story of second chances, and how if things are meant to be, they will eventually turn out that way. There is enough description of events with the Queen to be believable, but the royals just provide the backdrop for the story of Jack and Olive and their meetings throughout the years.. These authors are auto-buys for me, and when they collaborate on a novel it’s extra special. Fans of The Crown will love this one -pick it up to get you in the holiday mood!

Cozy Christmas novel perfect for fans of The Crown. Glad I saved this one until right after Thanksgiving - perfect timing to get me into the holiday spirit.

An appealing and charming story, with the background of Christmas at Sandringham adding an interesting setting. As the Queen prepares for her annual speech, a young woman, Olive, determined to make it in the BBC, fills in for the regular correspondent for the speech. Olive has a young daughter, Lucy. Jack is a chef from New Orleans, who ended up in London after the war, and cooks for the Queen. The relationship between Olive and Jack has some history to it, while they circle each other without admitting their feelings. I enjoyed the story, particularly the chapters with the Queen. Recommended for a light, holiday romance with some history thrown in. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Quick Look
-cringe-free holiday fiction
-multi-POV, dual timeline
-miscommunication trope
-grief, loss, and complicated relationships
-closed-door romance
Pub Date: November 19, 2024

After reading (and loving) Last Christmas in Paris a few years ago, I’ve been eager for the next Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb collaboration. I nearly wept with joy when I heard it would be another holiday book. Holiday historical fiction novels are hard to come by, especially good ones! Told from two different perspectives over multiple timelines, Olive and Jack’s story is fraught with miscommunication and missed opportunities. Though the miscommunication trope isn’t my favorite, this somehow worked for me. The will they/won’t they kept me engaged and flipping pages. One of the things I loved most about this book was Queen Elizabeth II. I’ve always been fascinated with the British monarchy, so stepping into the home, heart, and mind of the Queen was an extra special treat. I loved seeing how, over time, the new monarch embraced changing technology and public sentiments. She was a woman in a man’s world, determined to make her way forward without sacrificing her femininity or her standards. Olive’s burgeoning success with the BBC further explored this, making it more of a feminist read than I expected. Overall it’s safe to say that Gaynor and Webb have done it again! They’ve written a wonderfully romantic holiday historical fiction book that any historical fiction fan will enjoy (as long as the miscommunication trope isn’t a problem). Olive and Jack’s story is sweet and filled with love, longing, and discovery. Best of all, it’s set during a fascinating time of change and growth, particularly for women.

A perfectly delightful holiday, historical read. Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb hits all the right notes. Olive, a single mother, wishes to be taken seriously as the royal correspondent for the BBC. She fights the battle of many women of the 50s to be taken seriously in her career - in her case a journalist. Jack dreams of being the head chef in his own restaurant. When the novel begins, he takes a job with the royal palace kitchen in an effort to distract himself from grief at the loss of his young wife. A young Queen Elizabeth is learning to be queen after the devastating loss of her father. The paths of these three meet in Sandringham at Christmas in 1952, and we get to follow them for several years. It turns out Jack and Olive met at the end of the great war and have a history of sorts. So mixed in with their present we get flashbacks to the past.
Historically speaking, the Queen gets her own narrative. Her voice seems very much like the footage I’ve heard. I really enjoy the insight into her early life. I am not obsessed with the royals, but I am interested enough. I’ve seen “The Crown” and done some reading. Though fictionalized, the authors’ research really helped to flesh out some of what I already knew. They humanize her and Philip, making her accessible to the reader. The fifties in London is a fascinating setting. The impact of World War II is certainly felt. The experiences change the approach of many people to life. It seems they are infinitely more practical and take little for granted. Jack’s and Olive’s narratives work well too. A fairly big secret (no spoilers!) is at the heart of the story. The alternating narratives help to build suspense while gradually revealing their history. I really enjoyed how the time was consistently marked by Christmas. I liked the pause to consider how the characters grew and changed over the course of a year.
Once again, a gentle reminder of how women’s rights have changed over time. (or not changed?) Olive had to disappear when she was pregnant out of wedlock and lie about being a war widow. She is treated lesser than at the BBC, and has to work awfully hard to earn the right to write the stories she wished for. While I am left wondering about change, I am grateful for the women who paved the way for me. Those are heavy thoughts, but If you like your Christmas books with some pretty cool history and a bit of mystery and romance thrown in, Gaynor and Webb’s Christmas with the Queen is just right! Give yourself the gift of reading it this Christmas.

enjoyed this SO much! Such a great blend of historical tidbits, character development and romance! And I'm not a huge romance reader, but I was cheering for Olive and Jack so hard! Will be recommending this to all of my friends this season!

The story itself was interesting and a unique concept. I liked that the book followed regular people and their challenges and aspirations at Christmastime, but yet it also incorporated the queen and royal traditions as well.

I think the authors’ note at the end where they said they wanted to explore the notion of what happens when “ordinary people might become entangled with the royal traditions through their own jobs and how that might lead them to become entangled with each other” perfectly sums up the book.

Where Christmas with the Queen fell a little flat for me was in the writing. Some of the conversations just felt stilted and unrealistic. It was also more telling readers what happened rather than showing them.

This book is good for readers who enjoy stepping into the world of royalty, enjoy a holiday romance, and don’t mind a little cheesy dialogue. :)

Set in 1950s London, where friends reunite and love grows over the years. Jack longs to own restaurant and Claire longs to be BBC reporter. They each end up working for Queen Elizabeth and reunite but their jobs take them to travels away from each other. Light book easy to read. No explicit language or sex.

Thank you to NetGalley for this fabulous copy of Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb in exchange for a honest review..This is a well-researched and written piece of historical fiction set in the period right after WW2 and then from 1952-57 at different times of the year but in particular during Christmas time. The two main characters are Olive a reporter who eventually works for the BBC and Jack an American with the Seabees. When Olive and Jack see each other again in 1952 Olive has a 6 year old daughter and is filling in as a BBC reporter and Jack is working in the kitchen at Sandringham , the Queen’s residence during Christmas time. Olive dreams of having a more permanent position at the BBC and Jack dreams of opening a restaurant but has recently suffered the tragic loss of his wife. The chemistry between the two is palpable but they keep their emotions in check not believing the other is interested in them.Olive is also hiding a secret that could destroy their budding romance.Will Olive and Jack finally find lasting love? Read the book and find out.Highly recommend.