1952

The newly crowned Queen Elizabeth is experiencing her first Christmas as Queen and is busy writing her first Christmas speech. Christmas will be celebrated at Sandringham.

Jack Devereux has been invited to work in the kitchen at Sandringham. He is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana and was trained by his grandfather. When his wife steps out in a thick fog to pick up some more gifts, she is hit and killed by a vehicle. Mourning her, he does not think he can be able to continue to Sandringham, but his friends encourage him to carry on.

Olive Carter is a trainee reporter for the BBC. She is an unwed mother but wears a wedding band saying she is a widow. Since her boss is unable to go Sandringham to cover the royal Christmas, she is approved to go in his place.

Olive and Jack have known one another from their earlier years when they all met up and partied together. But there is a secret Olive is keeping from him. Will she be able to tell him the truth someday?

Oh, how I loved this book. I have long been an avid follower of the English royal family and Queen Elizabeth was a wonderful woman. The almost whimsical meetings with the Queen were so well and realistically written. The hard work that Jack put into his cooking was amazing. And lastly, the love between Jack and Olive took quite some time to grow but I’m so glad of the beautiful ending. This is a delightful story and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Super cute Christmas story! Will recommend to my friends and family that like to read seasonal books in the winter.

This is a fun, sweet escape for fans of Christmas and royal fiction. Over the course of several Christmas holidays during the 1950s, we follow the lives of a chef and a journalist who weave in and out of each other’s lives as they move in and out of the Queen’s orbit. We also see snapshots of the young Queen and her family during consecutive holiday seasons.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Pub Day to my favorite Christmas Book of 2024 -- Christmas with the Queen!

I loved this Christmas historical fiction described as The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally from one of my favorite author duos. Christmas 1952 is the first year the new monarch is Queen and she's trying to figure out the tradition of the Christmas radio broadcast and meld the old with the new at Sandringham. Both Jack and Olive (fictional) are at Sandringham as part of the royal Christmas preparations and these old friends reconnect. I loved seeing both Jack and Olive as well as the Queen around the holidays each year from 1952 to 1957 and how their paths all cross.

I loved how seamlessly the fictional characters blended into the story and getting a glimpse into the Christmas preparations for the royals. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction. It was a heartwarming story and put me into the Christmas spirit!

I highly recommend reading this Christmas book this year! Thanks to William Morrow Books for my advanced copy..

This slow-moving story told over the course of five Christmases in the 1950s is primarily about the relationship between an up-and-coming royal correspondent and an up-and-coming chef in the royal household.

I didn’t always like the main female character or agree with her choices. I often felt she was full of excuses for her actions. That said, early on I didn’t much like the main male character either but he did grow on me as the story advanced.

I feel like the buildup lasted too long and the forgiveness/acceptance came too quickly.

I enjoyed the glimpses into the private life of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and I wish they had been more part of the story.

This book got repetitive at times. It was a cute story but i felt like i needed a little something... more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.. The plot and the cover really attracted me to this book. The characters were interesting and for the most part the book was good. My two problems with it was that the British slang used felt forced and overdone and could have used polishing. My other problem was that I felt the book lost momentum towards a the middle so I just started skimming pages to get to the end. I'm sure I'm in the minority and I think as a whole the book will appeal to anyone who is looking for a cozy Christmas book.

Christmas with the Queen combines three stories:
1) The young Queen Elizabeth II finding her feet as the new monarch
2) That of Olive, a single mother, and aspiring reporter at the BBC
3) And Jack, a recently widowed chef who reluctantly takes up a new role in the royal kitchens at Sandringham.
The three each have their own POV, which I usually dislike, but worked for this book.

Queen Elizabeth must find the right words to continue the tradition of her late father’s Christmas Day radio broadcast, and it is that which keeps the threads of the story coming together and then parting. I was charmed by the queen and her relationship with her husband. Olive and Jack are old friends who are surprised to be reunited after losing contact with each other for seven years.

The miscommunications between Olive and Jack as the years went on became tedious and repetitive, however. How many times could the two of them almost get together and then part? (Apparently, many!) I would have found Christmas with the Queen more enjoyable had it been more about the royal family and less about Olive and Jack. One of my favorite things was how, over time, the new monarch embraced changing technology and public sentiments. I loved that!

Thank you #WilliamMorrow for providing this book for review consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#RoyalFamily #Friendship #Romance

A wonderful story with the royal family as an impressive backdrop! Readers will love the storylines and the way the intermingling brings a great tale together. Highly recommended to Christmas lovers, romance lovers and royalists!!

I loved the juxtaposition of the first five years of Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Day speech with the lives of two old friends, Jack and Olive, who are reacquainted at Sandringham House at Christmas.

This historical fiction has a little bit of mystery, a dash of romance, a wonderful cast of family and friends, and a whole lot of British Christmas traditions. Something for everyone.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this. #ChristmaswiththeQueen #NetGalley

I loved this! Such a compelling story in post-war London. I loved Olive and Jack and their hardships, the connection, their jobs. I also loved the snippets from the Queen that made you jump right into her life. I loved the Christmas setting and of course, the happy ending. Very well done.

A charming and light holiday-themed piece of historical fiction. Less schlocky than some of this author duo’s previous offerings, and great for fans of the British royal family.

Though the central love story here was a bit too saccharine for my taste, it’s a well told story, and I really liked the protagonist. I can get into the romantic idea of repeatedly encountering a lost love while working at Sandringham at Christmas even if the details of their history felt a bit maudlin and far fetched.

The holiday content is fun, and Elizabeth and her family make for charming historical reference points as well as likable secondary characters.

Like most Christmas books this is less holiday-focused in its details than I would like, but it does a better job at it than most.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a work of historical fiction spanning the years from 1952, when Queen Elizabeth gave her first Christmas speech, to 1957. I had really enjoyed Hazel Gaynor's The Last Lifeboat, but found this latest collaborative offering to be more predictable, though still entertaining. CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN is told from three points of view: mainly Olive Carter, an unwed mother and young reporter with the BBC, and Jack Devereux, a budding chef who suffers a loss and ends up working for the royal household, although Queen Elizabeth is also quoted and adds some commentary. Olive and Jack have known each other for a long time (flashbacks to 1945) and the spark of attraction never seems to line up in a more permanent way which involves much of the story's tension. If readers liked The Crown, they will enjoy the behind the scenes glimpses involving the royals, their homes, and yacht. The authors clearly have a great deal of affection for Sandringham, in particular, and make that evident in their final note as well as through the descriptions in the novel itself. Gentle and fun with a festive air.

This was an interesting and enjoyable holiday read. I loved being back in this world, with minor appearances by Tom Harding and Evie from a previous Christmas novel. This was a nice escape from the news cycle currently and I would love a new holiday read from these authors each year.

Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb was a heart-warming, historical fiction book that was a joy to read with Christmas approaching. The book is centered around the annual Christmas Day speech given by the reigning monarch, a tradition started by Queen Elizabeth's grandfather, King George V in 1932 and continued to this day.

Olive is a journalist trying to work her way up the ladder at the BBC by covering the Queen's speech. Jack is a young widowed chef who is working in the royal kitchen and hoping to open his own restaurant someday. Olive and Jack met at the joyous end of WWII and have lost touch until their paths cross at the royal residence on Christmas in 1952. The potential romance between Olive and Jack consumes most of the story, and the Queen's appearances are limited to the Christmas season over the course of five years. I loved the quotes taken from Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Day speeches, since they added authenticity to the story. The slow burn romance tested my patience, but I must admit I loved how the story came together.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical fiction and are looking for a light holiday read.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for my copy of Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor; Heather Webb in exchange for an honest review. It published November 19, 2024.
This may have been the best Christmas book this season! I loved the attention to detail, the back and forth, the multiple timelines and characters, basically everything.
It was beautiful, emotionally written. It is touching and sweet, but not too sweet. It’s a very lovely book, and I can think of several people I would buy this book for!

I really enjoyed this one and a look at this time period in England and the setting at Christmas. It’s a good Xmas book with no sappy moments or corniness
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read book

I usually don't enjoy Christmas novels, but I gave this one a chance because of the royalty theme. I didn't regret it. I enjoyed the historical parts and the back and forth. I especially enjoyed the characters. This is one that I highly recommend to read. The authors did an amazing job putting this together flowing through back and forth timelines. I couldn't get enough of it. I can't wait to see more from them in the future.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Harper Collins!

This story definitely takes you away to a unique time period with great characters. I loved Olive and Jack…add in Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and I was hooked!

Olive is such a strong woman. She has made some mistakes and she knows what she must do, but life keeps getting in her way. Then there is Jack. He is a chef from New Orleans, LA. So, he has some ethnic challenges with his cooking for the royal family. This just adds a little “spice” to this story (pun intended!)

These two authors have created a heart warming story full of love, romance and some fascinating interactions!

Need an enjoyable, Christmas tale which gives you all the feels…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres. Christmas with the Queen is so perfect. I love that the Queen is not the main character in a book although her name is in the title. Olive is the main character. Jack, a friend from the past, is the second main character. Olive and Jack have a history from the war days. They were friends a time ago and have reconnected while spending time with the Royal Family.

Olive is the perfect mother for Lucy but she has been keeping a secret. Seeing Jack again makes it all so real for her. She must decide what is best for Lucy and take a risk to find a love that was lost. I really enjoyed seeing Olive make strides in a man run world, make friends with the Queen, and find her way to happiness.

I enjoyed the look into the royal family and their Christmas traditions. The talk of all the food that is served, the trips taken, and the relationships of Elizabeth and Phillip brought me right into the Royal world. I could hear Elizabeth’s voice as she gave her speech to the countries. I loved visiting Australia with Phillip and Elizabeth. As the corgi’s and children ran underfoot while she tried to reel them in and rule, I could not help but think how normal that seemed. I felt like I was right beside her and living life with her.

This book is so wonderful. I enjoy a good Christmas story. Christmas with the Queen is the perfect seasonal book rich with history.