🎵... Queue "Christmas Candles" by The Andrew Sisters ...🎵

I don’t think I could love a book more than I do right now! Christmas with the Queen is, by far, my most favorite Christmas read! Not only is it timely, but I identify with SO MUCH of this wonderfully cozy cup of romantic comfort, readying me for the holiday season like no other has!

From the New Orleans food connection (both sets of my grandparents were from New Orleans, and both could cook your socks off), to the SeaBees connection (yep, my Parrain was a Seabee), and even the challenges faced being separated from family during the holidays, had me in ALL THE FEELS. Not to mention all the wonderful, quotable insight that really resonated with me, “recipes – and life- don’t always go the way we want them to go, even when we think we’ve done everything right.” (swipe to see more of my favorite quotes).

I truly loved this second chance romance set against the backdrop of QEII’s Christmas broadcasts. I only wished there might have been a few of Jack’s recipes included!!

Thank you to Hazel Gaynor , @msheatherwebb , and @suzyapprovedbooktours for my epub copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review will be posted on 11/21/24
The year is 1952 and Queen Elizabeth is a new queen and faced with the important task of the Christmas Day broadcast. She has big shoes to fill and a lot of expectations. Meanwhile, the Royal household is preparing for the holidays at Sandringham House. The kitchen is the center of preparations with Jack Devereux, a new chef, onboard for the holiday season, but he hopes to stay much longer. Jack is newly widowed and needs a big shakeup in his life as the grief has been difficult. This job is just what he needs to get his mind off things and start a new chapter in his life. While at Sandringham, he runs into Olive Carter, a former friend from many years ago during the war. Olive is at Sandringham on a job with the BBC, as she is an aspiring reporter. She is reporting on the Queen's Christmas and hopes to make her mark at the BBC. Olive and Jack have a complicated past, but this recent run-in with each other, has them thinking about "what if." The novel is also interspersed with narration from the Queen itself which is a nice touch for fans of The Crown. Historical fiction fans won't want to miss Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb this holiday season.

The novel is told through some flashbacks to wartime so we can get to know Jack and how he met Olive as well as how he ended up married to their mutual friend, Andrea. Olive also has been dealt a difficult hand in the novel, so the flashbacks are important to explain how she ended up in her situation. When the story jumps to 1952, Jack and Olive are in a much different place both physically and emotionally, but they are still drawn to each other. Whether that is to be good friends or more is something they slowly figure out. If you enjoy a good "will they, won't they" story line, Gaynor and Webb do it well in Christmas with the Queen. I also really enjoyed all the holiday details, the chapters narrated by the Queen, the descriptions of the Royal Christmas, and of course the delicious food. Fans of The Crown will devour that portion of the novel. Christmas with the Queen is a holiday winner for sure!

When I saw that Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb were writing a Christmas-themed book, I couldn't wait to read it!

This one follows Jack, an aspiring chef who gets a job cooking for the royal family at Christmas, and Olive, an aspiring reporter trying to make a name for herself in a man's world.

The story follows the characters each year, mostly around Christmastime, starting in 1952. I loved the bits of history (the book starts during the Great Smog), the British Christmas traditions, and the glimpses of behind-the-scenes life of the royal family and those who work for them.

I also liked the characters, but I didn't always love their choices. Their poor decisions and miscommunications dragged on for years, which just seemed a bit unrealistic. But it did make sense with how the story was written, with long gaps between their interactions. I'm just not very patient when characters make bad choices.

But miscommunication aside, the history won me over and this was an enjoyable read! The interactions with the royal family were my favorite parts! If you've loved the other books by the authors, you'll love this one too.

Happy Publication Day!

The authors of my favorite book, Last Christmas in Paris, did it again! Christmas with the Queen is a must-read this season! I really enjoyed reading the story of Olive and Jack, and of course, about Queen Elizabeth’s first Christmas speech as the new monarch. It’s so festive, yet gives you that warm fuzzy feeling!

Congratulations @hazelgaynor and @msheatherwebb 🎉🥳👏

Thanks @netgalley for the ARC

PS
Included the photo of the Jambalaya I cooked back in Sept when I was reading this book. The book made me do it!

Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have mastered the art of writing together. This book reads seamlessly and I have no absolute idea of where one author’s voice ends and the other begins. This was also true in their earlier collaboration, Meet Me in Monaco, a book that I very much enjoyed. I loved this one too.

Christmas with the Queen was exactly the kind of read that I was looking for, one that would transport me to another time and place. The story opens in 1952 when London was enveloped in a murky fog. Elizabeth was new to the throne. The novel goes on to cover a five year period (with some back history).

The story principally follows two characters, each of whom has an interesting profession and story. Jack is working in the Sandringham kitchens during the festive period. Olive is a trainee reporter with the BBC. When her boss became ill, she travels to Sandringham to write a seasonal story. These two (re) meet and readers follow them over the years.

There is enough detail to bring Sandringham, the Queen, her corgis and the royal experience to life. It is delightful to observe Elizabeth in the novel. There is a charming scene fairly early in the book when Elizabeth strolls into the room where a star struck Olive is sitting. She will reappear.

This is a charming and lovely book. Readers will want the best for these characters.

If a reader wants to get into the Christmas spirit without the frenetic quality of holiday life, come to this book with a cup of tea and relax. I am very glad that I did just that.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful Christmas read! I couldn’t stop reading because the writing was so fantastic! I loved all the characters! They were so endearing and hopeful. Throughout the book I wondered if Jack and Olive would ever get back together because they were such a good match and if Olive would ever share her secret. I also liked the little glimpses into the life of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal family. This was such an emotional, uplifting, and inspiring read! It’s the perfect book to read this holiday season!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader copy of this book. My opinions in this review are my own.
The setting is December, 1952 and preparations are underway for Queen Elizabeth’s first Christmas as the sovereign. We meet two characters; Olive Carter, a single mother who is a BBC typist. She longs to be a reporter and when the royal reporter becomes ill, she manages to convince her boss to send her to Sandringham to report on Christmas with the royal family.. their traditions and how preparations are made. We also meet Jack Devereux, a chef from New Orleans, who is reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, Andrea during the London fog weeks before Christmas. Jack is convinced to go to Sandringham to work as a chef during the holidays. He goes and while there he runs into Olive. Their meeting is shocking as they haven’t seen each other in years. As the story progresses, years pass and Jack and an Olive’s paths continue to cross. The Queen’s storyline is woven with Olive as the two become somewhat friendly over the Queen’s Christmas address and being a young mother’s. The ending is a sound resolution to this story.

I loved this book, I loved the descriptions and I love that I kicked off my holiday reading this lovely piece of historical fiction! Enjoy!

BOOK: Christmas with the Queen (ARC)
AUTHOR: Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
PUB DATE: November 19, 2024, by William Morrow
PAGES: 384
RATING: 5 STARS infinity!
GENRE: Historical Fiction/Romance

A H U G E Thank You to @netgalley, @SimonandSchusterChildrensPublishing, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This is my most favorite Christmas book ever! It thrills me to leave you with this 5star review on this book’s publication day! If there is any holiday book you read this year, LET IT BE THIS ONE! I can’t recommend it enough. Also, if you are a fan of The Crown on Netflix, and you’re looking for a beautiful love story, you will love this one! Be still my heart!

Another heartwarming historical fiction second chance romance from a fav author duo. This book follows Olive Carter, an unwed single mother trying to become a BBC reporter who gets assigned to cover the Queen's Christmas broadcast in Sandringham when her male colleague falls ill.

While there she is reunited with a man from her past, Jack, an American former navy cook and new widow who is working in the Queen's kitchens. Taking place over several years with flashbacks to how they first met, we get to learn more about the life of a working single mother in post-war England and can't help rooting for Jack and Olive to finally get a chance for their HEA together, if only the secret Olive has been keeping from him won't tear them apart for good.

Great on audio with a full cast of narrators to help voice Jack, Olive and the Queen herself. I really enjoyed the short sections where we get insights into the Queen's early life as a new sovereign. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Fans of the Netflix show, The Crown definitely don't want to miss this one.

I was very much looking forward to this book since Christmas is my favorite holiday and I’m also a big British Royal family fan. There were a lot of things I enjoyed and some things that didn’t quite hit like I was hoping they would. The Christmas vibes of this book were very atmospheric. Oh my goodness, it makes me want to plan a trip to London for the holidays immediately! I did really enjoy each year opening with the Queen’s POV of what was going on in England and also her personal life. I thought that added a nice touch to the story and showed how much she grew into her title each year. I LOVED the writing style of these two authors so I will absolutely be reading more from them. What didn’t really work for me was Jack and Olive together. As separate characters, I thought they were interesting and well written, but the romance was much more tell than show. Even with the dual timelines and getting both of their POVs, I felt like a lot of important things were glossed over or told as an afterthought so I never felt their chemistry or connection which was a shame. I still enjoyed reading this book, especially the scenes at Sandringham and at Buckingham Palace and I think fans of The Crown would really enjoy it!
CW: death of a spouse, mentions of miscarriage
WARNING: DO NOT read this on an empty stomach. There is A LOT of food mentioned and I legitimately got hangry while reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a book with hair raising action or steamy love scenes this is not the book for you. Like Queen Elizabeth herself this book is steady, calm, and really quite lovely. That being said a lot happens over the course of 5 Christmases, The reader sees the nervous young Elizabeth giving her Christmas speech for the first time after the death of her father and the book ends as a more confident Elizabeth givers her first televised address. And then there is Jack and Olive and the will she tell him?, will he open his heart to her and get beyond his dead wife. It was clever of the authors to have Jack come from New Orleans and have him introduce a whole different type of cuisine to the royal family, he starts out like a fish out of water, but at the end, he is at comfortable in his chosen home of London. I love this book--nothing really bad happened, but yet it traced two relationships over a period of time and in the end both couples grew together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is an absolute delight and a must-read for fans of the Royal Family. Even the most Scrooge-like reader might find their heart warmed by this delightful book. While I’ve enjoyed Hazel and Heather’s previous collaborations, this story may very well be my favorite so far. With that being said, my enjoyment for the holiday season may add to my enthusiasm for this book, but I believe this story has something special for every historical fiction fanb (including the Scrooge’s).
I also highly recommend this book to readers curious about Christmas traditions around the world. Overall, this novel is engaging, heartwarming, and perfect for the holiday season.
Thank you again to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I am frequently recommending Last Christmas in Paris by this Gaynor/Webb duo to my friends and all over social media. It is so refreshing to have a smart, non-cheesy Christmas book to reflect on and have in my library. So I was very excited to see this new offering!
Christmas in England with the young Queen Elizabeth II post World War 2? Absolutely! I very much enjoyed the back and forth between her new life as queen with Prince Philip as she prepares her Christmas Day speeches, following in the footsteps of her father and his before him. The characters of Jack and Olive easily intertwine as they have roles at Sandringham and continuing on to voyages with the royalty. I enjoyed their love story even when the angst continued a little longer than I would have liked. I thought the authors did an overall wonderful job weaving their tale, and I look forward to recommending this one along with their previous Christmas story.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

I loved the historical aspects of this book and all the behind the scenes of the royal family. It really did feel like I was reading an episode of the crown. I did find the romantic aspects of this story hard to read, with the main issue being the lack of communication that could have been resolved in one conversation. I am glad I read it, just wish the romantic part of the story had been more developed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor; Heather Webb is a charming festive historical fiction story.
It was so hard to tear myself away from this book.
Gaynor and Webb have created a heartwarming story.
The writing of this story is solid and beautifully crafted. The two authors have done an excellent job of providing a well researched and evenly rendered story.

5⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of Christmas With The Queen.

Olive works for the BBC and she catches her break when she gets to go to the palace to cover the Christmas festivities Queen Elizabeth II has planned. She actually has an accidental run in with the Queen while there. She also runs into Jack who is a chef at the palace and a man from her past who has just tragically lost his wife. Over the following years around Christmas time at the palace her and Jack run into one another. They both have feelings for one another but it always seems to be wrong place wrong time. Olive has been keeping something from Jack for years but she can never get the courage to tell him because it will change his life forever.

This book was so good. I love that it was a fictional story with true elements from the past. It was so easy to connect with the characters and the storyline kept my attention. I would definitely recommend this book!

What a perfect read for the holiday season! Loved this novel about Queen Elizabeth II and her life as queen, a wife, a mother and leader during a time of rebuilding after the war and the country accepting a woman at the helm. Olive has always dreamed of being in the midst of the royal family and her position at the BBC offers her this rare opportunity, although she is given strict orders on what is expected and to be reported. Unlike anything she has ever experienced, she can hardly believe she is here! In the house of the queen and things only seem to get more unexpected when she runs into an old love interest, Jack. He has become a welcomed cook in the royal kitchen. A lot has changed in the years since they last saw each other but they are both here for their careers and the last thing either of them needs is getting wrapped up in the past. This novel brings to life Christmas with the royals, the changes the Queen under goes with each holiday year and the story behind Olive and Jack. I really loved this novel and the characters and it was so interesting to see all the changes the Queen was dealt in those first years of her reign. Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for the complementary ebook and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

A different take on a story about a woman in mid-century after WWII trying to find her way in the changing working world. The story was sweet and played on the history of the Queen in her early years as she adapted to her new role and new technology. The characters were well-written for this kind of story; not annoying or overly fake feeling, while still being optimistic and cute. Read if you want a heartwarming story around Christmastimes with a dash of British royalty thrown in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

This book begins in December 1952, as Queen Elizabeth has just taken over the throne after the death of her father, and she is set to give her first Christmas address on the BBC radio broadcast. Jack Devereux, who is a recent widower & very talented chef, and Olive Carter, who aspires to be a BBC reporter, are reunited at Sandringham House in Norfolk. They have a history together, but haven't seen each other in years, so seeing each other stirs up feelings neither is sure they want to or are ready to deal with. Their paths continue to cross over the next five Christmases, as Olive becomes a fixture at Sandringham House, covering the festivities for the BBC, and Jack is chef in the kitchen for the Queen. The book culminates on Christmas Day, December 1957, as Queen Elizabeth gives her first televised BBC Christmas address.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was so immersed in Jack & Olive's story, and that of the Queen, that I felt like I were actually there watching it all unfold. I really liked both Olive and Jack and had my fingers crossed for them the entire book. The authors really brought Queen Elizabeth to life as well, and made her seem more relatable, which was something I have read in many different places that she struggled with. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you will want to put this at the top of your TBR pile. You are going to love it!

Christmas With the Queen by Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor is an on-again, off-again romance woven loosely around the early Christmases of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, was took place in the early 1950s. Jack Devereaux and Olive Carter had first met on the streets of London during the VE Day celebrations. They became bonded with a small group of friends who continued to meet up. Jack had already fallen in love with Andrea and was about to get engaged when he had a one-night stand with Olive. It gave her hope; it meant little to him but a fond memory. She was left with a child and he married Andrea. They had seven great years together before she was hit by a car during one of London’s foggiest winters. Jack was desolate. He couldn’t even function until his friend, Ryan, appeared and insisted Jack join his family in Norfolk for as long as he like. While there, Ryan’s brother, Mason convinced him to come to Sandringham and interview for a position in the royal kitchen. He did and it changed his life. For one, there he saw Olive again as she had come as a report for the BBC to report on the Christmas preparations.

From that initial meeting, Jack and Olive saw one another sporadically, usually when working for the royal family. Their relationship grew until Olive felt compelled to tell him about Lucy’ true parentage. By the, he was in love. In between all of this, Jack and Mason managed to open the restaurant of their dreams, aided by an old friend. Watching Jack navigate his grief through work was heart-rending. Being with Olive while she struggled to find a place in a man’s world, was frustrating. Both good people, they forged bonds with one another, and with the queen and her husband: Jack and Phillip over the sea; and the queen and Olive over the queen’s annual Christmas address to the nation and its transition to television. The growth in all four characters was joyful and expected. A true piece of historical fiction showing both good and bad. Not to be missed.

I was invited to read Christmas With the Queen by William Morrow. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #HeatherWebb #HazelGaynor #ChristmasWithTheQueen