Olive Carter wants nothing more than to be a successful reporter for the BBC, but being a single mother makes her job particularly tricky in a male-dominated industry. Jack Devereaux’s world is turned upside down after tragedy hits home, and the only thing keeping him moving forward is cooking his grandfather’s recipes in the royal kitchens. The two friends reunite after many years apart in a world trying to find its new normal after years of war.

Though only a minor part of the novel, young Queen Elizabeth’s cameos delivering her annual Christmas address were my favorite parts of this novel. The authors do an excellent job of allowing readers to see the Queen as a mother and wife, rather than just a figurehead. Now I want to go back and rewatch the first few seasons of The Crown.

Olive and Jack’s love story was sweet, but I found their communication snafus mostly infuriating as they dragged on a bit too long to feel realistic. This could have been Olive’s story entirely with her getting in the family way and how she coped, finding her way in radio despite her gender, and her relationship with the Queen when men doubted them both. Jack’s influence almost felt secondary. Still, if you are a fan of the royals and historical fiction, this was an enjoyable and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb for the advanced copy of the book. Christmas with the Queen is out on November 19th! All opinions are my own

As Elizabeth II takes the throne, a widowed chef and a cub reporter reconnect at Sandringham House, their burgeoning romance threatened by a shocking secret. This beautifully written historical romance will appeal to fans of the secret baby trope.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What a beautifully written historical fiction novel. It goes from the years of 1952 to 1957. 1952 with the start of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and ending with her first televised Christmas message in 1957.

But the heart of it is Olive, a young reporter who happens to help the Queen with her Christmas message each year (at least in how to present it confidently). We also get a POV of Jack, a chef in the employ of the Queen and a friend of Olive's. There are also looks into 1945 between Olive and Jack and their friends at the end of the war. This gives a lot of insight into these two characters and the way the present is shaped between them.

There is a lot of heart in here. I really felt the pull between the two MCs and wished so much that they could just figure things out already! The ending is beautiful and dreams come true so it's a happily ever after all around.

I loved this incredible book! The authors worked wonders in combining Queen Elizabeth's annual Christmas radio message to the British people with a very charming and complicated love story.

The characters are well developed, and chapters in the book alternate with their own viewpoints as time goes by and the plot develops. I especially like the details about the Queen's Christmas celebration at the royal estate in Norfolk, the early BBC radio involvement, and the activities in the Royal kitchens (on land and on sea).

Although we do hear from the Queen and Prince Philip, the story centers on Olive, the rising BBC writer, Jack, the ex-US Navy cook, and their friends and family during post WWII England. All the food descriptions made my mouth water, especially the New Orleans ones that Jack's grandfather wrote down for him.

I highly recommend this collaboration between Ms Gaynor and Ms Webb. I have read several of Gaynor's previous books and this one continues to be excellent!

It's her first time giving the Christmas message in 1952 from Sandringham. Queen Elizabeth II will successfully deliver that message on Christmas Day and for each subsequent Christmas in the span of the book. In 1957, the last one in the story, the queen is beamed into the British homes via the relatively new technology of television.

What would it be like to spend Christmas with the queen? Here are five things I loved about this book:

👑 Quotes from the queen's annual Christmas message are included along with a chapter each year from her perspective. The authors used family snapshots and home movies to help develop more of that private persona.

🐶The queen's Corgis -- Susan and Sugar -- are featured frequently as they should be. We have seen over the years how much the queen loved her Corgis.

📔Olive Carter is a lovable MC with ambitions to make a career as a journalist. She is also a mom and daughter Lucy is a delight.

🍤Jack Devereux is from the Bayou and finds ways to share those flavors as a chef in the royal kitchens. He will cross paths with Olive each year. How long will it take for the two to get their timing right?

🎄The cover is a delight. We can imagine Olive and her first visit to Sandringham where so much is set in motion.

Royal watchers may feel like this is skimpy on the Elizabeth presence. I do not feel this way and thought it was an amazing read for this time of the year.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

As a lover of historical fiction novels, I enjoyed reading Christmas with the Queen. The book is set during Queen Elizabeth II era as she became the queen as a young girl upon the death of her father. The radio broadcast Christmas message is a big tradition she must now do as her majesty duties. Olive, an inspiring reporter for the BBC leaps at the chance to cover the holiday traditions at the royal residence. There she sees am old friend, Jack who has taken a job in the royal kitchen. Olive has a secret that she has kept from Jack and their friends. Will Olive's secret become disclosed to Jack and will they resume their friendship which develops into a deeper relationship. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel prior to its publication.

I love this cover!
This book was so good! It revolves around two old friends who have a second chance at romance.
I enjoyed the peak into the Queen’s Christmas traditions and Olive’s interaction with the Queen.
This is another really good by these two authors.

I absolutely love a good Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb duo book. I am a huge fan of theirs together so when the opportunity to read Christmas with the Queen came to me, I had to take advantage. I also love anything royal family even if it is embellished so this book was perfect for me. I felt like I was there with the queen and I loved this lighthearted feel good story.

If you need a book to get you in the Christmas spirit, this is it! Olive is a single Mom living with her parents and working diligently to get a chance at writing for the BBC when the normal royal correspondent has an accident and she talks her way into the role for Christmas. at Balmoral. While there she runs into Jack who had been a part of her friend group long ago and it brings back the carefree days of her youth after the war. He is there working in the kitchen as a royal chef as a new start after his wife, Andrea, was recently killed in a horrible accident. She and Jack had always had fun and laughed together and she had had feelings for him but he had fallen in love with Andrea. Olive is very likeable and popular at Balmoral and offers the newly coronated Queen Elizabeth a chance to practice her Christmas message with her which forges a friendship based on mutual respect with her on point advice. Over the years she and Jack keep getting thrown together as Olive keeps getting Royal assignments but they both are very focused on their careers and think the other only wants to be friends or is seeing someone else. The Royals, old friends, the magic of Christmas. budding careers and romance all create a fun, heartwarming story of dreams coming true. Highly recommend!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!
#NetGalley #ChristmaswiththeQueen

The book is more about Olive than the Queen, but don’t let that deter you….Olive is a fascinating creature. She’s a strong woman, single mother, making a career in a world dominated by men, in the early 1950s. Olive is a journalist working in the circles around the Queen. She evens shares a little friendship with the Queen. Jack is a chef for the Queen and longs to own his own restaurant. Here comes a great little romance. This is a sweet book.

A heartwarming story of second chances, deftly combining history and fiction.

We follow friendships formed in London at the end of WWll through five Christmases punctuated by the new Queens continuation of the annual Christmas greeting from the monarch.

The characters of Olive Carter and Jack Devereux are both likable with interesting and complicated lives. Olive is an aspiring, yet frustrated, BBC reporter and Jack, recently bereaved, is a newly hired chef in the royal kitchen. Their acquaintance is rekindled during the holidays at Sandringham with the Queen.

We get to peek inside palaces, experience royal holidays, see careers flourish and relationships grow between multiple characters. All just in time for our holiday enjoyment!

Thank you Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb for this gift of a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a perfect book for readers who are Anglophiles, enjoy historical fiction, interested in the early years of the late Queen Elizabeth ll’s reign, and second chance romances. Sprinkle in some Christmas time atmosphere for a cherry on the top. There is even a main character who is a chef from New Orleans, Louisiana, to add some extra flavor.

I would describe this book as lovely and engaging, perfect to relax with while enjoying a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. It is heartwarming and comfortable, even though there is some heartbreak and tragedy. One of my favorite elements was the way the authors seemed to realistically capture royal residences and characters. It should be mentioned that the story centers around the Queen, but focuses primarily on the main characters Olive and Jack. It spans several years and effortlessly weaves in multiple viewpoints and background history, making the storyline easy to follow.

This is a sweet romance that takes place over several years and is tied together by the Queen's Christmas speech. I found this book well written and very easy to read.

I liked the characters and how realistic they seemed. I thought the authors did a great job of making the Queen and Prince Philip personable and human like the rest of us. I really enjoyed their parts.

While this book is titled Christmas with the Queen and, like I said above, the Queen's Christmas speeches are what ties everything together, the book didn't have an overly Christmas feel. I feel like I could read this book anytime of year and not feel weird about it.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romance and historical fiction as well as those of Queen Elizabeth. This is a book for the keeper shelf and one I can see myself reading again in the future.

Very nice period piece. Looked forward to how the romance would tie out. Will be watching for further titles from this author.

Christmas with the Queen by Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor is such a delight to read! As soon as I was finished with the netgalley, I wanted to start reading in a 'real' hard copy! I can't wait to hold the book in my hands and hug it! Perfect Christmas gift for all your friends! And Heather and Hazel, I would love to have a series where Olive followed Queen Elizabeth throughout her long history! Absolutely a beautiful story🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

More like “Christmas With the Two Most Tepid Characters Who Ever Lived.” I have loved every other Hazel Gaynor/Heather Webb book, but this one frustrated me. Both of the protagonists were dull, and this book promised a years-long push/pull, which turned me off. The only thing I enjoyed was the sweet glimpses into Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s lives, and ended up giving up reading in linear fashion at around 17% and simply reading their bits.

I loved this book! I would give it 4.5 stars!

The book starts with Queen Elizabeth II, who is preparing to give her first Christmas Day message as Queen. Jack is a royal chef who is dealing with the loss of his wife and Olive is a young reporter who dreams of being a royal correspondent for the BBC. When Jack and Olive reunite after 7 years, they slowly come to care for and love each other over the span of 5 Christmas while working for the Queen.

This book wasn’t what I expected, but I loved it! Both authors did a great job of bringing the history of Queen Elizabeth II’s early reign to life while also weaving in a fictional second chance love story. It was so beautifully written and each chapter left me wanting more!

I loved the happy ending and the romance was sweet, but realistic. I loved how the romance was drawn out over several years and the flash backs to when they first met allowed it all to flow so nicely. It was closed door and the most that happened on the page was kissing and implied sex.

There was a bit of mild swearing, but overall I loved this story and would definitely read it again!

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

I love reading historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth II and this one was great! I loved the different POVs and how they complemented the other. The earlier timeline made the later one more emotional because of what happened. The writing was beautiful and flowed nicely making it a quick read. I loved the focus on the holidays and the small parts Olive had with the Queen. My first holiday story of the year did not disappoint.

Thank you @msheatherwebb @hazelgaynor @suzyapprovedbooktours @netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a delightful historical holiday romance. If you are any kind of royal watcher than you will enjoy this book.

The story is written from three points of view. One is a single mother who is trying to work her way up to the ‘royal beat’ at the BBC. The second is an American born chef who is trying to find his way after a tragic event in his life. Finally the third point of view is from Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II. The brilliance of this story is how these three peoples lives intersect. I love historical fiction and given what I know of the era and HRH the authors did an excellent job in their research.

The story takes place during the very early years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Hazel Gaynor is an author I always enjoy reading. Her co-author Heather Webb is a delight. The combination is unbeatable. I was so excited to review this book. It did not disappoint. It was heartbreaking, heartwarming, full of Christmas spirit and beautifully written. I would highly recommend reading this book during the upcoming holiday season. I am looking forward to another collaboration of these two authors.

I would like to thank Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb, William Morrow Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love books about the British royal family but this book was a little difficult to get into and keep my interest.