What a delightful Christmas read. The book intertwined the story of Olive and Jack over the years from VE Day through the early 50’s. Olive, a single mother works for the BBC and gets to cover Christmas with the Queen. Queen Elizabeth is faced with trying to live up to her father’s reputation and the public opinion that a woman can’t possibly perform as well as a man. Olive runs into Jack who is one of the royal chefs. Years have passed since they have seen one another and their friendship continues to grow each Christmas.

This is such a lovely story!

It is a heartwarming second-chance romance that sparkles with intimate behind-the-scenes of Queen Elizabeth II’s preparation for Christmas each year sprinkled throughout.

It’s the 1950s, and Olive Carter is a single mum working for the BBC when she gets a big break to cover the Royal family during the Holidays. There, she meets Jack Devereux, a man she knew years ago and now works as a chef in the royal kitchens.

Jack and Olive stole my heart. I loved these two, even though work kept pulling them apart. Jack is a grieving widower, and Olive is keeping a big secret. I couldn’t wait to read each new chapter to learn more about Jack and Olive, their pasts, and their futures.

It was wonderful how the Queen and her family were an integral part of the story. We heard her prepare for her Christmas radio broadcast each year and even traveled with her to the South Pacific. Jack and Olive are included in the royal festivities and activities, allowing their love story to feel like a part of history, balancing the story perfectly.


Written so beautifully, this is full of emotion and holiday cheer. Whether you're a historical fiction fan or a romance reader, this is a must-read.


🎧I was so thankful for the audiobook to accompany my reading. It was a fantastic production, and I loved hearing excerpts from the Queen’s broadcasts.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @williammorrowbooks @msheatherwebb and @hazelgaynor for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

Thank you @harperaudio via #NetGalley for the gifted audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
The opinions here are my own. I am reviewing this audiobook version of Christmas with the Queen.
I loved this book! I enjoy Hazel Gaynor's books anyway so I knew I would enjoy this listen. There aren't a lot of Christmas Historical Fiction that would be something I could pick for my book club, so I went into this one for my own enjoyment and less for thinking about future book club meetings.
First the story - being a Christmas book, I was expecting a lot of schmaltz. There is not a sugar overload here, but there are love stories. The story was solid, mostly about a female BBC reporter in a man's world, and a chef grieving his wife and trying to find a way forward. There is a past with these two and the story does flip back and forth between their stories and their pasts. There is also the Queen as she navigates her first year without her beloved father, having to give the traditional Christmas address. She is a young queen with a young husband and two young children and we get to see her in a vulnerable way that it seems all women tend to be as a young wife and mum.
Now for the audio. The narrators were solid and added appropriate expression. The female narrators did their respective characters well - even the queen was done well. Although I thought the way they read for Jack was not great. Doing a different gender in an audiobook is exceedingly hard. However the male narrator was exceptional and did justice to both genders.
Overall the narrators really brought the book to life and I was riveted to the storylines. I'm so glad I got this one on audiobook because it was really quite enhanced in this format.
I think we might do this for book club next year. I think my patrons would really enjoy it.
4.5* rounded up.

I really enjoyed the Christmas with the Queen.

There were times that I was so mad at the main character. Seriously, she had so many chances to tell the father of her child that he was the father. But, in the end it turned out ok. It was a great story and I enjoyed it.

I was excited for the opportunity to hear this story. It was a seesaw effect for me. It had me sucked in at times then ready to put it down at others.
The narrator did a wonderful job. The book cover is lovely. The information involving the royals and Queen Elizabeth was great. However, the love story between the two main characters dragged on.. for years, in fact. So many missed chances. I would still recommend to others.
Thanks to the publishers for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cozy holiday read featuring the Queen of England's beloved Sandringham as the setting...I could not wait to listen to this book!

Over several Christmases in England, Christmas with the Queen follows dual narrators Jack and Olive, friends in a former life, who are reunited at Sandringham during the holidays - Jack as a chef for the Royal Family and Olive a BBC correspondent hopeful to finally achieve the career she has been working towards. Despite the years apart, they find their connection remains, While one is grieving a life-altering loss, the other is fearful that the secret they kept from almost a decade ago is going to break the surface and change both of their lives as they know it forever.

This book checked all the boxes for me as far as a holiday read, not to mention a historical fiction account of Queen Elizabeth's first Christmas as queen. I loved the storyline, though it did feel a bit rushed towards the last third of the book once the secret was revealed. I would have liked to have spent a bit more time focusing on that. Besides that, the flow was good, the characters were developed well, and the narrators did a fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for an advanced copy of this book!

“Christmas with the Queen” by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a delightful Christmas read, perfect for the holiday season. The inclusion of the Queen as a character adds a unique charm, and the audiobook narration enhances the cozy and immersive experience. Set in a less commonly explored historical period, the story feels fresh and engaging, making it stand out among other seasonal reads.

However, the resolution of the big reveal felt a bit too quick and straightforward, leaving me wishing for more complexity. That said, this doesn’t detract too much from the overall warmth and charm of the novel. It’s an excellent choice for anyone looking to curl up with a festive and heartwarming story this Christmas.

Thank you to Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

It was a cute story. It got repetitive at times, however it was a good read for the holiday season with the royal family included

This Christmas gem plays out over the course of a decade’s worth of Christmases in the 1950s. Olive is a BBC reporter with increasing responsibilities as a royal reporter. Jack, an American, is a chef who started a job as a palace cook while he dreams of opening his own restaurant. Both are friends from the past who reconnect in their shared service to Queen Elizabeth. Over the years, we see them reconnect, long for each other, and sharing their hopes. But Olive also has a secret which could shatter their world.

Told in alternating chapters, readers have an opportunity to see both Olive and Jack’s sides of the story. Olive fought for her role and increasing responsibilities at the BBC despite being a single mother and a woman most of her colleagues looked down on (typical for the era), however her connection to the Queen by assisting with speeches opened doors. Jack happened into his job by chance after a tragedy and became a favorite cook of the Duke of Edinburgh, both connected by their shared Navy days. Interspersed are snippets “narrated” by Queen Elizabeth talking about her life in those years. Each of these segments has its own narrator in the audiobook who matches their character perfectly, right down to accent and inflections. And we also have the chance to travel the world with the characters when all connect on the Queen’s Coronation Global Tour in 1953 as well, adding an introduction of other cultures of the Commonwealth.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It was touching, with some parts making me grin with joy and others making me tear up. I do think the narration helped drive this home alongside the authors’ words. And the romance between Olive and Jack is a slow burn type, where they started as friends, but this works perfectly into their story. This is a Christmas read many will find heartwarming this season.

This was a sweet story of life and secrets and second chances at love. Set against the backdrop of the annual Christmas Day message by the Queen it covers years in the life of Olive Carter and Jack Devereux. It is told from multiple points of view and time periods, with flashbacks to the time after the war when Olive and Jack met and Christmases 1952-1957. The characters are likable and the inclusion of the royal family add to the story. Olive is an especially enjoyable character filled with ambition, and kindness. The narrators do a good job at giving the characters a voice. I recommend this for readers that enjoy sweet second chance romance or historical fiction.

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.

A simply delightful read!
This story gave me all the holiday feels. A fantastic mix of historical fiction, with fascinating historical references, lovable characters, one of them The Queen, and a beautiful, heartwarming love story. I loved it.

The cover artwork was lovely!!! I saw one description describe this book as The Crown meets when Harry Met Sally and Bridget Jones diary and that was pretty accurate. This book takes place over a few years and features Queen Elizabeth and her yearly Christmas speech along with Olive and Jack’s story. We start with Queen Elizabeth’s first Christmas broadcast. Jack is a chef and his character has been in London a short while but originally he is from New Orleans. I loved the parts about what he was cooking and when the action happened in the kitchen but would have loved an additional section with a few recipes ❤️ Overall an enjoyable book.