Hi y’all!

Happy March everyone! Hope you are enjoying warmer temperatures and feelings of spring! I feel like February went by in a blink. We’re ready for spring around here!

I am so excited to share my review of Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. I decided I would love this novel before I even opened the first page. After reading and loving Last Christmas in Paris, I knew I would love this one as well especially because of the connections to Queen Elizabeth II. I adore the British royal family and this was such a treat to rub shoulders with them in this novel.

Book Summary: “December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change. Jack, a grief-stricken widowed chef originally from New Orleans, accepts a last-minute chance to cook in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. When he bumps into a long-lost friend, an old spark is reignited. Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret.

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever. Unless Christmas has one last gift to deliver…” 

I loved the dual timeline and dual point of view. Getting to know Olive and Jack through their shared experiences and memories over several years was a delight. They have both experienced struggles and loss. They both have had life change suddenly and have had to change course amidst intense times. I loved seeing how their lives unfold over many years. The flashbacks to their experiences right after WWII were vibrant and helped create a clearer picture of their characters. Their meetings over several Christmases were beautifully detailed and emotionally charged. I was cheering for these two from the first moments we meet them. And I hoped for them to find their way back to each other despite serious setbacks and the passage of time.

My favorite elements in this story were the connections to the Queen and Prince Philip. I loved seeing them as people, as a couple, as a family that had to overcome unexpected loss in the death of King George VI and Elizabeth’s early ascension to the throne. Seeing these historical figures and real historical moments like her Christmas speeches and the royal tours woven into this story created some of my favorite parts of the story. The moments Olive spends giving feedback on the Queen’s Christmas speeches were some of my favorite in the novel. They offer a glimpse into the potential private life of the Queen and how she felt during these important and changing times. I admired her before reading this book, and I admire her more now having read some of her speeches and considering how much she loved her people and sought to do her duty for them.

The writing is beautiful, eloquent, and engaging. I fell in love with their writing style in the other book I’ve read that they co-wrote. This one was just as smooth and engaging. The writing really sets the stage for the story and creates a beautiful backdrop as we get to know Jack and Olive. I was invested in these characters from the first chapters. I felt their pains and their grief. I hoped for their confidence and their success. I wanted them to find happiness and love again. And I was transported into their world — the kitchens of Sandringham. The living room listening to the radio. Jack’s restaurant. Walking with Olive and her daughter. Everything felt vibrant and so beautifully described. What a beautiful story!

Once again, I was blown away by the shared writing of Gaynor and Webb. I felt deeply invested in these characters and their journeys. And I loved seeing a softer, more human side of the Queen. This is destined to be one of my favorite reads of 2025!

What are some of your favorite historical fiction novels?
Any books about the royal family that you’ve enjoyed?