Queen Elizabeth II reigned large my entire life, but I rarely considered what it must have been like for her in the early years following her coronation. In the historical fiction novel Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, readers get an eye-witness look into the queen’s life through Olive and Jack. Olive is a single mother and aspiring reporter for the BBC. She finds herself in the right place at the right time, earning her an accidental encounter with the young queen just prior to her first Christmas on the throne. While at Sandringham House, the royal country home, Olive becomes reacquainted with Jack, an old friend she has not seen in many years. He is an American chef who has taken a job in the kitchen on the Queen’s staff. 

Over the course of five years, Jack, Olive, and the Royal Family continue to overlap. History buffs will appreciate the interwoven facts about the Queen which bring the story to life. The authors have done their research to make the character on the page multi-dimensional. Additionally, through Jack’s narrative, readers learn more about Prince Philip’s personality. Though I have never been much into following royalty, I was enthralled with their personal stories of growing into their new roles in the monarchy.

The dual POV storytelling works well for this tale. While not strictly a romance, it’s obvious from the beginning certain elements are pushing these two characters into a relationship. Yet, Olive is keeping a secret from Jack. For his part, he is still mourning the relatively recent loss of his beloved wife, who was a member of their friend group after the war. Christmas with the Queen is a joy to read for history buffs, romance fans, and readers of women’s fiction. I highly recommend the audiobook as well, which is well performed by Fiona Hardingham, Gary Furlong, and Esther Wane.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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