Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Georgina, Princess of Wales, has always known her destiny, but she never expected duty to call so soon. When her father dies suddenly, she is called back from her Royal Navy post to assume the crown. While the people acclaim their new Queen, Great Britain’s first openly gay monarch, all George feels is the isolation of her station.

Beatrice Elliot’s staunch anti-monarchist views have always been a point of gentle contention with her working class, royalty-loving parents. When Bea—director of a hospice charity—must spend six months working with Queen Georgina, her charity’s new patron, sparks fly and passion blooms. But is love enough to bridge the gap between Bethnal Green and Buckingham Palace?

 

Book Review

Set in 2053, following a beautiful opening prologue from 2044, this story presents a wondrous picture of the importance of English royalty throughout and currently within their kingdom. The astounding counterbalance added by a vibrant young woman who as a *republican*, which generally means she is completely in opposition to all that monarchy folderol, adds a formidable and dynamic antithesis. I was enthralled and most certainly recommend this book. Resplendent!

Georgina Mary Edwina Louis is crowned queen decades before she expected this to happen. This presents the country with two firsts... an openly lesbian sovereign and a woman ascending the throne ahead of her younger brother. However, her extraordinary sense of responsibility and training from a very young age makes the transition a tad easier for the country and herself. Then the queen is given a somewhat serendipitous encounter with the regional manager of the Timmy hospice which is the queen's main charity. This puts Georgina toe-to-toe with a woman who has openly professed her opposition to any sort of monarchy at all. Oh my goodness! This tantalizing and delicious one-on-one confrontation commands and supports the balance of this book. Magnificent!

Beatrice Elliot is an amazing powerhouse of a woman. She has chosen to focus her energy and talents within a small hospice organization, which just happens to become the queen's chosen charity. Bea is vocally livid and adamant that she will not baby-sit this or any royal. Nonetheless Bea eventually accepts the singular opportunity this connection is for her organization and thereby opens a startling life-altering experience she couldn't possibly have imagined given her deeply felt passions. Bea's emotional energy is remarkably intense and strikingly distinct to the noticeably controlled expressions by Georgie... the nickname Bea gives to the queen which is used only in private moments. Bea's evolution and growth is a most treasured experience for me. I could easily relate to Bea's position in society yet did secretly hope she would learn to appreciate the queen as they worked together. Endearing!

So many small and wondrous events happen while Georgie and Bea work together and grow closer to one another. This is by far the most enchanting book I have read to date. It certainly has been helpful that I am an anglophile, but I am convinced one doesn't need to be that or anything close to that to still thoroughly enjoy this book. Nevertheless the astonishing amount of history and detail about Great Britain's monarchy simply opened my heart more than I could have imagined and expanded my mind tenfold. I enthusiastically suggest you not bypass this pearl. Spectacular!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 312 pages/109300 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-May-2015
Price	$9.99 ebook, $16.95 paperback, $19.99 bundle
Buy Link	http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/9781626393608B.html