A story of sisters... wives...husbands... a Duke ... and a prince ... and scandal or two 

What I liked :
✔️ I was totally engrossed in the history of this book.  I spent as much time googling about Thelma, Gloria, Duke, Prince of Wales, and all the others that made an appearance as reading this novel. 
✔️I really liked Thelma - she was in no way perfect, but her loyalty to her sister and even to her ex-husband and step kids were admirable 
✔️ I enjoyed the insights into the private lives of the royal family 


What I didn’t like:
✖️ the last few chapters regarding the Gloria Vanderbilt trial just seemed too long to me

I truly enjoyed this book. While the author took some liberties, I was fascinated. The story of Wallis Simpson and the king who abdicated his throne, for love, is well known. I was not familiar with this part of the story and it was intriguing.

This book might have been called Thelma and Gloria, I felt like this was very much the twins’ story not just Thelma’s.

This is based on the true story of the woman that came before Wallis Simpson. Wallis wasn’t the first somewhat scandalous love of the temporary king.

Thelma married very young the first time and divorced. 
Her sister also married young, to a man she dearly loved who was also incredibly wealthy, he was a member of the Vanderbilt family.

Thelma married a second time to a wealthy man nicknamed Duke. It was because of Duke that she met David, Prince of Wales.

Thelma’s sister was widowed very young and left with a small child who would one day get a large inheritance. Unfortunately, Gloria dealt with an insane amount of control by her family and the Vanderbilt family.

This story goes back and forth between timelines, one timeline leads up to Thelma’s time before and during her relationship with David. The other timeline is a few years later, while she’s trying to help her sister Gloria through a very trying trial in court.

This book felt very well researched. It told a story about two women that I didn’t know much about going in. I found Gloria to be the more likable character. I felt like this book had a slow start but ultimately I enjoyed it.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

Fantastic book that I never knew I wanted to read. Learning more of Edward's story before Wallis helped to see them in a different light. I highly recommend this book.

An amazing tale filled with historical detail that brings the story alive. Bryn Trumbull weaves a remarkable tale that takes the reader on an amazing journey.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before it was archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion once I have the opportunity to finish.

Who knew that there was a connection between the British royal family and the American plutocrats, the Vanderbilts? Twins Thelma and Gloria take different paths, but both find it trying to balance societal expectations and the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood, the latter in particular. Very well researched novel, which kindly explains the dramatic liberties taken.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I loved this book. What a great historical read. I would highly recommend this book for those who love historical reads.

I really enjoyed reading this book and finished it in one day. I love anything on English royalty and this does not disappoint.

As a fan of historical fiction and a royal watcher, I was drawn to the story of Thelma Morgan, an American connected to the Vanderbilts, the British peerage and the Windsors. While everyone’s heard of Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne in favour of marrying Wallis Simpson, I’d never heard of Thelma. The author’s extensive research results in a fascinating story that is authentic to the real life people involved and true to the time period. Recommended.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved this book! I have long had a fascination with the royal family and this gives a lot of background about other figures who were part of the story of the abdication that I did not know. I will strongly encourage people to read this. Best historical fiction I have read in quite awhile.

Perfect historical fiction for fans of The Crown.

It's fun to have these great books about royal life that give so much context to the evemts you already know about and all of the events you didn't even realize happened.

I, for one, had no idea that King Edward had so many mistresses especially for so long a time. I knew he was a troubled soul, not quite content to take the thrown from his father, but knowing it was his destiny.

Filled with sensational historical details, The Woman Before Wallis paints a picture of the English gentry showing their flaws and all.  But more to the point, The Woman Before Wallis is an honest portrayal of the woman that may have lead to the only abdication of the English throne in history.  If not for this woman, Edward would never have known or met Wallis Simpson.  Seriously, how different would the world be?

I loved thr pace and writing of this story because it felt almost like a contemporary romance just taking place in the past surrounded by historical events and figures. The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars was because it was a little long, otherwise, a wonderful family drama with plenty of romance.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the historical period was a really good one, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this.

Review will be posted on 10/6/2020

At first glance, one would think Thelma Morgan had it all. She married into the British aristocracy and she rubs elbows with all sorts of interesting people, especially Edward, Prince of Wales.  Things with her husband aren't always the stuff of fairy tales, so she finds herself as a possible love interest for the womanizing Prince. However, things don't prove to be just a fling between them, but rather something more steady.  As things inevitably fall apart with her husband, she finds them coming together with the Prince. The Prince can't actually enter a serious relationship with her.... can he?  Meanwhile across the pond in the New York City, Thelma's sister, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, is headed for some major turmoil.  She is about to enter one of the most infamous custody battles that ever occurred and Thelma find herself longing to be by her sister's side. How could she not support her during this horrible time?  However, if she were to go to New York, she would have to leave behind the Prince of Wales and his wandering eye.  What if their relationship suffers in her absence?  Thelma decides she can go to New York and have one of her married friends keep an eye on the Prince.  Who better than her trusty friend, Wallis Simpson?  Cue the plot twist. Bryn Turnbull's debut, The Woman Before Wallis, covers the lesser known story of Thelma Morgan and her relationship with the Prince. I found it utterly fascinating; it's the perfect read for the fans of The Crown.

I knew just a little bit about the Vanderbilts, so a lot of the background regarding Thelma, and especially Gloria, was really interesting. This is another situation in history where the truth is most definitely more interesting than fiction.  I knew nothing about Thelma's relationship with the Prince, so it was really captivating to watch how it all unfolded. I also loved her relationship with her sister, Gloria. I heard a little bit about the notorious custody battle, but The Woman Before Wallis really brought it to the forefront.  Having Thelma involved in that trial along with her relationship with the Prince made for a lot of drama and major scandals. 

I had a lot of prior knowledge of Wallis Simpson before reading The Woman Before Wallis, so how she ended up with the Prince really didn't come as a surprise, but how she helped out her friend Thelma did.  I mean what a bold move! The sole purpose of keeping an eye on the Prince was to keep him out of trouble and could you imagine finding out the very person who trusted to keep him out of trouble led him right into a huge vat of it? Again, there was a lot of drama, but I was here for it!

My only gripe with The Woman Before Wallis was the slow pace at times. It was quite a long book at over 400 pages and some parts dragged more than others; however, I thought overall it was a solid historical debut. I will keep my eye out for Turnbull's future novels.

This book all began with a single request for a friend to watch the man she loves while she is gone.  What transpired it's what we know to become a huge story.  We meet Thelma Morgan and her twin sister Gloria Morgan the ups and downs these sisters suffer through is huge.  Gloria lands the dashing Reginald Vanderbilt and Thelma falls for Viscount Duke Furness.  

This book so rich in history and what women went through back then and how men behaved.  I found myself following along with Thelma as her story is shared and the ups and downs she went through with her sister to the death of her husband and the court case that shook the country.  

I loved it and think anyone wanting to learn more about Edward the King who abdicated his throne for love to Gloria's ups and downs in her life.  Definitely worth learning more about.  Can't wait to see what this writer comes up with next!

In her novel The Woman before Wallis (Mira, 2020), Bryn Turnbull has written about the life of Thelma Furness (née Morgan), twin sister of Gloria Vanderbilt, great aunt of CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper and mistress of Edward VIII, former king of the United Kingdom.

Thelma Morgan led an illustrious life as a socialite in 1930s New York and Europe, eventually marrying Viscount Marmaduke Furness, a British shipping magnate. Shortly after she arrived in England, her husband introduced her to the Edward VIII (Prince of Wales at the time) and she became his mistress. When her sister Gloria Vanderbilt needs help during the infamous custody trial involving her daughter and the Vanderbilts, Thelma gets on a boat, but only after asking her friend Wallis Simpson to take care of Edward VIII in her absence. Soon after,  Edward  and Wallis became lovers, which ultimately led to his abdication of the throne so he could marry Wallis.

The story is well-known among history buffs, but Turnbull offers up a completely new perspective on Wallis’ predecessor. She explains:

“The parallels between Wallis and Thelma spoke to me. Both American; both divorcees. What was it about Wallis that was different? Through marriage, Thelma was part of the British aristocracy, and had a healthy respect for the institution of the monarchy. Wallis, the consummate outsider, didn’t share that respect, and was therefore willing to let Edward do what he wanted from the outset: renounce his claim to the throne.”

Once Turnbull started her research into Thelma she realized that: “Thelma’s story was about so much more than her relationship with Edward. Writing a novel about, say, Freda Dudley Ward would be interesting because of her years-long romance with Edward, but it would be a story only about that relationship. Thelma, through her twin sister, was peripheral to not one, but two major historical events: the abdication, and the 1934 Vanderbilt custody trial. When I realized her story intersected with ‘royalty’ on both sides of the pond, I was hooked.”

In her research, Turnbull stuck to non-fiction (biographies, court transcripts, history books and newsreels) in order to ascertain who these people were.  She dived into the era’s music, clothing, jewelry, books, newspapers, film reels, and other cultural artifacts to get a further sense of Thelma’s world. She also visited most of the sites she was depicting: both in the UK and Gloria’s townhouse in New York. She even managed to visit the place in the Supreme Court where Justice Carew presided over the infamous custody battle of Vanderbilt. Once Turnbull dove into the newspaper archives she realized how much the Vanderbilt custody case reverberated across the world.

The more Turnbull learnt about Thelma, the more apparent Thelma’s vibrant life became. “Women throughout history are so often reduced to a soundbite,” she says. “Despite the vibrancy of a character like Thelma, she’s written into the history books, quite literally, as the woman before Wallis Simpson – her life outside that one label simply hasn’t mattered. Far too often, women in history weren’t able and still aren’t able to control their own narratives. Wallis is remembered as a scheming villain; Gloria is regarded as an unfit mother. Thelma is seen as the runner-up to Edward’s affections. I wanted to look at the origins of those destructive labels, and question why we remember these women in such a reductive way. My title is meant to draw you in, but when you read the book, I hope you come away with an understanding that she was so much more than that.”

One pertinent fact that the novel uncovers is that Edward VIII was looking for a reason to abdicate the throne. “He didn’t want the responsibility of ruling, and if Wallis hadn’t given him the excuse to abdicate, I think he would have found it elsewhere.” Turnbull reflected.

Turnbull draws a clear distinction between Wallis’ and Meghan Markle’s situation. “It’s fair to make comparisons between Meghan Markle and Thelma Furness and Wallis Simpson  as women who diverted royals from their prescribed paths, but to conflate Meghan’s experience with Thelma’s (and especially Wallis’s) negates the very real and destructive influence racism has had on how Meghan Markle is perceived by the public. Unlike David, who was already king when he abdicated, Harry is fifth in line to the throne and therefore the stakes of leaving ‘The Firm’ are much lower; he’s not causing a constitutional crisis by giving up his position as a royal. Further, Harry’s ‘abdication,’ if we want to call it that, appears to be externally motivated – he’s driven by the desire to protect his family from what he sees as a toxic lifestyle, whereas Edward, I believe, was driven by much more selfish motivations.”

When reading the book, one cannot help but wonder if Thelma Furness was the lucky one as she managed to avoid the brunt of the scandal, and could go on living her own life in California.

Thelma Morgan & her twin sister Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt were both raised by their mother to marry great wealth.  Gloria married a Vanderbilt & had a daughter, Little Gloria, shortly before her husband died.  Thelma was married briefly to a man who was not the best of husband material & subsequently divorced him.  She lived for a time with her sister, who supported her financially.  Their social lives were conducted in the wealthiest of circles on both sides of the Atlantic.  Eventually Thelma made the acquaintance of a wealthy Englishman, Viscount Duke Furness.  They went on to marry & have one son, Anthony.  Duke was in love with Thelma, but had a "wandering eye" & his various affairs were embarrassing & disturbing to her.  When she was introduced to Edward VIII, Prince of Wales, it was the beginning of a love affair which would end her marriage to Duke and ultimately introduce Wallis Simpson to the Prince. 

This was a truly exceptional historical novel.  I could not put it down & found myself thinking about it when I was not reading it.  I am still thinking about it & looking into other books about the main characters, who were all real people.  The story by itself is fascinating & the writing excellent, even though the story did go back & forth in time a fair amount, which I do not care for.  It was a wonderfully descriptive take on the lifestyle of the very wealthy at that point in time.  Thelma & Duke lead extravagant lives with no thought to cost.  Their homes & entertaining were luxurious & all about comfort & pleasure.   It was also an account of a terrible time in the life of Gloria Vanderbilt, as she fought with her husband's family & her mother, for custody of her daughter, Little Gloria, who would grow up to be mother of Anderson Cooper.  When Thelma goes back to the states to support her sister, she leaves the Prince of Wales in the cross hairs of Wallis Simpson & loses him.  Very strongly recommend.  

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Bryn Turnbull, & the publisher Harlequin for granting my request for this free ebook in return for my honest opinion.

While I ultimately enjoyed this title, I did find it hard to get into.  I'm a historian as well as librarian with a particular interest in the British Royal Family, and, even I, was not hooked from the beginning.  However, this book does eventually draw you in, and, from that moment forward, it's hard to put down.

The world is familiar with Wallis Simpson and her story.  It is much less familiar with Edward VIII's loves that came before.  I especially like diving into the connection of the main character with one of the most notorious child custody cases in history.  

Ultimately, I would not purchase this for my high school library as I think the subject matter wouldn't be of particular interest for that age group, but I would hesitate to recommend it to adult friends.

This historical fiction novel tells the story of Thelma Morgan, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt's (the mother of Gloria Vanderbilt-Anderson-Cooper's-mother) twin sister, and her relationship with Prince Edward.  The Morgan twins were reared in a privileged lifestyle and encouraged by their mother to marry for money and power.  Though both sisters did this, the lifestyle of excess and hedonism caused early death to Gloria's husband, Reggie, and affairs, open marriages and eventually divorce for Thelma.  During her marriage to Duke Furness, she began an affair with Prince Edward, successor to the throne.  At the time, affairs between nobility and those with certain positions were well-known and accepted.  Prince Edward often talked of abdicating the throne and went so far as to propose to Thelma that she divorce Furness and marry him.  As she was considering this possibility, Gloria was sued for custody of Little Gloria by her late husband's sister.  Thelma rushed to America to be by her twin sister's side through the highly publicized trial leaving Edward in the hands of her supposed friend, Wallis Simpson.  The rest, of course, is well known history.

This was a riveting look into not only into Prince Edward's scandal  and the scandal of Gloria Vanderbilt losing custody of her daughter, but also into lifestyles of the rich and famous during the 1920s and 1930s.  Turnbull does a brilliant job of capturing the mores of the privileged and the over-indulgence of members of High Society.  As I read this book, I simultaneously chased several Internet rabbit holes researching more into the the characters of the story:  Thelma and Gloria, Little Gloria, Prince Edward, Wallis Simpson, Marmaduke Furness, and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.  I learned a lot, but found myself shaking my head in sadness at the lack of happiness that is the high cost of  wealth, power and position.

Highly recommend for historical fiction and British nobility fans.