In The Woman Before Wallis , the whole book was a gossipy pageturner, even if I ultimately felt like the book skimped on important information and dramatic highlights.

I love the drama of this time, and I love the American heiresses marrying impoverished British titles. Thelma, though, isn’t quite as loaded as the dollar princesses in stories like in That Churchill Woman and American Duchess. Although her twin sister has married a Vanderbilt, Thelma’s not particularly well-off, but her looks and charm attract the attention of Lord Furness. I knew, of course, that her marriage to Lord Furness was just a brief stop on her path, but I still wanted to know a bit more about this time. I wasn’t totally sold on the breakdown of the Furness’ marriage, but I rolled with it because obviously that was necessary to start Thelma’s romance with David, the heir to the British throne.

This romance is broken up by a second storyline, a few years in the future, when Thelma returns to New York as a character witness and emotional support in her twin sister’s custody trial. (This storyline, about a mother with a millionaire heiress baby, trying to get permission to choose her child’s school or fire her nanny, or eventually, even visit her child, seems outlandish, but it actually happened.) In New York, Thelma is reconnecting with her sister, and slowly realizing that David isn’t going to join her or defend her family from scandal.

There is one heavy moment when Thelma asks her friend Wallis Simpson to look after David in her absence. The Wallis we meet in this novel seems like the same Wallis living in the Bahamas in Beatriz William’s The Golden Hour. Self-absorbed, manipulative, but also always throwing a party and bringing a good time. Readers are left wondering just when exactly she saw the opportunity, and swooped in to seduce the easily-swayed David.

The problem is that the story never quite resolves. Of course, readers know going in that David is going to leave Thelma and take up with Wallis, and by the end, it’s clear that David isn’t going to end the affair with a dramatic scene or teary breakup. But all the of famous drama is skipped for an unsatisfying flash-forward finish. Thelma asks her good friend Wallis Simpson to look after David, and we all know what’s about to happen, but the narrative skips from this to Thelma seeing Bertie on the throne, as George VI, after the famous abdication of King Edward VIII.

A fascinating behind the scenes look at life for the wealthiest Europeans and Americans in the 1930's. Follow beautiful twin sisters Gloria and Thelma as they are raised by their ruthless social climbing mother. Gloria, becomes Gloria Vanderbilt, enjoying the excesses of American wealth, while Thelma, fresh from a disastrous first marriage finds love with a titled Englishman and later a connection to the royal family. When Gloria finds herself a young widow, her daughter "Little Gloria" becomes a hostage to those who would control the Vanderbilt estate, including Gloria and Thelma's mother.

Turnbull brings us "backstage" at the glittering parties of the 1930's, both in the U.S. and in England. The famous names in the headlines of the day come to life as real people The scandals are real and dangerous for those with social status to lose. The juxtaposition of a seemingly idyllic, yet scandalous life in Europe with the crowds, noise and endless "paparazzi" of New York City gives the reader a real sense of being there in the midst of the action. Was Wallis really a good friend or had she planned her part in the abdication of a king from the very start?

We know the story about Wallis Simpson but not about Thelma Morgan, sister to Gloria Vanderbilt. I wanted so much to like this book, but it was just too long and it became tedious after a while. Perhaps more editing could have helped. It is, however, another facet to the royal crown intrigues.

I love historical fiction and have always been fascinated by the royal family of England, so when I heard about this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. I was certainly not disappointed!
Author Bryn Turnbull has woven a delightful and intriguing book that delves into a world of politics and glamour on steroids. It is a view of the royal world from a unique perspective -- that of Swiss-born Thelma Morgan Furness, mistress of Edward VIII, Prince of Wales, who would later abdicate the throne to marry Thelma’s friend, Wallis Simpson. The story alternates between Thelma’s story and the custody battle of her identical twin sister, Gloria, who married into the famed Vanderbilt family. Gloria was the mother of namesake designer Gloria Vanderbilt and the grandmother of television journalist Anderson Cooper.
This beautifully written story grabbed my attention early and kept me reading well into the night as I became immersed in the drama. This is a testimony to Turnbull’s artistic gifts for world building and character development, as well as her ability to distill a complicated story into a thoroughly enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more by this talented author.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderful book. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

If you are an Anglophile, Royal watcher, you can’t get enough of Will and Kate or you love historical fiction, Bryn Turnbull has given us a great read! Lady Thelma Morgan Furness, mistress of the Prince of Wales (David not Charles) and sister of Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt was strong, giving, family oriented, and in love with HRH until it was time for him to step up and do his duty for England. Turnbull’s writing style keeps the pages flowing as he moves readers between two time periods in Furness’ life — when you’re in 1931 you look forward to get to 1934 and vice versus. It was great to learn about the Woman Before Willis.

Between "The Crown" and "The King's Speech" and "The Windsors", there's been a lot lately about Edward's abdication. I'm fascinated by all this, so was more than ready to read about Edward's previous lady.

However, this book was the kind that tries to impart a lot of information by name-dropping and explanations to the point that I was confused by who was who and who did what when. Even with all the info-dumps, the characters didn't come to life or act in ways that made me invest in them. I noped out pretty quickly after it became evident that while the author knew a lot, she didn't know how to impart that information in an organic or entertaining manner.

What a little gem of a book! For those of us who like historical fiction, this well researched book about 3 of the most important women in 20’s and 30’s is just a delight. The author has focused on Thelma, Lady Furness, sister of Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, aunt of Little Gloria Vanderbilt and confidante/rival of Wallis Simpson. The reader gets a view of the private lives of these women and that of Edward VIII, told with dazzling historical accuracy.

I have always been interested in the lives of Gloria Vanderbilt and Wallis Simpson, but I had no idea that Thelma was such a pivotal character in the sagas of both Gloria and Wallis. Many years ago I had the bizarre experience of meeting the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and I was impressed at how well they were captured in this novel.

There was so much historical richness in the book that I kept interrupting my reading and doing a bit of research to dig deeper into the lives of these characters. Anglophiles and social historians will love this.

Thank you Netgalley for this fascinating ARC.

Bravo, such a great read.

Historical fiction at its best allows readers to immerse themselves in another place and time.  When it is done very well, I often find myself wishing for a different ending...even as I know what happened historically.  That was exactly my reaction to this novel; I kept wanting to guide the characters when the events are, in reality, long past.


The woman who was the woman before Wallis Simpson is Thelma.  For anyone who may not know, Wallis married David, the heir to the British throne who abdicated, paving the way for Elizabeth to be the current monarch.  Thelma, nee Morgan, was a twin and her twin was Gloria Vanderbilt.  Again, for any who may not follow such things, Gloria was involved in a dispute over the custody of "little Gloria," her daughter, with Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.  (Little Gloria grew up to be the mother of Anderson Cooper).  Thelma, herself, had an early divorce and then married Duke Furness.  He introduced her to the future king with whom she had a long term affair.


The author lays out all of these events in glorious detail with characters who come to life and settings that I would love to visit.  There are country estates, chapters set in Paris, London, the English country side and New York.  Readers visit David's bolt hole, Belvedere Castle, and watch it come to life.


Each of these personages tried to live their life while others tried to heavily influence their actions.  This creates the conflict of the novel and real life. 


I wanted each of these historical personages to find happiness and that was the gift of the author, as I knew how each of the plot lines ended.  If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list. 


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.


#TheWomanBeforeWallis #NetGalley

I wanted to love this book but ultimately it was just an okay read for me. There were a few things that I struggled with. One was the non-linear timeline. It was hard to keep up with what was happening when. I also felt like too many different plotlines were covered in this book. I realize it's based on real-life events, but I would have preferred it if the book had stuck to being primarily about the relationship between Thelma and David. The other thing that bothered me was that Thelma just doesn't come across as very likable or sympathetic. I don't feel like we really ever get to know her outside of her actions. If you are a huge fan or the royals and their history then you will likely enjoy this book, but if you are looking for an emotional spin on historical events, you might want to pass.

1934, Thelma Morgan sails from England to NY to support her twin sister Gloria in her divorce process.

The story goes back in time to Paris 1925 and reveals how Thelma meets Lord Furness, her second husband. And while married to him, at a ball party she meets the Prince of Wales. This story progresses and alternates with 1934 story.

The story progresses slowly. There are outings, dinners, conversations, but not much of essence to make it feel that the story is moving forward. It is all about family affairs. There is no historical background of any kind.

If you enjoy romances, then it might be a book for you and I recommend looking at other reviews.

Everyone thinks they know the story of Wallis & Edward, but who knew there was another American divorcée before her or that she was related to the Vanderbilts. Weaving facts and fiction, the author brings the time periods and Thelma to life, a fascinating and delicious read!

Historical fiction at its best.I was drawn right in to this story a perfect read for me . A book that took me out of my world into the life of Wallis Simpson.A view of her I had not read before.A very entertaining read,#netgalley#harlequinbooks

Historical fiction is the genre that I read when I need to escape. Historical fiction based on Britain's Royal Family is like the very best kind of security blanket, I looked forward to reading this story every night for a week- I stretched it out on purpose. It has romance and intrigue with just enough realism to make you wonder how much might be close to the truth,

4.5/5 Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, this is probably one of my favourite "royal-ish fiction" books! I don't know much about Edward VIII and his partners, or the Vanderbilts, but I found their world fascinating. Turnbull does a fantastic job of building the world and bringing in these characters that were real people. I appreciated that she brought in more royals- most of these "royal-ish fiction" books only feature a few pages of the royal in question, but you spend quite a bit of time with the Prince of Wales. (Not to mention Bertie, Elizabeth, and George.) A wonderfully written book, I look forward to seeing what she does next!

This is the story of Thelma who, although married, started an affair with the Prince of Wales, before he committed to Wallis. Thelma's husband started having affairs after Thelma gave birth and refused him for a while. Then, Thelma met David, and she thought what was good for the goose...

The Woman Before Wallis was a beautiful story about life, love, and heartbreak. I will start this by saying I enjoy a good historical fiction. I really respect the author for writing such a fantastic story and for making such a grand effort to have all the details from the actual story correct.

Thelma, is the main character of this story. She is a wonderful woman. Truly special. For her time she is independent, motivated, and just wanted something different for herself than what was the expectation. Her character took me on this whirlwind of an adventure that at times filled me with happiness and at other times filled me with sorrow. I would say I am a sucker for a love story and if you think this is going to be a love story - you are mistaken. There are relationships and yes, some love, but this is far from a love story. It is rather heartbreaking actually, but in a beautiful way.

Thelma is a divorcee, which during this time, is not well received. She then gets lucky and marries a new man (Duke Furness) and becomes part of the "high society" in England. Lucky lady, indeed. Throughout the rest of the story, Thelma is constantly fighting for happiness. While she marries a lovely man, she cannot stay happy. The instability of marriages during this time was unbelievable. Having affairs was more accepted than getting divorced. This part especially hurts Thelma. This leads to her meeting and ultimately, to her relationship with the Prince of Wales. Again, lucky lady! Again, she struggles with this relationship and many events occur throughout the rest of the book that are full of love and happiness and as well, full of sadness.

To be honest, I didn't know whether or not I was even enjoying this book until I got about half way through. I was getting confused trying to keep up with the characters and the names. I had a hard time remembering the family names and keeping track of this "social map" of people. I can only imagine how stressful this would be in real life. It was exhausting keeping up. I found at the half way point it became easier and I started to feel very attached to some of the characters.

I was so drawn into the story. I read this book in 2 days. It sucked me in. I loved the fancy life of English royalty and upper class. It made me want that life. However, as scandals came up throughout, it made me realize that is NOT the life I want. I really did enjoy that part though. It was so fun to read about the fancy parties and events that these people had on a regular basis. I loved reading about the extravagant dresses and outfits as well. It was so dream like.

When it came to the end of the book I felt so mixed! I truly loved this story. Thelma has a special place in a heart. She was so strong and while at times did not make the best decisions, she sure stuck to her heart and that is very respectable. I wish it would have ended differently for her. It was a sad ending in my opinion, but not everyone gets a fairy tale ending. The only reason I did not rate this as 5 stars was simply because the ending left me asking questions and wanting to know exactly what happened. Of course, I understand that filling in the gaps would probably be an entire other book, but I felt almost cheated not know exactly the events that led to Wallis and David. I'm actually not too sure my heart could take it now that I'm thinking more about it!!

Overall, this was a fabulous book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction in its truest form. It was a beautifully written story.

** Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was everything I needed. Historical fiction based on real people, romance, and royals galore! I read this book as slowly as possible and still finished it in less than a day because I couldn’t put it down. Very well written!

Royal intrigue abounds in the retelling of Thelma Furness's opulent and dramatic international life as an American socialite living in Europe. Anyone swept up in the drama of Meghan and Harry will flip the pages, anxious to experience court life and grandeur of the years between World War I and World War II. Layering timelines of Thelma's courtship and marriage to Viscount Furness alongside her twin sister, Gloria Vanderbilt's trial for custody of her daughter, Gloria Vanderbilt (aka Anderson Cooper's mom), Turnbull pumps up the drama. And then Prince Edward (aka David) asks for a dance. And then Wallis Simpson arrives. There's a lot going on, not all historically accurate, but rich in details and quality storytelling. I like the title, but I think it doesn't give Thelma Morgan Furness enough credit. This is, after all, her life.

What kind of woman would make a long want to give up his crown for? Apparently that woman is Wallis Simpson. I wish I could say I liked her but I didn't. Edward deserved someone better then that selfish woman. I wonder how different England would be if Edward kept his crown? This book is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

This was historical fiction at its best . It was a new and different take on the Wallis Simpson story . It was an enjoyable read.