When I first started this book, I thought it was just going to be a fictionalized Royals novel. I was half right. It has lots of similarities with the current British Royals, but it has so much more!

I refuse to give away anything, but in this book the Royals have a deep dark secret that they don't even know about! The story begins during WWII and moves through to current times. The characters were realistic and I developed a bookish relationship with them. There were a few surprises along the way, but most of it read like the Danielle Steel novel I've come to know.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book. It is highly recommended both for Danielle Steel fans and for Royal fans!

I want to start by saying that I hate that I am giving such a low star review to a Danielle Steel book. I have always LOVED her work! Unfortunately, this book read more like a biography than a fictional novel. I found it was impossible to get lost in its pages. The storyline moved quickly, but yet didn't seem to really move along. Each time a new idea was provided, it was re-described from every possible angle for the next several pages (complete with reasons and justifications for the persons feelings, and all the ways that others may view the circumstances). The reader was not given the credit to be smart enough to follow along with the story without a ridiculous amount of explanation for every little thought or feeling presented. The book would jump many years at a time, which was the only way that it moved along quickly. Yet, none of the characters were given any real level of depth. I did not ever feel like I fully entered the story...like I was present within the pages. I am deeply disappointed in this. I truly feel saddened writing this review. If I hadn't promised net galley to give my honest review for every book they allow me to read, I wouldn't have submitted a review at all...

Editing and grammar were very good. This always matters to me. The best of stories can get weighted down with bad editing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Delacorte Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An unknown British royal heir is at the heart of this novel. In 1943, the King and Queen send their youngest child, Charlotte, aged 17, to safety in Yorkshire. Falling in love with the son of the host, they marry. Her husband is sent overseas. While giving birth, Charlotte dies, and no mention of the baby is ever made. The Yorkshire family with whom she is staying says the cause of death is Charlotte’s asthma. Lucy, who works in the household, takes baby Annie and raises her with no mention of the baby’s royal connection. It is a beautiful love story, with not much basis in reality. I had trouble getting through the part that none of this was real. Still a fun book to read even with all the repetition.

This book was good. Saying that, I felt like it was written very fast. Very fast moving book and I felt it was to the point with not much in between stuff.

Royal by Danielle Steel was an amazing story. Royal was the story of a girl who loved horses and wanted to be a jockey and ride horses back in time when women were not allowed to do anything they wanted to do. I cannot imagine having to send your child away even to protect them. Read the story you will love it.

This a story about the royal family in England, however this is a fictitious family not the actual family in power. The time period is during World War II. The royal family have three daughters and the youngest Charlotte has asthma. To protect her the family does what other families do during World War II and sent her to the country. The family that takes her in has a young son and love is in the air.
Again like other books by Steel there is a horse connection.
One of Danielle Steel's better novels.

Thank you NetGalley , Danielle Steel and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of the book Royal. This in exchange is my personal review.
Danielle Steel is one of my favorite authors and she has written another amazing captivating book.
Royal takes place during World War ll It is the story starts out with Princess Charlotte age 17 being sent to safety to Yorkshire by the King and Queen. She is given a false name to use so only the couple she is staying with knows who she is.
Charlotte falls madly in love with the son of the couple she is staying with and from that love a story of family, love, secrets and much more come together.
I enjoyed this book so much.

Another wonderful book from Danielle Steel! I really enjoyed reading this book about the Royal family secret and was intrigued by the storyline. I kept wondering if the Royal family would ever learn about Princess Charlotte's secret and if they would accept Anne into the family when they found out about her. The characters were all so likable, especially Anne. She seemed to fit into both her domestic life and her royal life. It probably helped that she had a passion for something that the Royal family was also passionate about. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are a Danielle Steel fan!
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Delacorte Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A wonderful story about a young girl who is sent to the country during WWII. Her life takes some twists that she doesn't expect, and neither did I! I loved the story, there really isn't a bad Danielle Steel book. Quick read, great for a rainy day or afternoon at the beach.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Danielle Steel's storytelling voice rings strong in this beautiful and poignant story that tugs at your heart strings. This richly drawn story and vivid characters will linger long after the last page. An absolute must read. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.

During WWII Princess Charlotte is sent to the country by the royal family in order to keep her safe from bombings. Her identity is known only to the elderly couple that own the property she is sent to. Within a year, she falls in love with their son, gets pregnant, marries him, and he is sent off to war. He dies almost immediately, leaving Charlotte to live with her mother in law and Lucy, the other border, who just happened to be obsessed with Henry, the couple's son. Charlotte dies after childbirth, and soon after, the countess dies as well, leaving no one that knows Charlotte's true identity. Lucy decides to raise baby Ann Louise as her own, even after she discovers she is a royal princess by birth.

This book was a lot. Most of it hinges on the kidnapping of a baby. Most of the characters are killed off just for this plot to happen, and it's rather ridiculous. Even if you manage to suspend common sense for long enough to imagine that this could actually happen, the story is trite and predictable. Added to that, this book is so incredibly repetitive that you simply have to roll your eyes. I mean, Steel would repeat sentences nearly verbatim within the same paragraph. If one were to remove all the repetition, this book would MAYBE be 100 pages.

Steel befuddles and frustrates me. One book will be good and then the next is as if she didn't even try. It's almost as though she has a halfway decent idea and a deadline, so she just randomly copy and pastes the same paragraphs over and over around key plot elements to make a whole book. Take this one, for instance. Long lost princess that no one knew about is reintroduced into the royal family. Should be interesting, but it's so overdone and unbelievable that it's hard to stay in the plot.

June 1943

England and its people have endured several years of bombings by the German army during World War II. The King and Queen have 3 daughters, two of whom have helped with the war effort. They are the oldest, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Victoria, the middle daughter. Their third and youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte, has asthma and the Queen wants her nearby and protected from the dust resulting from the bombings which makes her asthma worse. Many families have sent their children away to keep them safe from the bombings and some have not seen their children for several years.

A quiet, older couple, the Earl and Countess of Ainsleigh, of Yorkshire have been selected for Charlotte to stay with for the better part of a year. She does not want to leave her family but agrees to their wishes. Their home and holdings are quite large and Charlotte can have her beloved horse with her to ride. She will be known as Charlotte White, not Charlotte Windsor, except the Earl and Countess know her true identity. They have a son, Henry, who is Charlotte’s age and who will be leaving to join the army soon. Another young refugee who lost her parents in the war, Lucy Walsh, will also live with them.

Charlotte is a lovely, petite young woman. When she arrives in Yorkshire, she is surprised that she will be living in a tiny maid’s room and will be expected to help with serving and cleaning up the meals. Soon, Charlotte and Henry enjoy riding horses together and they fall in love. When she becomes pregnant, they marry. Alas, after a difficult childbirth, Charlotte dies but her daughter, Annie lives. Lucy steps up and takes care of her. Will she contact the royal family to tell them of Charlotte’s death and give Annie to them?

I really loved this sweet story. It is historically correct and the characters are perfectly created. The love between Charlotte and Henry is beautifully written and Annie’s life as she grows and matures is very compelling. Danielle Steel has written yet another wonderful book. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A magnificent book that is set in England, where there is a royal family that must fulfil its duties for the sake of their family. The story takes place during the Second World War, in 1943, England was going through a very difficult period, the bombings did not stop. The king and queen feared for the life of their youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte. They decided to send her to the countryside with a noble family that they fully trust. The princess is only 17 years old, and she is already third in line for the throne of England. By orders of her parents, she must not reveal her identity, only her two guardians know the truth. As she is in the country, she meets a very charming boy who immediately befriends. This is not just any boy, he is the son of her guardians. But he's so handsome that it's almost impossible not to fall in love with him. I am very happy to have read this book. I love Danielle Steele, her books are very entertaining and I love that there is romance. Charlotte is a simple and good girl, I love how she is towards others. The narration is romantic, elegant and adorable that I was unable to stop reading. I absolutely loved this book. I thank NetGalley, Delacorte Press and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful story of true love ( in all it's many layers), loss, honesty, integrity and being true to yourself.
This is her best book in the last 5 years. I have reading Danielle Steel since the early 80’s, many ups and downs but this book touched me in a lot of ways. From the ill fated marriage of Princess Charlotte to her daughter’s coming of age within herself without over the top drama. I loved the characters, history and workings within the Royal family.
I hope they make this into a TV movie. Bravo Danielle Steel! #NetGalley #Royal

This was a fantastic book. I love Danielle Steel. The beginning started off a little boring but it quickly picked up into a story I didn't put down at all. I started it and finished at in like 3 hours.

A princess sent away and life happens. Another girl makes a tough choice but in the end it works out. Sad in spots but wonderful in others.

Royal is the new release by Danielle Steel. I have been a fan of Danielle Steel for more than thirty-five years, and even after all of these years, her books do not disappoint.

The war is still ongoing in 1943, and London is still a target of bombing. The King and Queen have three daughters...and their youngest daughter Charlotte suffers from asthma. They are worried about her health, and make the difficult decision to send her to the countryside to live in Yorkshire...under a fake identity...in order to keep her safe. Her guardians are the only two people that know her true identity, and they have promised to care for her for the following year until she turns eighteen and returns home. What could possibly go wrong?

Typically, I would write a very detailed review, but in this case, I decided not to because I do not want to reveal too much of the story. Danielle Steel perfectly weaves together the threads of this story that spans nearly three decades, and she ends it by giving us a beautiful tapestry. This is a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and it will definitely tug at your heartstrings throughout. The three main characters...Charlotte, Lucy and Annie...are extremely well-written, but yet complex characters. Annie was my absolute favorite, especially since she never wavered from remaining true to herself. Of the three women, Lucy was the one that I actually felt sorry for. Her actions may have seemed selfish, but I understand why she did the things she did, and it was almost always out of love more than anything else.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading Royal. This is a story that will break your heart multiple times throughout, but it has an ending that comes full circle.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Danielle Steel, and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Royal. My views are my own, and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

Royal by Danielle Steel, is an enjoyable read. Even though the book is fictional, I could see resemblances to the present English monarchy. The monarchies love for their horses, and being excellent riders was based on the main character, Annie. At the end of the novel, the reader is so happy for Annie that all her dreams came true. I really enjoys Steel's books when she adds historical events to her novels. I find them much more fanscinating than just a romance novel.. I hope Steel continues writing historical fiction.

I really liked this book. I thought it was a wonderful story about love and loss. The beginning is a tragic love story, one that you hope would go one. I really like Anne's "parents". Her step father loved her just like his own. She had so much love and loss in her life.

I've never read a Danielle Steel novel before, so I can't compare this novel to any of her others. What struck me the most about the writing style is that it reads like a first draft. Steel has never met a comma she didn’t want to put into a sentence, making sentences long and difficult to follow. There are often sentences that reveal information, and the same information is repeated a few paragraphs later. This may be because I read a galley and final edits had not yet been completed. The repetitive passages seem to wane further into the novel, so hopefully the beginning will be fixed before release.

Steel explains facts without going into the characters' motives, which makes the story feel more like a book report than a novel. The plot is intriguing and would have benefitted from a more refined writing style. There are many twists and turns in this story,

The reader is told (several times) in the opening chapter about Charlotte's petite size, like her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Her asthma contributes to her poor health, which is the reason the fresh air and lack of bombings in the country are appealing to Charlotte's parents. Her size and frailty make her seem younger than her seventeen years, although her mental abilities and hobbies make her soar beyond the average teenager.

Upon arrival in Yorkshire, Charlotte is immediately appealing to the son of the aristocratic couple housing her. This creates tension with the other girl living in the home, who also fancies the boy. The residents of the country home experience several tragedies and keep several secrets that change their lives forever.

The characters' lives are very similar to their real-world counterparts. King Frederick reluctantly takes the throne after his brother abdicates, like King George VI. Queen Anne is much like Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Alexandra is Princess Elizabeth, married to a blonde foreigner (although in this book he is German, not Greek), and with a love for horses and corgis. Victoria is the wild, fashionable Princess Margaret.

Readers who love stories of WWII and the British monarchy will appreciate this novel despite its writing flaws. Danielle Steel's legion of fans and fans of happily ever after romances will also enjoy this novel.

Royal is a sweet story of a young woman’s humble upbringing as the daughter of a stable manager and a housemaid. After Lucy, the woman she believes is her mother, dies, Annie learns that she is really the daughter of a royal princess. Although she and her new royal family could have resented Lucy, they simply accept what happened and move on with life. I appreciated that the characters didn’t dwell on Lucy’s poor decisions. The whole book seems to have love and forgiveness as its central themes, which is refreshing. I also appreciated that Annie did not give up on her dream of racing horses. Despite all the twists and turns in Annie’s life, she remains a sweet, humble young woman. The reader can’t help falling in love with her and wanting the best for her.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.