A riveting good read that might be short, but never feels it, as it packs in the yearning desire and amusement to overflowing!!

Annie is a character to be emulated as she was strong yet sweet and was never dissuaded from achieving her goal as a prize winning jockey. She was willing to sacrifice love to pursue her dreams. This book is set in the midst of war where death and rationing is commonplace and the royal.family as well as Lucy and Jonathan certainly experienced their fair share. What Lucy did was wrong but she truly loved Annie and wanted to make sure she was taken care of. That she found such a wonderful partner in Jonathan was testament that she was capable of great love. I also enjoyed the characters of Alexandra and Victoria as despite being of royal bloodline were not docile in the least. Great book.

I really enjoyed “Royal”. It brought me back to the style of writing that endeared me to Steel many years ago. The characters came alive to me and I found myself caring about what happened to them.

I really needed a Women’s Fiction book during these difficult times. Royal fit the bill. The story developed clearly, moved along quickly, and held my interest throughout.

This story is all about the fallout of war and secrets. As the book opens, princess Charlotte is sent away for her own safety. No one thought it would be for more than a year. Well, a lot happens when the year in question is during a war. And in true fiction style, a lot happens in Princess Charlotte's life within said year. Not only does she keep her true identity secret, but she falls in love, gets pregnant, gets married, becomes a war widow, gives birth and then dies. The rest of the book is centered around her daughter, Anne Louise who doesn't learn of her heritage until she's an adult.

There were parts of this story I had a hard time connecting with. Most of the story had me fascinated. What originated out of revenge grew to a genuine parental love between Lucy and Anne. You kept waiting to see how the truth would unfold and it didn't happen in a way I expected. You didn't always want to like Lucy. Her motives weren't always good in the beginning- but they changed over time. She gave Anne a happy and solid life full of love that she probably wouldn't have had otherwise,

Not being a big horse fan, I wasn't pulled into that part of the story. While I like the groundbreaking leaps Anne made for women in the equestrian field, I wasn't as pulled into this aspect of the book as I was with other parts.

The area I had the hardest struggle with was the last 1/4 of the book. Anne's transition to royal life wasn't at all what I expected or thought likely. Nor was I able to get behind the romance of Anne and Anthony. In a matter of a paragraph she goes from seeing him in a brotherly view to confessing her love in a romantic view.

Overall, it was a moderate read. There were amazing parts and equally disappointing parts to this story for me. I wasn't as gripped or invested in this book as I have been with previous Danielle Steel books. I don't think I would buy this particular book. I love her historical fiction, but this one wasn't one of her bests. It's a great summer beach read, but not among my favorites.

This book was a beautiful, heartwarming escape from all of the ugliness currently going on in the world right now. It’s a story that will tug on your heartstrings because of the sheer amount of emotion weaved into the pages. A fairytale with a royal flourish, you will be swept away by both the characters and the events taking place throughout the story. Danielle Steel weaved together a tale about love in its purest and truest forms, and offers hope to anybody who is in need of a story that will lift you up and help you to see light in the darkness. Because while this is very much a heartwarming story overall, there are still some tragic happenings and devastations that occur throughout, but the touching, hopeful aspects balance out the bleaker side of things.

Danielle Steel touches on many subjects and things in this story, including love (in all its forms), loss, and the importance of family. There’s also romance, mystery, scandal, and so much more. Woven all together, these elements make for a very compelling and emotionally impactful read. Fans of historical fiction, romance, and more specifically, British royalty and British history, will fall in love with this story and its characters.

This book centers around a girl who is raised as a commoner, unaware of her true status and family. As the dramatic events of this story unfold and as secrets are unveiled and brought to the surface, she comes to find out that not only is she a member of the royal family, but is a princess.

Between the story of the secret princess, her birth parents’ tragic but beautiful love story, her adoptive parents of sorts, and her assimilation into the royal family, this book will enthrall you from start to finish as you delve into the lives of these characters and their connections to one another.

Despite some of the bleaker, heavier parts of this story, this book is ultimately a beautiful, heart warming story that will bring a smile to your face and remind you of the beauty of life and love despite the hardships that come along.

Fans of The Crown, and other British related shows and books, will certainly find this book appealing! As well as anybody else seeking a story that provides a pleasant escape and showcases hope and happiness even in the darkest of times.

Thank you for this touching, spellbinding story Danielle Steel! I look forward to falling in love with more of her books in the near future!

I read this book in one day...absolutely could NOT put it down. What a fantastic read! I fell in love with all of the characters! Annie is born during the war. She somehow survives and grows up to be a lovely young lady who has a love for horses. When a secret about her birth is revealed, it sets Annie off on a different, but more exciting path than she’s ever imagined!

What an enjoyable read! As with all of her books Danielle Steel pulls you in with her well developed characters and attention to detail.

I enjoyed this book! I liked the characters and the storyline. It moved quickly with characters that were worth reading! Here’s to never giving up on you dreams !

Another beautifully written emotionally moving novel by Danielle Steele.Characters that come alive British history part of this wonderful read.Highly recommenced.#netgalley #randomhouse

Royal, by Danielle Steel is a book that will grab your heart and not let it go. I have been reading Danielle Steel since the 70’s and I always love them. Danielle Steel always gives you characters to love and some times to hate ( no haters in this book ) and she will give you scenarios that make you feel a part of them.
This is a modern fairy tale of a girl who is raised as a commoner but discovers her connection to the Royal family and is actually a princess. This book is set in England from WWII through the late 60’s early 70’s. There are names dropped of many places that we all have hear about because of Princes Diana and the current Royals ( Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle).
The perfect escape has once again been provided by Danielle Steel.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Edelweiss and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Another winner from Ms. Steel! Besides having a good storyline, I also learned alot of Brittish history. Wish the book was longer, it ended too soon!

This Historical Fiction book fulfilled so many needs that I like in Historical novels.
There was love, mystery, scandal, and so much more that kept the book moving forward and interesting. Royals created such a well-rounded love story starting with the beginning main characters and continuing throughout the story with other characters.
The only negative I have about this novel was sometimes it would have an almost omnipresent moment where everything and everyone's thoughts and feelings were known. It just threw me out of the story every once in awhile, but did not cause much a change in my opinions about this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House. These are my thoughts.

I am in the minority here because I was not totally enthralled with the story. I would probably give it 2.5 stars but I will round up. I understand that this is fiction and we need to use our imagination and extend our belief but this goes beyond that.

Princess Charlotte is sent to the country to live with a family during the war to keep her safe. Her identity is only known by the owners of the estate. During her stay she falls in love with their son, Henry, and they marry before he goes to war. She is widowed at 17 and dies shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Anne Louise. All in the space of a year. During all this time no one tells the King and Queen what is going on and then the people she is staying with die too. A housemaid, Lucy, who loved Henry takes Annie and raises her as her own and when she dies 20 years later she tells her husband, Jonathan, the whole story. He approaches the queen and they verify that Annie is Charlotte's daughter and she is assimilated into the royal family.

There was a lot of repetition. Without the repetition the book would be a lot shorter.

I liked Annie. I thought she was very down to earth and knew what she wanted in life and didn't let the fact that she was a princess really change her much. I had no sympathy for Lucy. She was hateful to Charlotte because she felt she stole Henry from her and felt it was her right to take the baby. I wasn't feeling the great love she had with her husband, Jonathan. I did like Jonathan. He was very loving and was a true father to Annie.

The bottom line is I think fans of Danielle Steele will love this book. It was a quick read but just not my cup of tea.

I’ve read many books by Danielle Steel over the years, but actually have not read much from her lately. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in return for my honest review. I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this one. If you like historical fiction set in England give this one a try. It’s very typical Danielle Steel about a young girl who is a princess, a sweet romance and a happy ending. But this story also has some Royal family drama and loss during WWII so it’s not all roses, You may recognize a character or two being similar to real life royals too. It was a perfect read for right now and I recommend it.

Fans of Danielle Steele will not be disappointed. I always enjoy her reads and this was another good one. I really liked Annie’s story and how it spanned generations. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

This book was awesome!! I can't wait to get myself a copy! There's so much emotion and depth, and I love historical fictions. I'll probably be gifting this to my mother for her birthday!

I confess…Danielle Steel’s books have become one of my guilty pleasures. I started reading them a few years ago and after playing catch-up with her past novels, I now enjoy them in real time. They are fast and entertaining reads.

While this book might be categorized as historical fiction, it leans more toward fiction occurring in a framework of time between 1943 and 1967. King Frederick and Queen Anne, the British monarchy, reluctantly send their youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte to Yorkshire to avoid the dangers of London during the German bombings of WWII. In order to ensure her safety, she travels under an alias known only to the couple who have agreed to provide shelter for her. Charlotte falls in love with the couple’s son, becomes pregnant and marries him as he goes off to war. A series of untimely and tragic deaths leaves Charlotte’s baby, Annie, an orphan and her true identity as a princess remains hidden for over 20 years.

Royal is reflective of the author’s recurring theme of female protagonists who display courage, strength and the ability to transcend traditional women’s roles. I enjoyed the story line and the character development, particularly Annie as she lives a “normal” life only to discover that she is part of the royal family. She is a delight – grounded, hard-working and dedicated to her dream of being a jockey when no women were allowed in such roles. The descriptions of the royal family, their lifestyle, expectations and residences provided wonderful color to the overall story.

I do have a long-standing issue with one element of the author’s writing style, namely, the repetition of content from chapter to chapter. After reading so many of her books, I have become accustomed to it; while less bothersome now, it is still a bit distracting.

My thanks to the author, Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a typical Danielle Steel book... I have read each and every one of her books and will continue to do so. This particular book has secrets that are held, and eventually told. There was a point early in the novel where I was sure I knew what was going to happen, I was right yet at the same time wrong.

The story line begins during WW2 and continues on through the early 1960's. The books has some themes that are very relevant for today still. I must admit I did feel as though part of the book was a little not believable with the circumstances of the story

Another bestseller by the infamous Ms Steel!!!!!! As usual she has captured my heart with her newest book about a family of British Royalty. This is a sad but happy story of a Princess who is sent out of country during the war and finds love and tragedy. Princess Charlotte finds love, marriage, and a baby when she is sent out to the country to avoid war. Sadly Princess Charlotte dies during childbirth. Her daughter Annie Louis is raised by a commoner and her royal heritage kept from her her whole life until the death of her believed mother. Then the story of her birth and heritage gets told and Annie Louise's life is changed forever. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for my honest review.