I'm the type of person who sees "nonfiction" on a book and I shrink back. Historical fiction? Hand it on over! Moore always does a phenomenal job of creating the most beautiful stories based on fact, and this one was no exception. The timing was also a happy little accident, with Queen Elizabeth passing away shortly before its release.

I've always been fascinated with royalty, yet I didn't know a lot about Queen Victoria, the kind of ruler she was, the kind of person she was, or her family situation. Although this book is about one of her daughters, Princess Louise, there was a great deal of information about Queen Victoria and her children. I loved the insights; I loved how each chapter was headed with a quote from a letter written to, from, or about Princess Louise. This story was woven together beautifully.

This is one story that has lingered in my mind long after it was finished.

Content: mild romance; death

*I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given.*

This book was very informative, with lots of details about Louise's life and family, what she wore, all of the rules she had to follow, etc. It gave really interesting insights into her life and just felt so well-researched! The pace of this one was pretty slow, but Louise was just delightful, and I liked seeing her character and how she interacted with her mother and her siblings. My favorite part of the book was the husband hunt and the ensuing romance--ooh, there were some sweet moments!

4 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Princess Louise is an utterly compelling character....I loved Heather Moore's portrayal of her as a spunky, creative young woman who dared to think for herself in the shadow of her mother, Queen Victoria's, reign.

There was so much packed into this book that sometimes I felt as if I were reading a biography rather than a historical fiction book, but I enjoyed the detail and the facts!

real talk: i’m not a fan of royals so i’m not really sure why i picked this up. maybe because shadow mountain published it and they are a trusted publisher in my book. either way, i’m so glad i took a chance on this! i enjoyed it so much and found myself googling all sorts of stuff about princess louise and queen victoria!

this is such a lush read with so much incredible detail. i truly felt immersed in the royal family and couldn’t get enough of learning about them. i loved louise’s relationship with her family especially bertie and leo. it was really enjoyable reading her life as she grew from early adolescence to womanhood. i truly felt the range of emotions she went through in her very sheltered life. i loved the romance with john campbell — what a sweet slowburn! and when louise really started to experience the outside world as a married woman, i could feel her elation. there is heartbreak in the story, but also so much joy. i recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

thank you to netgalley and shadow mountain for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

What a delightful book. 'In the Shadow of a Queen' follows Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria as she blossoms into a young adult; maturing into her own person, which is sometimes at odds with not only what her mother wants, but the Queen of England too, 'The gaiety, the chatter..., the planning of future outings all of which Louise could never be a part of as a princess'.

Princess Louise was just becoming a teenager when her father, Prince Albert, died. Sorrow wrapped itself around the queen and royal household, signaling a long period of mourning. Louise's already conservative life and stilted freedom are exacerbated after her father's death, 'Loneliness was a strange thing for a young woman to feel when she had so much and was surrounded by so many'. The queen keeps each of her daughters as her personal secretary until she sees fit to marry them off. As the queen, she is very much in control. But Louise is a young, talented woman who has her own ideas. As Louise grows up, she must find a way to live her own life while ultimately being a subject of the queen.

Heather B Moore does a wonderful job conveying the lifestyle Princess Louise may have led, together with the pressures, constraints, and expectations of being a part of a royal family. I enjoyed the way the context of each chapter was set with a real excerpt from Queen Victoria's diary or royal letters. I found this book very easy to read and an interesting piece of historical fiction and felt a real sense of the type of person Princess Louise may have been.

Thank you, NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First of all, my apologies to the publishers for putting up this review after the publication date. I didn’t realize when I accepted the ARC that I would get bogged down with a very long novel as well as another book to finish before the end of September, when I went abroad on vacation! But as they say, better late than never, right? So, on with the review!

As my regular readers already know, I’m a sucker for a good women’s biographical, historical fiction novel, especially ones about people I know little to nothing about. Therefore, this checked all the boxes for me, especially since I had no idea who Princess Louise was before I started reading this book. Yes, I knew that Queen Victoria had many children, and I knew about a few of them, mostly from the TV series, but Louise wasn’t a main focus there. So, to find out that she had to become her mother’s assistant at such a young age – mostly due to the marrying off of her elder sisters – was news to me. Then, to find out that she married a “commoner,” albeit a titled one, was also news to me. However, the thing that surprised me the most, and what immediately piqued my interest, was her artistic ability and her insistence on pursuing her talent, despite her mother’s resistance.

Yes, here was a woman who knew her own mind, and although shackled by tradition and the seclusion which was required by her elevated status, she still found a way to be an artist, mostly by sheer tenacity. Knowing that the Queen was… well… shall we say, difficult regarding what her children should and should not do, this was quite a feat. It occurred to me, then, that Louise and her mother were pretty much two peas in a pod, and that they got along so well was close to miraculous. Two strong-headed women could have led to a far more tumultuous relationship, but I’m guessing that Louise figured out early on how to manipulate her mother, while seeming to defer to her at the same time. That is something I really admired about Louise from the very beginning of this book.

Moore has certainly done her research here, which will become completely obvious when you get to 90% of the book and the story ends, leaving 10% for the references and author’s notes. This came through in the story telling, which, while ringing absolutely true, also had a very comfortable style, that helped us understand Louise beneath all the facts. I appreciated how Moore tried to humanize Louise and make her into a real person, and not some untouchable royal personage. Seeing as Louise never became a monarch herself, as did a few of her older siblings, bringing that approachability to her was essential. In this, I believe that Moore succeeded. Because of Louise’s the artistic nature, Moore was also able to add more poetic passages to the work, making the personal aspects more vibrant, while not losing site of the facts and history.

That said, while I did like Louise, even admire her for many reasons, I found the parts dedicated to finding her a suitable husband to be a bit on the tedious side. Certainly, Louise also must have felt that way herself, and Moore shows how frustrated Louise was with the process. Even so, I was hoping to hear more about her artistic endeavors, which might have balanced out all the husband hunting, and the eventual romantic connections with the man she married. All told, I enjoyed this book very much, and while I didn’t fall in love Louise, she seemed a very loveable person. This is a very good example of women’s, historical, biographical, fiction, and I am recommending it warmly to lovers of this genre, by giving it a well-deserved four out of five stars.

1861-1871 England

Fascinating!

Princess Louise was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. The novel spans from the death of Prince Albert (Louise's father) to Louise's marriage to a "commoner". I put the term commoner in quotes as I'm not sure I would consider a Marquess a commoner. In any event, her marriage outside of royalty was the first in 350 years!

So many interesting details about Queen Victoria and all of her children. While the primary focus is Princess Louise, there is much to be learned about the entire family and life as a royal during the time period. One nugget was the use of maternal corsets...really?

The romance was lovely and there was much about Princess Louise to admire.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction based upon actual people and events.

Wow this was such a fascinating read! It was so hard stopping myself from looking up Princess Louise’s wiki to learn all about her life ASAP! But Heather Moore captured her spirit beautifully.
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Princess Louise didn’t ask for the life of a royal. She’d rather be sculpting (which is a man’s art) or helping the suffragettes. All things her mama aka Queen Victoria disapproves of.
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You follow along big and little moments of Louise’s life from the death of her father, to watching her siblings marry and move away and then when her turn comes. I’ll be honest - I knew of Victoria and Albert but nothing of their offspring. Then add in the death of Queen Elizabeth II recently and I had to see how they were all connected! My goodness they liked to keep things in the family and with other royals.
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I’ve always gravitated toward Royal plot lines mostly thanks to early Disney princess movies from like the 5 princesses at the time 😅 and Louise’s life was full and lonely. I knew Victoria loved Albert and mourned him a long time by wearing black but she had a strict household. I don’t think I would want to live in the shadow of a queen.
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I loved Louise and her beau and the journey she took in life. Such a great example to others of how to help others and crafting. One day I’d love to see her art in person! 😍
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This was an easy read and I appreciated the author’s notes at the end. Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and Austenprose PR for the e-arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

I was fascinated by this book, especially after Queen Elizbeth's death. I enjoyed reading about Louise because it was based on a true story. I really liked the letters that began each chapter and found them to be quite interesting and to set the mood for each chapter. I was pulled into the story quickly and kept wanting to read more and to find out more about Princess Louise.

I found it interesting how long Queen Victoria mourned her late husband, Prince Albert, who died in 1861. I was also fascinated how this death of Louise's father and the long mourning period affected Princess Louise.

It was refreshing how she had a mind of her own, enjoyed keeping up to date on politics, reading, and the women's suffrage. She had to do all of that without the Queen finding out. She was quite a sculpter too. It was fascinating to learn about her finding a suitable marriage partner. I liked how her husband had a mind of his own, protected Louise, and sometimes even stood up to the Queen.

I think the author did a great job with her book, I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Fascinating. I loved Louise and her strong independence.
Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Prior to reading In the Shadow of a Queen, I admit that I knew virtually nothing of Princess Louise. Even my knowledge of Queen Victoria is quite limited. However, within the first chapter, I found both to be fascinating characters, and I loved the opportunity to get to know Louise in particular.

Early on, I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the family dynamics. Louise is so close with her siblings, especially her eldest brother Bertie and her youngest brother Leo. (Leo ended up winning my heart and was one of my favorite characters!) Louise is also close to her parents, perhaps in particular her father, Prince Albert. When her dad sadly passes away, the author infuses the story with such tenderness and emotion. It brought tears to my eyes.

Despite that early loss, Louise is a vibrant character who is full of life, creativity, and affection for others. I loved getting to see not only how much Louise loves art, but in fact how talented she is at it. And she moves beyond the painting and watercoloring that are “acceptable” for young ladies at the time. In one of her first acts of rebellion, Louise is drawn to sculpting, a pursuit considered more masculine and even a tad inappropriate. Nevertheless, Louise is undaunted, and she gently pushes against her mother until Queen Victoria eventually gives in, allowing Louise to first train privately and eventually go to a public school to fine-tune her artistic skills. Add that to Louise’s list of paths forged: She was the first royal to attend a public school. Louise’s passion for art plays a steady role throughout the novel, and it becomes a clear source of comfort for her in times of stress.

Another example of Louise’s progressive ways is her profound interest in politics, especially women’s rights. Going against her mother’s express wishes – indeed, against the queen’s explicit orders! – Louise gathers information about women’s suffrage, visits a woman doctor, and aims to support these causes she believes in. Queen Victoria is adamant that Louise stay out of politics (royals are meant to be neutral), and is oddly against women’s rights.

To my modern mind, Queen Victoria’s views seem so puzzling, especially given how much power she had as England’s ruling monarch. How could she possibly think women were so feeble-minded as to be unable to vote rationally or learn about subjects like math and science? She was even against reading novels! But perhaps my opinions aren’t unique to the 21st century; Louise was already butting heads with her mother about these political issues in the 1860s. In defiance of her mother, Louise tried to find ways she could support causes without overtly misrepresenting the queen.

Eventually, Louise reaches the age where she must marry. This presents yet another distinction between her and other royals, including her own siblings. After she and Queen Victoria run out of eligible royals who will comply with their strict conditions, the two of them decide to go against protocol entirely and select a commoner for Louise to marry. How scandalous! She would be the first royal to marry a commoner in 350 years – since 1515. Looking through a long list of nobles, Louise embarks on a years-long hunt for a husband. With a revolving door of eligible bachelors, Louise grows more and more uncomfortable and weary from the whole endeavor. I shan’t spoil it for all of you who don’t know who she chooses…. but Louise’s love story is cute in its own right. In time, Louise finds someone who is as forward-thinking as she is.

In the Shadow of a Queen ultimately is a very fitting title. Much of this novel dissects a complex mother-daughter relationship, made more complicated by their royal status. Victoria isn’t just Louise’s mother; she’s the queen, and she can and does have final say over everything. In spite of some major disagreements, Louise and her mother do have a clear love for each other. Queen Victoria supports her rebellious daughter in many ways, yet she can also be controlling as only a queen can be. Both have strong opinions and aren’t always on the same page, but they also generally stand side by side. Louise is often in her mom’s shadow, subservient to her, but she still finds a way to be her own person.

The novel is bolstered by Heater B. Moore’s inclusion of passages from real letters and diary entries these historical figures wrote. Each chapter begins with a piece from around that time, adding to the reader’s understanding of the characters. At the end of the novel, there is also a wealth of extra information about various themes that arose in the book. While In the Shadow of a Queen is historical fiction, the author put in enough research to make is fairly educational, too.

In the Shadow of a Queen is a heartfelt, intelligent, and engrossing novel about fascinating real-life people. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially Louise, and would love to learn and read more about each of them.

I am sure that most people would be interested in this tale of Queen Victoria’s 4th daughter Princess Louise based on the book’s description. The description references a tumultuous relationship between Queen Victoria and Princess Louise. The blurb further indicates that Princess Louise was a strong independent woman that becomes an accomplished sculptor, advocate for woman’s rights and determined to choose her own husband despite the Queen. I mean that is why I wanted an advanced copy to review and requested it through NetGalley.

What I got was something rather different. I first heard of Princess Louise while reading another book, and she was intriguing, she was a small support character in that fictional story, but it was just enough to pique my interest. Overall, I found In the Shadow of a Queen to be a rather tedious read with simplistic writing which felt aimed at a much younger audience. Reminded me of the writing that I experienced in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. I originally thought it was because you meet Princess Louise when she is very young, 12 years of age, in fact most of the book is before she turns 18 years old. The rest of the book we spend with her looking for a husband but ends when she marries (spoiler alert, she finds a husband). The writing begins to change somewhat during the years of looking for a husband and becomes less simplistic but that is when it begins reading like a romance novel.

I have mentioned before that writing historical fiction based on real historical figures is a difficult novel to write. The characters often seem one or two dimensional and rarely do we see character growth, all things we look for in novels. These historical figures have many "facts" known about them but rarely do author's take a chance and flesh the person out, maybe for fear of being challenged by historical fact checkers. The most interesting character ended up being the man Louise married. The description mentions Louis as “championing the career of a female doctor”, when in fact she visited her one time, was told off by the Queen and we never hear about her again. The story repeats itself again regarding the Suffragettes. And throughout the book the Queen continually tells Louise that Louise has final say in who she marries even going so far as allowing her to look at those that are not of “royal” birth.

Additionally, there are several “letters” that are quoted at the beginning of each chapter which are often unrelated to the chapter. The inclusion of these letters felt as if they were placed there to reassure the reader that in fact research on the royal family had been conducted. These quotes were not needed, you know from the cast of characters that it was researched, there just was no story weaving all these events and people together.

In my opinion the most intriguing part of this book is the epilogue where the author shares what happened after she was married. Several of the biggest contentions mentioned repeatedly in The Shadow of the Queen, in later life seem to no longer be an issue, again this is from the epilogue. I do think Princess Louse is an interesting person and I will probably continue learning more about her. Despite being a book dedicated to Princess Louise, the book does not delve deep into her or provide enough insight into her entire life.

The novel opens when Louise is 12 years old and slowly progresses through her adolescent years to the years where a search for a suitable husband is undertaken and her subsequent marriage to a commoner.

We catch a glimpse of the relatively happy family life and relationship she has with her father before it drastically changes when he dies and the grief-stricken Queen Victoria retires from public life. Louise loves her siblings. She also loves her mother despite her demanding and often selfish behaviour. While Louise does mourn and miss her father, she is a young lady who wishes to experience life and champion causes that her mother believes are unsuitable for a royal princess. At times her mother's perpetual mourning frustrates Louise, but she learns to adapt, as do all the siblings. Her pursuit of art through sketching and her grand passion for sculpture allow some easing of restrictions imposed by her mother, which are relaxed even more when the hunt for a husband necessitates Louise attend various social engagements.

So much has been written about Queen Victoria and her relationship with her children that I was interested to see how the troublesome Princess Louise would be portrayed in this novel. With two strong-willed women with opposing views, I had expected more drama and clashes over Louise's choices, but this didn't occur. Queen Victoria was not as overbearing as I had thought her to be and seemed quite reasonable at times. I couldn't help but like Louise as she asserted her independence without causing a scene.

Most of the novel is devoted to Louise's adolescent years and contained events that I was familiar with, such as Bertie's entanglement with an actress, Queen Victoria blaming him for Prince Albert's death and her reliance on John Brown, the Scottish servant. The search for a suitable husband for Louise covered new territory and this was the part I enjoyed the most. Who would have thought the process would be so involved? Books on peerage were consulted and further enquiries made into the current lives of the prospective bridegrooms, with Bertie and Louise's married sisters putting forward their candidates and being outraged at Louise's final choice – a commoner but a duke, no less.

Overall, this was an enjoyable fictional biography of a young lady who emerged from her mother's shadow to live life on her terms despite the many restrictions she faced.

More and more, I love learning about history and Heather Moore is brilliant at bringing the past to life in a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting way. Her meticulously researched book captures the fascinating life of the talented Princess Louise, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. I fell in love with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert watching the PBS series and couldn’t wait to read this story. It did not disappoint! It has that same delightful feel and was so hard to put down. When I finished, I wanted to know even more.

The book begins with Louise at age twelve and follows her through her young adult years up to her first years of marriage. Each chapter begins with a quote from Queen Victoria’s journals or letters, or those of family members and friends. They were so fun to read and insightful into the close relationships they all had with each other.

Louise is a beautiful, caring, talented young woman who endures heartache especially with the loss of her beloved father, trials with her own health and that of her younger brother Leo, and the scrutiny of being a princess with its lack of privacy, endless rules and protocol, and catering to her mother’s demands. It’s clear Queen Victoria had a fierce love for her children that at times could be smothering, yet Louise learns to honor her mother’s wishes without losing her own spark and opinions. She has a genuine talent for sculpting and while she begs for lessons and school, her royal duties unfortunately preclude her from the serious study she desires. When it comes time for her to marry, none of the eligible royalty are acceptable, so despite protestations from her other children, the Queen breaks with tradition and allows Louise to marry a commoner.

Historical romance fans will enjoy Princess Louise and John Campbell’s love story. At first, John’s parents aren’t enamored with him marrying a princess. As a Scottish Marquess and future Duke of Argyll, John has his own responsibilities. His and Louise’s first meeting doesn’t quite go as planned with Louise feeling immense pressure and not ready for marriage. Their second meeting happens a year later at an informal luncheon and the two quickly develop a friendship and attraction. John has a poet’s heart that wooed me right along with Louise. With seven sisters, he’s also a champion of a woman’s right to be educated and vote. Though Louise can’t openly support women’s suffrage, she’s delighted with her husband’s views and is in full agreement. Their courtship is beautifully portrayed and it’s clear they had a loving relationship.

I loved learning more about Princess Louise and her family. I had to look up her sculptures after reading this and was amazed at her talent. The author takes great pains to honor Louise’s life in a compelling, heartwarming, well-researched way. It’s a must read for historical fiction fans, especially those interested in Queen Victoria and British royalty. I can’t wait to see what this author’s next historical fiction book will be about. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

Heather B Moors gives an inside view on the trials of being a queens daughter. The story focuses on her talented headstrong daughter Princess Louise.. This author brings characters to life and I found myself cheering Princess Louise on to follow her own passion while staying true to the Queen. I enjoyed learning so much about royal protocol while enjoying a well written novel. Another great read from one of my favorite authors.

3.5 stars

Incredibly detailed, In the Shadow of a Queen is a beautiful story of family and romance in the monarchy.

"The gaiety, the chatter, the switching of partners, the planning of future outings - all of which Louise could never be a part of as a princess.
Loneliness was a strange thing for a young woman to feel when she had so much and was surrounded by so many."

I found Louise to be an incredibly compelling character, and although this book was about her, the desire for realism made it difficult to connect. She wants to paint and sculpt and be political, but her position prevents this to a certain extent, and we don't get a real emotional exploration into how she feels about this. Some moments like these feel too superficial, while others are intricately detailed. It balances out to a good story, but I guess I wanted more.

I appreciated the slow-burn romance, the search for a partner who fulfils all needs, and then most, and then some - until finally, the queen is ready to settle for anyone that Louise will seriously consider. It seems rather progressive that the queen allowed Louise to have her say and then actually stuck to it despite how long it took. The queen was a portrait of contradictions, letting Louise do so many surprising things and then turning down seemingly innocuous requests.

The bright shining spot here is the closeness of the family with all its politics and drama. Louise seems to be born at the right time to interact and be close with most of her siblings. Partially a daughter to some and partly a mother to others - the messy traditions and misunderstandings are incredibly realistic.

I enjoyed In the Shadow of a Queen and read it in one sitting (on a plane). Something about Louise draws you in, and you want to learn everything about her. I'm not enough of a history buff to know how much was accurate or even close. Writing about real people must be constraining; sure, you can tweak some things to fit the story, but history will tell you where they were and what they did. Regardless of how honest to history this narrative is, I definitely enjoyed it.

This book is about the family of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, especially their daughter Princess Louise. I love true stories, but honestly this one is kind of depressing. Prince Albert dies at the beginning of the book and Queen Victoria keeps the family in mourning for years. They can only wear black or gray clothes, black fabric is draped over the furniture, everyone is required to be somber - no laughing etc. I was surprised she often didn’t do what was best for her kids. My favorite part of the book is Louise’s relationship with the man she marries. Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC to use for my review.

Princess Louise, sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, was a trailblazer within the British royal family. Not only did she marry a commoner, a highly unusual circumstance at the time, but she was a talented sculptor who pursued a career as an artist, enrolling in the National Art Training School and attending classes – when her schedule allowed – alongside ordinary people. But getting her devoted Mama’s permission took work. So did essentially everything else in her highly regulated, scrutinized, and isolated existence within royalty’s privileged cocoon.

“Nothing is private when you are the daughter of England’s sovereign,” writes Heather B. Moore in her biographical novel about Princess Louise, succinctly stating her heroine’s predicament and illustrating the difficult path she navigates as she gingerly moves out of Queen Victoria’s shadow and into a role that offers greater fulfillment.

Sadly, Louise’s childhood is dominated by her father Prince Albert’s early death and her mother’s stifling control and refusal to emerge from mourning. Each of Victoria’s unmarried daughters, in turn, is expected to serve as her personal secretary, a role she thinks Louise is too excitable and strong-willed to handle. Louise’s few friendships are supervised, and her associations with outsiders strictly limited.

A good part of the novel involves the husband hunt, a challenging task since there are few good options. Moore nimbly sketches in the political background that overshadows Louise’s choices (many potential fiancés are objectionable to either the Danes or the Prussians, whose families Louise’s older siblings married into, and who are in a territorial dispute). Also, the Queen doesn’t want her to reside abroad. Louise finds the whole process embarrassing, and it’s clear why that is. How could anyone possibly be themselves while dating – to use a modern term – under the view of multiple chaperones?

The standout scenes are those where Louise asserts her independence: perfecting her sculpting abilities to the point where she wears down her mother’s objections to further training; stepping from her carriage into the halls of the art school; daring to visit physician Elizabeth Garrett at her home and pose questions about women in medicine. Queen Victoria’s sense of royal dignity is such that, when Louise does get engaged, she demands that her future husband call her “Princess Louise” all the time – even in private! Louise is her own woman, though, and knows that’s not the type of marriage she wants.

Following Louise from ages 12 through 23, In the Shadow of a Queen uses excerpts from historical letters to start each chapter, and the author’s prose approximates the same tone and characterizations. Moore has done careful research, and her endnotes – which are so detailed that the actual novel ends at the 90% mark on my Kindle – emphasize her dedication to the source material. Readers hoping to find secret love affairs or other juicy rumors brought to life should look elsewhere. Instead, they’ll find a well-rendered, convincing portrait of a talented young woman’s efforts to balance her royal role with her need for independence.

I have always enjoyed historical fiction, so this story caught my eye. The way the story is written drew me in right away, and I finished the book in just a few days. While there really isn't anything "exciting" about this story, it was intriguing to read about Princess Louise's life. I can't even imagine being a royal and having little to no say in even the minute details of my life. I found it fascinating to learn about this family, and even read most of the chapter notes at the end of the book, because they helped give me more of a glimpse into the lives of Louise and her family.

In the Shadow of a Queen by best selling historical fiction author Heather B Moore is the story of Princess Louise, the sixth child of Queen Victoria and her beloved Prince Albert. Always something of a rebel with her interest in the arts and in the rights of women , Louise is a fascinating character and one of the few people willing to stand up to her Royal mother. We follow her through her teenage years when she lost her beloved Father, through her coming of age and coming out into society and then on to the hunt for a suitable match for marriage, yet another area where she and her mother did not see entirely eye to eye. The author brings a really believable version of the character to life for the reader, allowing them to invest in her journey and her struggles and celebrate her triumphs. There is a lot of historical detail incorporated into the story but it never seems clumsy or just there for its own sake, it really adds to the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.