Perfect atmospheric holiday read! I loved the setting and the slow build up of the romance. I didn’t love the secret that Olive was keeping from Jack and felt it dragged on for a bit too long. The chapters about Queen Elizabeth II were so beautifully written.

Disclaimer: Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Ranking and Thoughts:
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Spice Level: 2/5
Enjoyment: Medium
Overall: 4/5

- Set in the 1950s plus the mid-1940s. Awesome! I like vintage things.
- When Jack prepares food. All the delicious food makes me hungry.
- I like most of the characters.
- Christmas! I would say a good holiday read.
- I assume this is based on true events. Including the late Queen Elizabeth II and her family.

Extra thoughts:
The downsides are one scene that is somewhat rushed and few scenes I read makes me disappointed.

Verdict:
I enjoyed it, in spite of a few flaws.

I ended up listening to the audio of Christmas With the Queen and I highly recommend that format. For fans of the Royal family and The Crown, Christmas With the Queen will grab your attention and you will be rooting for the main characters.

I really enjoyed Last Christmas in Paris by this duo, so I when I saw they had written another holiday historical novel, I knew I had to read it. I started with the audio while I prepared a holiday dinner for my family. What a great accompaniment! I found it absolutely delightful. The audiobook is narrated by Fiona Hardingham, Gary Furlong, and Ester Wane. They gave great voice to the characters in this story. I switched to the ebook later in the evening to finish.

The story follows Jack and Olive in first person interspersed with Queen Elizabeth II as they embark on their individual duties or jobs for Christmas in 1952 and follows the characters through the holiday in subsequent years leading up to 1957. Olive is a typist and aspiring reporter with the BBC and is ready to take on more responsibility, namely covering the Queen as she prepares her Christmas address. Olive is juggling her job with raising a young daughter with the assistance of her bickering parents. Jack is a grieving widower and chef from New Orleans who has a second chance at an opportunity to work in the royal kitchens for the holiday. He aspires to own his own restaurant and cook cuisine inspired by his grandfather.

I loved the characters in this story. I was a little nervous about reading this one because I guessed that it had a trope that I’m not particularly fond of in books, but the characters were so delightful that I enjoyed the story so much regardless. I enjoyed reading about Olive’s perspectives into what it was like as a woman to pursue a career during this time period and for Jack to work through his grief and reach for his dreams.

Recommended to historical fiction lovers for a different type of holiday read.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for a copy provided for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book so much! Getting to hear about the queen while really diving into other characters was a perfect set up for this historical fiction! The story moved along very well and gave little Christmas vibes throughout. Overall, a great read.!

Favorite book of 2024! I appreciate any well written book based on the life of Queen Elizabeth. Bonus that it included Christmas. It was charming, lighthearted and full of just enough romantic to make it sweet.

Historical fiction books tend to be hit or miss for me. I either find them fascinating or boring. Unfortunately, this one was the latter for me. I'd hoped it would be the former because I loved The Crown and the blurb for the book sounded promising, but it never fully grabbed my attention. I ended up skimming a lot and never really clicked with the characters or the main relationship. The writing was decent though and I can definitely see how the story would work better for other readers.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Christmas with the Queen is a charming and unique historical fiction novel that offers a refreshing perspective on Queen Elizabeth, told through the eyes of Olive Carter, a young reporter for the BBC trying to make a name for herself. As Olive embarks on her journey, she unexpectedly reunites with Jack Deveraux, an old love now working at Sandringham. Their paths cross repeatedly throughout the story, building tension and anticipation as they navigate their feelings for each other.

What makes this story particularly compelling is Olive's one big secret—something she's kept hidden from Jack—that almost derails their romance. The emotional depth and drama of their relationship, set against the backdrop of royal life, add a rich layer to the narrative. I am recommending to readers who enjoy historical fiction, women's fiction, or anything involving the royal family. I believe it would also make a great Book Club choice for December. Christmas with the Queen is a perfect holiday read for anyone seeking a heartwarming, romantic, and engaging story with a satisfying happy ending.

Christmas with the Queen is a charming blend of historical fiction, royalty and the Christmas season in the UK. This is a delightful novel that takes place over several Christmas seasons in the 1950s, as a young Queen Elizabeth is set to deliver her first Christmas Day holiday broadcast. When young BBC employee (and aspiring reporter) Olive finds herself at Sandringham she has an unexpected encounter with the Queen and runs into former friend Jack, a recently widowed chef helping out in the royal kitchens for the holiday season. Jack stirs up a lot of memories for single mom Olive and vice versa. Part of the same social group after VE Day, Olive and Jack lost touch. Olive, worried she will never be able to climb the ladder in a man's world, continues to try and establish a name for herself. Connecting over the next 5 Christmas seasons, Jack and Olive's past resurfaces and secrets are exposed. Will Olive be able to assert herself at the BBC while managing the complications with Jack? This question and more are answered in this wonderful holiday novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

5⭐️

If you love all things Queen Elizabeth II or even just books set in the time period of her early years as monarch - the 1950s - then you will love this delightful love story that coincides with Her Majesty!

The story of Olive and Jack is one that can be relatable to so many - right person, wrong time. I thoroughly enjoyed following the journey of two old friends (old flames??) through their early friendship, separate lives, and chance encounters while serving the royal family during Christmas that lead to the rebuilding of a new friendship… and maybe even a budding romance!

“Wherever you are, either at home or away, in snow or in sunshine, I give you my affectionate greetings, with every good wish for Christmas and the New Year.”
Queen Elizabeth II, Christmas Day 1952

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story was just an "OK" read. I had hoped to see a more personal side of the Queen but felt that the yearly interactions with the character Olive helping with her speech, it didn't go much further. A lost opportunity. The romance between Olive and Jack didn't do much for me. A one-night stand turns into a chance meeting each Christmas. I never felt there was enough at these meeting to make me feel that a true romance was forming.

Jack is a chef going to the royal residence in Sandringham to cook for the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth for Christmas 1952. Olive is a newly minted reporter who ends up going to Sandringham to report on the Queen’s first Christmas radio address. Jack and Olive know each other from several years ago, but Olive has a secret that could have huge repercussions for both of them. The book follows Jack and Olive throughout the next several Christmases as they grow closer, interact with the royals, and follow their own hopes and dreams. This is a very cozy historical fiction, and a surprisingly quick read! I loved the little Last Christmas in Paris easter eggs we got throughout the book, and I enjoyed getting to peek behind the curtain into Christmas with the royal family (even though it was fictionalized). I definitely liked Last Christmas in Paris better, but this one was so fun as well!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect holiday romance! Love everything these authors write! Love the dual timeline and charachters. Webb and Gaynor are a dynamic writing team

What a wonderful Christmas book. I love to read Christmas books at this time of year. I enjoy the happy endings, Christmas joy and new love. In Christmas with the Queen, there was all of this plus some historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth after she first took reign. We learned how she adjusted to becoming Queen so early in life; how she adjusted to her duties as Queen and Mother to young children and how Phillip adjusted to such a huge change in his marriage. While learning about this, we also got to see an old relationship between Olive and Jack become a new relationship. We saw their struggles, their careers getting in the way and a big secret kept from one of them. But they were able to overcome this and find true love.

A bit long (especially the back and forth with Jack and Olive) but an enjoyable historical fiction, Christmas read. I wish we'd spent more time with the Queen though.

This Christmas historical fiction will have you hooked with the first few pages. Royal workers have no idea that their worlds crossed paths a few years before. Each page and story will be tugging at your heartstrings.

What a wonderful book with chapters that went between Olive, a young emerging journalist trying to break into covering good stories working for the BBC and a young chef working for the royal family. The Queen has a couple chapters too and the characters interact with the Queen and Prince Philip predominantly at Christmas at Sandringham around the 1950’s when the Queen was emerging as a young monarch and delivering Christmas speeches. The characters are connected in more ways than one and it was a lovely story especially at the holiday season.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book through NetGalley. Christmas with the Queen is a lovely story of love, dreams, and friendship. The story was well written and the characters were rich in complexity. The story line was beautifully crafted with a variety of emotions and feelings. This is definitely a book for your to read list!
4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

loved, loved this christmas time book! First time reading this book by these authors and will defintitely again

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for giving me back Queen Elizabeth. I have been missing her. This was a Christmas treat. Throughly enjoyed this read.