Exploring the thoughts and histories of two very different women who played major roles within the British monarchy in the first half of the 20th Century, it shows a fascinating fictional glimpse into what their lives could have been like. Wallis Simpson was a married divorcee from a good but impoverished Baltimore family when she first met the Prince of Wales. What followed was a whirlwind romance that broke all the rules and resulted in Edward VIII abdicating his throne after less than a year. A romance for the ages, or was it? On the other side, we have Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, a former debutante who married the spare and ended up Queen of England, mother to the Queen, and grandmother to the future King after the heir ran away with the love of his life. They both famously could not stand each other and managed to avoid any meetings for most of their lives, but neither would have had the life they had were it not for the other.

Benjamin takes what are known facts in the lives of these two fascinating women and fills in the gaps in ways that feel true to their public and little-known private personas. Wallis went from a free spirit to being trapped in what she and the Duke of Windsor had to spend their lives pretending was the greatest love story ever. Elizabeth went from a pampered debutante to the Queen of a nation at war, and while it's known she enjoyed the privileges, it was all at the cost of her husband's health. Getting even a fictional glimpse at the moments that formed them was fascinating.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the fascinating read!