3.5 Stars for this light historical fiction of what it could have been like when Elizabeth was a princess and Philip renounced his title for her. Quite a few historical facts thrown in for all history buffs. This book gave a lighter side to the formidable Queen we all see today on TV. I would love to think there was a little spark between these two, and not just what was best for the Commonwealth as an arranged marriage. For once, Margaret is in the background and Elizabeth shines front and center.

Quick read giving a ‘human’ side to the royal family and life in Buckingham Palace and England during a tumultuous time.

Thanks to Ms. Harding, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I liked the look of this as I love The Crown
Sooo enjoyed this

Well researched and written, I was drawn from the first page and was totally engrossed

Just loved this book and so will anyone who enjoyed the.Crown.
It appears well researched and gives us an in-depth knowledge of how their romance progressed against all odds.

Every girl wants to be a princess but how many want to be a queen?

Before I start, you need to know that I've never watched "The Crown," so I pretty much went into this blind--all I really know about Elizabeth II is that she's the ruling monarch. Historical fiction is like business casual dress, ambiguously defined with wildly different interpretations from person to person. How much is history and how much is fiction? If you would've asked me before I got to the acknowledgements page, I would've guessed Before the Crown was largely fictional mostly because it felt so storybook, but Harding cites all her research at the end of the book and I'm left wondering how much is fact. She does say that even the memoirs "disagree on the details of exactly what happened and when," so I guess take everything with a grain of salt.

This was a pretty interesting read. I'm not one who really cares much about the royal family, but I loved the way Elizabeth's character was protrayed--her strong will, her love for her country, her devotion to duty. She sounded amazing, and I wanted more. Though it was brief, I loved the glimpses into the impact of WWII on both sides in Europe. I've read a good number of WWII historical fiction, but it felt like Harding offered a slightly new perspective. I also liked the way she addressed the burdens that come with a royal title. Not all that glitters is golden.

I did have a few issues with the book. The overall language and story felt a bit simplistic, and I found myself craving more depth. The relationships between Elizabeth and Phillip, especially initially, was yo-yoing back and forth and never felt genuine. Maybe that's how it really happened, but I was never convinced. On a very minor note, I wasn't a fan of the frequent use of "obscurely;" I'm not sure if it's a British thing or a Prince Phillip thing or just a Harding thing, but was slightly distracting.

I will say it is a little weird to read historical fiction about a person who's very much alive. The story is told in alternating first person POV, and the overall tone of the book is familiar and deeply personal. I'm assuming the thoughts and feelings are largely speculation, but it was easy at times to forget I wasn't simply reading a fictional story but that the heroine is, in fact, the queen with the corgis. I imagine writing about a living historical figure can't be easy, so props to Harding for taking this on. I don't know whether or not fans of "The Crown" will like this, but for someone whose knowledge of Elizabeth II pretty much ends with the fact that she's Prince William's grandma, I found this entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and One More Chapter for making this review possible.

I became hooked on watching “The Crown” on Netflix last year, so when this book popped up as a choice on Netgalley, I really wanted to read it. The cover definitely drew my attention. It has a picture of the young Princess Elizabeth, before she became queen, and it shows how elegant she was.

I can’t say I really know how accurate the fictional accounts I have come across are, but the character development in this story is well done, so much so that I honestly felt a bit sorry for Elizabeth. Philip was definitely a scamp enjoying the company of gorgeous females while being encouraged to reel in Elizabeth as a wife so he would have a comfortable life, since he was impoverished and had no definite career plans after serving in the war.

The book also portrays Elizabeth as a woman every much in love with Philip, and very much willing to put up with his indiscretions in order to have him as a husband. Because of her position, she is the one who has to ask ta man to marry her, and when she does, she presents it in a business like manner keeping her true feelings to herself. She never told him how much she loved him, so the relationship was very unequal in the beginning.

The book is nicely wrapped up by the end, and I did enjoy reading it.

Of all the books I’ve read that focused on Elizabeth, Before the Crown was the most informal and personal. I was taken aback by how the author immediately showcases Elizabeth to the reader as an average young girl living through the war. Because this wasn’t quite a biography and not quite fiction either, I wasn’t altogether sure how to approach this book. I have no problem reading similar dramatized history, but it seems strange as Elizabeth II is still very much alive. It almost felt dishonest to present her thoughts and manners in a way that was fictional. Additionally, from the very start she casts Phillip in an unfavorable light. It wasn’t just that she highlighted his various escapades, but there was a tone she took with his chapters that made him look bad.

Despite that all, I enjoyed the book. It’s not one I will reread, but as a lifelong enthusiast of the Crown, I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read the ARC and review it.

Beautiful. Feeds my obsession with the royals. Well done. Provides me a gap in waiting for the crown to start

I wanted to love this book after being enamored with the Netflix show The Crown and just didn’t love it. The writing wasn’t engaging and didn’t add anything fun or unique to the story. I found it boring rather than interesting and engaging.

I would like to thank NetGallery, One More Chapter, and author Flora Harding for giving me a free E-book Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I am a huge fan of all things royalty! So when I read the premise of this book, I knew I need to read this book. The cover is also beautiful and well done. This book begins in 1943 and continues through the years of WWII and the courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Philip. I was immediately drawn into the story of Elizabeth and Philip's story. While Elizabeth has lived a sheltered life, she is ready to marry a man who may or may not be the best for the British Monarchy. Elizabeth has such an innocence air about her, yet has a clever and passionate soul ready to embrace her duty in which her position and birth has demanded of her. Philip, on the other hand, is the youngest within his family, a prince with no country, and desire to live an unattached life from the duties and hopes his uncle has placed upon him. That is until he meets Elizabeth, now as a grown woman. Philip begins to desire to court and marry Elizabeth, not just because it would solve his family position and financial needs, but because he has found a strong young woman, who would make a suitable wife. While the young couple finds a real hope in marriage, can the country and British Royal family also embrace this marriage as well?
The author did a great job bringing to life these larger than life figures! She was able to make them into real tangible people facing realistic uncertainties in their life, future, and love life. The pacing of the book was well done. The book offered a great balance between Philip's and Elizabeth's thoughts as well as the weaving of historical events as well as the inter workings of the royal family. I really enjoyed this historical fiction retelling of Elizabeth and Philip's love story. I would recommend this book to those who are a huge fan of the Netflix's series "The Crown."

Princess Elizabeth of England and Prince Philip of Greece, the UK Queen and her hubby! There story is so delicious it makes you want what they have and this book tells that story in such a beautiful way. Historical FACT and almost makes you think it could be fiction but this couple is what we all aspire to have and I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you for sharing this book with me, but I just can't do historical fiction or anything with a thread of politics in it right now. It's just too much for my brain. I am really sorry!

I really enjoyed this book. A lot has been written about Queen Elizabeth, however there hasn't been much written about the courtship between her and Prince Phillip. This really helped fill in that gap and I loved how it was told from both their prospectives. A must read for lovers of The Crown.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was initially interested in this book because a lot of other reviews compared it to the Crown; I can see where the comparison comes from having watched and enjoyed the Netflix series. However, the author attempts to fill in the gaps. As much as I enjoy reading historical fiction, I don't think I have ever read something where the characters involved are still alive (I usually read novels set in the Tudor era and before).

I think the story was a bit stretched out. There were plenty of sections where I felt should have been cut out. The author's writing style was very simplified which left me questioning who the target audience was, and the book was straightforward to read, I didn't realise just much I had read until I came to the end of the book.

Perfect for fans of The Crown, Before the Crown follows Princess Elizabeth from the middle of WWII to her wedding day to Philip. Told in two points of view, I found myself enjoying Philip's chapters the most since it gave a possible insight into his feelings during their courtship.

Now I am not sure how historically accurate this novel is, but the "love story" just didn't work for me. I do not know much about the Royal family so that may have contributed to the disconnect. If you are a fan of anything related to the Royal family I would recommend this book!

Historical fiction that re-imagines the love story of Elizabeth and Phillip before she inherited the crown. Insightful but simplistic, I selected this book because of how much I enjoyed The Crown on Netflix. It was interesting to follow a written account. It is a compassionate and engaging read. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

As a fan of the TV shows The Crown and Victoria. This book had a high bar to reach from the start. I honestly didn't think it would be as good but how wrong was I? It's just as good, just as interesting and gets a big thumbs up from me.

The story starts when the then Princess Elizabeth, aged 17 meets Prince Philip and retells the story from both points of view.

This is a great historical fiction book. Nobody knows the real conversations but this seems pretty close. The author filled in the gaps between the facts pretty convincingly

Highly recommended, loved it
#NetGalley #onemorechapter #floraharding #beforethecrown

While it was a nice journey through the lives of royalty and the historical parts. But the writing was so simple that I felt like I was reading a young adult book. Not sure if that is how it will be presented for readers, but the reader should not open the cover assuming they will enjoy a well written, deeply thorough, entertaining story of Elizabeth and Phillip. There are struggles they experience, but you don’t really get a deep knowledge of them. Not sure I would recommend this and I would not purchase it as a gift for friends or family.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this wonderful book!
This is the story of the romance of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip. I really liked this book-it contained so many royal details. It was interesting learning about all the traditions and rules concerning the marriage of a person born into royalty. I found myself going on google and looking for more details about these fascinating characters. It was very well-written and kept my interest throughout the whole story. Highly recommend!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this heartwarming book about the queen and prince philip

well have to say i was pleasantly surprised over this book....having grown up with the queen and prince philip already being married and a family it was nice to read about them before they were married

and i have learnt some fascinating facts about philip...stuff i hadnt even known about, and i googled it to make sure it was true...and it was...i find myself liking him a bit more

what a sad life he had growing up and can only be thankful that he had the mountbatten family to rely on and be there for him....

a fascinating book to read and i love how the author writes....will be keeping an eye out for more of her work

It felt quite strange and voyeuristic reading a fictional account of the courtship between the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip of Greece. The novel covered many of the emotions which may have occurred but somehow it did not feel quite right writing words and expressing emotions for people who are still alive.
The vulnerability of both characters was well expressed and the description about the lack of privacy and change of lifestyle for the Prince quite eye opening.
Overall an interesting read but one I found too intrusive even though it was fiction.