I listened to The Journey After the Crown as an audiobook. It grew on me, but it was incredibly slow to begin with and it took me an age to get to grips with the characters. Daisie and Violet are nineteen-year-old identical twins who have the chance of a lifetime. They are to be maids to Queen Elizabeth II onboard the royal ship, as she and Prince Philip embark on a royal tour of Australia and the Commonwealth.

Whilst the story is long-winded and the characters are unlikable, I did enjoy the story. Some parts shocked me, whilst for much of it I was frustrated by the actions of several people. It was full of drama and interest and worth a read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Whilst based on a true event, the story is entirely fictional, maybe it would have been better if there were more elements of truth included.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review The Journey After the Crown by Andrew Mackie.

After losing both parents, twins Violet and Daisy are desperate to find work. Through a series of events, they end up serving on the Queen's official tour of Australia. As glamorous as this sounds, the reality is far from it! This is quite a slow paced book but it gives a tantalizing glimpse into life behind the scenes, how everyone answers to someone, even those that seem so high ranking to a lowly maid like Violet. I found Daisy so incredibly frustrating, it was hard to really get into the book when I disliked one of the main characters so much. The was an interesting author's note at the end, about how the idea for the book first came to her. It's amazing how a whole book can come from one scene.

I was ambivalent about this from the start and didn’t really enjoy the beginning but I have to admit it grew on me, as did the characters. I was surprised to find myself silently hoping Violet would find happiness. I enjoyed the setting of the novel and the links to some historical details. It was pleasing to find the royal family were not at the heart of the novel but merely provided a backdrop. A slow builder.

I did enjoy this audiobook but the narrator didn't flow for me, but I appreciated the accent as it was set in Australia. The setting was described well and a LOT of research was done by the author and that came through beautifully.

Recommended if you do like The Crown TV series.

The Journey After the Crown by Andrew Mackie feels like a complicated title for this book which is light hearted and a bit of fun. If you read it as a serious reflection of what might have happened during the Royal 1954 tour of Australia, then I think you may be offended or disappointed. It is so unrealistic a tale (and I won't try to relate it here as I think the professional blurb writers do a better job) that I had to adjust my thinking in order to enjoy it. In that way, I did. I listened to the audio version which helped although some of the narrators accents annoyed me a little. I've never 'read' anything like this book and won't forget it. Good fun but change the title!

My thoughts....

Yes, I am one of those 'fans of The Crown' referred to in the book blurb! And whist listening to this book, whenever Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip entered the scene, I did picture the beautiful and talented Claire Foy and the dashing Matt Smith. But enough of my fangirling for now.

I was fortunate to be chosen to receive the ARC of this book in audiobook format and when I applied to it, it was definitely the cover art and the brief description that immediate grabbed my attention. Not knowing that much about the author, Andrew Mackie, I found it interesting to discover that he is Australian, so this story is quite close to home for him. This is also Andrew's debut novel.

As you gathered from the "about the book" blurb, this story is cleverly constructed around The Queen's first visit to various Commonwealth countries in 1954. Whilst this is a true historic event, the vast majority of characters and incidents are fictional. That is what made this such a fun read for me. It is important to note that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh features as 'fringe' characters only. We meet two identical twin sisters, Violet and Daisy. As often the case with identical twins, they have very different and distinct personalities. Violet is responsible, considerate, hard-working, earnest - while Daisie is pretty much the polar opposite. They are given the opportunity to accompany the royal entourage on the 6-month historic tour, as maids, and here the drama starts.

I found this book humorous, informative and entertaining, true escapism. It times there was some frustration, mainly because I sometimes struggled to like the main characters - but in general, it was a good listen!

As noted earlier, I receive the ARC audiobook version. It is narrated by Australian actress, Lisa McCune and she did a great job! The narration was at a good pace, and her accent(s) were on point. Made for an enjoyable and easy listen.

Thank you to #NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio book, in exchange for an honest review #TheJourneyAftertheCrown (also titled "The Tour" in some territories)
Pub Date 13 Apr 2022

I listened to the audio book and found it a very engaging, enjoyable story. The ending is a delight! The narrator has an Australian accent and makes the story come alive. The main characters face a rollercoaster with the backdrop of the Royal Tour. Really enjoyable. A great listen.

Thank you Netgalley

Reading a story that plays in a real historical setting always has my interest. I was however directly disappointed when before the prologue was being told that all is made up by the author. When you have royals playing a role in your book, I do not think you should fantasize about them. Of course, you can have a story about two maids working on the MS Gothic on which the Queen and Prince Philip travel to the Commonwealth but do make sure you do not make up stories about them in my opinion. Like Violet who vomits on board when they are lined up in welcoming the royal couple and some of the grease ends up on Prince Philip.

Besides that, I did not really fancy the characters right away. First, I did like Violet but after some actions, I did not fancy her anymore. She did gain my sympathy later on; at which point I really hated her sister Daisie. There is a personal story in between all the drama involving the royals and their retinue, for a long period this story is kind of put on hold. During a visit to Broken Hill where they all visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the personal story comes alive again. In the authors comment the author says that this is based on a true story, which is a nice touch.

As I have never seen ‘The Crown’ nor ‘Downtown Abbey’, this book is being tipped for fans of these two series, I might just not be the right audience. I do like historical romance but please do not make things up too much with regards to actual events or living people.

Characters = 6 | Atmosphere = 8 | Writing Style = 7 | Plot = 7 | Intrigue = 7 | Logic = 6 | Enjoyment = 7 | Score 6.86 = 3 stars

Set during the days of the first royal tour after Queen Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of England.
two sisters, Violet and Daisy fin themselves alone after loosing both their parents and join work as maids. little did they know that they would be a part of the first journey that the Queen would take to visit the commonwealth countries. A family drama filled with betrayal, love of all kinds and scenic beauty, this audiobook takes you through the Australian continent and all the ups and downs that Daisy and Violet go through as one sister tries to step up in status over the other. a quite and easy book to follow and an apt finish too.

I thought I’d received the wrong audiobook as the one I downloaded was entitled The Tour. However, it’s the book advertised as Journey After the Crown and The Tour is about a Royal overseas tour in 1954, the first for the new Queen and her husband.

I must confess I’m not wildly keen on the British monarchy but the blurb sounded interesting and I was looking for something a little different from my usual genres. Violet and Daisie are twin sisters, physically alike but very different in character. This book is really their story, set in the medium of the overseas tour. They’re both scheming and duplicitous in their own way and manage to obtain posts on board the Royal Yacht. One works above deck and the other below, and the contrast between the two is striking and well depicted. I thought the Royals came across as suitably odious. Philip is crass and the Queen cold and aloof. All the fawning is consistent whichever country they visit. But the focus is on the girls’ story and as a family saga, it works well with unexpected twists that change lives.

It’s well written, a light read and overall, I enjoyed it. Three is a little mean and 4 slightly generous, but I’ll go with a 4.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This book was also published under the title "The Tour" which I think better suits the novel.

It is a mixture of a travel diary, following the 1954 tour of Queen Elizabeth II in Australia, and the story of two twin sisters who could not be more different. Neither Violet nor Daisie are likable characters, and it's hard to believe in real life sisters would treat each other the way they do in this book. (And that any sensible person would endure the cruelty and bitching of Daisie.)

The novel gives a detailed account of the tour even if the author changed a few things in the itinerary for the sake of the twin's story. Having listened to this audio book, now I feel like booking a holiday in Down Under.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for this Advance Review Copy.

Violet and Daisie Chettle are identical twins. At nineteen they find themselves orphans. Money is so tight and they need a new adventure. Their luck changes when they get jobs as maids on newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II’s royal ship. For the royal tour to Australia in 1954

Work on the ship is hard. Violet gets on with life and hard work whilst Daisie has set her ambitions high. A letter from home causes a split between the sisters. Along with things that happen on the ship.

The girls are not particularly likeable people. The Duke of Edinburgh a cad. The Queen as heartless. In this jubilee year I would have preferred a more uplifting book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to hear an advance copy

I was drawn to this book as it was likened to some of my favourite TV shows. Its based around twins, Violet and Daisie, who have been chosen as maids on the 1954 royal tour to Australia. I didnt find the twins very likeable at first but as the story unfolds they do manage to find a way forward. I enjoyed the little facts about the places they visited on the journey as well as the difference in lifestyles. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting because there wasn't much focus on the Queen as I hoped but it was still enjoyable.

This audiobook was not the titled book. Unable to review this audiobook correctly due to this error. The audiobook was titled the tour. I’ll be happy to update this review once the correct audiobook is downloaded. Thank you