A historical fiction book about Wallis Simpson. This is a richly detailed book. This is a very interesting book. It is a very slow read and may not be for everyone

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

Love this author and was thrilled to be able to read this
I really enjoyed this

‘The Duchess’ by Wendy Holden turned out to be a surprising read. After all, we all know the story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, don’t we? I started the book half-expecting not to finish it, unsure whether I could empathise with Wallis Simpson. But having read Wendy Holden’s first novel – ‘Simply Divine’, published in 1999 – and many since, I was curious about her subject matter. I finished it wanting to go back to the beginning again, reading it with fresh eyes.
Holden, a former journalist, has done her research to portray the middle-aged American divorcee. Wallis arrives in London in 1928 with her second husband Ernest, determined to be a part of the party scene. Scrimping and saving, and with the quick mind and equally quick tongue of her mother, she learns to deal with the snubs, putdowns, cold shoulders and snobbishness, all the time backed by her steady husband. After a difficult childhood raised alone by her mother without much money, followed by an abusive first marriage, Wallis now reads the Court Circulars and newspaper stories about the parties of the Bright Young Things and longs to have fun. But she hadn’t bargained on the British class system. With her own sense of chic and by altering cheap dresses herself, Wallis catches the eye of Coco Chanel who offers some salutary advice.
The dual timeline, always from Wallis’s viewpoint, alternates between the Duke of Windsor’s funeral in 1972, and Wallis’s life in England from 1928-1936. After a lot of hustling, scrimping, spending money they don’t have, the Simpsons meet the Prince of Wales and are invited to his home at Fort Belvedere, Windsor, for the weekend. There we see the divisions between the prince’s public role and private political views. Holden juxtaposes the freedom and ‘what if’ American approach to life with the stuffy 1930s British ‘not possible’ view. This culminates finally in the Abdication. The final twist is intriguing.
The first few pages are a slow read and felt more like a historical record –
there is a lot of emotional and historical baggage wrapped up in this story – but the story gets going once Wallis is in London. She struggles to be accepted, hosting cocktail ‘open evenings’ that no one attends, always being sparkling and entertaining despite Ernest’s misgivings. We see her vulnerabilities as the difficulties of her childhood, and her first marriage, are revealed. I finished the book with new-found respect for Ernest Simpson.
I read ‘The Duchess’ in two days on holiday. Compulsive, wicked, sad and funny, I was left with a feeling of regret about the Windsors, and for Ernest, though with the obvious footnote that this is a fictional account not a biography. Even taken with a large pinch of salt, I came to empathise with Wallis; simultaneously head over heels in love but also exasperated, despairing, trapped, powerless, lonely and maligned.
Definitely food for thought. A compulsive fictional take on royal history
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The Duchess was such a good read. I loved the insight into her first marriage and lifestyle and how she moved herself into society and the position she wanted to be in. Fans of The Crown will enjoy this novel

I was always fascinated by the American duchess and her live story with the king. This book thought packs a bit more that i could have imagined and in parts it feels way too familiar with the recent scenes played by the new duchess of Sussex.
Overall it’s an intriguing read that many fans of the royalty will enjoy.

I am a huge royalist and any books whether they are fiction or non fiction, based on this genre; really fascinate and interest me.
I really was engrossed in this novel
I am not sure why, but this novel really felt like it could be based on Meghan markle at times. I would not be surprised if she too released something similar to this novel
This book gave a whole new sense to the tale of Edward and Wallis and one that has made me question some facts
I really enjoyed this novel and would read more by this author

This is a lovely fiction retelling of a secret love affair that made royal history. This couple who love was forbidden makes for a very heart warming read.

Escaping from a violent first marriage, ambitious Wallis Warfield marries a solid, safe shipping broker and moves to London. Money is tight but Wallis craves the limelight and eventually she enters the orbit of the impossibly glamorous Prince of Wales. Rejected by the Royal Family Wallis tries to extricate herself from the relationship, even though she loves the man.
This is a romanticised version of the story of Edward and Mrs Simpson which is told from a sympathetic viewpoint which contrasts with most versions of the tale. For this reason I really liked the book. It's very lightweight but works well as a piece of populist fiction. No-one really knows the truth of the affair and this is a different take.

The Duchess by Wendy Holden was a beautifully written book and the cover is beautiful. I really enjoyed this book from the beginning till the end especially as its not a book I would usually read. The cover caught my eye. This book is based upon real historical figure; Wallis Simpson, the woman who changed the course of British history. The women who "stole the king" But, did she?

I am so glad I read it and I highly recommend it

BIg Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though I have read many books about Wallace and the king this one took a different angle. By the end I felt that she was manipulated, not the manipulator, as is often supposed. Told on dual time lines at the time of the scandal an the end of the Dulce of Windsor’s life. Really interesting. Recommended

Another historical fiction book I thoroughly enjoyed. The book takes an interesting take on the life of Wallis Simpson a twice-divorced American who caught the heart of the then Prince of Wales who abdicated the throne to spend his life with her. The book has a dual timeline spanning both the funeral of Edward VIII in 1972 and her life in 1928 when newly married Wallis is moving to London with her second husband Ernest. The timeline starting in 1928 takes us through Wallis' early years in her second marriage and the challenges they faced including financial and socially. We see the challenges Wallis faces when trying to fit into society in London and how she tries to reinvent herself only to be told by Coco Chanel to not conform to the English ways. The book also details fascinating stories of the lives of the aristocrats and higher society of London including the meeting of the Prince of Wales and Wallis. We see their relationship develop and deepen to new heights throughout the book. One thing to note is that I did find that having knowledge of who's who in the Royal family helped when reading. I think if one wasn't familiar with the royal family then they may have been a bit lost at times. Overall Holden did a wonderful job at depicting the fascinating story of Wallis Simpson and I would recommend reading it.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was an interesting take on a historical figure. A bit different to other books I've read by Wendy!

This book actually made me feel quite emotional. The duchess of Windsor was seen as a woman who stole a king from his Kingdom. A wicked witch. But who was the woman who always seemed so dour in the photographs.
This book is told in two timeline. One the arrival of Wallis Duchess of Windsor in London for the funeral of her beloved David. The other the young Wallis. We see her go thorough a painful divorce from an abusive husband. Her second marriage to Ernest. How, she came to meet the future king and her visits to the Fort. Culminating in King Edward VIII abdication.
This for me was a powerful read. Perhaps we all got Wallis Simpson wrong. After all a man gave up his country for her. I finished the book thinking I really hoped that what was written was fact and not fiction. And that somewhere along the lines the two stories merged.
My sincere thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Enthralled by this amazing, fictionalised retelling of the story of Edward and Mrs Simpson. This was spellbinding...a book you will have a hard time putting down.

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was instantly hooked by the tag line “ If you love The Crown, you will love this fictional look inside the life of Wallis Simpson”.

I have always loved the Royal Family and watch everything to do with them including The Crown and was always fascinating by Wallis Simpson and what she meant for the royal family, this story makes you feel like you’ve got a Birdseye view of The Royal family but behind the scenes.

Even though it’s work of fiction you feel like you know Wallis Simpson more and what really happened and I feel sorry for her.

I’m definitely buying the previous and forthcoming book by the author Wendy Holden.

I've not read this author before and what appealed to me about this novel is that it's about a real person.
The writing is very well structured and detailed. I enjoyed all the history and appreciate the research that has gone into creating this story.

If you enjoy historical fiction, or simply are interested in the people this is based on then this is a good one for you to try. I think a lot of people will enjoy this one, and I will definitely be trying more novels by this author after reading and enjoying this one.

I love fiction that is based upon real historical figures and as you can imagine from the scandal that surrouns the name Wallis Simpson this book was a banger. I loved the writing, the story was riveting and the charcaters were well developed and relatable. The thing that I loved most tough that was it challenged my assumptions and changed them. A great read.

The Duchess by Wendy Holden

Arriving in 1928, Wallis was a divorced, penniless, middle-aged foreigner with average looks and no connections. Yet, just eight years later, a king renounced his throne for her.

How did a woman from nowhere capture the heart of the world's most glamorous bachelor? Wendy Holden tells the amazing story...
Wendy Holden is a brilliant writer and she has come up with a winner with this book.
Wallace Simpson was a much hated woman in the UK and blamed for the abdication of the king .
Her telling of the story is told with in a way that could be believed completely. ( We will never get to know how close to the truth she got ! )
If you want a good story of the very upper classes at a time that bought royalty almost to their knees , but eventually put the queen in line for the role , you will be entertained by this.

I loved this book so much!

Such an unusual take on the life of Wallis Simpson, the women who "stole the king" - or did she? An enticing look at the woman whom a King wanted so much he gave up his crown for her. Or if we are to believe another viewpoint was Wallis really his escape route?

Although not historically factual I found this book a fascinating viewpoint on what the other side of the story could well have been. It was also highly relevant in recent years comparing the story to Megxit.

If you enjoyed The Crown you will love this!

Thoroughly looking forward to Wendy Holden's next work focusing on the story of Princess Diana.

Fascinating Tale, Well Told…
This, the second of a trilogy from Wendy Holden concerning certain Royal outsiders, this time fictionalises the London life of Wallis Simpson. From her arrival in 1928 as an American divorcee, seemingly penniless and unconnected, through to a King prepared to renounce his throne for her. Well researched and well written in a way which captivates the reader making for immersive reading from first to last page. A fascinating tale, well told.