As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb...

I was initially faintly worried by the book having two authors, but to be honest, I couldn't tell - maybe they each wrote particular characters - and it worked just fine.

This is an enjoyable, light read, combining history, romance and friendships - always a good combo in my opinion! It is told from three different viewpoints - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a young woman, Olive Carter - a young reporter, and Jack Devereaux - aspiring royal chef.

The novel covers some actual events - VE Day, royal visits, and more - as well as the more everyday lives of the main characters. The attitudes of that period made me realise how much has changed socially in the world in a relatively short time.

I really enjoyed reading this, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy recent-history novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

À light enough Christmassy themed book. Told from three voices, Olive an ambitious young lady working for the BBC, Jack a chef in the Royal household and finally the late Queen. Set over the Christmases 1952 to 1957 the book is set at Sandringham, London and the Royal yacht Brittania. Whilst a quiet gentle tale I did feel there were a few historical discrepancies especially the more informal aspects of the Royal household and behaviour of ordinary folk. It was also somewhat predictable between Jack and Olive's story. However, that can be overlooked and allow the reader to enjoy this festive read.

Jack and Olive`s lives are entwined over the years, Olive is a single mother working for the BBC and is sent to Sandringham to do a Christmas story on the royal household when she bumps into Jack again who is a chef for the queen.
Only Olive has a secret and wants to tell Jack but finds it difficult to get the right time.
I don`t normally like historic stories but this seems to flow easily so a good light read with good characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

Another wonderful book by this duo. A dual time setting jumping from the end of the war in 1945 and into the early/mid 1950s. So well researched you almost feel like you are with the queen, Jack and Olive in the various royal palaces and on royal tours. The pure joy of VE day comes across marvellously. The freedom felt by everyone as they celebrate is palpable. The book concentrates mainly on Christmases and the growing relationship between chef Jack and BBC reporter Olive. In the same group of friends just after the war, their lives take different directions until they bump into each other at Sandringham Christmas 1952 and our story really begins. The story is historical and it is a romance but neither theme steps on the others toes. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had my tissues to hand on several occasions. A beautiful book to really savour.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a gentle love story set against the backdrop of the start of the Queen’s reign in 1952. The voices we hear are hers as she reflects before her Christmas day broadcast; a new female reporter keen to promote the changes if the time; and a young American man keen to make his mark in the restaurant business. There are some secrets which bubble in the background too. It’s a ‘will they, won’t they’ story. There is enough factual info to make it interesting- readers will recognise a lot of it from recent TV coverage after the Queen died. All in all, a nice, cosy Christmas time read - maybe an ideal present for an elderly relative who would be familiar with the ‘50s or a gentle introduction to younger ones interested in the impact a young monarch made to the new generation. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC ebook.

A lovely, light hearted romance. Easy to read and engaging. As a fan of The Crown I could ‘see’ similarities in the characterisation of the queen and picked up on the challenges in the royal marriage so felt it was an honest story too. I would throughly recommend this novel as an escape from a miserable October afternoon. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A poignant love story. Olive and Jack are meant to be together but life gets in the way. The story flits between the forties and fifties. Olive becomes a royal reporter and Jack works as a chef on the royal yacht Britannia. They meet up at working at Sandringham for Christmas. Some of it is seen through the eyes of the young Queen Elizabeth who loved the relative seclusion of Sandringham. A great Christmassy read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarperCollinsUK for this ARC. 1952 and it is the Queen's first Christmas in office. Jack was offered a chef's position for the season at Sandringham. With his wife's recent passing, he almost said no but decided this was the best way to grieve. Olive, a junior reporter for the BBC found an unlikely chance to go to Sandringham and write a Christmas article. Being long lost friends, neither knew the other would be there but with their connected past, did they still make the right choice to spend Christmas with the Queen? Sweet read!!! #ChristmaswiththeQueen #HazelGaynor #HeatherWebb #HarperCollinsUK #Nov2024

Christmas with the Queen is a charming book that blends the elegance of The Crown with the romance of When Harry Met Sally and the humour of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Set in December 1952, it explores Queen Elizabeth II’s early reign as she navigates her first Christmas and the beloved radio broadcast tradition.

At Sandringham House, old friends Jack Devereux and Olive Carter reunite during the festivities. Olive, a single mother and aspiring reporter jumps at the chance to cover the celebrations, while Jack, a widowed chef from New Orleans, rekindles their old spark. Over five Christmas seasons, their bond deepens, though Olive harbours a secret that could change everything.

As Christmas Day in 1957 approaches, anticipation builds for the Queen’s first televised speech. Olive must confront her secret, which threatens to separate her from Jack.

With its vivid descriptions of the Queen and the royal festivities, this enchanting book is a delightful read for anyone seeking warmth and nostalgia during the festive season.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Bit of true life with the Queen although fiction you can imagine this being said with her and Philip. Olive and Jack have a relationship that goes back a few years and then they meet up at Sandringham House.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and the emotional journey it took me on.

Well worth a read as a lovely feel good story

A heartwarming and nostalgic book about the 1952 Christmas featuring Queen Elizabeth. I liked the festive atmosphere and the nostalgic mood
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What an enjoyable heart-warming historical romantic Christmas read by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb! From the beautifully garnished cover to the delightful last page, I was totally captivated and intrigued. Set in the 1950s but with flashbacks from the 1940s, we are able to see our lead characters in the present and how they have changed from the past.

I was pulled into the story from the very beginning and it was not long before I became immersed in the lives of Olive Carter, Jack Devereux and Queen Elizabeth II as they share their various viewpoints. It is a real treat to read a novel that is a writing collaboration between two excellent authors. They blend their talents into a delightful and impressive story filled with a feast of interesting events that centre on both the Royals and those who work for them. There’s lots of creativity, chaos and charm to keep the pages turning. And the Christmas theme adds a special element of fun with its festivities and unexpected appearances.

Queen Elizabeth II’s viewpoint serves as a bookend (with a type of Prologue and Epilogue) for the novel but there are also other passages with her contribution (and clips of her Christmas messages) throughout the storyline. As mentioned, the novel begins and ends with her thoughts. The starting point is Buckingham Palace, Dec 1952 with Elizabeth mentioning an event recorded in history: that of the ‘blanket of thick fog’ known as the Great Smog of London. It lasted five days (from Dec 5-9) and caused major respiratory illnesses and accidents that resulted in thousands of deaths. It was a product of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather. The smoke and fog crippled London. This real event affects more than one character in the story. But even though the Queen mentions it, her focus is more on happy memories of her father and other Christmassy images with trees and the music of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. There is a great line from the Queen’s inner thoughts: ‘How can one not be affected by the magic of Christmas, even when one is filled with sorrow.’ It is obvious she misses her father but the Christmas activities give her grieving heart a lift.

Besides imagining young Queen Elizabeth II and the magnitude of her new position, we focus on her preparation of Christmas messages but also are led toward another thread of two old friends who bump into each other while working for her. BBC Reporter Olive Carter and royal chef Jack Devereux collide. Their work situations have recently changed and they find themselves in positions far from where they started. They are quite shocked to meet again after seven years of no communication. And to discover their professional dreams have been realised—or, at least, have begun. It was easy to imagine their excitement in being placed inside the Sandringham House for work during the Christmas season. And for this reason, I think Hazel and Heather must have had a lot of fun plotting the possibilities. Speeches and meals/feasts are common occurrences in the Queen’s household so these two areas are smartly focused upon. Creating ordinary characters and fitting them into the royal household is a clever approach. And to guess the challenges they might face but also the rewards they could harvest make a great story. It was also enlightening to see how the younger royal family might have responded to people like Olive and Jack. In the story, this pair’s infiltration and influence added a touch of normalcy to those who led extraordinary lives. As it put the royals in touch with those outside their four walls. This may have possibly softened the edges of an austere environment while still maintaining respect for the traditions.

I loved imagining Olive helping the Queen with her Christmas address—giving her some pointers, helping her to connect with her subjects. As well as Jack getting to know the Prince and sharing his thoughts, ideas and foods. Of course, there is a major romantic thread between the ‘old friends’ Olive and Jack and there are some secrets to expose about the past. This portion of the plot unfolds slowly taking a course of a few years with meetings set around major royal events and voyages. There is a ‘will they or won’t they’ scenario with these two but also other lovers’ threads come together quickly providing a visible contrast. Topping this, we get glimpses into other characters’ lives, who are friends, co-workers and family members. This provides a well-rounded picture of society during these changing times.

Christmas With The Queen is a story about second chances, responsibilities, family, love, dreams and patiently waiting for desires to be fulfilled. Olive wants to be a serious reporter and her determination and talent take her a long way. Jack wants his own restaurant and is inspired by his grandfather who left him his book of recipes and great advice. Each of their dreams are believable and achievable—but there is one ingredient missing (which I won’t give away!). By landing at one of the Queen’s residences through an amazing twist of fate to work, they get re-acquainted and exciting things begin to happen. Connections are made and lives are changed. The experiences they share working under Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are monumental but also the time they spend with those who worked for the monarchy create some long lasting friendships.

Christmas With The Queen is without doubt a warm, uplifting story with a happy ending. Hearts are transformed and dreams are renewed. I felt the sparkle and rush of Christmas spirit, too. It is beautifully written, so a delight to read. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the review copy.

A charming love story set mid 20th century after WW2. The novel gives readers a quick peek at behind the scenes of the Royal Family’s residences and daily life. Working at the BBC Olive is given her first major break to report on Christmas preparations at Sandringham, which coincides with Jack temporary employment in the Royal kitchens. Both had met during the VE Day celebrations but their lives moved on in different directions.

This is the first novel I have read by joint authors and perhaps, because they are American, their research is very thorough. A lovely concept, sparkling realistic characters and lovely backdrops make for a cosy fireside read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins for this ARC.

Very sorry but this book was awful. It's not often I say that and I tried to find something positive to say. It just felt very contrived. It was completely unbelievable. I don't know the authors but is one or both of them American? That possibly would go a long way to explaining why this book felt so false. I can't for one minute imagine our late Queen behaving in such a manner or speaking that way. I'm not a royalist but being a Brit you can't fail to have been exposed to the Firm and all the machinations.
The writing style was very odd as though it couldn't make up its mind what it wanted to be, a bit split personality
Such a shame as this looked to be a bit of light relief after some very heavy reads but I struggled to finish this

I really loved reading about our lovely Queen when she first did her Christmas Broadcast ,it was interesting reading about the Queen and Prince Philip when they were young and the wonderful descriptions of Sandringham at Christmas .I liked Olive and Jack especially, Olive trying to work in a man's world but their on/off romance was very predictable and quite annoying at how long it took especially as there was a child involved ..Altogether a nice feel good story .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

I had high hopes for a nice easy read cosy Christmas tale. Unfortunately the story dragged on over several years of repetitive nonsense. The main character drinking lager and even lager and lime in a pub in the 1950’s was extremely unlikely as although lager was a thing then most pubs wouldn’t have stocked it and women would be more likely to drink a shandy or even a stout if they weren’t drinking sherry or gin and orange! I’m afraid this definitely wasn’t a book for me.

This book was fascinating as it gave a glimpse into the lives of the Royals , alongside the on off love story of royal correspondent Olive and royal chef Jack.

I loved reading of the Christmas traditions in the royal household Growing up our family always watched the Queens Christmas broadcast and the first Christmas broadcast was the perfect setting as we met Jack and Olive who have met up after over seven years .

Their lives have gone in different directions and it seemed they have been destined to remain apart until the chance meeting which changes both their futures. As their bond grows, a secret is uncovered which will truly test their relationship.

This historical fiction book explores the 1950 era in a way I found spellbinding, the perfect mix of history, royalty and love story which made me wish I could spend Christmas with the Queen.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to deliver her first Christmas speech, staff work behind the scenes to get ready for the festivities at Sandringham Estate. Among them are Jack and Olive – old friends who are surprised to be reunited after seven years apart.

While Olive works for the BBC reporting on the royal family, and Jack is employed in the Queen’s kitchens, their bond deepens – until a secret threatens to tear them apart. When the truth comes to light, it could change Olive and Jack's lives forever.

A captivating story set around Christmas and the late queens first Christmas broadcast.
Loved the characters Jack and Olive and their relationship and the impact it had.
Although obviously fiction , it is with credit to the authors in giving a behind the scenes insight to what may have gone on.

What a super book this is. Completely different to your usual Christmas reads. I absolutely loved the main characters and the behind the scenes Royal life. It’s a big recommendation from me.