Before the Crown
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Princess Elizabeth has a girlhood crush on Prince Philip of Greece and is determined to marry him. The story follows both Philip and Elizabeth through the years of their separation because of the war and leads up to their engagement and the disapproval of Elizabeth's' royal family at her choice of the pauper Prince Philip. The novel ends with their royal wedding.
Earlier this year, I picked up a book called The Queen's Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen by Karen Harper and I was disappointed in its content and that it centered on Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother instead of Queen Elizabeth II. This is the book I wish I had picked up instead!
Flora Harding creates a sweet love story between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, starting with the letters they write to each other in the beginning and her family's attempts to keep them apart in hopes she would forget him. You feel for Elizabeth during her awkward, business-like proposal to Philip while trying to conceal the fact that she has real feelings for the prince. I also like that the book switches points of view between Elizabeth and Philip, so you can see his disdain at first for this innocent girl with no worldly experience and how it grows into a love for her steadfastness and reliability.
I was a little sad that the book ended with their wedding. It makes narrative sense, as that is what the relationship between the royals is leading up to, but the title Before the Crown made me think the story would go further, following newly-married Elizabeth and Philip through to her father's death and her ascension to the throne.
The chapters of the book are short, which makes the pages fly by. The story keeps a good pace from beginning to end, making it an enjoyable read. It is a sweet love story, and a great pick for romance readers and people who enjoy proper romance. There is no sex here! Readers who enjoy historical fiction, the British royal family, and lighter WWII fiction will also enjoy this title.
Flora Harding has written numerous novels under pen names, including Pamela Hartshorne and Jessica Hart. She lives in York, England.
Publisher: One More Chapter
Length: 400 pages
Release date: September 17, 2020 (ebook); May 2021 (paperback)
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I received an electronic ARC of this title from HarperCollins UK through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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