Royal

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In this alternate history, King Frederick and Queen Anne have three daughters — Alexandra, Victoria, and Charlotte. The king and queen fear for their youngest daughter's safety during WWII and send her to the countryside. The raging war and Charlotte's decisions lead to secrets that must be kept, then are forgotten. The story follows the family through the war until the late 1960s.

I've never read a Danielle Steel novel before, so I can't compare this novel to any of her others. What struck me the most about the writing style is that it reads like a first draft. Steel has never met a comma she didn’t want to put into a sentence, making sentences long and difficult to follow. There are often sentences that reveal information, and the same information is repeated a few paragraphs later. This may be because I read a galley and final edits had not yet been completed. The repetitive passages seem to wane further into the novel; hopefully, the beginning will be fixed before release.

Steel explains facts without going into the characters' motives, which makes the story feel more like a book report than a novel. The plot is intriguing and would have benefitted from a more refined writing style. There are many twists and turns in this story.

The reader is told (several times) in the opening chapter about Charlotte's petite size, like her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Her asthma contributes to her poor health, which is the reason the fresh air and lack of bombings in the country are appealing to Charlotte's parents. Her size and frailty make her seem younger than her seventeen years, although her mental abilities and hobbies make her soar beyond the average teenager.

Upon arrival in Yorkshire, Charlotte is immediately appealing to the son of the aristocratic couple housing her. This creates tension with the other girl living in the home, who also fancies the boy. The residents of the country home experience several tragedies and keep several secrets that change their lives forever.

The characters' lives are very similar to their real-world counterparts. King Frederick reluctantly takes the throne after his brother abdicates, like King George VI. Queen Anne is much like Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Alexandra is Princess Elizabeth, married to a blonde foreigner (although in this book he is German, not Greek), and with a love for horses and corgis. Victoria is the wild, fashionable Princess Margaret.

Readers who love stories of WWII and the British monarchy will appreciate this novel despite its writing flaws. Danielle Steel's legion of fans and fans of happily ever after romances will also enjoy this novel.

Danielle Steel is one of the USA's most successful authors, with over 650 million copies of her books sold in 69 countries. She has written almost 200 books and splits her time between San Francisco and Paris.

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Length: 288 pages

Release Date: August 18, 2020

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I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.