Christmas with the Queen is a cozy historical romance that would be perfect for fans of The Crown or anglophiles in general. The royal family are a backdrop to this romance, but it’s not about them directly. It’s also a blend of historical fiction and romance that I think will work for non-romance readers.
The book alternates between VE Day in 1945, and the “present” day in the 1950’s. The book opens in 1952 with BBC reporter Olive Carter covering the royal family’s Christmas celebration at Sandringham at the last minute. Olive is determined to find success at the male-dominated BBC, while also raising her daughter by herself. Olive has a secret; she pretends to be a war widow, but in truth her daughter was born out of wedlock. She knows if she reveals this, she’ll lose her job and any chance at professional success.
Also at Sandringham for the holiday is Jack Devereux, an American who never left England after the war. Jack grew up in his grandfather’s restaurant in New Orleans, and he’s since trained as a professional chef. He’s working in the kitchens for the holiday when he runs into Olive.
Jack and Olive previously met during a VE Day celebration until she disappeared from Jack’s life. Jack is now a widower and wondering if fate brought them back together for a reason.
The novel progresses over five years with Jack and Olive meeting every Christmas holiday, but the timing never being quite right for them to reconnect romantically.
In some ways this is a slow burn romance, and in others a novel of missed connections. It’s never frustrating, though, as Jack and Olive have some work to do before they’re in a good place to get together. Jack is still grieving his late wife when the book opens, and Olive is finally getting her chance at professional success.
Both Jack and Olive have interactions with members of the royal family, but that is mostly background to the book while the Queen and Prince Philip play brief roles in the plot.
I love books with a subplot about cooking, and I really enjoyed how Jack’s love of food featured in this novel. Some of my favorite parts of the book were watching him spice up traditional English dishes with New Orleans flavor.
Jack and Olive have a lot of history to work through to find their HEA and while the conflict is substantial the book never feels heavy. In fact, I would classify this as a cozy romance–a blend of Christmas themes, nostalgia for the past, and a solid second-chance love story.
This was an easy, comfortable read for me and I think it might make an excellent gift for readers for the holiday. There’s no on-screen intimacy so it would work well for people who aren’t normally romance readers and might be put off by some heat. Christmas with the Queen is a solid holiday romance that I think will work for a lot of readers.