• The Switch by Beth O'Leary
    Book Reviews,  Books

    The Switch by Beth O’Leary

    The Switch by Beth O’Leary book review and audiobook review. Thank you Flatiron Books for the ARC giveaway win and Netgalley for the audiobook ALC. Review… The Switch is told in alternating POVs between granddaughter, Leena, and grandmother, Eileeen. I loved how effortlessly and subtly O’Leary switches the voice between a 29 year old and a 79 year old woman. It’s a sweet and cozy read that transports you back and forth from an English country village to life in London. If you’re expecting this book to have a lot of romance, I’d recommend adjusting your expectations. This is more of a story about the love of family (across three…

  • The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
    Book Reviews,  Books

    The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

    The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan Book Review. Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free eARC; all opinions are my own. Picking up where The Royal We leaves off, we’re back in the lives of Bex, Nick, Freddie! Summary from the publisher… After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca “Bex” Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends and family, and escaping the world’s judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance.…

  • The Telephone Box Library
    Book Reviews,  Books,  Cover Crush

    The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas

    The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas Book Review. A cute and cozy story that takes place in The Cotswolds! Summary from the publisher… The Cotswolds: the perfect retreat for a stressed-out teacher. And Lucy has found just the right cottage for a bargain rent. All she has to do is keep an eye on Bunty, her extremely feisty ninety-something neighbour . . . With her West Highland terrier Hamish at her side, Lucy plans to relax and read up on the women of nearby Bletchley Park. But the villagers of Little Maudley have other ideas, and she finds herself caught up in the campaign to turn a dilapidated telephone…

  • The Other Side of the Coin
    Book Reviews,  Books,  Royal Family

    The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly LVO

    The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly LVO. For more books about the British Royal Family, click here. Review… I think I did a little happy dance the day this book was announced! It’s so rare to get an authorized behind the scenes look at the British Royal Family. Angela Kelley is not just Queen Elizabeth’s dresser, she is now Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor and Curator and In-house Designer! In this book we get a glimpse inside Kelly’s personal history and a behind the scenes look into some of the biggest events in The Queen’s calendar. I loved reading about all…

  • Books about the royal family
    Books,  Royal Family

    Books about the British Royal Family

    This is in no way an exhaustive list of books about the Royal Family, but it’s a good place to start. These are all books I personally own or have on my wish list based on recommendations. If you have suggestions of any other books, please comment them below! This blog uses affiliate links. For more on affiliate links, please visit our Policies page. Thank you! To support indie bookstores, you can shop my affiliate shop page at Bookshop.org – you can find the full list of the books below all in one spot there (with the exception of a couple out of print books)! Histories & Biographies… I wish…

  • Diana In Her Own Words
    Book Reviews,  Books,  Royal Family

    Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words

    Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton Book Review. Summary: In the early 1990s Princess Diana wanted a chance to tell her own story and she set about secretly doing so. Andrew Morton “interviewed” Diana by having a mutual friend, James Colthurst, sneak questions and a tape recorder in with him to Kensington Palace. Colthurst would record Diana’s answers and return them back to Morton. Along with the recordings, Diana also gave her friends and family permission to speak openly with Morton. The resulting book was a groundbreaking biography and a huge bombshell for the Palace to deal with. Review: This is the 25th anniversary edition…

  • The Quiche of Death
    Book Reviews,  Books

    The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton

    The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton Book Review. Dear Agatha, We’ve had our ups and downs. Your book was suggested to me many times, but each time I picked it up I set it back down. The synopsis just sounded a bit silly. Finally I decided to give it a chance. It was slow going at first and, I’m not going to lie, I found you very unlikable. I also have very little patience for someone who doesn’t fully appreciate their cottage in The Cotswolds! I was about to give up on you, but then I remembered that many suggested to try your story on audiobook. Agatha, you did…

  • Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes
    Book Reviews,  Books,  Royal Family

    Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes

    Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes Book Review. I adore this petite (like the Queen!) book. Broken down by color and pattern, it shows hundreds of pictures of the Queen’s most memorable outfits. It’s in the style of a coffee table type book (but smaller), so there are just short paragraphs or a few sentences giving some info on each one. I’ve always loved learning about the way the royals use fashion for diplomacy and Hughes points these out throughout. This is a great gift for a fan of the British Royal Family! I had it on my wishlist, but then couldn’t wait and bought it for myself… oops! I…

  • Don't You Forget About Me Mhairi McFarlane
    Book Reviews,  Books

    Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

    Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane – Book Review. Summary Georgina has been unlucky in her work and her love life. When an opportunity comes up to bartend at a great new pub, she’s thrilled. It seems like the perfect new job with a likable boss until she learns who his brother and business partner is. Lucas was her first love. Now he’s standing in front of her a decade later- successful and heartbreakingly handsome while she’s insecure about her recent firing and breakup. It doesn’t help her ego that he clearly doesn’t even remember her. Review I adored this book! It started a bit slow for me,…

  • Persephone Books
    Travel

    Persephone Books – London, England

    When I shared that I would be visiting London and asked for suggestions, so many people said I had to visit Persephone Books. I’m glad I took the suggestion! I wanted to share a bit about this interesting store and publisher and continue on with my England book haul by sharing my Persephone purchases. Persephone Books was founded in 1998 to publish books, primarily written by women, that had gone out of print. According to their website: The name Persephone was chosen as a symbol of female creativity, as well as of new beginnings (the daughter of Zeus is associated with spring). You can read the full history here. When…