Royal
By: Danielle Steel
288 Pages
Summary:
As the war rages on in the summer of 1943, causing massive destruction and widespread fear, the King and Queen choose to quietly send their youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte, to live with a trusted noble family in the country. Despite her fiery, headstrong nature, the princess's fragile health poses far too great a risk for her to remain in war-torn London.
Third in line for the throne, seventeen year-old Charlotte reluctantly uses an alias upon her arrival in Yorkshire, her two guardians the only keepers of her true identity. In time, she settles comfortably into a life out of the spotlight, befriending a young evacuee and training with her cherished horse. But no one predicts that in the coming months she will fall deeply in love with her protectors' son.
She longs for a normal life. Far from her parents, a tragic turn of events leaves an infant orphaned. Alone in the world, that child will be raised in the most humble circumstances by a modest stable manager and his wife. No one, not even she, knows of her lineage. But when a stack of hidden letters comes to light, a secret kept for nearly two decades finally surfaces, and a long lost princess emerges.
A fascinating story of family and royalty, and an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young woman and the man who brings her home, Royal is an exhilarating work from America's most beloved storyteller.
Third in line for the throne, seventeen year-old Charlotte reluctantly uses an alias upon her arrival in Yorkshire, her two guardians the only keepers of her true identity. In time, she settles comfortably into a life out of the spotlight, befriending a young evacuee and training with her cherished horse. But no one predicts that in the coming months she will fall deeply in love with her protectors' son.
She longs for a normal life. Far from her parents, a tragic turn of events leaves an infant orphaned. Alone in the world, that child will be raised in the most humble circumstances by a modest stable manager and his wife. No one, not even she, knows of her lineage. But when a stack of hidden letters comes to light, a secret kept for nearly two decades finally surfaces, and a long lost princess emerges.
A fascinating story of family and royalty, and an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young woman and the man who brings her home, Royal is an exhilarating work from America's most beloved storyteller.
---courtesy of bn.com
*** My Review does include some spoilers ***
This story is all about the fallout of war and secrets. As the book opens, princess Charlotte is sent away for her own safety. No one thought it would be for more than a year. Well, a lot happens when the year in question is during a war. And in true fiction style, a lot happens in Princess Charlotte's life within said year. Not only does she keep her true identity secret, but she falls in love, gets pregnant, gets married, becomes a war widow, gives birth and then dies. The rest of the book is centered around her daughter, Anne Louise who doesn't learn of her heritage until she's an adult.
There were parts of this story I had a hard time connecting with. Most of the story had me fascinated. What originated out of revenge grew to a genuine parental love between Lucy and Anne. You kept waiting to see how the truth would unfold and it didn't happen in a way I expected. You didn't always want to like Lucy. Her motives weren't always good in the beginning- but they changed over time. She gave Anne a happy and solid life full of love that she probably wouldn't have had otherwise,
Not being a big horse fan, I wasn't pulled into that part of the story. While I like the groundbreaking leaps Anne made for women in the equestrian field, I wasn't as pulled into this aspect of the book as I was with other parts.
The area I had the hardest struggle with was the last 1/4 of the book. Anne's transition to royal life wasn't at all what I expected or thought likely. Nor was I able to get behind the romance of Anne and Anthony. In a matter of a paragraph she goes from seeing him in a brotherly view to confessing her love in a romantic view.
Overall, it was a moderate read. There were amazing parts and equally disappointing parts to this story for me. I wasn't as gripped or invested in this book as I have been with previous Danielle Steel books. I don't think I would buy this particular book. I love her historical fiction, but this one wasn't one of her bests. It's a great summer beach read, but not among my favorites.
