I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I must admit that I was taking it with a pinch of salt! I think it's perfect for fans of The Crown on Netflix, or just for anyone looking for a nice historical romance novel based on real people.

Before The Crown by Flora Harding is the historical love story between our Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It is set between 1943 and November 20th 1947.
For anyone who has watched The Crown on Netflix, this is the perfect accompaniment. It is easy to picture the characters and there is a familiarity with the names too.
There is always the pressure to do ones duty above all else. This is set against the desire for love. The reader witnesses the conflict as these two things are held in tension.
It is a beautiful love story that unfolds of the princess and the playboy who needs taming. Both are called to sacrifice in the name of love as the King and Queen were against the match.
I thoroughly enjoyed Before The Crown. I was glad that I had watched the series first as it enabled the book to come to life.
I have always admired our Queen Elizabeth II. She has always behaved with decorum. Having watched The Crown and read this book, my admiration for the Queen has grown, as has my knowledge about her life. I can highly recommend this book.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

There was a lot of things about this book that would incline me to love  it, and while I don't think it was quite for me, I wouldn't totally disregard it either.

I think it would be a good novel to read for Young Adults who are interested in History and maybe watched the Crown on Netflix with their parents and wanted a more simple version and focusing more on the love story. In the TV series we see a lot of issues that Phillip and Elizabeth face and we don't get to see as many of the happy times. Think of the montage at the beginning of the series about the 5 years before Elizabeth becomes Queen. That would be a good example of how this novel could make you feel.

Where it misses out for me is that it isn't as gritty or as sexy as I would want in my romance novels. I can under stand how that isn't where this author wanted to go. As well as wanting to be respectful to a couple who is still alive and are very elegant and classy. You would not want to stray from the truth or make things up just to sensationalize.

However, that leaves a bit of a dry landscape behind and it doesn't tick the boxes I am looking for in a romance novel.

***Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this novel.***

Brief Plot Summary
Before The Crown is a story of historical fiction based on the relationship or should I say romance, between Princess Elizabeth, someday to be Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It’s about who they were before they got married, why they married. It starts in the year 1943 and ends on their wedding day in 1947 and crosses WWII. 

My thoughts
This was not a typical romance novel, but it was as satisfying as one. It was more historical fiction, with insights into the thoughts of everyone including Elizabeth and Philip and everyone else who supported and opposed them. There is no suspense, since the audience knows that they will marry. What is interesting is how they themselves felt about the joining and some insight on how they will likely handle it in the years to come. This is a love story of the love between two people who can’t really marry for love, no matter what they want. Will it be desire or duty that will win in the end?

I started watching “The Crown” on Netflix after finishing this book. I am not sure if the book is supposed to be a companion to the television show or not, but I can’t help comparing what I learned in one to what I learn in the other. I think the book and show are meant to go together and support each other. Just look at the lovely picture of the young woman on the cover of the book. It shows the Princess from the back, dressed for duty, and also dressed for a romantic, special  event. She, about to go forward, and her audience, the readers, watching from behind her. And she is alone. All of that is significant. 

People interested in history, in the British Royal Family and the television show about them will enjoy this book. It was a great book, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Before the Crown is a standalone book by Flora Harding. There is a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that it is a work of fiction, BUT it isn't wholly fictional. The story is very much based on fact and I am surmising that by saying it is fictional that the author can't get in trouble for the parts that were made up or embellished. Perhaps the romantic parts?

I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Elizabeth and Philip and finding out so much about Philip's family that I didn't know before. Yes, I fact-checked afterwards to make sure what I read was true. This is where the disclaimer took some of my enjoyment of the book away, I was constantly questioning what was fact and what was fiction. 

It was really nice reading about Elizabeth and Philip as young people and if I didn't know better I would think the author was friends with Elizabeth and had a first-hand look into her life at the time and how she felt about her role in the royal family and about her choice of Philip as her husband. Her story was really enjoyable and I finished it far more knowledgeable than before about our royals.

As a romance it was sweet, and I loved reading about the wedding day and that the author wrote about Elizabeth's tiara breaking and having to be repaired because she didn't want to wear any other. Something I didn't know before. 

I do recommend this story but think although it's considered fiction that the author could maybe add some notes about how it is very much based on facts and maybe what those facts were.

While the writing was good, this book was a slow one for me. However, I enjoyed reading the story of Queen Elizabeth and Philip’s courtship and how their marriage came to be. I am fascinated by the monarchy, their role in the world and their relationships so I’ll take any insight into their lives. Stories like this only increase my respect for the queen.

The book I read before this was experimental fiction, coarse and graphic and full of gratuitous filth, and Before the Crown was the ideal romantic antidote. I will look for more by Flora Harding, I appreciated her straightforward chronological manner of writing, beginning in 1943 at the royal family's wartime Christmas celebration when Elizabeth was 17, and dashing Prince Philip was a worldly 21. I loved all the prim courtliness, Elizabeth's wholesome girlhood and unwavering resolve, and the many fascinating details of palaces and the famous couple's relationship. I've been living in London for a year now, and haven't yet fallen into the black hole of royal family bio and biopic madness... although I suppose this could be my first step onto the slippery slope...

The gorgeous cover of Before the Crown prepares you for the beautiful romance that lies within the pages. A story of mystery, glamour, and expectation about the love story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Before the Crown is a lovely romance that is sure to sweep you away.

This book is the story of the courtship of Elizabeth and Philip, before she is queen of England.  Gives the reader insight into what it means to marry into the royal family.  Historical fiction, so not exactly what happened, but gives you the gist of it anyway.  Entertaining for a look into their younger personalities.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It is a historical fiction novel about Princess Elizabeth and her courtship with Philip Mountbatten.  It takes you thru what it is like to be a royal and how their marriage comes to be. I never knew that in this marriage, Princess Elizabeth had to be the one who proposed. They face many obstacles on their way to her proposing. Her parents didn't really like him or didn't trust him with their daughter. This book moves fast and it is hard to put down. If you love the Netflix series The Crown, you will love this book. The only problem I had was I wanted the book to continue!! This book comes out on Thursday, so please go buy it!! ❤️
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Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Flora Harding for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A real teaser and a book that keeps you guessing what might be fact or fiction! For anyone that has seen Netflix The Crown this is a must read as I certainly had Claire Foye and Matt Smith in my minds eye. A great book, easy chapters to follow and of course great characters. Thanks Flora Harding and NetGalley. Easy to review as it was so good.

As a big Royal Family fan, as well as a viewer of Netflix’s The Crown, I was sucked into this historical novel! Told from the young perspectives of both Elizabeth and Phillip, I loved having a glimpse into their courtship and very early relationship. Not only did Flora Harding’s characterization of the Royals grab my attention, but her mentions of other historical figures and events - even as an American, I definitely found myself doing more research into the history! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this digital Advanced Copy!

Before the crown

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. 

The cover of this novel is what truly grabbed me! Isn’t it just beautiful? 

If you want to know what Queen Elizabeth was like before she was crowned then look no further. This one was an exceptional historical fiction that tells the romantic story of Elizabeth and her soon to be husband! 

3 stars for this light and easy read. If you are a fan of Netflix’s The Crown or a fan of the royal family then this is easily a book you will just love!

I didn't love this book, unlike so many others. I thought it was 'good', but not great. For me, it was a literary version of The Crown, only without the great dialogue. But if you are unfamiliar with the story of Philip and Elizabeth, give this a try - you will probably love it much more than I did.

This was my first historical fiction and I'll admit I didn't know much about the youthful Quenn Elizabeth. So I found this book fascinating! I thought the book itself was well written and it kept me turning the pages.  I honestly had never really thought much about Queen Elizabeth being young so I guess it intrigued me. I found my self looking at pictures of them young to coincide with what I was reading. I definitely hadn't given much thought to how Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip became a couple. Obviously considering who she was the courtship was not what any normal person would experince but considering the time period and status that was interesting as well. I thought this was a good read and gave perspective I had not considered.  Enjoy!

My sweet mother-in-law was a war bride. I loved learning about English royalty including watching movies my father-in-law took of the Queen’s Coronation along the streets of London. I wish she was still here to talk about Before the Crown by Flora Harding. First, the cover is stunning! I enjoyed reading this book told from both Elizabeth’s and Philip’s points of view. At times, I felt the writing was rather dry. I did feel for the most part the author caught what it was like to live in the bubble of Buckingham Palace. I was disappointed in the ending. It was very abrupt, and I felt a better ending would be at the end of the wedding day. My thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The fascinating story of Queen Elizabeth's and Prince Phillip's meeting, courtship and engagement. Set against the years following WWII fans of historical fiction will enjoy this look into the Royal life and the life of the young Queen to be. Told in alternating points of view I found the chapters devoted to Phillip and his reactions the most interesting. He wasn't always Elizabeth's biggest fan but he grew to love and admire her deeply. Theirs is one of the world's most enduring marriages. So sit back and enjoy this peek into Royalty.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a fictional story of the courtship of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It encompasses the time period from their first meeting until the day of their wedding. If you are looking for dark secrets and scandal this is not the book you want to read but I did enjoy reading the story. Events and characters in the story had me searching google to find out more about them. The author does an excellent job of recreating the time period and gives life to Princess Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and to supporting characters whose names I recognized but knew nothing about. I recommend reading this book especially for people are interested in the royal family and stories of WW2 Britain. Publishing date: September 17, 2020. #BeforeTheCrown #FloraHarding #RoyalCourtship #HistoricalFiction #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer

FANS OF THE NETFLIX SHOW, THE CROWN, I HAVE A BOOK FOR YOU! 👑 

I really enjoy learning about the British Royal Family and this book was everything I didn’t know I needed. It was a lovely and wholesome historical fiction romance. I loved learning about Queen Elizabeth and Phillip’s love story. *it even mentions her beloved corgis!! 🥺*

I truly thought the way the author wrote about the couple was so sweet. I began going down a Queen Elizabeth rabbit hole and researching about her life after finishing this story. I’m a fan. 

I really loved so much about this novel. Harding’s writing was wonderful and I felt transported to Windsor Castle in the 40s. I also really loved the character development of Elizabeth, the pressure she felt as a princess and future Queen was palpable from the start. I loved that she chose to live her life and stood her ground for love. 💖

Before the Crown is a novel that tells the story Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's early days, before they were even on the throne.  Their love story is part business transaction, part young love during war and Flora Harding does a solid job of interweaving fact and historical name dropping to keep the audience intrigued even though we all know how this romance turns out.

This is a must read for fans of the Netflix show The Crown!  Thank you to HarperCollins UK via NetGalley for the early review copy.  Before the Crown will be published on September 17, 2020.