Thank you to netgally and the publisher for sending me this for review.

I absolutely adored this book, we follow the true story of Marion Crawford A.K.A Crawfie who at a young age becomes a governss to Princess Elizabeth and Margaret, we follow Crawfie as she devotes herself to the Royal family making many sacrifices along the way. I really felt for Crawfie towards the end and felt she was misled terribly. I am interested to find out more about the fascinating woman and why she did what she did when she had given up everything to remain loyal to the royal family.

This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last, her writing kept me drawn in and she had formed her characters well.

A thoroughly engaging well researched insight into life with the Royal Family from the 1930s onwards. Good characters woven throughout.

Another wonderful read from Fern Britton.

The Good Servant, tells the story of Marion Crawford, a young Scottish girl, who planned to train as child psychologist, but ended up as the governess to Princess Elizabeth and Margaret, after taking up a short term role, which became 16 years of royal service.

A fictional novel, based loosely on real events, this was a truly enjoyable read, however I do wish Marion had listened to Tommys advice in the car!!

I found myself wanting to finish this book in one sitting, it’s was so enjoyable and such a lovely read just after all the jubilee celebrations.

Thank you Harper Collins UK for a digital review copy of this historical fiction book via NetGalley. I read and enjoyed The Newcomer by Fern Britton in 2019. I’m sharing a mini review for The Good Servant today.

As the recent jubilee celebrations have shown, there is love and fascination for the British Royal Family. This book, based on real people, shows how difficult it must have been to work for the family without letting slip any information that only an insider could know.

I often felt sorry for Marion when reading this novel, who found herself in an amazing but lonely place in history, educating two young girls, one of whom suddenly found herself destined to be Queen. Marion put her own personal life on hold to provide support to the family during the abdication crisis and the war.

This was a book that flowed beautifully as we discovered how Marion became the governess who stayed for many years longer than she had expected. The book looks at her choices in life, not all of them good, and how she went from being a cherished member of staff to being ostracised when ‘her’ book, The Little Princesses was published.

I enjoy reading historical fiction novels and I’m happy to recommend this one to readers of my book review blog.

This book is different from Fern Britton's usual books. It is Historical Fiction, but based upon a true story. It is the story of Crawfie, the Royal Governess who taught Queen Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret.
Although it is based upon a real person, the events are Fictional as the true story is unknown. It is a long book, but I really enjoyed reading it. I found it interesting and engaging.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. Addictive reading. I didn't know anything about Crawfie and while this may be a fictionalised account, I think her portrayal was one of a woman that truly lived and breathed her duty.

The Good Servant, a book that is fiction based on fact about an ordinary woman in Dunfermline, Scotland, whose life turned into the extraordinary, in this fascinating and engrossing book.

The Good Servant is fiction based on fact. It's a fictionalised account of Marion Crawford's life from before, during and after she an employee for the monarchy.
Marion is a young Scottish woman who becomes a governess to two princesses - Princess Margaret and the princess who became our present queen - Queen Elizabeth II. They were devoted to Marion Crawford and affectionately called her Crawfie. She was ambitious, but hadn't planned to take her ability to teach to that end of the population; her original plan was to educate and be a child psychologist at  the other end of the scale - the underprivieged, until fate drew its hand and changed them quite unexpectedly and dramatically. She took them on a journey of what people who aren't royalty, call normality.

It's a fascinating story that is revealed and makes me want to look into Marion's life more as I am sure many readers will after reading this rivetting book.

The book has an air of authenticity to it and Fern Britton has cleverly woven through the facts of an ordinary woman who suddenly has her life changed to the extraordinary and has to weigh up choices she hadn't thought she had to face, with the consequences to choose which path she will go along and some of the mistakes made along the way.

There are twists as readers see what mistakes are made and motives uncovered, involving a certain man in her life.

This is a book I recommend as it is very interesting, about a woman I certainly was barely aware of and the writing coupled with the research makes it a very good read.

I absolutely loved this gripping, beautifully written historical novel, based on the true story of Marion Crawford, governess to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Imbued with fascinating historical details, wonderful descriptions and a perfect sense of place, it managed to be both amusing and very moving. The characters were so well drawn and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
With grateful thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Fern Britton for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a departure from perhaps what we known Fern Britton for in terms of writing, she has branched into historical fiction. Historical fiction very much in reality.

The Good Servant is in fact Marion Crawford, the governess to the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in the 1930s onwards. Names familiar to us a Princess Elizabeth is now the longest serving monarch in British History having just celebrated her platinum jubilee.

Marion Crawford had ambitions on becoming a child psychologist and helping those less fortunate than her and certainly her later charges to be educated as she saw as their right. However after a interim job before she starts university with Lord and Lady Elgin, she comes to the attention to the Duke and Duchess of York and suddenly finds herself in London, in Windsor Castle. A far cry where she thought she would end up.

Becoming ingratiated within the castle walls and within the Royal Family, Marion or Crawfie as she is known to the children finds herself watching some the most momentous changes in the monarchy all from the close quarters. All of a sudden she is not in charge of princess but a future heir to the throne. Her loyalty, her trustworthiness in fact her worth should be valued highly.

And for the most part it is, until she meets George, older than her, but with the ambitions of becoming Marion’s husband much to the delight of Marion’s mother. Marion is loyal and faithful to the household she serves as well as falling in love with George. She has to choose duty and the path she thinks is best. It is not until much later that she chooses a married life. All that time George waited. But is there something bitter from Marion’s dedication to something other than the man she is supposed to love.

Loyal up until circumstances take Marion down a different path, her words her twisted, her actions questioned and her loyalty broken. She told of what happened behind palace walls. She broken the trust. But did she? Was she a victim of something else, influence by those around her who were fed up of being in her shadow?

No one will really know the true story but I have to say Fern Britton clearly has researched and gives us a very good fictionalised account of what could have been. What could have happened. I for one, would like to think that Marion was influenced by her husband, the world he existed in was so far removed from Marion’s, there was a sense of jealously. However I also feel that perhaps the palace were at fault for not being clear enough in some of their later intentions when it came to Marion’s writing. Something I think they are still carrying with them to this day and perhaps haven’t learnt from?

I adored this book, I like anything historical and this of course gives you a glimpse into something we well never really know about unless we are amongst it. Royalty is steeped in mystery no matter how old you are and I think it should be, to know the real truth would somehow ruin that.

This book had me gripped from page one to the very end, I knew much of the story, but there were gaps in my knowledge and I was surprised to learn how much I actually didn’t know about Marion Crawford and more importantly how much I assumed about what happened. I think it is always wise to challenge this thinking even if it is with a fictional story, it then opens your reading more widely. Thank you Fern Britton you have done this.

A must read for fans of history, monarchy and that overarching sense of duty.

A lively personable take on the early lives of the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret and their relationship with their governess Crawfie. Fern brings to life this era in her own unique style making this an easy read and entirely topical in this Jubilee year. As Fern points out, no one can know the true story behind the controversial events but this book does make the reader think and question the official line. Easy to read and enjoyable.

This was a fictionalised account of a true story. Marion Crawford was a governess to the Queen and her sister when they were young. She was persuaded to stay with the family even though she had plans to study child psychology.
I had the book she wrote on my unread bookshelf- but I'm now keen to read it! I've read a bit about the Royal Family recently due to the Jubilee and this book makes you wonder whether things could have happened the way this book suggests. She was certainly ill advised to write such a book with the restraints on the household staff. But Fern's account gives a perspective on how this could have happened.

Marion Crawford loyally served the royal family as governess to the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret for many years. Her mistake was to listen to her Husband regarding writing articles in the U.S press about the royal family. a sad story of a woman who after so many years of service listened to her no-good husband.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC. I absolutely loved this book and was completely swept up by the heartbreaking story. Any fans of historical fiction will love it - as will any who’ve read Fern’s previous books as she writes with the same warmth and wit.

I love Fern Brittons books they are always written beautifully with so much love. So when Fern had a new book called The Good Servant, I had to find time to sit in a shady spot in my garden and open my kindle. Everything for the next few hours of that day and the next few days, was put aside until I have finished this wonderful book! and what a wonderful book this was. I loved it.

This book may off been over 500 pages but I flew through it. Please don't be put off on How big this book is. It is so worth the read.I highly recommend this brilliant book and looking forward reading more books by this wonderful lady.

Well Done Fern 5 stars

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy

This was a fictionalised version of Marion Crawford's (Crawfie's) story as Governess in the Royal Family.

We'll never learn the truth of how things really went, but this was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I started with liking Crawfie, but by the time we reached the end, I'd grown so annoyed and frustrated with her!

Thank you to NetGalley, Fern Britton and Harper Collins for the chance to read this book.

Just finished this book this morning and loved it.I have read a few of Ferns books but I think this one my favourite so far.I lovely that it was based on a true story although fiction and about being the nanny to the Royals.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Absolutely love the premise of the book
Interestingly weaving fact and fiction = a great read

An amazing book! Fascinating, intriguing and enthralling. I don't know where fact crosses over into fiction, and I'm not sure I need to know. It's a beautifully written story that pulls together bits of fact and blends them into a wonderful story. Naivety and manipulation are powerful things. Powerful enough? Who knows. My favourite book this year.

This is the second book I've read by Fern Britton. I was mightily impressed by my first encounter with her writing, which made me determined to read more, if not all, of her books. So I pounced on this when it landed in my lap!

In this book, Britton has taken the bones of a true event and put meat and fat on them to provide a moving, thoroughly enjoyable and just a little bit sad story.

It's a delightful blend of royal fact and Britton's fiction. This fusion results in a delightful, very readable account. It's one that makes you wonder about Marion Crawford, the main character: a dedicated governess to the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, a loyal daughter to a dominant mother and an unwitting, devoted puppet to a devious, lying suitor, who tricked her into breaching the utmost confidence for the sake of money and which resulted in her eighteen years of dedication ending very badly.

Britton is a brilliant writer. She captures every aspect of a character and makes them real. She draws you in right at the beginning of her story and keeps you hooked till the very end.

A story of servitude and sacrifice, you can't help but warm to Crawfie as she puts her dreams on hold for the happiness of others. Her loyalty to the Crown is unwavering as she feels torn between her devotion to the Princesses and her love for George.

This fictionalised version of history is extremely well written and thoroughly researched, with an incredible attention to details. My heart goes out to her as things go full circle and Crawfie makes her contribution to those in poverty (albeit in a different way than she intended) together with a last act to prove she remained loyal to the core...I will be honest, I shed a tear!

This was an appropriately timed release with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy.