Absolutely loved this, festive historical fiction. The story starts in 1952 with Queen Elizabeth’s first Christmas at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. A bustling Sandringham getting ready for the festivities.

We are introduced to the two main characters, Jack Deveraux is from New Orleans but has been living in London. His wife recently died, and he's encouraged by a friend to take up a chef role in the palace. And Olive Carter, a reporter with the BBC. Olive gets the opportunity to take the place of her colleague to meet the Queen and report on the christmas preparations at Sandringham. She knows she is good enough to be a Royal Correspondent, she just need to battle through the perception of her role as a woman. Theya re shocked to bump into each other unexpectedly as they last saw each other in 1945 as the war was ending.

The story is told from different POVs and as a reader you feel totally immersed in their lives from that Christmas and over the years that follow. I loved this story, it's light and easy to read and a perfect one for Christmas time.

This was a book I really did enjoy reading, although after the first chapter I did wonder why we’d gone away from the title of the book but as you read on, it does start to make sense. A great storyline that is easy to understand and that was enjoyable to read. Definitely a book to recommend.

A romance told over the decades from two points of view. I enjoyed reading this over Christmas. The mix of royalty and the ordinary complemented each other well as you saw both the differences and the parallels in their lives. Jack and Olive were believable characters and their lives interesting to follow over the years. A sweet festive romance with a touch of royalty!

I really enjoyed this story and loved the little connections with the Queen and how this portrayed her as a real person as a Mother and Wife. The build up to the speeches was lovely and added to the Christmas spirit. The actual main story was a real love story and I loved how this tale was told from both perspectives. I lovely read that I highly recommend.

A romantic novel, not really terribly Christmassy with some interesting imaginary conversations with a young Queen Elizabeth regarding her speeches.

This was a a Christmas read with a difference......no Hallmark vibes in sight, although we do get some snow

2024 was the year I discovered my love for historical fiction , so this was a good choice for my December reading. Historical fiction, but lovely and light, an easy read with a festive feel. Bonus points for a dual timeline (WW2 and Christmastime for a number of consecutive years, starting from the late Queen's first speech).

I'm not a Royalist in the slightest, but I really enjoyed how the story showed the queen as a human first and foremost; the story felt well researched and subsequently I felt I was getting a real glimpse behind the scenes of Royal family life.

Overall I found this an enjoyable read for the time of year, including a bit of a jaw dropper quite near the start which caused me to shed a tear or two (IYKYK!!). The main plot however is a romance, with lots of miscommunication/non communicating , not my favourite! However I did like both characters enough to root for them and hope for a happy Christmas ending. You'll have to read it to find out if my wish was granted.

I'm glad I put this on my Christmas list, and I hope my review helps you to figure out if it should be on yours.

I am a fan of historical novels and anything that also features the Royal Family can also be a favourite of mine. I was intrigued by this joint Christmas novel which focuses on the early reign and the first televised Christmas speeches of her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Olive is an inspiring reporter at the BBC and finds herself at Sandringham to report on a Royal Christmas. Not only does she have an encounter with the Queen herself, she also finds herself back with Jack who she has not seen for a number of years.

Jack, recently widowed has come to Sandringham to help in the kitchens in a bid to forget about his grief and his plans for opening his own restaurant. Meeting Olive again reminds him of what he has lost. But Olive is hiding a secret and it could change everything.

This is a lovely saga of a story set with the backdrop of the first televised Christmas speech by a reigning Monarch. It was lovely to get a behind the scenes sort of novel with the addition of a lovely heart warming story. Good Christmas spirit in days gone by.

I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a Royalist but I do love a Christmas story and I am so happy to have read Christmas with the Queen. I can't even begin to imagine how it works for two people to write a novel together but, in this instance at least, it certainly worked.
The characters really came to life and their stories caused a rosy glow, and sometimes, tears.
The research carried out on the Royal Christmases from 1952 until 1957 was obvious throughout and the nostalgia was papable.
This was one of those books that you don't want to end and I totally recommend it.

The publisher’s intro
December 1952
As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to deliver her first Christmas speech, staff work behind the scenes to get ready for the festivities at Sandringham Estate. Among them are Jack and Olive – old friends who are surprised to be reunited after seven years apart.
While Olive works for the BBC reporting on the royal family, and Jack is employed in the queen’s kitchens, their bond deepens – until a secret threatens to tear them apart. When the truth comes to light, it could change Olive and Jack's lives forever.
But maybe Christmas has one last gift to deliver…

My review
Christmas in the UK is not complete without listening to the royal speech. This story starts with this particular time in the new Queen Elizabeth’s life in 1952, her first Christmas speech and goes until her 1957 Christmas speech, the first to be televised. The topic of the queen and her family and their activities and life is addressed with respect, discretion and the writing conveys the elegance and dedication of the queen. The story of second chances between Olive and Jack develops slowly over these four years, reminding us also of how things were before the real time communication craze we live in now. It is a little bit like being in a time capsule. And the Christmas atmosphere is lovely. The recipes are mouth watering, and if I have one bémol about the book, it is that they are not in it, so it all stays in our imagination.
It was a very enjoyable read for a little bit of British Christmas atmosphere.

Such a heartwarming story. I loved following the story of Jack and Olive, rekindling their friendship and exploring out the past really can shape the future. As a royal fan, i loved how sensitive the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth and Phillip was. A story of dreams to follow and correcting the past to the story that could have been!

I enjoyed this festive story, an engaging blend of fact and fiction. Olive works for the BBC and is determined to succeed despite the misogyny she encounters. Jack, a gifted chef, experiences a tragic loss; the third voice in this story is a young Queen Elizabeth. The story is set in London, Sandringham, and at sea, blending historical events with romantic fiction. Olive and Jack meet at Sandringham, which is not their first encounter. Their romance is conflicted with secrets and missed opportunities; it is played out in a festive royal setting. I like the characters, the mix of historical events and fiction and the enduring romance.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

December 1952

As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to deliver her first Christmas speech, staff work behind the scenes to get ready for the festivities at Sandringham Estate. Among them are Jack and Olive – old friends who are surprised to be reunited after seven years apart.

While Olive works for the BBC reporting on the royal family, and Jack is employed in the queen’s kitchens, their bond deepens – until a secret threatens to tear them apart. When the truth comes to light, it could change Olive and Jack's lives forever.

But maybe Christmas has one last gift to deliver…

I cannot express, how much I loved this book. You could tell that plenty research had been done for this book and this definitely made me as a reader, felt like I was there with the characters. I think it was last year that I discovered the author Hazel Gaynor and I love her books already. Also praise to Heather Webb who wrote this book with Hazel.
I’m already super excited for this authors next book next year!

I very much enjoyed this historical novel set just after the end of World War 2. I loved the Sandringham setting and thought the characters were lovely. A perfect festive read.

The book features a young Queen Elizabeth II. It is December 1952 at Sandringham and the new queen is preparing for her first radio Christmas broadcast. Trying to find her feet in her new position and keep up the traditions of her father and grandfather, she enlists the advice of a young BBC typist and aspiring reporter for the BBC, Olive Carter. Olive, who is a stand in for the usual reporter. She seizes the opportunity to prove her worth to her boss and write a new female perspective of the queen for their readers.

Olives story along with Jack Devereux weave into the story of the queen. Jack is working as a member of the royal kitchen staff and has known Olive for years, as they met when the war ended and were friends and lovers once. As they reconnect, the Queen strives forwards to do her duty to her people and the commonwealth, their paths intertwine every December as she again helps the queen prepare for her speech. But will they get the happy ending they both deserve as Olive keeps a secret from Jack that could make or break them.

I actually enjoyed this book more than, I thought I would have to be honest. When the book was described as The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally and Bridget Jones’s Diary. I did not have a clue what I would be getting into. Co- written by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. I haven't read anything by the pair before but I will definitely look out for more of their works.

Being born and brought up in the UK, we followed the family tradition of having our Christmas lunch and sitting down to trifle and watching the Queens Speech, a tradition, I now also carry out in my own household, usually whilst we have a glass of Dubonnet.

I would consider myself something of a royalist and have watched many documentaries about the royal family and read various books about them also. I thought the parts about the queen and indeed prince Phillip were written very well and showed how she like to keep tradition. The queen came across as a warm and caring person whilst keeping the decorum she was expected to as the monarch. And a mutual respect was born between her and Olive., as women and mothers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Exploring the themes of tradition, family, and love wrapped around a fascinating look at the young Queen’s early Christmas broadcasts. Times were changing in those post war years and the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth was facing a changing world. There is a special highlight on her Christmas Day speeches which although the reader needs to suspend disbelief in events leading up to it, the words ring clear and true. There are wonderful insights into those early years of Elizabeth’s reign and especially the operation of the royal kitchens from 1952-1957.

The title of the book is somewhat misleading as the main story is about Jack Devereux, a fill-in chef in the royal kitchens and Olive Carter, a typist and reporter for the BBC. From the time they first met straight after the war until they meet again years later - it’s a story of their romance and the things that connected them in the past and now in the present. The highlights for me were when Olive interacts with Queen Elizabeth as it invites the reader to step into the lives of two women trying to forge their way in a male dominated world.

As I start this month of festive reads I can think of no better story to have as my featured book of the month in December than Christmas with the Queen. Right from the very start of this lovely story, which covers the years 1952-1957, I was taken back in time to the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, watching her grow in confidence as she takes on the daunting task of broadcasting her first Christmas speech to the nation and commonwealth.

Not only is this a fascinating look at how the Queen’s Christmas Day broadcasts developed, but it also gives us the chance get to know the two lovely lead characters who hold the story together in such a special way. Olive Carter is a fledgling journalist working at the BBC and hoping to become a royal correspondent and American, Jack Devereux, a talented chef, who gets the opportunity to work in the royal kitchens at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral. Told in individual chapter we learn more about Olive and Jack, and also about Queen Elizabeth herself which makes for a fascinating glimpse into this royal world. However, running alongside is the story of Jack and Olive’s friendship which began in 1945 at the end of WWII and of a secret which, once discovered, will test Olive and Jack’s will they, won’t they relationship to the limit.

Beautifully written, with such a heartwarming message, Christmas with the Queen captured my imagination from the start. It sweeps you from post war London, to the elegant beauty of the Royal estate at Sandringham and gives a tantalising glimpse into life there however, it is with Olive and Jack where the heart of the story lies, and it is their story running alongside that of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip which makes this into such a special festive read.

3.75 ⭐️

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for this eARC

I’m in two minds about this book: on the one hand, I thought the premise of setting a romance over the time span of Queen Elizabeth II first radio Christmas speech and her first television speech was great, and the second chance love story turned out very sweet… but a few problems did slightly ruin it for me.
First, this book is repetitive. If a character has a thought, they will think it again and again. It starts to verge on telling not showing, and I would rather do some of the work myself. I guessed the big reveal after four chapters and it left me disappointed.
Secondly, I wanted this to give me more of the Queen than the image projected. We got it in small parts, but sometimes it seemed like she was nothing more than a background character there to offer prescient advice and coming across as an oracle or Yoda. I just wanted more and unfortunately it didn’t deliver.
On a positive note, it was very Christmassy and I left the novel feeling very festive.
I’d recommend this for anyone who likes second-chance romance, slow-burn love stories, and of course, those who love the royal family.

Another truly lovely read by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb.
It is 1952 and the young Queen Elizabeth is at Sandringham preparing for her first Christmas message.
Olive, a single mother to Lucy, works at the BBC and is eager to become a true reporter but it is a man’s world. She has an opportunity to visit Sandringham to report on the Queen’s first Christmas as the monarch because the usual Royal Reporter is taken ill. Will this be Olives big chance to shine!
Jack has just lost his wife in a tragic accident and through a friend he ends up as a junior chef at Sandringham.
Olive and Jack bump into each other while both at Sandringham and are surprised to see each other again after so many years.
The books chapters alternate between the life of Olive and Jack in the 1950s and when they first met in 1945.
The book weaves an engaging read across a number of Christmas’s with the Queen’s Christmas message to the nation as the focal point.
Love, friendship, family and tradition are major themes. 5/5

The new queen getting ready for her first christmas speech. Jack facing a tough christmas finds himself at Sandringham working as a chef. Olive wanting a chance to report on the queen and hoping for her shot at being royal corrsepondant. Jack and Olive have a history and maybe they're headed for a new future.

Aww what a lovely festive read. The queens speech was such a legacy and a tradition in many UK households including mine. We all sat with our christmas pudding to hear her words. This was such a heartfelt and wonderful take on those messages and those working behind the scenes. I loved the little interludes from the queen herself. The story though is mostly told by Jack and Olive. The plot is simple and sweet. The ending was so well written, finishing it beautifully. A light-hearted fun read for christmas.

This is a nice easy story, a little more poignant now that the Queen has died, but a nice story nonetheless. Although the queen is featured here, realistically the story is about two old friends, Jack and Olive, who having lost touch years earlier find themselves both at Sandringham for the festive season. Jack is a chef who takes up a position with the royal household following on from the sudden death of his beloved wife. Olive on the other hand lives at home with her parents still, but works for the BBC. The usual royal correspondent is ill and Olive seizes the opportunity for her to cover the royal event. Amazed as they both are to meet in such an auspicious place it takes a while for them both to rekindle the friendship they once enjoyed.
For me this is a three ⭐️story. Many thanks to #NetGalley for my ARC of this book.