Happy Release Day!
Congrats Heather
on the release today of
In the Shadow of a Queen!
In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore
Historical Fiction, 384 pages
Published October 4, 2022 by Shadow Mountain
Based on the true story of the free-spirited daughter of Queen Victoria.
Princess Louise’s life is upended after her father’s untimely death. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother—the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.
Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.
Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.
In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost.
My thoughts about In the Shadow of a Queen ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"Until today I have been unable to write in my Journal, which I shall now take up where I left off, though not before I have expressed by heart, felt thanks for God's merciful protection again on this occasion, & for being so particularly well."
Okay, right off the bat, I have to confess that the time period covered in this book has not really interested me in the past. The royal family has really never been a fascination for me either.
But the book is written by Heather B. Moore so I knew I had to give it a chance. With every single book that I have read by Ms. Moore, I have learned so, so much. So even though it was topic that I didn't think I would be interested in, I knew that by reading her words, the subject would come alive for me.
That's why I took a chance on In the Shadow of a Queen—not a subject I was particularly interested in—because I knew it would be a wonderful read and a great experience. And with the recent passing of the Queen, my world has been filled with all things royal so this book came at the perfect time.
Learning about Princess Louise and Queen Victoria was enlightening and coming to understand the lives and expectations of the royals was eye-opening. I guess all mothers and daughters have issues, no matter their station in life, some just on a grander scale.
Like I said, anything that I read from Ms. Moore has been compelling and educational for me and I find myself becoming engrossed by the topic. I love learning about new things and her writing is so eloquent that it's a pleasurable experience to learn, not painful like it was in school. 😉
In the Shadow of a Queen took me out of my comfort zone, as far as reading material goes, but I have now discovered a whole new genre world that has been opened up to me. The royal family and their traditions are so interesting and I want to find out more.
I highly recommend In the Shadow of a Queen for all historical fiction lovers, especially if you have even just a little bit of interest in the royals. It was a delight to read.
I received a copy of In the Shadow of a Queen from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.
About the author
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.
Her historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.
Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English. ~ Goodreads
Connect with Heather
**********************
Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks SO much for leaving me a comment! Every single one means a whole lot to me!