Publisher and Publication Date: Shadow Mountain Publishing. October 4, 2022.
Genre: Historical fiction. Inspirational fiction.
Pages: 384.
Format: Advanced reader copy/e-book.
Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing and Austenprose. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Readers of Queen Victoria’s royal family. Readers of the Victorian era.
Rating: Excellent.

To read more information about the book visit the publisher at Shadow Mountain Publishing. That is a direct link to the book.

Praise:

“Peek into the House of Hanover and view the strength of two women: Queen
Victoria and her daughter Princess Louise. This story weaves compassion and
conflict into breathtaking and gripping historical detail.”— Julie Wright, author of
A Captain for Caroline Gray.
“Moore crafts an intriguing portrait of the independently minded Princess Louise
and her tensions with the English royal family. Moore sets the stage with
meticulous research, and she expertly combines fact with fiction, with
psychological insights on Victoria’s mercurial moods and the impact of her
controlling nature. It adds up to a worthy portrait of a woman divided by duty and
self-determination.”— Publishers Weekly.
5 STARS – “I always enjoy Heather Moore’s historical novels. This one did not
disappoint! She is impeccable with her research and always does an excellent
job of bringing people from the past to life.”— Julia Daines, bestselling author
of Haven Cross, and Whitney Award Finalist.

Links to purchase:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

The Kindle copy is $4.99. At Amazon, it is also available in audio, hardcover, and audio CD.

Author Info:

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Summary:

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:

Recently I read another book about the same people. Louise was shown as an outspoken, artistic, intelligent young woman. The book emphasized her defiance and disrespect of her mother, Queen Victoria. The book emphasized her artistic work and the supposed affair she had before and during her marriage. I gave that book 3 stars for good. To me, the book came across as sensationalistic.

In the Shadow of a Queen emphasizes the royal family’s love and devotion to one another. Even though the queen and Louise did not always agree, and Louise wanted to pursue interests outside her mother’s rule and will, Louise respected and honored her mother. I love these qualities. Honor and respect are moral qualities, but also show the true character of the person. Louise is shown as gentle, kind, thoughtful, sensitive, devoted, wise, purposeful, and loving. I have given this book 5 stars for excellent. This book comes across as intimate and real; and it is a story and a daughter to be admired.

Additional reason why I love, In the Shadow of a Queen:

1. Much of the story is dialogue among the family members including the husband of Louise and herself. I love their devotion, tenderness, and love for one another. Often, the scenes are intimate, and share conversations that I leaned into as if I too were a part of their conversations. This helps to sweep me up and away. The feeling and atmosphere in a story that pulls me in.
2. The story starts at the beginning of Louise’s life. It moves forward progressing through her age. I watched her grownup. I watched her transform to a lovely young woman.
3. The pace of the story is slower at times. This is not an adventurous edge of your seat type book. It is the life of Queen Victoria’s family. They have day’s when they are busy with events, and they have many slow days when they are at home with one another. I feel this helps shape them as people I can identify with and not just celebrity type individuals.
4. Before Albert’s death, I saw his dedication and time spent with the children. He was involved with every area of their lives.
5. I love the happy times the children shared with their mother.
6. I love the descriptions of people. Their clothing, mannerisms, posture; and facial expressions to the point of intimacy and a revealing of unsaid affection.
7. One of the best romantic scenes in literature that I’ve read is the courtship of Louise and John Campbell, the 9th Duke of Argyll. It is less about physical activities, and more about patience, true love and devotion.

I want to clarify something. There are scenes when Victoria and her children are at odds. When one defies the other. When a scandal has caught fire. But for me, I saw the love and devotion as more pronounced in the story. The negative situations only show a reality that effects all people no matter their station or status in life.

In the Shadow of a Queen is one of my favorite reads of 2022!