The Royal Windsor Secret

By Christine Wells

What it’s about?

Could she be the secret daughter of the Prince of Wales?

In this dazzling novel by the author of Sisters of the Resistance, a young woman seeks to discover the truth about her mysterious past. Perfect for readers of Shana Abe, Bryn Turnbull, and Marie Benedict. 

Cleo Davenport has heard the murmured conversations that end abruptly the second she walks into a room. Told she was an orphan, she knows the rumor–that her father is none other than the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. And at her childhood home at Cairo’s Shepheard’s Hotel, where royals, rulers, and the wealthy live, they even called her “The Princess.”

But her life is turned upside down when she turns seventeen. Sent to London under the chaperonage of her very proper aunt, she’s told it’s time to learn manners and make her debut. But Cleo’s life can’t be confined to a ballroom. She longs for independence and a career as a jewellery designer for Cartier, but she cannot move forward until she finds out about her past.

Determined to unlock the truth, Cleo travels from London, back to Cairo, and then Paris, where her investigations take a shocking turn into the world of the Parisian  demi-monde , and a high-class courtesan whose scandalous affair with the young Prince of Wales threatened to bring down the British monarchy long before anyone had heard of Wallis Simpson

What I think:

Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson have been an interest of mine since I was a teenager, so historical fiction featuring them is a definite read for me.

This story takes the end to different times and different places to weave together a story of love, lust, greed and generosity.

The central character is Cleo Davenport, a young woman growing up in the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo. Her guardian is an eccentric Egyptologist and she is raised by governesses and hotel staff. Found on the steps of the hotel, she has no idea idea who her real parents are, but there have long been rumours that it was the Prince of Wales, future Edward VIII.

Cleo sets out yo find out the truth of her birth against the backdrop of the abdication crisis and WW2.

There are so great characters that you will love to hate. Marguerite is a particularly delicious and devious woman. Doing everything she can to survive, she is willing to go to any lengths to reach the levels of wealth she needs to be secure, often with scandalous consequences.

I love Cleo’s independence and resilience. She has a passion for jewellery and is determined to pursue her dreams no matter the obstacles in her way. That was such an interesting and enjoyable aspect of the story.

This book has a bit of everything – historical details, drama, romance, and a mystery that needs to be solved. This would make such a good TV series!

About the author:

Christine Wells writes historical fiction featuring strong, fascinating women. From early childhood, she drank in her father’s tales about the true stories behind popular nursery rhymes and she has been a keen student of history ever since.

After graduating from university with a law degree, Christine worked in a large city firm, specialising in corporate mergers and acquisitions. She might still be a lawyer if she hadn’t accepted a challenge from her friend to try her hand at a novel. The minute she began to weave that story, she fell in love with writing fiction. She learned that every writer must begin somewhere, that writing novels takes hard work, long hours and much revising, and that publishing success often involves as much luck as it does talent, productivity, and persistence.

Christine has gone on to publish sixteen novels set in periods ranging from Georgian England to post World War II France.

Passionate about helping other writers learn the craft and business of writing fiction, Christine enjoys mentoring and teaching workshops whenever her schedule permits.

Christine loves dogs, running, holidays at the beach, and window-shopping for antiques. She lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia.

Christine’s website: https://christine-wells.com/about/

Thank you to Harper 369 and Random Things Tours for my gifted copy of this book and for inviting me to be a part of this fabulous book tour.