In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite book cover?

I love the book cover for In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore.  I think it goes perfect with the title.  When your mother is Queen Victoria, how do you step out of the shadow to be your own person?

Louise is the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria.  Her life comes to a sudden change when her father, Prince Albert, dies when he is only 42.  Louise’s teenage years are spent alone in mourning.  Her family stays out of the limelight, and she is unable to meet others her own age. As she grows older, she discovers her great love of creating sculptures.  She is the first woman from the royal family to attend the art academy. When it comes time to marry, she is able to chose from the British peerage rather than a foreign prince.  When everyone is trying to help you make a match though, it does tend to dampen the romance.  Will she find the love of her life?

I enjoyed this book and learning about Louise.  I came in with no prior knowledge of her and I learned a lot.  This book goes from Louise’s childhood through her early marriage.  I loved the romance with her husband.  There were also difficulties with marrying within the British peerage that I had no idea about.  It was interesting.  I loved the parade of suitors and Louise having to deicide with too much help from her family the royal household.  It was also interesting that with Queen Victoria’s large family marrying into so many royal houses that they were often in conflict or even war with each other.  That would make conversation interesting!

I loved that Louise did emerge from the shadow of the queen and forged her own path in life.  I love how she had her artistic creative side making her sculptures, her marriage to the man she loved, and her political causes.  There was an interesting author’s note at the end, and it goes through each chapter to tell the real history.  I loved it!

This is a clean read with hints of romance, but all romance is closed door.

Review Copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: In the Shadow of a Queen

·       Author: Heather B. Moore

·       Genre: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: ‎Shadow Mountain Publishing (October 4, 2022)

·       Length: (384) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook 

·       ISBN: 978-1639930500

·       Tour Dates: September 26 – October 9, 2022

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

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.

 

ADVANCE 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

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

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 Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

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