It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…
When Violet Parker is told she will
be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune.
She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the
Duchess of Kent.
Violet hopes to explore who she is
and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her
every thought and action.
Then she meets James Greene,
assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely
different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither
need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths
cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.
Only Victoria’s court is not always
the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…
I've always loved Rachel Brimble's books and this one is no exception. It's just perfect and it didn't take me long to really get into the story. Poor Violet Parker is handed the opportunity of a lifetime by her mother. To be part of the Queen's household. However, not long after the news is given to Violet does she learn the real reason why her mother has organised this opportunity for her. She really should have known better given how horrible her mother is. She's overbearing, rude and cruel and her treatment of Violet is definitely not what one would expect of a mother. Despite her initial disappointment at her mother's ulterior motive, Violet tries to immerse herself in the royal household with a Queen of similar age who is delighted at her arrival and the pair quickly become friends.
Violet soon catches the eye of James Green, also part of the royal court. But despite Violet's initial statement to the Queen about having no interest in romance of any sort, she soon finds that her heart has other ideas. But like Violet, James has expectations of duty put upon him by his overbearing father. The pair seem destined to never have control over their own lives. With so many obstacles put in their way by Violet's mother and James's father, it seems that the path to true love will definitely not run smoothly.
This is such a beautifully written novel that was so easy to fall into and forget to come up for air. Rachel Brimble has undoubtedly captured the era perfectly and as a reader I felt that I was right there alongside Victoria and Violet and could feel their frustrations at the limitations imposed on their gender, for even the Queen of England was not a woman free to do as she pleased despite the many privileges her life had to offer her.
If you love historical romance, then you'll absolutely love this book. Highly recommended. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review! :) x