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ravensandlace's review
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Title: Royal
Author: Danielle Steel
Genre: Romantic Historical Fiction
Format: library hardback
Star Rating: 3 stars
tw: bombing, sexism, teenage pregnancy, death, basically kidnapping, cancer, mentions of war
So this was an interesting book but it certainly wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. It was completely unrealistic but it was a somewhat enjoyable ride. It was weird to read about a kidnapping where essentially everyone was cool with it. Most of the time, when you kidnap someone and then bring them back, people aren’t going to just let that go.
That’s what made the book so unrealistic. I’ve read about the current Royal family and the way Meghan Markle was treated so I know that the royals in this book, King Frederick and Queen Anne, wouldn’t have accepted Annie. Granted, I do not know how the King and Queen were during that time but I imagine not much would have changed in the however many years since World War II. But I suppose that is what makes for a good novel.
My biggest problem with this book was just the unrealism as I mentioned above. There was so much fluff. There were no real hardships that any of the characters truly had to face. There were death, war, and some broken relationships but honestly, the characters had it pretty easy. Or at least they reacted to everything with ease. I expected more grit, I guess. I wanted more angst. I wanted to see some struggle with Annie and how she would live her life with her two different families.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read despite my criticisms. I didn’t care for how unrealistic it was but it was a nice in-between book. I read it after reading a rather heavy Holocaust book, so it helped lighten my heart a little bit. But this wasn’t a bad book, just the middle of the road.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Bullying, Grief, Cancer, Sexism, and Death
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