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A review by racheyreads
The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A fictional woman slotted into situational events of real people, such a beautiful and interesting take on historical events. Cleo was a riveting and industrious character, who thankfully never gave into societal pressures and is an inspiration to everyone. I loved reading the events and history that was twisted into fiction through the eyes of Cleo.
The writing of this novel was exceptional and chapters didn't overstay their welcome. It felt as if all the important information was shown as needed, however I did feel this left the chapters stopping and starting abruptly. That being said, Christine does an amazing job of telling this story through the perspectives of multiple people over different timeframes. This can get very confusing for some, and it was well executed.
I did feel as though I needed a French dictionary to fully comprehend what is exactly being talked about sometimes within this novel. The spoken language/phrases weren't so much of an issue, it was the description of items being talked about. I don't know how many people would have a decent understanding of French fashion and what the pieces are called, but I found myself bringing up Google more often that I should have to know what the characters were talking about.
Overall this novel was a great mash up of historical fiction, real historical people, romance and mystery that I would recommend. I appreciated the characters and their places within the world and enjoyed the fictional take on the real people depicted in this novel and their interactions with Cleo. All this while subtly highlighting the privilege some people experienced, and bringing people's eyes towards a real woman who no doubt got away with Murder.
The writing of this novel was exceptional and chapters didn't overstay their welcome. It felt as if all the important information was shown as needed, however I did feel this left the chapters stopping and starting abruptly. That being said, Christine does an amazing job of telling this story through the perspectives of multiple people over different timeframes. This can get very confusing for some, and it was well executed.
I did feel as though I needed a French dictionary to fully comprehend what is exactly being talked about sometimes within this novel. The spoken language/phrases weren't so much of an issue, it was the description of items being talked about. I don't know how many people would have a decent understanding of French fashion and what the pieces are called, but I found myself bringing up Google more often that I should have to know what the characters were talking about.
Overall this novel was a great mash up of historical fiction, real historical people, romance and mystery that I would recommend. I appreciated the characters and their places within the world and enjoyed the fictional take on the real people depicted in this novel and their interactions with Cleo. All this while subtly highlighting the privilege some people experienced, and bringing people's eyes towards a real woman who no doubt got away with Murder.