Book Review of Royal by Danielle Steel

It’s been several years since I read my last Danielle Steel novel, so when I noticed my library had the audiobook of Royal, I thought it was time to revisit her work.

The book begins in the summer of 1943 when the Royal family sends their youngest daughter, Charlotte, to live in the country with a noble family for the remainder of her seventeenth year. Her true identity was concealed from all but the Earl and Countess she was staying with, including their son Henry and another young female boarder Lucy. She begins a love affair with Henry who is waiting for his eighteenth birthday to enlist and fight in the war. Sadly, this love is short-lived as numerous tragedies occur and baby Annie is left orphaned. Lucy, who lost both her parents, has fallen in love with the baby and decides she will raise her as her own. Lucy marries, has twin sons, and life goes on. She does not disclose to anyone for twenty years who Annie actually is. Finally, on her deathbed, Lucy tells her husband the secret of Annie’s identity. He is told of a series of letters which confirms this and where they have been hidden. How will Annie and the Royal family react to this news? Will Annie be accepted as one of their own?

I enjoyed this fast-paced book which encompasses the story of three unique women. The character development was good and the women were all likeable. I appreciated the similarities between Charlotte and Annie, including a love of horses. I disagreed with Lucy raising Annie as her own, and wonder if she would have ever told Annie had she not gotten sick. I also feel that there were parts of the story that were unbelievable, including a physician not noticing that a woman who claims she’s already had one baby was indeed having her first (there are physical changes which are tell tale signs). Having said that, it was an entertaining read and I would recommend it to fans of this genre.

My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.