The Other Windsor Girl

October 1, 2019
A title-rich and money-poor writer in postwar Britain finds herself appointed as second lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, sister to the eventual Queen Elizabeth II. Once upon a time, the Honorable Vera Strathmore was engaged and her life was happily mapped out for her. But then Henry, her beloved, was killed--just one of the many who never came home to Britain after World War II. Vera's grief is deep and long-lasting, in part because she and Henry may not have been legally married but they--to gloss over their behavior as the book does--enjoyed their time together intimately. Based on those experiences, Vera starts secretly writing romance novels as Mrs. Rose Lavish. One of her fans--Princess Margaret--is eager to meet the author of these naughty books, and Vera's cousin Rupert, who is part of Margaret's set of friends, introduces the two. This meeting leads to a closeness between the women and Vera's employment with Margaret. Part friend, part confidante, and entirely a woman who only serves at the (temperamental) royal will, Vera always remembers her subservient position. This is author Blalock's first work of historical fiction, but she has written a number of historical romance titles under the name Georgie Lee (His Mistletoe Marchioness, 2018, etc.). Much like a gracious aunt who still likes a bit of genteel gossip about scandalous behavior, however, this book follows Margaret and her set and their hard-drinking, partner-swapping shenanigans without talking about exactly what goes on behind closed doors. Blalock places Vera within historic events and surrounds her with real people so the reader experiences well-known elements of this period in British history through the thoughts, dreams, grief, and love of a fictional character. A frothy, fun, escapist read.

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December 13, 2019

DEBUT After Vera Strathmore's fiancé is killed during World War II, she becomes a romance author and dreams of living in New York, until she is drawn into the glamorous world of Britain's Princess Margaret. Vera becomes a lady-in-waiting to the wild and beautiful royal and has a front-row seat to Margaret's love affair with the married Peter Townsend. Under pressure from Winston Churchill and the British cabinet, newly crowned Queen Elizabeth withholds her consent, which is required for royal marriages. Margaret chooses to keep her rights to the throne and breaks with Townsend, and her partying and scandalous behavior spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Vera must decide whether to stay in service to the Crown, a 24/7 position, or move to America to marry a doctor and continue her career as an author. Ending shortly after Margaret marries photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, Blalock's entertaining debut presents a cast of well-developed and compelling characters, and readers will feel compassion for both women, especially Margaret, who is trapped in her royal role. VERDICT For both royal watchers and followers of celebrities; fans of TV's The Crown will be excited to learn more about this fascinating royal rebel.--Terri Lent, Patrick Henry High Sch., Ashland, VA

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October 15, 2019
The Honourable Vera Strathmore is unmarried, which is about the only thing she has in common with the fabulous Princess Margaret. But Vera's secret life as romance writer Rose Lavish intrigues the princess, and soon Vera is part of the infamous Set, staying up late nightclubbing instead of writing. Despite the royal divide between them, Vera becomes Margaret's close friend, then second lady-in-waiting, witness to public highs like the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and private lows like Margaret's reaction to the news that she is forbidden to marry her beloved, the divorced Captain Peter Townsend. As the rest of the Set marries off, Vera is unable to assuage Margaret's feelings of uselessness and lovelessness, nor is she able to prevent the attentions of the upstart mod photographer, Tony Armstrong-Jones. Blalock's plot won't be a surprise to true Anglophiles, but the fictional Vera's close encounters with royalty, her run-ins with her terrible mother, and her own heartbreak (not to mention some fabulous dresses) lend credibility to this up-close view of the equally beloved and reviled Princess Margaret.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)