Different than the historical fiction I usually read, It was a bit more fluffy than I like my historical fiction, I prefer anya seaton type books, so maybe that it why. This withstanding I did like it as a light read with a good story, and it did lag a bit for me. So I guess my review would be ehhhh, I didn't love it I didn't hate it . I may try it again when I am more in the mood for this type book. ( )

I think I'd probably term this as "light" historical fiction -- a fun summer read with enough family drama & intrigue to keep the reader interested. As other reviewers have mentioned, Rebecca Dean has chosen to tell the story from the point of view of 5 of the main characters (3 female, 2 male) in sequential order (rather than alternating back & forth), which I thought was an interesting way to tell the story. I initially wasn't sure that it would work, but I think it did. The book description leads the reader to believe that the story centers around the character of Delia, but her portion of the story is only the focus at the beginning, and then she becomes somewhat of a background character from that point on. While Delia did have some redeeming qualities, I found her rather superficial, & the once-in-a-while slips into southern U.S. slang just didn't seem to "fit" & annoyed me more than anything.

I enjoyed this story overall, but I think the comparison to Philippa Gregory is misleading. Rebecca Dean is not yet up to Gregory's caliber, or perhaps her writing style is just different than Gregory's & she shouldn't be compared to her at all, which is probably more likely the case. I find it interesting that the UK title for this book is "A Dangerous Desire", which leads one to believe it is more suited for the historical romance genre. ( )

I did enjoy reading this book because of all the places that were involved in the story. Rebecca Dean did bring her characters to real life. I felt that I was part of the family. This is different than I usually read. But it was very much alike in some ways. The reason that I gave it 3 and 1/2 stars is because of the ending. It did not close the book or story for me. But maybe there is more to come. Let's hope! ( )

The summary of the book provided by the publisher hints that it is mostly about Delia Chandler. The book is broken into five parts which focus on the perspective of different characters. The first perspective is Delia's, and her section of the book is the largest ( I believe) and lays the groundwork for the rest of the story. I found Delia to be a sympathetic character and I liked her immensely. In fact, I ended up liking most of the major characters with the exception of the few that the author made easy to dislike. Instead of summarizing the story (which I find that most book backs do well enough), I'll state my impression of the book.

I wouldn't recommend this as a book someone was going to read in the expectations of an historical representation of the time. This book is somewhat like Forrest Gump to me in that the main character goes through many world changing events and encounters many famous people. However, those historical encounters are more of a background in the piece. The two wars and the depression do help guide the story along as the characters respond to the world around them, but this book felt more like a piece of fiction than historical fiction because the historical events, places, and people were not the focus of the book and therefore you don't gain a new perspective or more knowledge of them. The only exception being that perhaps you may have a more favorable view or Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII.

The five sections were an interesting take on this story-telling. I understand that the purpose was so that the story could unfold more, but I'm not sure I would have chosen the same characters to focus on that the author did. The five sections were of Delia, her two daughters (Petra and Davina) each had a section, and then their two men (Darius and Jack) each had a section. Had she chosen to have just Delia and her daughters have a section, it would have made more sense to me. By having the two gentlemen at the end have their own section, it seems interesting that other main men in the story in relation to Delia didn't have a section from their point of view. The family drama that is built, then bursts out of control, and finally resolved seemed to be an attempt at a mystery angle in the book, as was the focus on how to reconcile different political beliefs and actions.

As a whole, the story was interesting and should be read for fun- expect a fictional tale with smatterings of historical references and some mild hints at mystery. If you planned on reading this as a strong historical tale, I'm afraid you'd likely be disappointed. Going into this book, I wasn't sure what category or genre to expect, and so I was able to enjoy it as a light read. I gave 5 stars because the author somehow made me sympathetic to spouses being unfaithful when I normally can't understand it being necessary. The book took me out of the present and gave me some fun hours of reading time, and that's exactly what I wanted! ( )

Palace Circle is a romantic saga that follows the Conisborough family from the early 1900s to World War II as the family lives in Virginia, England and Egypt.

Viscount Ivor Conisborough, a forty-year-old widower, marries Delia Chandler, an eighteen-year-old Virginian, to produce an heir, while Delia marries Ivor for love. Upon becoming a member of the Windsor court, Delia is swept into a world of adultery, and the endless effort to avoid scandal. Even though her marriage may not be what she expects, and desires, Delia falls in love with her privileged, and at time exotic, life. Despite being American, and Southern, she quickly becomes a fixture of English society. Eventually, she has two daughters, Petra and Davina.

Between the World Wars, Conisborough relocates his family to Cairo when he accepts a diplomatic mission as an advisor to Egypt’s royal family. Davina and Petra grow up and live as adults there. While in Cairo, the family is swept into WWII intrigue.

Palace Circle is the first of three romantic sagas. The first third of the book is from Delia’s perspective. This part of the book is slow, and reads as a list of social events and historical members of English society. The remainder of the book is told from the perspectives of Pertra, Davina, and their love interests. The multiple perspectives add much needed depth. However, overall, the characters are one-dimensional and the narration lacks the gripping emotion of the events of the era. Rather than a historical novel, Palace Circle is a family drama that could have taken place anywhere during any era since the focus is adultery and deception.

Palace Circle is a very light, summer read. ( )