Two Princesses of Wales. Dual Timelines. Neither to ever be Queen of England.

I caught sight of this book while browsing the late Princess Diana's biographies. The premise sounded interesting. Two different Princesses of Wales and two different timelines offer eerily similar lives.

I went into this book with high expectations and came out of it disappointed. As much as I love anything Diana, this book should have been clearly about Charlotte. There is more about her than Diana. This book brought nothing to the table about Diana that had not been written in the past - her bulimia, her hatred of Camilla, and the fact she was insecure in her relationship with Charles. All this had been public knowledge especially when it came to Diana's own book in the late 80s/early 90s.

I am also wondering about the journal. I used to write in one but I never wrote in it like the supposed novel filled to look like a book within a journal. I doubt even the rest of the royals had anything like this. If any of the royals kept personal diaries, they would not be this detailed as a bookish-like journal.

I won't give this book an actual rating. I don't believe DNFs should be given any sort of rating. Maybe I will come back to this book in the future.

DNFed @40% ( )

The story of two princesses forms the core of this novel - that of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the nineteenth-century Princess Charlotte. As Diana prepares for her wedding in 1981, she takes an interested in the story of Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the Prince Regent in the early 1800s who died young. The novel switches between the tale of Diana and that of Charlotte, building on themes of love, marriage, and the struggles of royal life across the centuries. A compelling read, although I'll admit to being partial to the parts focused on Charlotte. ( )

I, like most, am fascinated with the story of Princess Diana, so I grabbed this book. The picture alone led me to believe this would be more about Diana and her becoming Royal, the write up seemed to favor this also. Unfortunately, most of this this book fell flat to me…the saving grace was the story of Princess Charlotte.

For me, I found the character of Diana very one dimensional; shallow, immature, self centered and most of all troubled. What was written here was the same as we’ve all seen, but did not put Diana in a favorable or likable light. Yet, I felt so sorry for this young woman portrayed - left alone with no one to talk to, brought into a world that she was not equipped to handle, taken away from her friends, the loss of her privacy. Conflicting emotions most definitely.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of little known (at least to me) Princess Charlotte. A princess whose life has so many parallels to Diana. She comes across as more likable, more real, dealing with her problems head on and finally taking control of her life. Their endings are similar, tragic. Both had one dream fulfilled and one out of reach.

The writing was well done…drawing me in immediately. I just felt like it could have been marketed differently…especially the cover.

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone. ( )

In the months before Lady Diana Spencer marries Prince Charles, she is given an apartment of her own to keep her from the constant onslaught of the media. While Diana had the thought that this would bring her and Charles closer, she finds that is not the case when his constant engagements keep him very busy. As a future Princess, Diana was required to learn about those royals who came before her, and she becomes interested in the list of Princess Charlotte of Wales…another Princess most beloved by her subjects.

Princess Charlotte was an only child of the Prince Regent and the wife he loathes. Moreover, neither parent truly cares for Charlotte and she is given her own household at a young age with her own staff who she loves like family. As Charlotte becomes of age, her father begins to push her towards a marriage of alliance as opposed to the love match she would have preferred. When she turns down her first arrangement, she is kept away from the public as punishment. At some point, she understands that the man she loves is unwilling to marry her and she must move forward. She finds someone willing to marry her and ends up having a short but wonderful life with him.

I have always been fascinated by Princess Diana and what her life as a Princess was like. In reading this dual timeline, I saw many similarities between Diana and Charlotte and the way the media and other family members treated them and saw them as nothing more than frivolous women. Knowing how important fashion was to Diana, it was fun to be able to google the specific event mentioned and have a complete understanding of what she was wearing. There are also various pictures of Charlotte online, specifically an artists' rendition of her wedding dress which was opulent by standards of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Harding's backlist. ( )

I started reading this book with a bit of trepidation but soon found myself engrossed in the lives of Diana Spencer, a Princess that was never Queen, and Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817), the Lost Queen. We have a book split into equal parts, one showing Diana's relationship with Charles during their engagement and leading up to and including their marriage. The other half of the book deals with the life of Princess Charlotte of Wales, following her engagements and subsequently her marriage and untimely death.

Do you see a parallel here? Two Princesses destined to be Queen, two Princesses losing their lives tragically and before their time. Two princesses, one that had a horrid life and one whose life was so-so. I truly don't know enough about Diana to make any assumptions about her childhood.

This book ensnared me and kept me reading until done. The author had a wonderful way of juxtaposing these two lives and making them come to life.

I urge you to read the writer's notes at the back of the book. I did, and I find that I am curious enough to read more about these two Royals.

*ARC provided by the publisher HarperCollins Publishers Limited, ATTL/EDELWEISS, and the author. ( )