Christmas with the Queen focuses on an interesting time in the life of Elizabeth II – the Christmas season of 1952, and the first time she made a Christmas broadcast from Sandringham. These addresses were established in 1932 by King George V and broadcast around the world by BBC radio and subsequently television (from 1957). This one will mark the new Queen’s first major public speech, and she’s understandably nervous.

The novel’s narrative splits page time with a lovely romance between Olive Carter and Jack Deveraux. Olive is a budding reporter sent to cover the Sandringham Christmas celebrations by the BBC, where she works in the typing pool. As a single mother to a young daughter named Lucy, this could make or break her career.

Jack is an American chef from New Orleans reeling from the abrupt and tragic death of his wife, Andrea. He takes the mission of cooking for the Queen for Christmas to get away from his grief, and spending time with Olive sounds like just the right antidote to pain.

Jack and Olive have been close friends for years, but their severe inability to communicate their growing feelings threaten to get in the way of their romance. Jack’s grief is deep, and his sense of loss titanic. Over five further Christmases, their relationship will change and twist and turn, but Olive carries a secret regarding Lucy’s parentage that may blow things apart.

While the twist here is pretty easy to guess, the voices, tension, and even the scenes with Elizabeth and her family make Christmas with the Queen an interesting read. The problem is that the stuff with the Windsors is rather more compelling than anything going on with our fictional couple.

That’s not to say Olive and Jack’s relationship isn’t compelling – it’s just that they drag out getting together by five long years because they will not say what needs to be said. I get the initial reticence; Jack is devastated by his widower status, Olive has major baggage. But when we’re three years into this pas de deux, enough is enough.

The best parts of the story center around Queen Elizabeth and her family, which is portrayed in all of its complexity. Her love for Phillip, in particular, is well-portrayed. I related to Olive’s climb to better things and better places; her love for Lucy is adorable. And I sympathized with Jack. They deserved better communication skills, but the tinsel, period feeling and Christmasy hominess make Christmas with the Queen worth a read.