Review: The Duchess

The Duchess by Wendy Holden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this advance copy.

This book was extremely interesting and not at all what I was expecting. Told in two different timelines, it shares the life of Wallis Simpson as she met David (Edward, Prince of Wales) and right after his death. Going into this book with only a little knowledge of Wallis and the history, I was expecting to dislike her and her part in the history. What I didn't expect was to come away with a completely different opinion and feeling a little sorry for her.

The early timeline introduces you to Wallis, her family and relationship history, and how she came to be married and living in London. Her husband, Ernest, tries to find ways to keep Wallis entertained and making friends, but it doesn't happen until she's invited for lunch at her sister-in-law's home where she meets some "fun and fashionable" people who eventually invite her into their world a little. Over time, this is how she is introduced to David.

As the friendship with David grows, Ernest and Wallis have to decide what they want within their marriage. They want to stay together, and find a way for both to be happy as well.

In the end, the way Wallis ends up married to David is not at all what I expected or could have dreamed up. This book makes me want to go learn a little more about the history that happened in the time and place of King Edward's short reign.

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