I am a huge fan of historical romance but I have never read anything regarding any of the British Royal Family until now. Victoria is the story of Queen Victoria from the days before her ascent to the throne in 1835 through approximately the late 1830s when she is reunited with her cousin Albert when they are both adults. Author Daisy Goodwin writes a fairly accurate portrayal of Victoria’s life thanks to her research into Victoria’s personal diaries.
Raised in almost total seclusion and away from society, she is handled by her mother and her mother’s “comptroller”. She has no friends but for those people who are allowed to spend time with her. So when she turns 18 and her uncle the King dies, she takes control of her own life and picks the experienced Lord Melbourne to instruct her on running the country. While she is learning to get along in British society those in government work hard to try to marry her off to an appropriate partner to keep her under control and at the same time try to take over the throne from Victoria. In the end, history shows what happened. Because I was not familiar with this particular piece of history I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.
Ms. Goodwin writes well and Victoria drew me in. I had a difficult time putting the book down. While I read it in 5 days in the middle of work, school, and life, this book could easily be read in a day or two. It was a great escape from the world and bring memories of being a child and longer to be a princess.
I received this book from SheSpeaks for free in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.