The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

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The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor (Edward & Wallis #2)

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 373 ratings · 116 reviews

Two lovers. Two very different lives. One future together that will change history.

When debutante Wallis Simpson is growing up, she devotes her teenage daydreams to one man, the future King of England, Prince Edward. But it's Pamela Holtby, Wallis's aristocratic best friend, who mixes within the palace circle. Wallis's first marriage to a dashing young naval pilot is not w...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published August 14th 2012 by Broadway (first published January 1st 2012)

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Mar 12, 2013 Lolly's rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, historical-fiction

2.5 stars

You're telling me I went through all that and at the end, Wallis and Edward have only just met? Excuse me? I thought this was "A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor," not "The First Novel of How Wallis Simpson Grew Up, Married and Divorced, and Then, Two or Three Books Down the Road, Became the Duchess of Windsor." Grrr. Yes, I am disappointed. I figured the book would focus a little bit on Wally's childhood, devote a bit more to her first two marriages, but spend the bulk of th...more 2.5 stars

You're telling me I went through all that and at the end, Wallis and Edward have only just met? Excuse me? I thought this was "A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor," not "The First Novel of How Wallis Simpson Grew Up, Married and Divorced, and Then, Two or Three Books Down the Road, Became the Duchess of Windsor." Grrr. Yes, I am disappointed. I figured the book would focus a little bit on Wally's childhood, devote a bit more to her first two marriages, but spend the bulk of the book on the courtship and romance between her and Edward. Instead I find myself slogging through pages and pages of Wallis's life without really getting to know her as a character, beyond the fact she was proud of her lineage and struggled throughout her life with poverty (stuff I knew from already from biographies). And when I reached the end of the novel, I find that Wallis has only just met the prince and, thanks to reports by other reviewers, that their story will continue in a sequel. Talk about bait and switch!

Don't get me wrong, the writing is well done: it keeps you involved in the story, the characters are well-drawn, and the dialogue is realistic. What annoyed me was how the characters were drawn, in particular Wallis. I get it: This is a historical fiction novel written by a romance novelist, but this was not the Wallis I expected. I was looking for a warmer side to the “cold fish” represented in history; I was not expecting a perpetual victim, a woman who resignedly accepts the abuse heaped upon her as being her due because she wasn't a “real” woman (according to the set up provided by Dean, which I'll get into later). I was not expecting, nor did it seem realistic, a Wallis who was simply looking for her Prince Charming and sighed with unhappiness every time someone else found their perfect man. Ick.

There are other issues with the novel. The first is Dean's habit of repetition, which can take a few different forms. The first is in her descriptions of Wallis: “her greyhound sleek body,” “her trim, athletic frame,” “her lithe body,” “her boyish, small breasted figure.” Alright, enough already, we get that she looks like a boy! Although it does go a long way towards explaining why the gay Prince Edward was attracted to her. Not only does he get a woman who looks very little like a woman, because of her sexual deformities (at least according to Dean), he doesn't have to deal with her nasty female nether regions, the thought or sight of which terrifies gay men. For that matter, vaginae terrify many straight men as well. What's up with that? Ooh, I think I'm digressing.... Back on point: Dean's repetition. She also has a tendency to use the “As you know, Bob” method (see the wonderful blog entry by Susan Higginbotham for an explanation: http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog...). Or, should I say, overuse; it seemed like every time I turned around, I was being introduced to information I was already well aware of. It's not as if the novel is that long or that convoluted, and while I admit readily that my memory is horrible, I think I can keep up with the fact that Corinne is married to a man named Henry Mustin or Pamela's friend Lily sculpted a bronze bust of Edward and was allowed to call him David. And I'm pretty sure other readers can do the same.

Lastly, and once again I realize this is a historical fiction novel, which means liberties can be taken with the historical record (as long those changes are pointed out/explained by the author at some point), but it just seems that what's left out or changed is... silly. Especially when it comes to the later parts of the book, where meetings or interactions have been left out. Why? Wouldn't they add to the story? I mean, Wallis and Thelma Furness became friends in 1930, before the dinner party Thelma and Prince Edward attended where Wallis met the prince for the first time, yet Dean has Wallis angling to become Thelma's friend after said party. Again I have to ask why; wouldn't them knowing each other beforehand deepen the connection Dean's trying to set up? And Dean left out completely Wallis's court presentation. Once again, why? After all, Wallis struggled and stressed over that as she tried to get the paperwork from her divorce in order in time and only managing to do so in the nick of time (and that only because she played fast and loose with the law). Wouldn't that whole scene have added to the Wallis character Dean has created, showing just how eager she was to meet the prince and possibly dance with him? Then again, I can see why other bits have been left out, those about Wallis and her many lovers, because they don't mesh with the vision Dean has created of Wallis, that of a frustrated virginal woman, who's simply looking for true love; a victim of poor choices and poor lovers/husbands. Not to mention a Wallis who, instead of being frigid as she was called by her contemporaries, had a legitimate reason for not engaging in typical sexual intercourse. According to Dean, Wallis suffered from a medical condition called a DSD (disorder of sex development) which would explain her rather masculine features and the hints she supposedly gave about her sexual activities, or lack thereof, with Win Spencer and Ernest Simpson. Now, Dean herself said that this was only a theory of hers, based on her research, but that, if it were true, it would explain a lot about Wallis. I don't have a problem with this; it's theoretically possible, though it doesn't jive with what I've read about Wallis. But it's certainly a unique diagnosis.

Bottom line? Like the blurb on the back cover states, the novel mixes fact with fiction (with more emphasis on fiction, I believe) to create an engaging novel, and although the book is technically well-written, even with its faults, I just can't rate it any higher, for the mere fact that I was sold a bill of goods upon which the book didn't deliver. Nowhere did the novel state that this was only the first book in the tale of Wallis and I feel rather ripped-off that, if I wish to continue with the tale Dean has created, I have to wait until the sequel comes out. That's not what I signed up for when I got this book.(less)

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Apr 09, 2013 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely loved this book. The author, Rebecca Dean, totally takes the reader into the head of Wallis Simpson, as well as into the times in which she lived - so much so that one better understands the motives for her actions (and, of course, admires the strength and determination that helped her to survive some terrible life situations). It was a diffiicult time for a woman, whether in America or in Britain (the 2 setttings for the story). To divorce, even from a brutal marriage, was societal s...more

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Mar 25, 2013 kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of historical fiction

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, women-s-fiction, romance

I really enjoyed this book; much more than I expected to. Initially the book caught my interest because it is about Wallis Simpson, the woman King Edward gave up the throne for. That is really all I knew about her, so I thought this was a good way to learn more, but when I didn't read it immediately, I lost interest. But I needed a book to add to my ereader and it was available, so I decided to try it. I'm so glad I did.

The book follows the story of Wallis Simpson from the time she was a young g...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Kathleen McFall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Formal history has not been kind to Wallis Simpson. Her story is well-known but only sketchily and in ways that immediately reflect poorly on her. Divorced. Treasure-hunter. Haughty. Seductress. But these are words typically used throughout history by the patriarchal illuminati with the explicit goal of tarnishing certain categories of strong women. Hence, I was eager to read The Shadow Queen to get to know the "real" Wallis, even in a fictionalized context. Indeed, it seemed like fiction was an...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Yvann S rated it 4 of 5 stars

“The day would come when her Uncle Sol would eat his heart out to be publicly recognised as being her relation – and when it did, she wouldn’t even give a nod in his direction.”

I nearly didn’t get my hands on this one; after a FedEx misadventure, there is still a copy of it floating around my office block which remains stubbornly elusive; thankfully Jonathan at Random
House was generous enough to send a second copy across the Atlantic.

This beautifully presented novel (how could you not love all...more “The day would come when her Uncle Sol would eat his heart out to be publicly recognised as being her relation – and when it did, she wouldn’t even give a nod in his direction.”

I nearly didn’t get my hands on this one; after a FedEx misadventure, there is still a copy of it floating around my office block which remains stubbornly elusive; thankfully Jonathan at Random
House was generous enough to send a second copy across the Atlantic.

This beautifully presented novel (how could you not love all the Art Deco/ancient photograph stuff going on on the cover?) fictionalises the life of Wallis Simpson previously Spencer née Warfield, up to the point at which she meets (then) Prince Edward, heir to the throne which she would famously (infamously?) cause him to abdicate. We follow her fraught childhood, caught between the money and glamour of her family and the financial situation of her mother, left nearly penniless by a consumptive husband; her escape to Florida and a number of failed romances, and eventually her move to England in pursuit of the very highest of society.

It’s always hard to know with this style of book what is documented fact and what is author’s literary licence, but Wallis was a strong and well-fleshed out character; proud, strong, vivacious, not cowed by financial difficulty or bullying, always certain she was right but vulnerable as well. I loved the budding romance between Wallis and John Jasper, and was suitably outraged when it came to an end (that’s not a spoiler, right? Everyone knows she ended up marrying no-longer-King Edward).

Her subsequent romances were more difficult to deal with – as we moved into more reliably documented territory (her first and second marriages, her time in Florida, Washington and London), I struggled more to understand her motivations – I think Dean writes better when not constrained so much by documented history. The increasing emphasis on Wallis’ and others’ sexual liaisons also made me lose interest in the book a little – I know she had a scandalous reputation but it seemed like it was the easy thing to write about; I needed more context as to the mores of the time to know what was shocking and what was not.

Definitely worth a read if you are interested in the period, the story, or turn-of-the-century high society in the US.
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Aug 21, 2012 Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The Shadow Queen, the fictionalized account of Wallis Simpson’s early life, was a surprisingly engaging read. Wallis’s life, as portrayed in the novel, was absolutely fascinating – private schools, extraordinary wealth surrounding her but not entirely within reach, an incredible ability to socialize, a sometimes willingness to disregard convention. The portrayal offered a good explanation for why a future king might find her so compel...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Kendra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Right off the bat, let me state one thing: I am not one of those reviewers who felt disappointed in Rebecca Dean's decision to end The Shadow Queen at the very beginning of Wallis and Prince Edward's relationship. I did not feel cheated; the book blurb and description were very clear that this is a book about Wallis' early years. Since she was flirting with middle age by the time she and Edward really got started, I think the ending is appropriate.

My objections to the book are of a much more m

...more

My objections to the book are of a much more mundane nature. I found that, while Dean nobly incorporates some very real history into the story, these lovely tidbits were delivered as info-dumps that interrupted the flow of dialogue--and sounded out-of-character, no matter who was tasked with the delivery.

I also found that Dean employs so much foreshadowing that nothing--exactly nothing--happens in this book without having been thoroughly foreshadowed and set up as the ultimate course of events. Sure, we all know Wallis and Edward eventually get together from the historical record, but there is quite a lot of fodder for ambiguity and uncertainty in both of their lives that I feel it's a great disservice to history--and to this book--to give readers such a heavy-handed, unexciting portrait of two very interesting people. Wallis Simpson should never be so bland, or Edward so absent from his own romance. The author's style is already somewhat distant and lacking immediacy, so I would have enjoyed a little livening up--and maybe a few hints that not everything Wallis encountered could be taken with equanimity. Even when she is stated as being surprised, she never actually acts like someone capable of diverse attitudes.

My final major objection to the text is the disorganization of the story. I don't mean that it's not told in a linear fashion, or that Dean's grasp of the historical record has England embroiled in WWII instead of WWI--what I find to be disorganized is the authorial intent. It's never quite clear whether this is a story about Wallis and her (fictional) friend Pamela, Wallis and Edward, Wallis and her mother, Wallis and her deceased father's family, or just some story about Wallis Simpson. She was a complex person, and all of these relationships were no doubt formative to her in real life (except for the ones that didn't actually exist), but there's no overarching story that gets to the heart of who Wallis Simpson actually was. Dean, to her credit, tries to set up Wallis's infatuation with Edward in a grade-school crush (complete with pin-up pictures), but it feels perfunctory and artificial. Had Dean found that one thing about Wallis that she wanted to build the story around--something more specific than a general quality of 'getting through' things--then this could have been a lovely piece of historical fiction.

I don't mean to say that there were no redemptive qualities to this book. I merely find that I am unable to recommend it either for its historicity or for its characterization and style. Dean draws some interesting (and not entirely unfounded) conclusions about Wallis' life and behavior, and she does a good job of keeping quite a few characters in play.

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Aug 10, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was very excited to read this novel after I won an Advanced Reader Copy from a Goodreads giveaway. Rebecca Dean does a superb job of telling Wallis's early life story while keeping the reader enchanted. We all know Wallis's story later in life, after she managed to get Prince Edward to fall in love with her, but little is known about her life before that. Rebecca Dean does a great job of imagining how Wallis was as a young child and young woman, and also does a great job of creating characters...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Desiree rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the very first "First Reads" drawing I won, and I was so glad to get to read it!!
First let me say that I knew nothing whatsoever about Wallis Simpson, so I went into reading this with no expectations, just curiosity.

I very much enjoyed the read. I love historical fiction because we get a little bit of history, with a lot of fantasy and that's just what this book is. It's the author's idea what what her early years may have been like.

One thing that confused me a little was the mystery su...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Marti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: zzz-books-2012, free-book, fiction-historical, own, arc, read-it-forward

Warning: I am unsure whether to give this three of four stars....

The Shadow Queen is a fictional novel about Wallis Simpson. This is the woman who eventually married King Edward, who abdicated the British throne for her. Wallis was not suitable to be a queen as she was divorced twice.

The book starts with Wallis's upbringing in Baltimore. She was taught that her family line was exalted - but she was one of the poor side. They were dependent on family for funds to live on. This is how her story b...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fascinating historical novel about the ever elusive Wallis Simpson. Biographers have speculated that she may have been born with AIS (Androgyn Insensitivity Syndrome) which caused her to be infertile and have some aspects of masculine appearance. This novel covers her early life up until her meeting with Prince Edward, including her first marriage to an abusive navy pilot and her second marriage to Ernest Simpson. She is treated with great compassion in the novel and the author provid...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Anastacia Knits rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, first-reads, historical-fiction

I was thrilled to be asked to review this book, about a month or so ago.

Anyone who reads my blog / my reviews regularly, know I love British royality, but that I'm mainly into the Tudors - and I was obsessed with the Tudors before it became cool to do so. I had a friend growing up who was obsessed - still is - with British royality, and I guess more than a little of that rubbed off on me.

So I'm the first one to admit, other than the very basics - king gives up thrown to marry divorced woman for...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Julie H. Ferguson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Make no mistake this is a novel, but much is based on fact and real events. Shadow Queen tells the story of Wallis Simpson from childhood to her meeting with Edward, Prince of Wales. I understand there will be a sequel novel about her life as the Duchess of Windsor.
The author writes a compelling tale of penury on the periphery of Baltimore's society and an abusive first marriage on a naval air base in Florida. Dean engages her reader on an emotional level and keeps the pages turning.
Although as...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: misc-hf

So.... here's the thing. I love well written historical fiction, especially relating to British royalty in some way. Unfortunately the Shadow Queen didn't quite cut it for me.

When I pick up historical fiction I'm always hoping that it will give me a sense of what is was like to have really been there at that point in history. This book falls a bit short in that regard. Details are very sparse except in relation to each character's appearance (especially gowns) and cocktails. Trying to reconstru...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Dizzyc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bessie Wallis (aka Wallis) was born 1896 and from that day on fate played a very big part in her life but was not her friend.

This novel takes the facts and tells a part fictional tale tracing Bessie Wallis' early life.

Following the death of her mother's husband, the first twist of fate saw Wallis and her mother, Alice dependant on the charity of Uncle Sol as Alice was not in her husband's will.

Uncle Sol kept Alice where he could keep and eye on her, and had better expectations of Wallis, sendin...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Marcie rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is something fascinating about royalty. What I knew about Wallis Simpson, before I read this novel, is that Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to be with her, and she was a controversial historical figure.
The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean is a look at Wallis's life starting from childhood to meeting Edward VIII.
Before she was Wallis Simpson, she was Bessie Wallis. Her father died while she was young leaving her family destitute and having to rely on her uncle for financial support. T...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Diane S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

2.5 My favorite part of this book was the cover. There is nothing overtly wrong with the writing or the story but more that I felt it was just a rehashing of biographical data. Also there was a problem with the pacing of this story, so much time was spent on her youth, first marriage and the abusive relationship that she had with that husband, that the historical info that I found of interest such as the flight school, her role as an oversea carrier, was given short shift. I think if I would hav...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Susan Frazin rated it 2 of 5 stars

I feel obliged to comment on this book as I got it in a Goodreads giveaway. I guess when I signed up for the giveaway I failed to notice that it is a novel about Wallis Simpson rather than the biography I thought it was going to be.

I found aspects of the book a bit jarring. Wallis' best friend very closely resembles Pamela Digby Churchill Harriman, even to the point of calling her Pamela Denby. She was of a different generation than Wallis, never lived in Baltimore, and could not have been a ch...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Allison Long rated it 1 of 5 stars

I picked up this novel thinking I would review it for our local paper. I disliked it so much that to write 600 words why I disliked it seems like such a waste of time. I've come to realize that, when writing about people that actually existed, we should perhaps tread very carefully indeed. Here are some things that rubbed me wrong. I flat out just don't like Dean's writing style. It reminds me of the biographies on public figures we read in middle school. Honestly, that's the bulk of my dislike....more

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Jul 24, 2012 R J Mckay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everyone knows Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, but not many know young Bessie Wallis Warfield. Rebecca Dean does a wonderful job of introducing the reader to the earlier days of Bessiewallis. Dean mixes fact and fiction, as she recreates the life of young Bessie, a girl born into a prominent Southern family, but left at the financil mercies of her Uncle Sol. A young girl who dreamed of meeting Price Edward. Her first husband was an abuser. Toward the end of this marriage, and following a...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Pgmjoleen added it

Shelves: first-reads

I enjoyed reading this book, though it did not spark any interesting thinking or reflection. I see it as a good beach read. I would definitely classify this as a romance novel, which is not what I usually read. Even though the characters were not very realistic or shown in much depth, the plot moved along at a good pace and the setting was interesting. It presents Wallis Simpson in a positive light, though the relationships that were important to setting up this view are fictional. In fact the c...more I enjoyed reading this book, though it did not spark any interesting thinking or reflection. I see it as a good beach read. I would definitely classify this as a romance novel, which is not what I usually read. Even though the characters were not very realistic or shown in much depth, the plot moved along at a good pace and the setting was interesting. It presents Wallis Simpson in a positive light, though the relationships that were important to setting up this view are fictional. In fact the characters I liked the best in the novel were fictional (revealed in the author's note at the end of the book.)
I noticed that another reviewer was disappointed that the book ends when Wallis meets the king. I don't see that as a drawback. I am curious about the kind of person she was, and Rebecca Dean's imagining of Wallis' life BEFORE she shocks the world is more interesting to me. What she did after marrying the king is probably pretty well-known and well-published.

Reflection when I first began reading the book:
The movie "The King's Speech" made me curious about Wallis Simpson. When I started the book I knew nothing about her other than what was shown in the movie.
At first I was a bit concerned that this novel "mixes fact with fiction." I'd like to know what is factual and what isn't, but I guess that will not be clear. I groaned when the first scene (Wallis' birth) ends with the MD who delivered her telling her mother "she's fit for a king!" But I read on. This kind of blatant foreshadowing of her destiny occurred at other points as well (Her first wedding gown was "fit for a queen.") The young Wallis and her family and friends are presented as rather one-dimensional - I am wondering if they will become more complex as the story goes on. If not, then I will see it more as a soap opera than a novel. So far it reads quickly and the circumstances are interesting, so even if it does not show Wallis with depth, it still could be an enjoyable summer read.

Update 3 days into reading it:
OK so it is drawing me in. I spent time reading it when I should have been doing some work and when I should have been sleeping! I would likely still classify it as a romance (descriptions of "crinkling eyes" and "excitement spiraling in her tummy" and "it was a demanding, violent kiss"), but it also is reminding me a bit of the popular BBC drama "Downton Abbey." It brings me into that period of time, and it describes a wealthy social class - so unfamiliar! The author is presenting Wallis Simpson as a sympathetic character, which I did not expect based on "The King's Speech." I wonder if I will still be rooting for her at the end of the book.(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was okay. It was well written. However I was disappointed that it is about Wallis's early life. It ends in 1931. Much before she became Duchess of Windsor or even any kind of shadow queen. Needless to say, the author made no defense whatsoever about the title. So on those grounds it is extremely misleading. But I suppose few would bother to read a book about a girlhood in Baltimore.
It's too bad, because when Wallis does finally meet the duke is when the book starts to get interesting and th...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like a true-to-life fairytale, "The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor" portrays the early life of Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman who captivated the King of England, leading to his abdication from the throne.

Early childhood was one in which she was the "poor" relative dependent upon the largesse of a wealthy uncle, whose rules and expectations often led to times of doing without. Perhaps having to charm those in control of her destiny helped create the lively compani...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Deb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

For Canadians, you might want to note that this book is under the title, WALLIS. I couldn't find it until I looked for the author and it is under a different title.

That said, the novel/historical fiction is a bit lacklustre to my disappointment. Ms. Dean, the author, seemed unable to step wholeheartedly into fiction and make the novel unabashedly exciting nor did she completely develop a biography, so that this reader felt a bit cheated in both counts. As well, the novel ends just as Wallis mee...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fairly good, easy book to read. The books stops when she meets Prince Edward, before he becomes king, and provides some background on her life up to that point. By writing it as a novel, the author adds some fictional characters and is able to speculate more on different aspects of her life. It reads like a romance novel in places, but it certainly piqued my interest in this interesting woman. I found myself checking online biographical sources while I was reading it. I would recommen...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Gigi Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting novel. It is about Wallis Simpson's life growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, her two marriages, her weddings, her rich uncle Sol, who supported her until her first marriage. It included accounts about the 'high society' class. It seems to me that the so called 'high society' class set their own rules. So what if someone has a mistress, it comes as no surprise to most of them, and it seems that they were proud to be someone's mistress. But as I was reading this book I had t...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway-wins, favorites

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I'm not normally big on historical fiction unless it is about World War II, but this book was wonderful. I didn't even know who Wallis Simpson was to be honest. Sure, I'd heard of her, but didn't know much about her life at all. She is such a fascinating character with such a horrific, yet charmed life it was hard not to like her & feel for her with all that she went through.
The book is a mix of fiction & real life, so I don't know exactly what...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Cliffside Park Public Library (NJ) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical

For someone who knew next to nothing about Wallis Simpson, this book was a fun introduction/speculation about her. It focuses on her early life and the years up to meeting Prince Edward, but doesn't include anything of their relationship. This book portrays Wallis as a sympathetic character,
fun-loving and independent and going for what she wants (which is great in a female character), she's also stubborn and naive about some things and somewhat stuck by circumstances. All in all this was a ligh...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Kaye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge

The Shadow Queen weaves fiction and fact together to present Wallis's life up to 1931. It was not until January of 1936 that Prince Edward succeeded his father to the throne and then abdicated in December of the same year. Dean's story explains how Wallis even got into these exalted circles after becoming friends at a young age with Pamela Denby, a young British aristocrat. Pamela would become both best friend and almost an enemy at different points in Wallis's life.

I'm not too sure I would call...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-giveaways, historical-fiction

First reads giveaway!! I am excited to read this and can not wait!!!

I dove right into this book and was shuffling through the story at a very fast pace! I do like historical-fiction and have always been a fan of royalty books, most of them being biography's! I would have love to interview HRH Edward and ask him about his life and why he gave up the thrown! I find it fascinating and I am sure there are parts of the story that we will never know!

The writing was beautiful and I would read other boo...more

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About Rebecca Dean

Margaret A. Hudson was born on 10 April 1943 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK, of German extraction. She was daughter of Kathleen (Ramsden), an artist, and George Arthur Hudson, an architect. Married with Londoner Mike Pemberton, they have five grown children, today she lives with her husband and four small dogs in Whitstable, Kent. Apart from writing, her passions are tango, travel, English hi...more

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title link	preview: The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
avg rating	preview: The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor Goodreads rating: 3.51 (373 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13155464-the-shadow-queen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331584567l/13155464.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13155464-the-shadow-queen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Rebecca Dean[/url]

The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor (Edward & Wallis #2)

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