Book Review for The Queen's Coronation by Jennifer Ryan

 

The Queen's Coronation by Jennifer Ryan

Published:  June 2, 2026 by Ballantine Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Women’s History, British History

Taken from Goodreads:  As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to take the throne, three women in her employ will discover where they belong in a rapidly changing world in this heartwarming novel from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.

London, 1953. Buckingham Palace and the many employees vital to the smooth running of the monarchy find themselves in bedlam as the Queen's coronation quickly approaches.

Caroline Brimstone, assistant dresser to the queen, watches the queen finding the strength to rule—a woman taking charge of her future. Meanwhile, Caroline’s life is worn thin by her gambler husband, and she is barely holding on as every penny she earns seems to run out the door. When a trip to Balmoral brings her face-to-face with the man she once loved, she finds herself at a crossroads between what her life is and what her life could be. Can she, like the queen, find the strength to define her own future?

Lucy Jones is a junior wardrobe assistant who positively radiates life—she's young, idealistic, and eager to become a famous singer. So when a handsome, wealthy man at the palace promises to help her on her way to stardom, she's over the moon to have such a supportive husband-to-be. And if he's asking some things of her that she's not quite sure about, isn't that just part of the glamorous life?

Miranda Miller has come over from America just in time to help with preparations as a temporary secretary in the palace. The job is a perfect way to gather information for the article she's writing about the coronation for a magazine back in New York; the article that will keep her boss from firing her because of her gender.

But as all three women discover, just because a woman will soon be sitting upon the throne, it doesn't mean that society will change overnight—and if they want to carve places for themselves in this world, they'll have to do it together.

 

My Thoughts:  I love the Royal Family, getting glimpses into their lives is one of my favorite things to read about.   The Queen’s Coronation is a great look at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and how her life changed.   I also enjoyed seeing how the staff of the Royal Family were put to work, how they formed families and relationships, how much their lives were overtaken by the Royal Family.   

This is the story of three women who all are working for Queen Elizabeth during her coronation.  Each has their own story to tell but together they have many things in common.  They are each dealing with personal lives that are not easy or what they pictured for themselves.   They each have their own losses and are struggling with working through them.  I enjoyed how much they came together with their love and support for each other.   Even when they did not agree with each other, they stayed true to their friendships.   

The Queen’s Coronation is a beautiful story that features a Queen that will change the future.  The three women who share their story, help that Queen see that the future is hers while also taking hold of their own futures. 

Thank you Ballantine Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet theAuthor (taken from her website):  Jennifer Ryan is the author of National Bestseller THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR, THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE, THE KITCHEN FRONT, THE WEDDING DRESS SEWING CIRCLE, AND THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY. Her writing has featured in Literary Hub, Moms Don’t Have Time to Write, The Daily Mail, The Irish Times, The Express, BBC Online, YOU Magazine, The Simple Things Magazine, and Good Reading Magazine. Previously a book editor with The Economist, DK, and the BBC, she moved from London to Washington, DC after marrying, and she now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children. Her novels are inspired by her grandmother's tales of the war in Britain.