Blog Tour: An Indiscreet Princess by Georgie Blalock

An Indiscreet Princess
by Georgie Blalock

Publication date: September 27th 2022
Pages: 400

It’s my stop on the “An Indiscreet Princess” blog tour! Thanks very much to Anne at Random Things Tours and author Georgie Blalock who have kindly provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you’d like to learn more about this book, check out the other blogs on the tour and see what people have to say on Goodreads, you can also reach the author on Twitter. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you’ll find the book on Kindle and paperback on Amazon UK.

Summary:

Before Princes Margaret, before Duchess Meghan, there was Princess Louise: royal rebel.

As the fourth daughter of the perpetually in-mourning Queen Victoria, Princess Louise’s life is more a gilded prison than a fairy tale. Expected to sit quietly next to her mother with downcast eyes, Louise vows to escape the stultifying royal court. Blessed with beauty, artistic talent, and a common touch, she creates a life outside the walled-in existence of the palace grounds by attending the National Art Training School—where she shockingly learns to sculpt nude models while falling passionately in love with famed sculptor Joseph Edgar Boehm.

Although Louise cultivates artist friends, artistic success, and a life outside the palace, she quickly learns that even royal rebels must heed the call of duty. For twenty years, Louise fights to maintain her relationship with Joseph and what freedom she can glean within the strict requirements of Queen Victoria’s court. When a near fatal accident forces her back under Queen Victoria’s iron rule, Louise must choose between surrendering to the all-consuming grief of lost love and dreams that plagued her mother or finding the strength to keep fighting for her unconventional life.

Source: Goodreads

Thoughts:

It’s 1868 and Queen Victoria is on the throne. Her fourth daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, dreams of being an artist and training at the National Art School, but her royal status, and her mother’s critical opinion, prevent her from doing so. Louise wants nothing more than to escape the bleak existence of Windsor Castle under the eye of her mother, in constant mourning.

I have to say, I knew very little about Queen Victoria going into this read and absolutely nothing about her daughter Louise. It’s clear that author Georgie Blalock has done a huge amount of research in writing this novel, as at points there were so many details and specific aspects of Royal life and I felt I reallt learned a lot as I read.

Struggling to make her own way in the late 19th century, Louise is a likeable character who refuses to bow to societies expectations and she is considered a rebel of kinds, similar to Princess Margret all of those years later.

I found this book to be meticulously detailed and quite immersive because of that. It’s my understanding that a lot of the content is based on rumour, so this is a fictional account, but even if not completely true, the family dynamics in this tale make for quite an interesting read. I felt that the novel was well written and this candid depiction of Princess Louise was a story I really enjoyed.

I would recommend this compelling story for fans of the Royal family and its history.

Overall rating: A fictional account of Princess Louise, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, I really enjoyed “An Indiscreet Princess by Georgie Blalock – 4 stars!

Don’t forget to check out the reviews of other blogs on the tour and if this sounds like your kind of book, support the author by picking up a copy!