A Queen's Game (A Queen's Duet)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The author of the American Royals series invites you to visit 19th-century Europe amid the glamour and intrigue of the Victorian era. In this historical romance inspired by true events, three princesses struggle to find love—and end up vying for the hearts of two future kings.
A WOMAN'S WORLD BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other.
Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.
Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.
Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.
In a story that sweeps from the glittering ballrooms of Saint Petersburg to the wilds of Scotland, A Queen’s Game recounts a pivotal moment in real history as only Katharine McGee can tell it: through the eyes of the young women whose lives, and loves, changed it forever.
A WOMAN'S WORLD BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other.
Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.
Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.
Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.
In a story that sweeps from the glittering ballrooms of Saint Petersburg to the wilds of Scotland, A Queen’s Game recounts a pivotal moment in real history as only Katharine McGee can tell it: through the eyes of the young women whose lives, and loves, changed it forever.
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Community Reviews
A Queen’s Game on audiobook is basically being handed a velvet cushion, a tiara, and front-row access to royal chaos—and honestly, it works. Katharine McGee knows how to make history feel glossy, dramatic, and just messy enough to keep you pressing play instead of doing literally anything responsible.
Set in the final glittering gasp of Europe’s royal empires, this story follows three princesses who are smart, ambitious, and fully aware that their romantic lives are less “true love” and more “high-stakes political chess match.” Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite (no pressure) and inconveniently falling for the wrong man. Hélène d’Orléans is a former princess with big “rules are suggestions” energy and a dangerous flirtation with Prince Eddy. And May of Teck—my personal favorite—is playing the long game, determined to claw her way from royal afterthought to future queen. Respect.
The audiobook narration really elevates the experience. Each perspective feels distinct, and the narrator nails the tone—elegant but never stuffy, dramatic without slipping into soap opera territory. The shifting settings, from ballrooms to castles to windswept Scotland, are immersive, making it easy to sink into the atmosphere and pretend you, too, are deciding between duty and forbidden love.
What this book does best is balance romance with ambition. These girls aren’t just swooning; they’re strategizing. Love matters, yes, but so does survival in a world where marriages are political weapons and your future can be decided by a relative with a crown and opinions.
While the intrigue and romance are addictive, the pacing occasionally slows when the emotional angst lingers just a bit too long. Still, if you enjoy historical romance with glamorous settings, real historical figures, and women quietly (or not so quietly) pushing against the rules, this audiobook is a delightful listen.
Highly recommended if you like your history romanticized, your royals complicated, and your love triangles wrapped in silk and scandal.
Set in the final glittering gasp of Europe’s royal empires, this story follows three princesses who are smart, ambitious, and fully aware that their romantic lives are less “true love” and more “high-stakes political chess match.” Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite (no pressure) and inconveniently falling for the wrong man. Hélène d’Orléans is a former princess with big “rules are suggestions” energy and a dangerous flirtation with Prince Eddy. And May of Teck—my personal favorite—is playing the long game, determined to claw her way from royal afterthought to future queen. Respect.
The audiobook narration really elevates the experience. Each perspective feels distinct, and the narrator nails the tone—elegant but never stuffy, dramatic without slipping into soap opera territory. The shifting settings, from ballrooms to castles to windswept Scotland, are immersive, making it easy to sink into the atmosphere and pretend you, too, are deciding between duty and forbidden love.
What this book does best is balance romance with ambition. These girls aren’t just swooning; they’re strategizing. Love matters, yes, but so does survival in a world where marriages are political weapons and your future can be decided by a relative with a crown and opinions.
While the intrigue and romance are addictive, the pacing occasionally slows when the emotional angst lingers just a bit too long. Still, if you enjoy historical romance with glamorous settings, real historical figures, and women quietly (or not so quietly) pushing against the rules, this audiobook is a delightful listen.
Highly recommended if you like your history romanticized, your royals complicated, and your love triangles wrapped in silk and scandal.
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