Palace Circle

Summary (from the publisher): Palace intrigue, romance, and illicit affairs—Rebecca Dean has written a glorious novel that will sweep Philippa Gregory fans off their feet.

Delia Chandler, an eighteen-year-old Southern girl, marries Viscount Ivor Conisborough just before World War II, becoming part of the Windsor court. It’s every girl’s dream come true. But Delia is jolted from her pleasant life when she realizes, after the birth of her two daughters, that Ivor chose her only to bear an heir to his estate. Shortly thereafter, she begins an affair with her husband’s handsome, titled, and frequently scandalous best friend. 

When Conisborough is appointed as an adviser to King Fuad of Egypt, Delia exchanges one palace circle for another, far different one. While she sees Egypt as a place of exile, her two daughters regard Egypt as their home. Only when war comes to Cairo—and Delia finally reveals the secret she has kept for so long—can she begin to heal the divisions separating her from those she loves.

Rebecca Dean’s irresistible combination of real events and masterful storytelling will keep readers fascinated until the very last page.

Review: This novel was good but not for the reasons I initially thought. First, the cover promises that "If you like Philippa Gregory, you will love this book!" False. I do like Philippa Gregory fairly well but other than a resemblance in genre, Dean's writing differed widely from Gregory.  Second, the back cover of this book let me believe that Delia is the center of this story, when in fact the point of view changes throughout the novel. 

This novel is composed of five parts in five points of view: Delia, her two daughters Petra and Davina, and their two love interests, Darius and Jack.  Delia is an American who marries Viscount Ivor Conisborough at the age of 18 only to learn that he is in love with another woman and only married her to produce an heir. Delia has two daughters by Ivor and moves on to a grand love affair with Jerome Bazeljette. 

I found Delia's point of view the least compelling and hardest section to get through. In fact, I nearly stopped reading the book until I finally made it through her section. I felt for her plight of being married to a man who didn't love her, but her overly stylized American slang and almost flippant personality got on my nerves. I found her daughters and the two men in their lives much more realistic and relatable voices. 

A novel that started out rough but slowly improved. Ironically, Delia, who was used on the book cover to sell the book, was nearly the deal breaker for me. 

Stars: 3