Molly Gartland’s historical novel sets two women against the same house: Princess Adelaide, newly arrived to stabilize a scandal-plagued household and produce an heir, and the lingering presence of Dorothea Jordan, the duke’s former companion and mother of his FitzClarence children.
The story centers on 1818 Bushy House: Adelaide must manage debt, unruly children, and duty after marrying the Duke of Clarence.
A signed copy giveaway is available to UK readers through the blog tour post.
July 1818. Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen arrives in England to marry the Duke of Clarence, a man much older than she is and burdened by scandal, heavy debt, and ten illegitimate children known as the FitzClarences. Adelaide's responsibilities are explicit: restore order to the household and secure an heir for the British monarchy. Bushy House, however, has already been shaped by another woman.
Dorothea Jordan was long the house's chatelaine. Celebrated as an actress and known for bringing life to the rooms, she mothered many of the duke's children and left a spirited imprint on the household. In Gartland's novel, Jordan returns not in body but as a restless spirit, watching the removal of her portraits and the sending away of her daughters to make space for the new duchess.
The central tension is practical and emotional. Adelaide must contend with financial ruin, unruly stepchildren, and the pressure to produce an heir. She must also find a place in a house whose memory and attachments belong to Dorothea. The novel explores motherhood, legacy, rivalry between women connected to the same man, and how past attachments affect present authority in an aristocratic household.
Dorothea's presence functions as both obstacle and mirror: she threatens Adelaide's claim on Bushy House, while also keeping alive the joy and disorder Adelaide must tame. The house itself becomes the story's axis—its portraits, servants, and children show how domestic power and affection shape status and survival.
The book uses historical anchors—the real figures of Queen Adelaide and Dorothea Jordan—to examine grief, ambition, maternal claims, and the social machinery surrounding dynastic marriage.
Bookish Jottings calls The Queen of Bushy House "compelling, well-written and highly immersive." The review highlights Gartland's style and flair and recommends the novel to historical fiction readers. The post gives the book four stars and calls it a "superb historical novel" that transports readers to its period and social world.
The review is part of a blog tour and includes a giveaway: a signed copy of The Queen of Bushy House is available to win, open to UK entrants only. Author links and purchase links are provided in the original blog post.
If you want a character-driven historical novel focused on domestic politics, competing claims to home and motherhood, and a vividly rendered early-19th-century setting, this review signals that Gartland's book delivers an immersive reading experience with strong female protagonists and careful period detail.
The Queen of Bushy House Blog Tour. The post The Queen of Bushy House Blog Tour appeared first on Lisa's Reading .
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