The Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

 This is a tell-all autobiography of the second son of King Charles and Lady Diana.  It follows Harry's life from the time that his mother was killed in a car accident while being chased by paparazzi until the time of his grandmother's death in 2022.  He speaks candidly about his struggles in school, his rivalry with William, and the constant harassment he and later Meghan received from the press. 

This book was hugely popular when it came out two years ago.  I am not usually interested in celebrity biographies, but when I found it available on Libby, and because it was so popular, I decided to give it a try.  It is read by Prince Harry himself, and is very interesting.  It made me look at the royal family in a totally different way.  It does come off a little whiny, but I appreciated that it seems the whole book is written to defend his wife.  The first part tells how Harry sunk gradually into depression and anxiety because of his mother's death and into PTS after his service in Afghanistan. Then it shows how Meghan's love and strength pulled him out of his emotional pit and sets him on the track to become a responsible husband and father. The book makes me wonder how long England will keep the monarchy.  They do a lot of good through their different charities, but it is also really expensive to support the royal family. It is also a lot to ask of a family to endure such public scrutiny and media intrusion. I don't know how any family could have healthy relationships under that kind of pressure. (416, p. 2023)

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane My Michelle Griep

 Constable Jackson Forge is so excited to start his first day as an officer on the streets of London.  On his way to work bumps into a young woman, Kit, who tricks him into handing over so cash to help a young street urchin. Later they find that they have a common interest in finding a cabby that has gone missing.  As the cop and the con start working together, their mutual attraction is undeniable.  Soon they find that the mystery they are seeking to solve runs deep into the underside and the upper-crust of London, and both sides don't want them to find out the truth.

I have read several books by Griep and I enjoy her Dickensian twist on the period romance. These are not the ladies in mansions, but the lower classes trudging through sewers.  Of course, Griep manages to fit in a ballroom scene with a beautiful dress, but can we blame her? If you have a beautiful heroine, you have to figure out how to get her into a lovey dress as some point. The characters are fun and the descriptions of the shadier side of Victorian England are interesting.  I am sure I will be revisiting Griep again in the future. (2021, 320 p.)