It was a love so strong, a king renounced his kingdom, all for that woman. Or was Wallis Simpson something more convenient for the Prince of Wales—an escape route for a monarch who never wanted to rule? Wendy Holden considers the royal scandal of the century from a different perspective.

"One of the delights of historical fiction is the what-if factor, and Holden poses a whopper: What if Edward never really wanted to be king and pursued Wallis, whom he knew he couldn't marry as monarch, to avoid the throne? We'll never know, but fans of biographical fiction and British royalty will thoroughly enjoy this sparkling tale."—Booklist