Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
In 1784 London, the Prince of Wales is attracted to the newly arrived widow, Maria Fitzherbert. Though he declares his undying love for Maria, she refuses to believe the notorious philanderer. Additionally, Maria knows that as a Catholic, she is unacceptable by the Anglican Church as a wife of the next king.
George vows his love and secretly marries Maria. However, duty to the sate comes first for the regent and he openly weds Princess Caroline. Though Maria remains his only love, George worries he might lose her due to her unhappiness over hiding their relationship, which the Catholic Church would recognize as the binding one.
THE SECRET WIFE OF KING GEORGE IV is an excellent historical fiction that provides an in depth account of the loving but clandestine relationship between Maria and George IV. The story line is filled with intrigue and real personage that make the late eighteenth century seem vividly alive, a feat few writers can do well. George's conflict between love of country and love for a woman is well written and turns the Regent into a flesh and blood person, not the caricature typically seen in his cameo appearances in Regency novels. With her wealth of detail cleverly interwoven into a fabulous plot, Diane Haeger has written a triumphant tale that will provide much delight to fans of historical fiction and Regency romance.