I have long been enamoured of the story of Queen Victoria, but this is one thing I had not known about until I began really reading about her! Plaidy writes a wonderfully flowing novel about the charming young Victoria - newly ascended to the throne of England - and her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. As if she doesn't have enough to deal with, the young Queen finds herself falling in love with her advisor, and the feelings are likely reciprocal. Once again, Plaidy does a marvellous job of bringing one of the lesser-investigated (or perhaps more covered-up!) stories of a past monarch. The book is a fast, engaging read, and not at all dry or filled with too many tedious, unneccessary facts about the story (as too many historical novels are!). For anyone wishing to know a little bit more about Queen Victoria or the history of England's monarchs -- this is a book (and author) I highly recommend.