Sunday, September 22, 2013

Book Review: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Title: Suddenly Royal
Author: Nichole Chase
Publisher: Avon (HarperCollins)
Release Date: April 19, 2013
Where to Buy: Amazon Nook 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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From the book:

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.


My review:

I love princess stories - and when I saw this book, I knew I had to check it out. It has all the great princess story elements - hot prince, down-to-earth commoner, a neat country, and snappy dialogue.

I really enjoyed Samantha. She was a believable character - a grad student, a devoted daughter, and a good friend. I wish that her friendship with David was explored more, though - especially as it looks like he'll be the main guy in the second book, I wanted to see their interaction and friendship. The only mention was when Sam was saying goodbye to her grad-school office buddies, and there was a line in there about having known them for a couple of years.

I liked Alex a lot - I particularly enjoyed how he didn't chase Sam, but gave her the space to to figure herself out. He was cocky enough to make me laugh (and I believe that of a man as good-looking and wealthy as he was) and vulnerable enough to make me love him.

This was a fast read, and I was happy with everything in the story except one element.

****SPOILER ALERT****

I didn't like the lack of time spent with Sam's father. His death could have been written with so much more emotional intensity behind it, but it just fell flat for me, and that's what made this book a fun, easy read. I would've given it 5 stars if it was a fun, emotional read, but there really wasn't anything in it to smack me in the chest and cheer at the end.

All in all, I recommend this book as a great escape from reality. It's fun, flirty, and Alex is definitely swoon-worthy. I give it four stars.

(Disclaimer: I was provided an digital copy from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review.)

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