Release Date - February 21, 2017
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 276 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**borrowed for review**
** SPOILERS FOR OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES **
Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry Charles Albert Edgar Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.
He’s not handling it well.
Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:
Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.
A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.
While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.
The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit…and her naughty sense of humor.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight.
As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.
A misbehaving Prince, a reality television show, and some royal drama. What more could you want? These all combine to create an enjoyable and romantic read that perfectly continues Emma Chase's Royally series.
Henry is the scandalous member of the Pembrook royal family. He immediately brings to mind another Prince whose first name starts with an H. His charm, whit, and extroverted nature only increase his appeal. His journey in this novel from the prince of parties, to an actual prince charming is the heart of this novel. His character development is such a large part of the plot of this novel, and every part of it feels earned.
Sarah's love of books is the first charming thing you learn about her but there are plenty of other reasons to love this novel's leading lady. She comes complete with gripping backstory that instantly makes you root for her. Her character was quite different than I was expecting and that is in large part due to the story arc she is given and the impact her past has on her character. The impact of past events on a character is sometimes tricky to realize within the text with it feeling like it is being told instead of shown. This novel accomplishes it and the author makes it look easy. It is simply part of who the character is and she is formed by what has happened to her. It makes her seem even more real, and adds a little something extra to her character.
Henry's duty to his country and the people of his country as the future King is not forgotten in the romance of this novel. His duty comes first, as it should. I appreciated that both Henry and Sarah realize this as their relationship develops and it is not something that comes between them. They each want to be what is best for the country and its people. Sarah realizes that if she is to be with Henry she has to be a good Queen and Henry eventually realizes he wants nothing more than to be a good King. It just reinforced their love story in a way that I absolutely loved. Their love story is also one that begins as friendship. It naturally, and slowly, evolves into something more. This may mean less sexy scenes, but it pays off in the form of more realistic feeling relationship between the characters.
The only, slight, misstep for me was the reality television show aspect of the story. I didn't feel it fully wove seamlessly into the rest of the plot. It was certainly used to further the plot and create drama, but it didn't feel vital to Henry's story or progression. It fits who is character is, but his growth rapidly makes it feel out of place, and lasts perhaps just a little too long. It is not major, and certainly not distracting for the overall story, just something that tipped the first novel a little ahead of this one.
I may have preferred the first novel in this series, but Henry's story was still a delight to read. It really is a personal preference between the two brothers that probably cinches it. If you're looking for a fun, sexy, and sweet read featuring a swoon inducing prince, I recommend not just this book, but this series.
Henry is the scandalous member of the Pembrook royal family. He immediately brings to mind another Prince whose first name starts with an H. His charm, whit, and extroverted nature only increase his appeal. His journey in this novel from the prince of parties, to an actual prince charming is the heart of this novel. His character development is such a large part of the plot of this novel, and every part of it feels earned.
Sarah's love of books is the first charming thing you learn about her but there are plenty of other reasons to love this novel's leading lady. She comes complete with gripping backstory that instantly makes you root for her. Her character was quite different than I was expecting and that is in large part due to the story arc she is given and the impact her past has on her character. The impact of past events on a character is sometimes tricky to realize within the text with it feeling like it is being told instead of shown. This novel accomplishes it and the author makes it look easy. It is simply part of who the character is and she is formed by what has happened to her. It makes her seem even more real, and adds a little something extra to her character.
Henry's duty to his country and the people of his country as the future King is not forgotten in the romance of this novel. His duty comes first, as it should. I appreciated that both Henry and Sarah realize this as their relationship develops and it is not something that comes between them. They each want to be what is best for the country and its people. Sarah realizes that if she is to be with Henry she has to be a good Queen and Henry eventually realizes he wants nothing more than to be a good King. It just reinforced their love story in a way that I absolutely loved. Their love story is also one that begins as friendship. It naturally, and slowly, evolves into something more. This may mean less sexy scenes, but it pays off in the form of more realistic feeling relationship between the characters.
The only, slight, misstep for me was the reality television show aspect of the story. I didn't feel it fully wove seamlessly into the rest of the plot. It was certainly used to further the plot and create drama, but it didn't feel vital to Henry's story or progression. It fits who is character is, but his growth rapidly makes it feel out of place, and lasts perhaps just a little too long. It is not major, and certainly not distracting for the overall story, just something that tipped the first novel a little ahead of this one.
I may have preferred the first novel in this series, but Henry's story was still a delight to read. It really is a personal preference between the two brothers that probably cinches it. If you're looking for a fun, sexy, and sweet read featuring a swoon inducing prince, I recommend not just this book, but this series.
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