I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck Series: Royal Wedding #1
Published by Zondervan on 2013
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 343
Source: NetGalley
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Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by best-selling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale.
Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess--just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.
The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simons Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.
Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation.
It's the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?
"This is classic romance at its very best." --DEBBIE MACOMBER
"[A] surprisingly believable royal-meets-commoner love story. With only a subtle nod to Cinderella, this modern and engaging tale follows the budding relationship of an American Southern girl and a pseudo-Brit prince . . . Hauck fans will find a gem of a tale." --Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Once Upon a Prince
Rachel Hauck is totally one of ‘my people’. Seriously, last year with the launch of my favorite book for all of 2017, ‘The Writing Desk’, I had an opportunity to get to know her and she’s good people. That being said when I found out her book ‘Once Upon a Prince’ had been picked up for movie rights by Hallmark I was beyond the moon. Not that I have cable or the Hallmark channel, but that Rachel has such an amazing way with worlds and character development that I knew it would be more than amazing. I hadn’t even read that particular book yet, but I still just knew. Well, I did go back a couple of years and read the book, I mean come on, you are reading the review right now. That being said this book has whispers of ‘Princess Diaries’ with a shadow of Charles and Dianna and a whole truckload of faith-filled fairy-tale.
I gotta tell ya, I’ve never been a ‘happily ever after’ kinda girl. I’m barely a ‘romance’ kinda girl. I’m a realist. Perfectly happy ending wrapped up in sparkly bows is so far from reality that after one too many romance novels I definitely develop a twitch or twenty and have to step back. Give me a murder to solve! That being said, this book did not make me feel like I had bathed in pure maple syrup (the good thick stuff, not the imitation from the grocery store!). I think the big difference is that Rachel develops such amazing people. They aren’t characters, they are people. They live and breath and take up space in this world. She does it with so much humor and grace. I mean poor Susanna may have had her heart broken but there was so much joy and mirth floating about surrounding her life that it wasn’t soul crushing, at least for me and I think even for her. Cliche? Yes. Eternally endearing in such a way that cliche doesn’t exist? Absolutely!
Reading ‘Once Upon a Prince’ reminds me all over again why the author is ‘my people’. She writes a perfect fairy-tale happily ever after book and then goes back through and fizzyfies it. Seriously, ‘I found the right ring but not the right girl’? You don’t come back from that . . . unless Rachel has crafted your life. Because she’s also going to give you smart-talking, sweetly sarcastic family and friends. She’s going to drop the perfect guy into your lap and then never tell you the whole truth about him. She’s going to send you across the ocean to lose yourself so you can find yourself, and possibly jacker some serious political stuffs. And then? She’s going to make it snow in Georgia. Yes, because every over the top perfect faith-filled fairy-tale needs a perfectly oversized (and glittered) bow to tie it off. . .until the sequel. (I need to read a murder now – stat!)
About Rachel Hauck
New York Times, USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Rachel Hauck writes from sunny central Florida.
A RITA finalist and winner of Romantic Times Inspirational Novel of the Year, she writes vivid characters dealing with real life issues.
She loves to hear from readers. She also loves to encourage new writers and sits on the Executive Board of American Christian Fiction Writers..
A graduate of Ohio State University with a BA in Journalism, Rachel is an avid OSU football fan. She hopes to one day stand on the sidelines in the Shoe with Urban Meyer.
An avid Diet Coke fan, she is caffeine free. Sometimes you just have to compromise.
She’s never skied or jumped out of an airplane. She leaves such hijinks to Jason Bourne.
I loved of this book. It was so sweet when I read a number years ago. Thanks 4 sharing it so others can fall in love with it.