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A review by postitsandpens
Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase
3.0
3.5/5 stars.
Going in to Suddenly Royal, I was hoping for a quick, fun and entertaining read that would have me smiling a lot. I'm happy to report that those qualities are in abundance. Samantha is a quick-witted, sarcastic and sometimes infuriating character who I very much enjoyed reading, and Alex fully lives up to his nickname of Prince Yummy. I found this book extremely engaging, and very much enjoyed my time spent in its pages.
Anyone reading the summary is probably struck with some similarities to The Princess Diaries or The Prince & Me, and there definitely are things that that are the same between those titles and this one. However, I liked that the "princess" (she's actually a duchess) in this book is an adult; she's a Master's student who's had to deal with the death of her mother and her father's struggle with cancer, so she's already had to deal with some difficult experiences. This makes Samantha a character with a lot of depth, and an interesting back story that very much influences her actions, thoughts and feelings, not only toward Alex, but the whole idea of reclaiming her Lilarian title. I very much enjoyed reading about her personal journey as she struggled with her place in this new and unknown world.
Alex is described as a playboy in the summary, but that didn't really come across so much in the book itself. I liked that he was thoughtful and caring, and willing to help Samantha through her struggles. I liked the way he slowly brought her around to the idea of a relationship, and very much liked that he didn't push her and was willing to go at her pace and only move forward with her permission. This is so often not the case in books today that I couldn't help but find the slow growth of their relationship all the more satisfying. If you're tired of books where the guy and girl immediately fall into bed with each other, then this will be a refreshing change!
Suddenly Royal also had a lot of depth to it. The world of Lilaria, the customs the people follow, and the royalty who dominate the upper echelon of society were all well-crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see this world through Sam's eyes, particularly her smiles and gasps of astonishment as something new was revealed to her. The descriptions were first rate and really helped place the reader in the narrative. Some of my favorite parts were when Sam got to experience the city and surrounding countryside (and I am SO jealous of that bookstore!). I also liked that this wasn't just a "cute" read. Sam goes through a lot, experiences a lot, and it really helped keep the book grounded. I liked the inside look at all that being a duchess entails, and everything Sam was going to be responsible for. In a "cute" read you don't always get to see the struggles, and I very much liked that those were included here.
While the premise behind Suddenly Royal perhaps isn't the most original, there is enough within the book's pages to keep anyone engaged in the story. The two main characters are wonderfully drawn and constructed, and are surrounded by a fabulous supporting cast, all set in a unique world that's described so perfectly you can see it in your mind. It looks like this is the first in a new series, and I'm really excited to see what's next for Sam and Alex (no drama, please!). If you're looking for a fun, summer read, do give this one a try!
A copy of this book was provided by Inkslinger PR for blog tour purposes.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
Going in to Suddenly Royal, I was hoping for a quick, fun and entertaining read that would have me smiling a lot. I'm happy to report that those qualities are in abundance. Samantha is a quick-witted, sarcastic and sometimes infuriating character who I very much enjoyed reading, and Alex fully lives up to his nickname of Prince Yummy. I found this book extremely engaging, and very much enjoyed my time spent in its pages.
Anyone reading the summary is probably struck with some similarities to The Princess Diaries or The Prince & Me, and there definitely are things that that are the same between those titles and this one. However, I liked that the "princess" (she's actually a duchess) in this book is an adult; she's a Master's student who's had to deal with the death of her mother and her father's struggle with cancer, so she's already had to deal with some difficult experiences. This makes Samantha a character with a lot of depth, and an interesting back story that very much influences her actions, thoughts and feelings, not only toward Alex, but the whole idea of reclaiming her Lilarian title. I very much enjoyed reading about her personal journey as she struggled with her place in this new and unknown world.
Alex is described as a playboy in the summary, but that didn't really come across so much in the book itself. I liked that he was thoughtful and caring, and willing to help Samantha through her struggles. I liked the way he slowly brought her around to the idea of a relationship, and very much liked that he didn't push her and was willing to go at her pace and only move forward with her permission. This is so often not the case in books today that I couldn't help but find the slow growth of their relationship all the more satisfying. If you're tired of books where the guy and girl immediately fall into bed with each other, then this will be a refreshing change!
Suddenly Royal also had a lot of depth to it. The world of Lilaria, the customs the people follow, and the royalty who dominate the upper echelon of society were all well-crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see this world through Sam's eyes, particularly her smiles and gasps of astonishment as something new was revealed to her. The descriptions were first rate and really helped place the reader in the narrative. Some of my favorite parts were when Sam got to experience the city and surrounding countryside (and I am SO jealous of that bookstore!). I also liked that this wasn't just a "cute" read. Sam goes through a lot, experiences a lot, and it really helped keep the book grounded. I liked the inside look at all that being a duchess entails, and everything Sam was going to be responsible for. In a "cute" read you don't always get to see the struggles, and I very much liked that those were included here.
While the premise behind Suddenly Royal perhaps isn't the most original, there is enough within the book's pages to keep anyone engaged in the story. The two main characters are wonderfully drawn and constructed, and are surrounded by a fabulous supporting cast, all set in a unique world that's described so perfectly you can see it in your mind. It looks like this is the first in a new series, and I'm really excited to see what's next for Sam and Alex (no drama, please!). If you're looking for a fun, summer read, do give this one a try!
A copy of this book was provided by Inkslinger PR for blog tour purposes.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!