The Princess Shoppe: A quirky sexy romcom suspense

by Kerry Blaisdell

Once upon a time in La-La-Land: When theme park princesses start vanishing, a free-spirited P.I. goes undercover and finds her prince: a cautious ex-military spy who'd rather be left alone.

Fired from her job, Allie Kincade has a house in escrow, an eviction notice from her landlord, and nothing in the bank. So when she’s offered an insanely large paycheck to dress up as a princess and find three women who’ve gone missing from their jobs as costume characters at GrimmLand, she jumps at the chance. But the park isn’t all it seems: Deep in the SoCal desert, it’s owned by the king of an obscure European country, and the attractions are based on the Grimm brothers’ goriest folktales. Plus, Allie’s new boss clearly wishes she’d never been hired.

As head of GrimmLand security, buttoned-down Matt Wilcox is convinced the princesses—all out-of-work actresses—simply found better gigs and "forgot" to quit. But he owes his life to King Roland, and he can’t retire and pursue his own dreams until the women are found. Then the king’s adult daughter—a real princess—also goes missing, and Matt must work with Allie to uncover the truth. Will their fairy-tale ending be a happy one…or more Grimm?

Genres: Romance

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2024

About the author

Kerry Blaisdell is the bestselling and award-winning author of the acclaimed Dead Series, including DEBRIEFING THE DEAD and its sequels, which InD’tale Magazine recommends for “fans of shows like ‘Constantine’ or ‘Supernatural.’” She also writes award-winning Romantic Suspense (PUBLISH OR PERISH, a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist) and Historical Mystery. She has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in Comparative Literature (French/Medieval English), and a Master’s in Teaching English and Advanced Mathematics from University of Portland. Kerry lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her family, assorted animals, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume. To connect with Kerry online, join her Facebook Reader Group (http://facebook.com/groups/kerryskin), or subscribe to her Very Occasional Mailing List (https://rebrand.ly/vomlgr) and get TWO free downloads!

Reviews

[Marion Over · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just fun!

Sassy, bold and a little broken, Allie is a PI in San Francisco. Screwed out of her job, she's desperate. When two men approach her about a PI job at a princess theme park (next to a rotten sea in the middle of a desert), she doesn't have much choice….find the missing princesses or lose the house she's trying to buy. Then there's the sexy, arrogant man in charge of security she's forced to be around. And a real princess hiding in the park.

I didn't realize this was a rom-com when I started it. I saw the name of one of my favorite urban fantasy authors and grabbed the ARC without reading about it. I don't normally read comedy. I was laughing my ass off. What a cast of characters!!! Hilarious, sexy and actually full of deep issues. I loved this book. I received a copy from Booksirens, All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I totally recommend this book. It's funny, sexy and hard to put down.

[WaterLillyBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

“The Princess Shoppe” by Kerry Blaisdell offers a charming blend of mystery, romance, and fairy tale magic. At the heart of the story is Allie, a private investigator still connected to her late father and shaped by a childhood of constant moving, leaving her yearning for roots. Her latest case takes her to GrimmLand, a whimsical theme park, where she’s tasked with finding three missing princesses. The mystery quickly deepens, and to crack the case, Allie must take on the role of a princess, leading to unexpected discoveries and personal sacrifices.
The book also touches on meaningful side plots, including a focus on the relationship of a father who is transitioning and the struggles between him and his pre-teen daughter. However, this dynamic may feel a little mature for her age. Alongside Allie is Matt, GrimmLand’s head of security, whose past is just as complex as the secrets of the theme park. Together, they face danger, deception, and a growing connection that adds warmth to the story.
This is a light, quick read with a fun premise that invites readers to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. While it may lack deeper substance in some areas, its whimsical charm and blend of mystery and romance make it an engaging escape.

[Marla White · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Princess Shoppe” is a terrific combination of whodunnit, romance, family comedy, and action that will keep you on your toes from start to finish. When princesses go missing from a theme park that DEFINITELY doesn’t start with a “D”, a female PI and the male head of security must work together to find out who is taking the woman and why. Fear not! The tone is light-hearted (mostly) and from the get go it’s clear no one is going to be wearing anyone’s skin.

The banter between Matt and Allie is magic from page one. Their meet-cute in a men’s room beautifully sets the expectations for the rest of the book. The mystery is tough to untangle although fun to try. The side characters have lives of their own and I love how the author isn’t afraid to sprinkle this humorous romance with some darker issues such as suicide and identity. The ending race against time...well, I won't give anything away, but it's refreshing to see how it plays out.

This book was a page-turner and it definitely makes me want to read more works by this author. It feels like the beginning of a series, at least I hope it is. I want more of Matt, Allie, and the residents of Mecca!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone's kidnapping princesses from a second rate amusement park. There's one true princess living in the park because of unrest in her country. But four women who are playing fairy tale princesses have disappeared.

So that gets the main character, Allie, in the role of a princess, trying to figure out who is kidnapping princesses before the true princess is kidnapped. There's a almost enough disaster in Allie's life for a whole other book while she's trying to solve the mystery of the pricesses. She "invested" most of her life's savings in her es boyfriend's private investigation firm only to be passed over for promotion. She's evicted from her home, an explosion destroys all her belongings.

There's a lot going on this book, maybe too much. Characters, important characters, just pop up with no explanation. Others hang out, nameless. So you really have to work reading this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kat Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lovable characters in the story.

The saying, "If it weren't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all, " applies to the main female character in this story. Sometimes, you need to lose everything to rise from the ashes and start fresh.

How she was raised with a father who moved all the time after losing her mother, instills in her that she needs a place to have roots. One disaster after the other happens while she is undercover as a PI. All the twists and turns make this a good story to read.

The chemistry between the two main characters is great.

Phil, a 12-year-old girl, is great in this story and she also has a separate story in dealing with her father with his issues.

[Darla Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review:
The Princess Shoppe by Kerry Blaisdell
I won this ebook on Kerry's Kindred Spirits and I'm so glad I did. It was fun, sassy and so different. Allie doesn't have very good luck until a job lands in her lap. She is a PI, so she is hired to find the missing "Princesses" in a theme park called GrimmLand . The head of security, Matt, works for a real King of another country, but he owes the King so he works at the park watching over a real Princess - the King's daughter. As Allie and Matt try finding clues, they get closer to each other but not to finding the missing Princesses. Neither one wants a relationship, but the antics that happen along the way will have you chuckling. There are serious parts too but some characters will stay with you. I definitely give it 5 stars. 🤩

[Lottie Hildenbrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good. Lots of action and suspense to keep you wrapped up in the story from start to finish. Also laughs and emotion and a bit of angst. I thought the chemistry between Allie and Matt was really good. There was a nice amount of spice to enhance the story. I thought the character development was pretty well done and I liked that there were storylines with the supporting characters in addition to the main characters. It all supported the main storyline, didn’t detract from it, and it wasn’t hard to keep track of what was going on.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michele Mascari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Princess Shoppe by Kerry Blaisdell starts off with the Allie Kincade losing her job through no fault of her own. By being in the right place at the right time, she is hired to investigate the disappearance of princesses at a not very famous amusement park. The characters were relatable, and there were sufficient good and bad characters to have many twists. The relationship between Didi and their preteen daughter was touching. Allie thought she knew what she wanted and where home was, but learned that home is in your heart.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who can suspend reality for a bit.

[Natalie Reads Alot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a cute, quick read. Mixture of whodunnit, comedy, family action and romance all packed into one book! A princess goes missing from a theme park and main character, Allie, becomes a Pi to investigate and help the real princess before she’s kidnapped. Can she figure it out in time to save the real princess?

There’s so much going on in this book-explosions, side characters, promotions, being fired etc. I had fun reading this. I found myself laughing out loud and shouting at times: perfect RomCom!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Princess Shoppe by Kerry Blaisdell is a romcom suspense. The premise is female PI down on her luck must solve the mystery of missing “Princesses” in a Disney knock-off park based on Grimm’s very grim fairy tales for a third world king whose daughter is playing princess in the park. Hero is former military and unwillingly tasked to help her. Somewhat funny and a lot sexy, but the best part is the secondary characters of a preteen and her widowed father who is navigating a sex change. Their relationship is the most authentic.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princesses are disappearing from Grimmland (ie an amusement park similar to, but far less appealing than, Disneyland) and PI Allie is tasked with finding out why. Sexy Matt, head of security at Grimmland, assists in the investigation. Fantastic character development, sexy makeout sessions, and an intriguing whodunit (who IS taking the princesses and why??). Kerry Blaisdell serves up another fantastic read. Can't wait for whatever she comes up with next!

[Darlene Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This story had an appealing spin on a fairly land amusement park. The main characters were fun and had an immediate connection. There were a few side stories, which were equally enjoyable and all interlocked together with a colorful supporting cast. The mystery of who kidnapped the princesses was well-written, but as a hired PI, Allie's investigating skills were lacking. With such an interesting setting, readers would enjoy reading more mysterious stories from GrimmLand.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Princess Shoppe by Kerry Blaisdell is a fun mystery full of quirky characters and a romance. The action throughout the book, keeps the reader enthralled and is a constant backdrop to the romance developing between Matt and Allie. Can they solve the mystery and keep everyone alive and well?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerry Blaisdell was a new-to-me author. I thought the story was interesting and I would read more books by this author. The story itself was a bit zany at times, but still entertaining.

I received a copy of the book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

[Cathy R. Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative, funny, sexy —most enjoyable!

Such a fun read! Never would have thought of a Grimms Fairy Tale Amusement Park as the setting for a romance. Creative, funny, sexy… thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Akkid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down! It is a fun read, with unforgettable characters. If you are looking to get lost in a book, this is a fantastic choice!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRC from BookSirens and Lello Ball Enterprises
Main story is about Allie, her ties to her dead father, and her lack of roots due to moving all the time as a child. She is PI, working for her ex-boyfriend, when offered a job at GrimmLand theme park. She needs to find three missing princesses and to do so, she becomes one of them. Not all is what it seems and the job ends up costing her more than she thought. Side stories include a dad who is transitioning to a woman and emotionally neglecting his daughter in the process. Other side story is about Matt, head of security at GrimmLand and a few issues in his past. Matt and Allie connect and work on solving the case. There is danger, secrets, back-stabbing, and, of course, romance. Fun mystery /rom-com with interesting characters.