The Stolen Princess

by Sandralena Hanley

Princess Eloise, abused and unloved, is trapped in a marriage she never wanted. But when a handsome stranger and a secret rescue bring her freedom, new troubles brew, both within her family and within her own torn heart.

In a kingdom teetering on the edge of war and fraught with uncertainties and dangerous love, this novel is a story of discovering one's worth and God's plan for each of His children.

Genres: Medieval

196 pages, Paperback

Published November 17, 2024

About the author

Sandra Hanley spent her childhood making up stories and illustrating them. An avid reader, she has devoured about 3000 books in many genres. She taught elementary school for eight years, and middle school for five.
She lives in beautiful Inland Northwest with her husband. Her hobbies are painting, crocheting, reading, writing and dreaming up imaginary worlds.
Be sure to sign up for her newsletter at www.sandralena-hanley.com for upcoming stories in the Royal Rescue series for adults, as well as the Valdeor Chronicles for tweens and teens.

Reviews

[Sandralena Hanley]

As the author, I will not rate this. First installment of a Christian series inspired by Biblical romances but set in a late medieval period. Expect hidden dangers, humor and clean romance. Stand-alone reads for fans of Melanie Dickerson.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Catholic historical royal romance set in the late medieval period. Though there are difficult and dangerous situations in the story, they are handled with a gentle touch that emphasizes God's faithfulness in times of trial rather than the details of things like physical abuse.

The main character, Princess Eloise, is a believable medieval princess, who is a shining example of maintaining faith in God despite the difficulties of her life. At every opportunity, she gives thanks to God for his gifts and remains close to him when things are hard, as well as when the burdens of her life begin to lift. The hero of the story is an equally positive role model for Catholic men, and his protection of Eloise is comforting and sweet to read about. There is also an emphasis on repentance and forgiveness that is not often present in the romance genre, but which added welcome depth to this novel.

If you like clean romance with Christian elements, a historical setting, hints of danger and intrigue, and a happy ending, you will definitely want to read The Stolen Princess!

[Emma | meadowroselibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘮, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳."

I struggled a little to get into this one, just trying to feel the characters and figure out where the plot was going, but it didn't take long to get really enjoyable!
Eloise's devotion was really sweet and admirable, considering what she went through with her first husband.
The only thing I didn't like was the way Tristan saved Eloise, even though it was needed. But by the end I really appreciated how I was handled and addressed, it made it all the more sweet and heroic, and I liked him a lot more for it. 🩷
I also really admired Eloise's faithfulness to God, even in her weakness, her strength showed through stronger.
This was a really quick and easy read, that is completely clean and full of sweet romance that I highly recommend! 💕

*I received an e-ARC copy, all opinions are my own

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical romance set in a fictional realm. While the narrative is straight-forward, there is great depth to the main characters, who take the time to examine the morality of their actions, weighing feelings against what is right and just. There is an uncommon examination of guilt that results in not just forgiveness but penance, something both appropriate to the historical setting but also often overlooked.

That's not say the novel is heavy or maudlin. Its characters are likable, its pacing fresh, and the romance sweet and endearing.

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read by Sandralena. This was a very Catholic read. As a non-catholic, I didn't understand a lot of the penances and catholic rituals/traditions. The story was well written. But the whole time, I kept thinking, "he's her cousin!" Apparently, that theme happened a couple of times in the book.
TW: cousin marriage- borderline incest, physical abuse from a husband a couple of times, light gore, miscarriage, and the physical abuse rendering the queen barren.
Not a light read. It was interesting.

[Linda Leigh The Elegant Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my very first Catholic Fiction novel that I read, I absolutely adored this book and wanted more! I hope the second installment comes out soon. I cried and rejoiced so many times throughout the book. I am new to reading Christian fiction and this was an excellent start!

[Leslea Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed several books by this author so I was excited to read her newest book. And I must admit, the beautiful cover drew me in as well. This is a fantasy/historical fiction novel. Set in a time of kingdoms, the story is about Eloise, a young Princess who was married to a neighboring King as a diplomatic arrangement. Her new husband was abusive and despite the arrangement, declared war on Eloise’s home kingdom.
When Eloise is rescued by a handsome Duke things drastically change for her but cause new problems as she fights her feelings for the kind Tristan since she is still a married woman.
This book brought up some interesting topics about moral dilemmas such as duty to country vs. self, living Christian values vs. personal happiness, and the importance of repentance for sins. Another great story by Sandralena Hanley.