A Royal Christmas Gift

Happily Ever After #1

by Luann McLane

Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington is devastated when he learns that his monarchy is being used as a tax haven for the wealthy and drug runners. To protect his people, he flees to Alabama and poses as Nick Worth, an inspector for the National Historical Society.

Anna Lee is floored when Nick Worth shows up on her doorstep to give her grant money to restore her home. She’s charmed by the handsome inspector with his European accent and takes him up on his offer. The two week restoration project turns into something much more, but Nick fears that his presence could put his southern beauty in danger.

As Christmas Eve approaches Nicholas must decide if he can put the woman he loves at risk or disappear from her life forever…

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Holiday, Novella, Adult

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2015

About the author

LuAnn McLane writes sexy contemporary romance with a touch of sass and humor. Published in 2003, her novels have appeared on bestselling lists including USA Today, Nielsen BookScan, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Her books have been featured selections for Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs. A love of country music led her to a collaboration with superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart. A member of RWA, she conducts workshops on a local and national level and connects with readers on social media. She divides her time between Kentucky, Florida and Arizona and when she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, beachcombing and spending time with friends and family.

Reviews

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the story rated 4/5, ending rated 1.5/5 overall 3/5

Oh boy, oh boy, I just can’t believe it ended like that! It is like someone took a whole book and decided to split it into two books! Everything is left up in the air, there’s no HEA though there are indications that there will be one, nothing is resolved and, having got totally engrossed in the story it plummeted to an unsignposted, dramatic halt. Talk about let down :(

Now I don’t mind reading series where each novel in the series ends with an ending which actually feels like an ending. This ended with me turning to read the next chapter only to find there isn’t one! Pet hates in my reading are erotica and no real ending . . . . this avoids the first but not the second. If this hadn’t been so well crafted, with great characters, an intriguing plot and delicious descriptions to engage the reader it wouldn’t have gained the three stars I’ve deigned to award it. Having been engrossed in the story, how it ended left me feeling like giving it only one! I actually thought this was going to be at least a four and possibly a five star read and I suspect that had I been able to read the next part straight away it would have a higher rating. As it is, the second part ‘Prince in Plain Sight’ won’t be available until early 2016, I’ll let you imagine how that makes me feel.

I highly recommend that you wait until the second part is available to read both in sequence - it will then be worth more like 4.5 stars but at the moment it is just too frustrating to earn those - it certainly didn’t leave me feeling Happily Ever After.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading seriously at 40%. Nothing had happened up to that moment so far apart from long and fairly tedious conversations between Nick and Anna and the predictable 'insta-lurve' moment. The background to the story is pretty thin and unconvincing and nether character seems to have any depth.

Typical Christmas novel with nothing to make it stand out from the rest.

Oh. Turns out I only had another 7% to read before the end!!!

WTF?? A story that ends at the 47% mark on a kindle? AND it ends in a cliffhanger?? This does not have a proper HEA ending! Be warned.

(There is an excerpt from the next story and then a 'bonus' story !! I don't WANT 'bonus' stories! I want a romance story that has a clear HFN at least and preferably a proper HEA.)

Rating this so that other readers are warned.

[Melanie Stanford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t usually give a book 2 stars. I was fully expecting to give it 3 once I finished because the story was cute. But the book just cut off in the middle with no concrete ending, leaving me annoyed to say the least and with no desire to pick up the next one.

[Gerda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was boring, so many meaningless dialogues and inner monologues that did nothing for the progress of the story. The plot was very thin, a prince who does not try to get his state under control but instead hands it over to the US? Really?
The book already ended at 46% on my kindle and had a cliffhanger, WTF? The sequel has just 98 pages, why not publish one book instead of two novellas. I refuse to be a cash cow.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Royal Christmas Gift starts with a deception when Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington becomes Nick Worth a National Historical Preservation Specialist that comes to Daleville, Alabama to qualify Anna Lee's historic home for a grant to help her preserve it and turn it into a bed and breakfast.

I loved the crazy sayings from the south and how Nick didn't always understand what Anna Lee meant. Nick is handsome, charming and a perfect guy for Anna Lee until he disappears just before Christmas. The family ties of Anna Lee and her sister and mother and the loss of her Grandparents and how the Christmas holiday is special added depth to the story. I loved how she picked out a Christmas tree and how she was funny and full of fun. The best part of A Royal Christmas Gift is the gift and although Nick disappeared the connection to Anna Lee was still strong. I look forward to the rest of the story.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Sometimes a story comes along that simply touches on every single thing that makes a person a reader, a romance addict even. For me, A Royal Christmas Gift had that ability.

We have a prince in Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington aka Nick Worth, who puts aside his royalty to become just another guy because putting his country and his people’s safety ahead of his own self-interests is more important for him than his crown.

We have a princess in need of rescuing in Anna Lee, a Southern belle who is facing a difficult Christmas season with the recent death of her beloved Gramps – as well as an even more devastating heartache looming should our prince not have stepped in. Add an adoring sister, and a well intended at times meddling, pure Southern Belle mamma and that charming family is complete.

When Nick comes to Anna Lee’s home it is a reconnaissance type of move in a way. Yes, it sets up the grant and it gives Nick some time to decide if this is where he will hide in plain sight once the final action of turning his country into a U S Territory takes place. Yet it is also the beginning of a love between two people who on the surface couldn’t be more different – but in the heart, simply fit like two pieces of a broken heart necklace. They make each other whole.

I absolutely loved this beginning story in the Happily Ever After series by LuAnn McLane. In spite of their differences, the characters sparkle on the page from the first meeting. It becomes so easy to invest ourselves in the happiness of this couple, even when we know more than Anna Lee does about what is to come. Anna Lee is fiesty, spunky, adorable and likeable. Nick is charming, handsome, sexy as sin and for a prince quite a down to earth kind of guy. The love that blooms between them will face some tough challenges in the near future, but with the foundation they have been given I have every expectation that their own happily ever after will arrive just in the nick of time.

Normally I am not a huge fan of the fade away into the next book. Yet, I have to declare that it works very well for this particular series. This will be a continuing, ongoing, developing storyline over several books. And because of that plan, and mainly because of how this story and the characters have been introduced to me, I want, no, make that need to continue to know what happens and how the characters handle what I as a reader know is coming. It was very well done – I actually care about what happens to Anna Lee and Nick next – and I need to know how Amber’s love life will play out in this epic adventure. So you see, this is a series that I will lovingly follow to get to the happily ever after that I know is in store for everyone (including me) involved.

I would highly recommend A Royal Christmas Gift for any romance reader. And while it’s not a true cliffhanger ending because we know there is more to come – I’m almost begging romance lovers to read this first story and let it captivate, spark your interest and touch your heart with well thought out characters and a heartwarming storyline. Lose your heart to a prince and a Southern belle this Christmas, I believe you’ll find the rewarded lovingly touching story will be worth any risk.

*I received an e-ARC of A Royal Christmas Gift from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

[Jenny - Book Sojourner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Christmas/Holiday books. In fact, I look forward to them every year. 'A Royal Christmas' looked like just the sort of story that was right up my alley. And fortunately for me, it was! Here's a summary of my thoughts:

1. Sweet, endearing characters: I genuinely liked Nick and Anna Lee (even though I'm not a fan of double first names, lol). There was something refreshing about both of them. Nick wasn't a player. Anna Lee wasn't helpless. They had personalities that made you want to get to know them better. So getting to know them was quite nice. And they had a natural chemistry that clicked just right.

2. Friendly romance: What I mean by friendly is that even though this story takes place over a short period of time, it felt like Nick and Anna Lee became friends before becoming more. It wasn't just lust and jumping into bed at first sight. I enjoyed the pacing of the story, and how the dialogue led us to believe they got to know each other more than just skin deep. Their connection felt true, which allowed me to hope for more for the two of them.

3. Interesting family members: We get to know Anna Lee's mother and sister a bit, as well as get hints about Nick's brother and cousins. Now I like a good series that contains a myriad of characters I want to latch onto and follow alongside, especially if they're likable (which these are). So I'm really hoping this series follows more than just Nick and Anna Lee, because I'm always up for a great series, and I'm hoping this will be one of them. And this author is new to me, which makes this discovery even more exciting.

4. Unresolved conflict: Okay, so this one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, which I was not expecting. It's not the worst cliffhanger I've ever read. Not even close. Actually, the book ends with a sneak peek at the next book, which to me acted like an epilogue, already giving us a glimpse of what's to come. But just be forwarned that the story is not resolved, and will be continued in another book to come. Honestly, I like my holiday reads wrapped up in a pretty bow (pun intended), so I was a bit disappointed, but I also genuinely liked these characters, so I look forward to more of their story.

[Janice Salotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cliffhanger!

While the characters were enjoyable and the plot good I chose to give only two stars due to this. There were several typos which could easily be corrected, but didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.
Nicholas Prince Royal desires the U.S. to annex his kingdom in order to protect his people. The island has become a tax shelter for the wealthy and a money laundering site for drug lords.
To protect him while details are completed Nick is sent to a small Alabama town as an inspector for the nonexistent National Historical Socks offering the chance of a grant. He's to stay in the family home Anna Lee Brody wants to make a B&B which needs a major influx of cash or
she 'll lose it. They fall in love, but an emergency calls Nick away unexpectedly.
On my Kindle A Royal Christmas Gift was less than 40% of the total download. Included are the blurb for the next book and author info.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit of a slow starter for me, but then I was beginning to get interested in the characters and their stories, and then it just ended! The Kindle said I was just at 48% of the download and it ended without any kind of wrap up. Then of course comes the excerpt of the 2nd in the series for another $2.99. No, that's not super expensive, but if feels like a trick to make you spend more money to find out what happened, and honestly, I didn't care enough to find out. Next to fill out the download came a whole other novella (Her Secret Prince by Madeline Ash) with another royal theme which isn't listed anywhere in the description. Not a bad story, but wildly improbable. Still, it had a real ending, so I give it points for that. The whole thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth of having been played. Oh well, live and learn!

[MaryD · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it when the book "ends" in a cliffhanger! Though this was free, I would not have downloaded it if I had stopped to read other reviews that indicated that. Also, the idea that a ruler of a sovereign country could just hand it over to the U.S. & that the U.S. would accept it is a little far-fetched. As for why Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington thought that the U.S. could keep the drug cartels & terrorists out of his country when the U.S. is struggling internally doesn't make sense to me.

[Jason Schultz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads like a Hallmark Movie, in that it is predictable and has lots of conversations that do nothing for the plot. And disappointedly, the book “ends” halfway through whatever storyline there was (at 40% of the ebook, mind you) leaving you wondering what happens after the commercial break. Finally, this book was an obvious self-publish as it had zero editing done. Within a few pages, my inner teacher wanted a red pen to correct the blatant spelling mistakes, misused words, or worse - doubled words. Clear example of you get what you pay for (free).

[Cary · Rating 2 out of 5]

First - I’m a bit skeptical that the only choice a prince has to combat what has happened is to do what is proposed here.
Second - a prince and no one recognized him?
Third - she got the Royal Christmas gift and we got a cliffhanger! Argh!
Fourth- checked out the possibility of getting the second book but calling it a book is extremely generous! It’s 97 pages. So forget about it! I’m thinking that it should have just been one decent length book. Enough said!

[Cassey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't have the right words to describe just how much of a disappointing read this was.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish at 15%

This cliche storm isn't doing it for me, and I need to move onto something worth my while.

[Cathy Koerner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not well written and poor plot I just wanted a good Christmas story-didn’t get one!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the Christmas story expected

A prince in sheeps clothing. I don’t understand why a leader of a country can’t figure out how to protect his own, without having to run away and hide. I don’t understand why the man can’t be honest, before he sleeps with her... and then, the book ends. To find out what happens... to have any closure, you have to buy the sequel, because the first book, is more of a prequel to the main story, which I presume will be told in book 2. The book starts off well, but becomes a bit confusing in places where the wording/grammar is incorrect. I was excited to read a fairytale type book, but was disappointed by the lack of any resolution.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing keeping this from a 4-star rating is the discovery that it ended on a cliffhanger and I have to read the next book to find out what happens next. Nothing wrong with series, but I simply wasn't expecting it and am quite used to romance books ending the story in one book.

A prince who is possibly in danger goes undercover and meets a southern beauty trying to save the house that is her family heritage. Attraction flares between them from the first meeting and builds the more they spend time together. The attraction is real, but a lot of what he has told her is a lie. Eventually the truth will come out and when it does, will she still feel lucky in love or royally duped?

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Royal Christmas Gift (Happily Ever After Book 1)

This book has two story in it. The first is about Nicholas, the Prince of Calloway Island and Ann Lee. Nicholas come to Ann Lee's home town with a grant of 25,000$ for her. What the catch? The second is about Jed and Dee. Jed and his mother has been on the run from his father for a long time and he fall in love with Dee went he was a teenager. Now he found his father and Dee. Will he have to chose between Dee and his father? Breast stories.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A royal Christmas gift - Luann McLane

💙💙💙

This a prequel to the authors A Prince in plain sight, so does end on a cliffhanger.

This started of a little slow, but by the end I was really enjoying it.



Her secret Prince - Madeline Ash

💙💙💙

Enjoyable, but a little slow at times.

[Julie Gansler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royalty in disguise and will he break her heart when he leaves

Well written and I hope the characters can reunite and continue to see where their destiny leads them. Wish LuAnn did not leave us hanging,but guess this forces us to read the next book.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair read. I was disappointed with how the story sort of ended in a “cliffhanger” bridging to the next book. Still, the characters seemed real and they used a lot of quirky sayings and phrases that gave them “personality”.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

I read the 2nd book before the first, but it was just a great as the first. Finding love isn't easy & they found it.

[Catherine Geist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book.

It was a good book. It had some twists in it making you wonder how it was going to end.It was a good read.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and the basic premise of the Royal Christmas Gift and wonder where the story goes next.

[Janet Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were actually two novellas making up this book. I liked the first one a little more than the second one. Both were good, but I wish they could be longer.

[Ateereel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairy tale

It was an easy read. Held my interest. The ending was just like the fairy tales! Predictable happy ever after.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

attempt at unusal plot --renouncing princedom to protect his people

I always like stories that involving saving family homes. This one qualifies on that

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story. Short read. Felt like the book ended in the middle though...

[Lauri Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically Royal

Nicely written, enjoyed the spunky heroine. A wonderful story with a great plot twist in the beginning. Love to read more with same characters.