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Going All In On Love #1

Prince Charming Undercover

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Four sisters named after royalty, with dowries fit for a queen. Their Gypsy fortuneteller mother predicted each would marry a prince…of sorts.

She’s a princess with more to lose than her dowry.

Las Vegas restaurateur Grace Parlier doesn’t gamble, but she’s risking her dowry on a new business with her late father’s friend because casino owner Charles Harmon has what she wants: location, location, location. The money may have been earmarked for a wedding, but everyone knows Grace has terrible taste in men. Look at the way her heart races every time her family’s latest Romani rescue comes close. But how could an ex-con from Detroit possibly be the prince she was meant to marry?

He’s a Detroit cop with no skin in the game—or so he wants to believe.

Nick Lightner goes undercover in Vegas for one reason only: to take down scumbag Charles Harmon. Does he believe Lucky Chuck is a human serpent threatening his birth father’s family? Hell, no. Nick knows who he is and where his allegiance lies. Certainly not with a sexy “princess” who makes the few drops of Romani blood in his veins run hotter than a winning streak at the craps table. His heart maintains a safe distance…until the princess takes a bullet meant for him, then all bets are off.

PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER is Book 1 in the Betting On Love series. If you're a fan of romance with a side of suspense, you'll love this action-packed story that introduces you to the kind of family Debra Salonen--winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award in 2006--is known for. “Debra Salonen captures reader attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing.”
—Pamela Cohen, Romantic Times

Buy PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER--the perfect "staycation." Visit Las Vegas without leaving home. But remember, when your heart's on the line, there’s no such thing as a safe bet.

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2018

504 people are currently reading
289 people want to read

About the author

Debra Salonen

128 books209 followers
- Born and raised in Brookings, South Dakota. Youngest of five (much youngest). A Baby Boomer who married her high school sweetheart (our lockers were side-by-side). Mother of two, grandmother of three darling princesses, dog mother of 2.5 mutts.

- Graduate of South Dakota State University with a Master’s degree in Geography and History.

- Job history: taxi driver, flax seed counter, cartographer, rural mail carrier, substitute teacher, secretary/community liaison for Merced College’s Child Development Center, bookkeeper, journalist, author.

- First sale story: June, 1999, to Harlequin Superromance. Total number of books sold to Harlequin =27.

- Honors and awards: Romantic Times BOOKreviews, 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year. Winner: Best Superromance of 2010: Until He Met Rachel. Nominated for Desert Quill in 2008.

- First book published by Tule Press, summer 2014: Cowgirl Come Home. The Big Sky Mavericks series opens Aug. 2014 with: Nobody's Cowboy.

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5 stars
113 (38%)
4 stars
87 (29%)
3 stars
71 (24%)
2 stars
13 (4%)
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8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
November 22, 2018
💝 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (11/22/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Four sisters named after royalty, with dowries fit for a queen. Their Gypsy fortuneteller mother predicted each would marry a prince…of sorts.

She’s a princess with more to lose than her dowry.

Las Vegas restaurateur Grace Parlier doesn’t gamble, but she’s risking her dowry on a new business with her late father’s friend because casino owner Charles Harmon has what she wants: location, location, location. The money may have been earmarked for a wedding, but everyone knows Grace has terrible taste in men. Look at the way her heart races every time her family’s latest Romani rescue comes close. But how could an ex-con from Detroit possibly be the prince she was meant to marry?

He’s a Detroit cop with no skin in the game—or so he wants to believe.

Nick Lightner goes undercover in Vegas for one reason only: to take down scumbag Charles Harmon. Does he believe Lucky Chuck is a human serpent threatening his birth father’s family? Hell, no. Nick knows who he is and where his allegiance lies. Certainly not with a sexy “princess” who makes the few drops of Romani blood in his veins run hotter than a winning streak at the craps table. His heart maintains a safe distance…until the princess takes a bullet meant for him, then all bets are off.
489 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2018
Debra Salonen offers up a well-crafted story set within a subculture that I haven't read before; she has set an extended Romani family in contemporary Las Vegas. She provides just enough backstory at the start to get one's full attention and then weaves her tale of family drama and hopeful romance with humor and a touch of suspense. There are a lot of characters to follow and we gain insight into each one's psyche as it is needed to move the action forward.
I smiled a lot as I read this book, which is definitely a good sign. I voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the author and I offer my honest opinion in response.
Profile Image for Elissa.
Author 39 books109 followers
July 21, 2018
Gypsy v. Gaujo

So the setup is as a light rom-com and largely it is, but with an underlying history of the Romani peoples and *TRIGGER ALERT* some of the atrocities committed at WWII concentration camps where gays and gypsies joined Jews and others as eradication targets. Also, this is Las Vegas, so, might there be gangsters? Abandonment issues in a number of guises are also addressed. Some really serious stuff! And all tied together quite nicely by a live-wire heroine who is the youngest of four sisters but a force with whom to be reckoned.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
3,201 reviews101 followers
November 26, 2018
Wonderful

This is such a great story. When your family has had such tragedy happen you become closer. Well 4 sisters were called princesses since they were born. They were born into a Romani family. Grace is the baby, but maybe the strongest, but something is happening and her mom is pulling in a list family member to help. Nick lives in Detroit but has always known he was adopted. But now he will to meet his dad and help the community.
Profile Image for Jessica Straker.
198 reviews
November 29, 2018
Fun

This was fun, interesting and had a few twists. I really enjoyed it. The characters were well written and now I'm invested.
254 reviews
November 26, 2018
I work in a sector that doesn't always see the best side of travellers, so reading this story about Romani's and their strong sense of family was a nice change. Story was captivating and well written.
178 reviews2 followers
June 24, 2018
Considering the title, one may expect Prince Charming Undercover to be a light hearted book about handsome princes and contemporary Cinderellas. It is, instead, a fast paced, emotional story featuring a family of modern Romani descendants.
Prince Charming Undercover is clearly meant to be the beginning of a saga. The plot is rich and intricate, with many parallel stories mingled together. The main storyline is a gruesome and unusual investigation, carried out by an undercover, by the books police detective among a family of colourful, noisy, warm hearted and very skeptical Romani individuals.
Their personalities are unconventional and their reactions to the circumstances of the story mostly unpredictable.
Grace, the heroine, is a very good example. She is strong, smart and passionate. Even when very concerned for the well being of her family, she bravely confronts her opponents refusing to be coerced into doing what she doesn’t believe is right. She is also fierce and proud, but she doesn’t let this get in the way of pursuing what she wants.
Nick, the male protagonist, is a solid, good hearted, generous individual. He loves his job as a police detective, likes to be on his own, even if at the same time he dreads the upcoming day of his parents move to their retirement home, leaving him alone with his dog.
The Romani community is the farthest thing from his ordered and organised life. The assignment, however, as odd as it seems at first glance, gives him the opportunity to rediscover his origins, and to set free his loving, caring and generous nature.
Overall, during the course of Prince Charming Undercover, the author gives the reader a first glimpse into the fascinating and unexplored universe of the Parlier family. At the end of the book, it is clear that there is much more to their story, and I’m sure that, same as me, many other readers look forward to hearing more about their captivating and intriguing adventures.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions and comments are solely my own.
Profile Image for Shelagh.
1,790 reviews25 followers
July 13, 2018
What a fantastic start to a new series! I adored Prince Charming Undercover and would have been devastated to reach the end had it not been for the fact that the first chapter of book two in the series was included at the end.
The story is set in Las Vegas, Nevada, a perfect setting for a plot that is centred on gambling, bribery and corruption. Throw in a central family which is Romani and you can imagine just how ideal this location is.
I loved getting to know Grace, her three sisters and her mother Yetta, who is instrumental in bringing Nick and Grace together. Grace is so passionate, about both her family and about her business. She is also slow to trust outsiders, particularly police and those outside the Romani community to which she belongs.
Nick is an interesting character - half Romany by birth but raised hundreds of miles from Las Vegas by a non-Romani family. Adopted out at an early age, he is more intrigued with the prospect of nailing Las Vegas lawyer Charles Harmon with some of the shady deals he knows Harmon is involved with than with meeting his birth father, who he resents.
This story is packed with all the warmth that is so typical of a Debra Salonen novel - characters who walk proudly onto the page and are as real in their story as they would be if they lived next door, and a plot that makes caring about the final outcome imperative.
I couldn’t have read this story any faster if I’d tried. I sailed through it and would have been devastated when I came to the end except that there was an excerpt from the next story in the series to give me some hope. I really can’t wait for Kate’s story but in the meantime if you haven’t yet read Prince Charming Undercover can I recommend you dive in now. You won’t be disappointed.
Profile Image for Ash P Reads.
1,054 reviews16 followers
July 7, 2018
In Prince Charming Undercover, Nick Lightner aka Nikolai Sarna knows about his Romani roots but has abandoned them just like his father abandoned him as a child. Being lucky to have been adopted by an amazing family, he pretty much goes against his Rom nature and joins law enforcement just like his adoptive father. An unexpected call with essential insider tips somehow linked to a case file on his desk sets things in motion and he finds himself connecting with his extended Romani family.

'Princess' Grace Parlier never expected to find her Prince Charming after every prophecy about the love life and life partners for herself and sister lied to broken hearts and disillusionment with love. But Nikolai Sarna somehow sparks hope within her. And being around her makes Nick take a closer look at his inherited gifts and cultural backgrounds in a different light. Falling in love though is the last thing either of them expected. Two bad they live on opposite side of the country.

I loved that the Romani/Gypsy culture has been highlighted so well in this new series by Debra Salonen. Every story she writes is enriched with culture and family values in spite of many of those families being broken and twisted in some cases. I'm excited to see what is next in the Betting On Love series.

I received an Advanced Reviewers Copy for voluntary review consideration.
Profile Image for Jennie Fortna.
2,540 reviews29 followers
July 8, 2018
ARC for honest review with no compensation 4.5 stars

Prince Charming Undercover is book 1 of Betting on Love a new series by Debra Salonen and as always another well written, entertaining, intriguing, emotional and couldn't put the book down...you will not be disappointed!!

Grace "Princess" Parlier who owns a restaurant in Las Vegas with her sister but wants to expand and has found a perfect location...a casino owned by Charles Harmon her late father's best friend, but Charles is not after a partner he wants Grace's "dowry" money. Her family doesn't trust Charles so they contact Nick Lightner, a Detroit cop who also happens to be distant family. Nick on the other hand knows all about Charles and goes undercover in Las Vegas to bring him down no matter what until he meets Grace and sparks fly between them. Now things are personal and he will do whatever it takes for family.

Can Nick keep Grace safe and her dowry intact, keep his cover under wrap and bring Charles down or will it all blow up??
Profile Image for Elaine Coghlan .
1,491 reviews14 followers
June 23, 2018
I have been reading books by Debra for just over two years now and I can honestly say they are magnificent,and Debra surly doesn't disappoint.
I was truly privileged to receive this book as an advanced copy from one of my top 4 authors & am choosing to review it voluntarily and this is my honest review..
As with all of Debra's books and this is no exception, it's absolutely a well written romance story with many twist and turns!and felt very real to me Honestly, I can’t think of a thing I didn’t like about this book. This new series Betting on Love is a set of four - Prince Charming Undercover is book one and set in Las Vegas and based on four sisters.The main characters in this book are Grace and Nick they are drawn to each other but hold out,or do they?
Amazing.. absolutely love this story,Debra never fails to deliver a sweet, sizzling romance .I highly recommend this,I think this will be a great series,so grab your copy today.
Profile Image for Rachel.
229 reviews7 followers
July 1, 2018
This book is the first in a series and it's a great beginning!. The storyline was different, unusual and intriguing. I couldn't wait to see what was going to occur next in the story. I loved the characters, storyline ….everything. There was romance, intrigue and much more. This story is about Grace a Romani descendant.. She is one of four sisters - all of whom are to marry "princes" according to their mother. The characters are well developed and the writing is very good. Also, one big plus for me..... I can't recall spotting one error in editing. That means one of two things : Either the author has a great editor, or the story had my total interest and I didn't notice any editing problems. I was provided with an ARC of the book and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.
Profile Image for MEF.
388 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2018
Debra weaves many threads together in this book to give us some sizzle, drama, intrigue and a fascinating setting of a Romani family and their history. Plus, it’s set in Vegas!
There’s a lot going on at first and I was tempted to draw a family tree, just to be sure who was who but a few chapters in I had got over that as I grew to know and love the characters and immersed myself in the Parlier family. The Romani element is key to the story but isn’t overworked or fanciful.
Grace and Nick struggle against their attraction, each has to work through their own prejudices but they are a hot sweet couple who prove opposites attract.
More lovely writing from this author and a series to look forward to.

I received a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Stella Thompson.
487 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2018
Great start to a new series!

This book is the first in Debra Salonen’s new Betting on Love series. And what a wonderful beginning! I loved the mix of romance, intrigue and humour throughout this book! I really enjoyed reading about a Romani family with all their quirks, perceptions and abilities, and their love for each other. This series is going to be a fun ride! My only downside was the number of characters and how they were related and to whom. Although, I assume this is the way a large family like this would be, I could use a family tree. I can’t wait now for book 2!

I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.
2,682 reviews20 followers
July 2, 2018
It took me a little while to get all of the names of the characters straight but once I did I was able to enjoy the story. If you like stories that are suspenseful, about families, crooked bosses, and an undercover prince charming you will enjoy this story about Nick Lightner and Grace Parlier. Throw in the Romani family of gypsies and set it in Las Vega and Debra Salonen, has an interesting story. This is book one in her new series. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
879 reviews3 followers
July 9, 2018
This is a great start to a new family saga. The storyline is different in that it starts with the youngest sisters story, and they all have had past issues and are not just starting life fresh. There is drama, suspense, romance, humor and intrigue. The story is well written and the characters well developed. I enjoyed all the quirky and interesting Romani family and friends that were introduced. I look forward to reading more of their stories.. I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend.
4,517 reviews38 followers
July 1, 2018
Wow! What a start to a new series. This book has everything we have come to expect from Debra Salonen - well written characters who spring to life, romance and a suspenseful plot with many twists and turns. I have to start a Debra Salonen book early in the day or I will be up all night because I can never put her books down. Betting on Love promises to be a great series. I hate to wait for the next story!
Profile Image for Kim Pow.
819 reviews7 followers
December 2, 2018
I made it to 59%

All the way,to 59%! Talk about long winded and unnecessary. I gave up,and I'm now going to delete this book from my kindle.
265 reviews2 followers
December 8, 2018
Gypsy heritage

What a tale! I was into the plot almost Insta toy and I just could stop reading... Nikolai and Grace love affair started long before they met. Was their love written by the stars? She is such a strong character. Once her heart is given, she won't take it back. Nikolas had a hard time leaving her, but when she's traveled two thousand miles to see him, there is nothing he won't do to make her happy. That's what a prince will do and he's a true prince...at heart This is the first time I'm not upset with a cliffhanger, Bri g .edu more!
Profile Image for Caro.
1,776 reviews42 followers
December 11, 2018
This was a really good book. I loved the characters and their personalities. I enjoyed getting to know the craziness of this family and how they come together. This book has suspense, emotions, a little action, steaminess, banter, good dialog, great characters, tricky situations, and a good HEA. I am most definitely wanting to read more in this series and see what's up with the other sisters. ;) Can't wait. Great for anytime reading that'll make you laugh a little, roll your eyes some, but leave you with a smile. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Silver Marie.
22 reviews
March 26, 2019
Interesting, funny and informative

5 stars for a fun story. There were minimal typos and the flow was neither too fast nor to slow for me.

You do get thrust headfirst into family drama followed by suspected criminal activity. But I heard that tends to happen in Vegas.

Those who aren't in touch with their spiritual side may find some things off putting like "feeling a connection" , "prophetic dreams" and other Romani practices that take a certain leap of faith.

But, overall, it was an engaging read with a glimpse to a culture that is seldom featured.
Profile Image for Nellie.
1,364 reviews23 followers
February 11, 2019
Vegas romance

I liked the characters, but not the sex scene. I skipped about 10 pages to avoid it. I didn't like Charles's character. He was gross, and into disgusting things. Although the author only alluded to his behavior, I don't want to read it, or think about it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who wants a clean book, or who is uncomfortable with this subject matter.
38 reviews
June 11, 2019
Loved this book!

Having family who live in Vegas, the details are amazingly accurate. Having additional family who are Romani, those details are just as accurate. Add a suspenseful storyline in a well-written book? I'd recommend this book and author repeatedly!

Didn't get it for a review, but happily recommending. Only reason I have 4 instead of 5 is because I don't read 5 star reviews
Profile Image for Angie Flanagan.
447 reviews7 followers
January 1, 2019
Ok I’ve read Debra’s books before but this was way off the mark for me. I couldn’t get into it. I had to skip through some of the book to get to the end. It was a bit hard to follow, chopping and changing and not being able to figure out what was going on sometimes. I did really like how there was some mystery to it and it kept me wanting to read it and find out what happened. That was about it really. It won’t stop me from reading more of her books though.
Profile Image for Anne.
319 reviews
January 2, 2019
There were times I liked this book, and other times I really liked it. I will try the second book and make a more decisive determination about this series. I chose it because I was able to purchase it for free in an Amazon promotion, AND it was set in Las Vegas. Since I love Vegas, it was an easy click.
Profile Image for Michelle Ferrari-Johnson.
1,559 reviews39 followers
February 3, 2019
Family Secrets

This story has a little bit of everything. From stealing money to illegal drugs. From pedophiles to human trafficking. Romani's trying to make an honest living to keeping some of the old traditions. There is a whole lot of life happening in this story and add in a love story and you are set for this adventure ~
931 reviews3 followers
January 10, 2019
Awesome

This was a great book and very well written.It had a lot of suspense wondering what was going to happen next.I could not put it down.Held my interest to the very end.It was also to learn how gypsies were looked down upon.
Profile Image for Netha.
30 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2022
This was such a sordid little story that I gave up on it after just a few chapters. I didn't read any explicit sex scenes, although I don't doubt they're there, but some of the characters are just such awful people, I couldn't enjoy the story.
Profile Image for Marianna Sharktooth.
482 reviews18 followers
August 28, 2023
Gypsy love undercover

Predictable, easy, enjoyable. A love story with a twist; inserting a bit of undercover- cop character at the Las Vegas setting.
Would recommend if you need a cheerful passe-temps distraction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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