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The Princess
In the Land of Pendaran, Shelby Parker lives a humble but good life. Her special qualities are eventually noticed by the king and queen of the House of Markham, who seek a new wife for their widowed son, Prince Nikolai. To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart. Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?
Audio CD
First published February 1, 1999
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About the author
Lori Wick
101 books1,643 followersFROM THE PUBLISHER:
Lori Wick is known as one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. From pioneer fiction to a series set in Victorian England to a contemporary novel, Lori's books (over 5 million in print) continue to delight readers and top the Christian bestselling fiction list. Lori and her husband, Bob, live in Wisconsin with "the three coolest kids in the world."
Lori Wick is known as one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. From pioneer fiction to a series set in Victorian England to a contemporary novel, Lori's books (over 5 million in print) continue to delight readers and top the Christian bestselling fiction list. Lori and her husband, Bob, live in Wisconsin with "the three coolest kids in the world."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 895 reviews
August 10, 2008
I didn't know this was written by a Christian author before I started reading. At first when I read how much religion was incorporated in the story I was hesitant to continue, but I enjoyed reading the silent prayers the characters said and really there was no difference between the religious beliefs of these characters and my own. But, I must say that my favorite part of this book was the love story. (...Sigh...) Watching the love of this couple grow from a beginning of fear and dislike to the deepest of love and commitment was heart warming.
January 15, 2013
So uh this is a Christian book, the kind where you can read passages from the Bible and chapter references such as Genesis, Matthew… I honestly feel awkward reading it.
A phone! They have a phone! Yes obviously I am a bit shocked. I never expected to see (or read) something about a phone, sports car, golf, limousine etc. Well one thing’s for sure, they may be prince and princess but this book is surely not regency. I was expecting regency you know. I got deluded. This is more like Princess Diaries, except that it’s more religious.
I have so many issues with this book.
Well for one the conversations are not engaging. The storyline is predictable. The writing is plain and simple. The characters are annoyingly faultless/prefect. I feel like I’m reading from a Bible story. And the attempts at intimacy are awful. The humor is barely laughable. I don’t get the sudden mood changes. No preamble, no nothing.
GET OVER YOUR DEAD WIFE! Nickolai is annoying.
The sweet gestures which were supposed to make me a giggling mess have no effect whatsoever.
Shelby blushes at ridiculous things! Spare me. What is so embarrassing about getting a burger? She’s angry at Nickolai, sometimes scared but I don’t get why! This is so dumb.
Worrying is a sin. A sin. Okay.
Flirtations. Are you trying to be funny? Cause I’m not laughing.
“Thank you” “I’m glad you told me” OH MY GOD STOP IT. IT’S GRATING ON MY NERVES. And who says “I think I’ll lie down” when hit with a ball? Ridiculous. HE GOT HIT BY A BALL. You don’t need to panic. HE GOT HIT BY A BALL. IN THE HEAD. WHO CARES? HE’S NOT GONNA DIE. What in the name of fuck was that about? So weird.
Also did I mention that the ‘intimacies’ didn’t make me want to curl my toes? Quite the contrary. It’s giving me goosebumps. And not in a good way either. And they’re all crybabies! Oh and another thing, do you really have to get your husband’s permission for everything? Or say “thank you” EVERY FREAKING SECOND?!
“May I hold you?” “If I can hold you back” OH MY GOD ARE YOU FOR REAL WHAT THE HELL IS THIS OH MY GOD ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!
I have never rolled my eyes so much while reading. I think I over rolled them. And I had a migraine all throughout.
A phone! They have a phone! Yes obviously I am a bit shocked. I never expected to see (or read) something about a phone, sports car, golf, limousine etc. Well one thing’s for sure, they may be prince and princess but this book is surely not regency. I was expecting regency you know. I got deluded. This is more like Princess Diaries, except that it’s more religious.
I have so many issues with this book.
Well for one the conversations are not engaging. The storyline is predictable. The writing is plain and simple. The characters are annoyingly faultless/prefect. I feel like I’m reading from a Bible story. And the attempts at intimacy are awful. The humor is barely laughable. I don’t get the sudden mood changes. No preamble, no nothing.
GET OVER YOUR DEAD WIFE! Nickolai is annoying.
The sweet gestures which were supposed to make me a giggling mess have no effect whatsoever.
Shelby blushes at ridiculous things! Spare me. What is so embarrassing about getting a burger? She’s angry at Nickolai, sometimes scared but I don’t get why! This is so dumb.
Worrying is a sin. A sin. Okay.
Flirtations. Are you trying to be funny? Cause I’m not laughing.
“Thank you” “I’m glad you told me” OH MY GOD STOP IT. IT’S GRATING ON MY NERVES. And who says “I think I’ll lie down” when hit with a ball? Ridiculous. HE GOT HIT BY A BALL. You don’t need to panic. HE GOT HIT BY A BALL. IN THE HEAD. WHO CARES? HE’S NOT GONNA DIE. What in the name of fuck was that about? So weird.
Also did I mention that the ‘intimacies’ didn’t make me want to curl my toes? Quite the contrary. It’s giving me goosebumps. And not in a good way either. And they’re all crybabies! Oh and another thing, do you really have to get your husband’s permission for everything? Or say “thank you” EVERY FREAKING SECOND?!
“May I hold you?” “If I can hold you back” OH MY GOD ARE YOU FOR REAL WHAT THE HELL IS THIS OH MY GOD ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!
I have never rolled my eyes so much while reading. I think I over rolled them. And I had a migraine all throughout.
September 14, 2008
Okay, it was sitting at the desk where I work, and my self control is pathetic. I cannot resist a fiction novel when temptation persists.
Lori Wick has this knack for writing love stories that make me wonder what world she's living on, cuz it isn't planet earth. Now on the bright side her stories are always clean, and the characters have great value systems and what have you, but I have read much better from her than this. It's not so much that the story was bad per se, just that it was so gosh darn 'mushy'. Sickly sweet. (too much, take it back!)
I love great literature, and if that's what you're in search of with a hankering for romance, then I suggest Jane Austin. Lori Wick writes 'brain candy' it takes no effort to read it and I'm sure she pumps out the stories quickly, I kind of wish she'd take more time. I find the conversation stilted and characters sadly predictable. However I still read the whole thing, so that either tells you that there is something there after all, or that part of me is girly enough to devour a love story. (I shame myself. And to think I could have used that time to do homework!)
Lori Wick has this knack for writing love stories that make me wonder what world she's living on, cuz it isn't planet earth. Now on the bright side her stories are always clean, and the characters have great value systems and what have you, but I have read much better from her than this. It's not so much that the story was bad per se, just that it was so gosh darn 'mushy'. Sickly sweet. (too much, take it back!)
I love great literature, and if that's what you're in search of with a hankering for romance, then I suggest Jane Austin. Lori Wick writes 'brain candy' it takes no effort to read it and I'm sure she pumps out the stories quickly, I kind of wish she'd take more time. I find the conversation stilted and characters sadly predictable. However I still read the whole thing, so that either tells you that there is something there after all, or that part of me is girly enough to devour a love story. (I shame myself. And to think I could have used that time to do homework!)
October 16, 2020
4.5 stars ~
That was extremely enjoyable. I wasn't expecting to like it so much.
And after rereading it I decided it needed to go up half a star. lol The writing style is a little off at times and took me for a spin, but the message and characters are so NEEDED that the rating had to go up.
Besides I was really encouraged to JUST FOCUS ON CHRIST. So I highly recommend...even if you aren't into romance. >.<
That was extremely enjoyable. I wasn't expecting to like it so much.
And after rereading it I decided it needed to go up half a star. lol The writing style is a little off at times and took me for a spin, but the message and characters are so NEEDED that the rating had to go up.
Besides I was really encouraged to JUST FOCUS ON CHRIST. So I highly recommend...even if you aren't into romance. >.<
December 30, 2018
I didn't enjoy this book. There was hardly any story to it and the romance felt weird; they didn't even kiss before the night they finally decided to consummate their marriage. It was a butterfly killer.
I enjoy Christian fiction, but this was WAY over the top with preaching. I like for the characters to show us their faith through their choices and actions. This was more TELL, TELL, TELL than show.
Sorry Melissa! You're still my book whisperer.
I enjoy Christian fiction, but this was WAY over the top with preaching. I like for the characters to show us their faith through their choices and actions. This was more TELL, TELL, TELL than show.
Sorry Melissa! You're still my book whisperer.
November 13, 2008
In most fairy tales, when the Princess and Prince get married, the story ends “happily ever after”. In Lori Wick’s “The Princess,” however, the vows are only the beginning. Although this is the story of an arranged marriage, I found its underlying message quite relevant to most people today, and I think it may especially help those who are struggling or considering divorce.
Prince Nikolai of Pendaran lost his wife before the novel begins, but she is quite present, especially in the early pages. As custom rules that the crown prince must be married by the age of 26, and that fateful birthday draws nearer, Nikolai knows that he cannot in good conscience choose his own wife. Instead, he asks his parents to make the choice for him.
They select for his bride the lovely Shelby Parker, a sweet, goodhearted woman who shares the same Christian values as they royal family. Although startled by the decision, Shelby accepts the proposal, and the two find themselves married without even meeting. Perhaps the best sign of the distance between them when the Prince, thinking her the new help, introduces himself – after the wedding.
As Nikolai struggles with grief and Shelby struggles to connect to her distant husband, both learn that love does not come automatically with marriage. Indeed, we can make the choice to love our spouse – or to not love them. Nikolai especially struggles to draw closer to his wife, but after he has rebuffed her, Shelby also finds herself ambivalent and seeks to overcome the pain her husband unwittingly causes her.
Choice, then, is the message I pulled out of this novel. Marriage isn’t easy for anyone, royal or average. We disagree (fight, argue, whatever) with our spouses, we see them at their worst as well as their best, and the romance that begins even the best of marriages can easily fade away. But, like Nikolai and Shelby, we each must make the choice to love our spouse on a daily basis, and must seek ways to cultivate and grow that love.
I really enjoyed this novel. It felt a bit heavy-handed on the Christianity, occasionally preachy, but overall it was an enjoyable story. The characters struggled with realistic relationship problems, and, despite their royal origins, were easy to relate to. About the biggest problem I had came from the royal family itself – counting Shelby and Nikolai, there were (I think) four sets of royal couples, and this got a bit confusing. Still, overall, a great read!
Prince Nikolai of Pendaran lost his wife before the novel begins, but she is quite present, especially in the early pages. As custom rules that the crown prince must be married by the age of 26, and that fateful birthday draws nearer, Nikolai knows that he cannot in good conscience choose his own wife. Instead, he asks his parents to make the choice for him.
They select for his bride the lovely Shelby Parker, a sweet, goodhearted woman who shares the same Christian values as they royal family. Although startled by the decision, Shelby accepts the proposal, and the two find themselves married without even meeting. Perhaps the best sign of the distance between them when the Prince, thinking her the new help, introduces himself – after the wedding.
As Nikolai struggles with grief and Shelby struggles to connect to her distant husband, both learn that love does not come automatically with marriage. Indeed, we can make the choice to love our spouse – or to not love them. Nikolai especially struggles to draw closer to his wife, but after he has rebuffed her, Shelby also finds herself ambivalent and seeks to overcome the pain her husband unwittingly causes her.
Choice, then, is the message I pulled out of this novel. Marriage isn’t easy for anyone, royal or average. We disagree (fight, argue, whatever) with our spouses, we see them at their worst as well as their best, and the romance that begins even the best of marriages can easily fade away. But, like Nikolai and Shelby, we each must make the choice to love our spouse on a daily basis, and must seek ways to cultivate and grow that love.
I really enjoyed this novel. It felt a bit heavy-handed on the Christianity, occasionally preachy, but overall it was an enjoyable story. The characters struggled with realistic relationship problems, and, despite their royal origins, were easy to relate to. About the biggest problem I had came from the royal family itself – counting Shelby and Nikolai, there were (I think) four sets of royal couples, and this got a bit confusing. Still, overall, a great read!
April 24, 2010
I had a lot of problems with this book so I'll just go with the highlights.
The book was poorly written. There, I've said it. I only finished it because it fulfilled a reading challenge requirement and it was painful for the last two hundred pages. There was far too much telling of events and not enough showing. What we do see usually hurts the characters. We see them being good Christians but we almost never see their thoughts, making their actions feel disingenuous.
I didn't hate the heroine, but that's only because there wasn't enough character there to hate. Her life is unreal, even before becoming royalty. The only friends of hers that we really see are the elderly women suffering from cancer who she attends Bible study with. If she's so wonderful and likable shouldn't she have friends her own age? Her only real flaw seems to be that she cares too much. Her mistakes stem from a need to help people that ranges from simple generosity to actually endangering her life and health. Unfortunately, this issue is never discussed. She is praised constantly for this selflessness when what she really needs is to be told that she's allowed to care about herself.
I was also very disappointed in the lack of royal issues. After the discussion of "the tradition" (requiring the prince to marry by age 26) the book might as well be about normal, everyday people -- it might have been better that way. The royal family is seen moving about as easily as normal people do, as if there would be no issue when the heir to the kingdom suddenly stops by a small family restaurant. Even the tradition falls by the wayside, no one seeming to care that its purpose probably had something to do with producing an heir.
The book was poorly written. There, I've said it. I only finished it because it fulfilled a reading challenge requirement and it was painful for the last two hundred pages. There was far too much telling of events and not enough showing. What we do see usually hurts the characters. We see them being good Christians but we almost never see their thoughts, making their actions feel disingenuous.
I didn't hate the heroine, but that's only because there wasn't enough character there to hate. Her life is unreal, even before becoming royalty. The only friends of hers that we really see are the elderly women suffering from cancer who she attends Bible study with. If she's so wonderful and likable shouldn't she have friends her own age? Her only real flaw seems to be that she cares too much. Her mistakes stem from a need to help people that ranges from simple generosity to actually endangering her life and health. Unfortunately, this issue is never discussed. She is praised constantly for this selflessness when what she really needs is to be told that she's allowed to care about herself.
I was also very disappointed in the lack of royal issues. After the discussion of "the tradition" (requiring the prince to marry by age 26) the book might as well be about normal, everyday people -- it might have been better that way. The royal family is seen moving about as easily as normal people do, as if there would be no issue when the heir to the kingdom suddenly stops by a small family restaurant. Even the tradition falls by the wayside, no one seeming to care that its purpose probably had something to do with producing an heir.
December 26, 2008
This is absolutely my most favorite book by Lori Wick!
June 15, 2022
I forgot how simply beautiful this story is. Love it so much.
May 17, 2024
I really loved Shelby as a main character! She was wonderful, sweet, and kind--perfect for being a princess. Several things were rather rushed, and I would have preferred if several conversations hadn't gone quite as far as they did in regard to marital intimacy. Also, I wish Nikolai had been developed more at the beginning. That said, I did enjoy the story, and the side characters were great!
February 17, 2009
I like to know little to nothing about books before I read them, sometimes this can get me in trouble. In the case with this book, I must have had different expectations, so perhaps I'm being too hard on it...? I found the book to be extremely dull and silly. The characters were so one-dimensional and wispy. There was no flaw to overcome, no conflict to resolve, not even the slightest bit of interest or chemistry. I liked that it was clean, but it was so annoyingly preachy--and I like religion, so that's saying a lot.
May 16, 2008
I just finished reading it for the second time. It is interesting to me, and I wonder why. It's an okay story, but it seems more about the heroine finding happiness in life because of herself, and less about the romance. I guess I think she took a situation and made a life for herself within the framework of her reality. Third reading-this time I was struck by the choice to love someone, rather than it beginning with infatuation.
August 30, 2020
I was really excited to finally read this novel that I’ve heard great things about. Lori Wick was one of the first CF writers I started reading but I have only read her historical works. As I was listening to the audiobook I realized that this is my FIRST contemporary CF book I’ve ever read 😲. Even though I exclusively read historical fiction, I can’t believe it’s true!
I can see why readers love this book & come back to it. It does have a Genovia feel to it with a lot of great Christian female characters. This book tackled real marriage issues with a Christian world view. It didn’t quite meet my expectations, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
My main complaint is the lack of romance build up. It felt all over the place & cold at times. They acted like they didn’t feel anything for each other & yet they had physical intimacy like BAM once it was addressed. There was no kiss build up or anything like that which my romantic heart likes to see. Shelby at one point seemed to start caring for him & then she was thinking of loving him as a “problem” to fix. I understand the theme of this book is that love is a choice, but I still think there could have been a more steady build up to love/physical intimacy.
I guess I’m just not as logical as Shelby. She has a handsome kind husband who is a prince yet she has to consciously choose to love him & doesn’t get butterflies or feel the need to say I love you back for seemingly forever later. 🦋 Seems like it would have come easier 😆
The narrator was older (not that it mattered) & her voice was like boring central sometimes.
I can see why readers love this book & come back to it. It does have a Genovia feel to it with a lot of great Christian female characters. This book tackled real marriage issues with a Christian world view. It didn’t quite meet my expectations, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
My main complaint is the lack of romance build up. It felt all over the place & cold at times. They acted like they didn’t feel anything for each other & yet they had physical intimacy like BAM once it was addressed. There was no kiss build up or anything like that which my romantic heart likes to see. Shelby at one point seemed to start caring for him & then she was thinking of loving him as a “problem” to fix. I understand the theme of this book is that love is a choice, but I still think there could have been a more steady build up to love/physical intimacy.
I guess I’m just not as logical as Shelby. She has a handsome kind husband who is a prince yet she has to consciously choose to love him & doesn’t get butterflies or feel the need to say I love you back for seemingly forever later. 🦋 Seems like it would have come easier 😆
The narrator was older (not that it mattered) & her voice was like boring central sometimes.
April 18, 2007
I find myself re-reading the book a lot. It's just a great love story!
n the Land of Pendaran, Shelby Parker lives a humble but good life. Her special qualities are eventually noticed by the king and queen of the House of Markham, who seek a new wife for their widowed son, Prince Nikolai.
To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart. Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?
n the Land of Pendaran, Shelby Parker lives a humble but good life. Her special qualities are eventually noticed by the king and queen of the House of Markham, who seek a new wife for their widowed son, Prince Nikolai.
To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart. Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?
November 4, 2015
One of my FAVORITES!!
February 23, 2019
I enjoyed re-reading this book
Lori wick is one of my favorite Christian romance writers and i alway enjoy reading her
books And this one is one of my favorites of
hers
Lori wick is one of my favorite Christian romance writers and i alway enjoy reading her
books And this one is one of my favorites of
hers
February 27, 2018
2.5 STARS
I really wanted to love this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The writing was a bit awkward at times and didn’t flow :/.
I really wanted to love this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The writing was a bit awkward at times and didn’t flow :/.
July 23, 2025
Edit: this has honestly become a comfort read for me. Loved journeying with these characters again. It's got everything I love: a slow-burn romance, arranged marriage/marriage of convenience,
Such a beautiful novel! I am officially in love with Shelby! Her character was so lovely and kind and I was rooting for her happiness right from the beginning. I absolutely adored seeing her and Nikolai fall in love. It was such a healing and delightful process. I fell more in love with them as the novel progressed and was so sad to say goodbye to them at the end.
Although the faith/Christian elements were quite heavy, I felt that it was incorporated well into the story, but that's just me! I feel like it'll be a bit of a hit or miss type of thing for readers. You either appreciate it or hate it.
Loved the secondary characters as well.
I will definitely be re-reading this!
Such a beautiful novel! I am officially in love with Shelby! Her character was so lovely and kind and I was rooting for her happiness right from the beginning. I absolutely adored seeing her and Nikolai fall in love. It was such a healing and delightful process. I fell more in love with them as the novel progressed and was so sad to say goodbye to them at the end.
Although the faith/Christian elements were quite heavy, I felt that it was incorporated well into the story, but that's just me! I feel like it'll be a bit of a hit or miss type of thing for readers. You either appreciate it or hate it.
Loved the secondary characters as well.
I will definitely be re-reading this!
July 17, 2008
Lori Wick found perhaps the only way to have an arranged marriage work at the turn of the 21st century: royalty. I find Nicolai's struggle between loving his dead wife and loving his new bride to be heart-felt and believable. I adore Shelby, but don't always think her not sharing her feelings about certain things works. Still a great late night read.
September 5, 2008
I loved this book, it took me five hours to finish it.
What makes this book so special is that it's a modern day fairy tale, and Nicki and 'Red' spend more time developing their friendship and how well they know each other, rather than focusing all on...well you know. :) A very good book.
What makes this book so special is that it's a modern day fairy tale, and Nicki and 'Red' spend more time developing their friendship and how well they know each other, rather than focusing all on...well you know. :) A very good book.
January 21, 2024
This is the first time that I've ever read anything from this author, and overall, it wasn't definitely a bad experience.
This book actually turned out to be more than I thought it would, especially from the first few pages / chapters. It's only when Shelby and Nickolai are married and Nickolai begins to realize that it might be a good idea to start working on getting to know his new wife that things really start to happen. Romance, royalty, and a Christian married couple who are strangers to each other make for a story that's just, well, comfort food in a way. Sure, it's like a hallmark movie, but it's also SO much better.
This book was more 'tell' than 'show' but I still enjoyed it. Watching these two learn to be a married couple together was amusing, cute, fun, and you're rooting for both of them at the same time to realize how perfect each other is <3 So overall, for me it was a cute, sweet romance. Shelby and Nikolai were both mature characters with a strong faith, but both had their flaws as well.
Because things were more tell than show, I didn't get as engaged with the characters, but sometimes that's good because then I wasn't too emotionally invested but just enjoying a story. This book was more than I expected, and I'm glad of it.
The other thing I didn't expect was how, uh, explicit?, things would get. I mean, this is a married couple who's just been thrown together, but hey, you've got to learn to live together and, well, *cough* have children. So it's realistic in that sense. There was never anything that went too far (and the fact that context was that they were married made it more right, if they weren't married I wouldn't even be reading it), but for this reason I'd recommend it for ages 16 - 17 and up. It was all handled tastefully, just more than I expected.
There were also a few subplots relating to the nursing home and Peter, that helped keep the focus from just being completely on the romance and added to the story even more. Oh, and it was so unique that Shelby's father was deaf. Definitely not something you see often in books. And Pendaran sounds like a lovely country that I want to visit / live in <3 So overall, I enjoyed it!
This book actually turned out to be more than I thought it would, especially from the first few pages / chapters. It's only when Shelby and Nickolai are married and Nickolai begins to realize that it might be a good idea to start working on getting to know his new wife that things really start to happen. Romance, royalty, and a Christian married couple who are strangers to each other make for a story that's just, well, comfort food in a way. Sure, it's like a hallmark movie, but it's also SO much better.
This book was more 'tell' than 'show' but I still enjoyed it. Watching these two learn to be a married couple together was amusing, cute, fun, and you're rooting for both of them at the same time to realize how perfect each other is <3 So overall, for me it was a cute, sweet romance. Shelby and Nikolai were both mature characters with a strong faith, but both had their flaws as well.
Because things were more tell than show, I didn't get as engaged with the characters, but sometimes that's good because then I wasn't too emotionally invested but just enjoying a story. This book was more than I expected, and I'm glad of it.
The other thing I didn't expect was how, uh, explicit?, things would get. I mean, this is a married couple who's just been thrown together, but hey, you've got to learn to live together and, well, *cough* have children. So it's realistic in that sense. There was never anything that went too far (and the fact that context was that they were married made it more right, if they weren't married I wouldn't even be reading it), but for this reason I'd recommend it for ages 16 - 17 and up. It was all handled tastefully, just more than I expected.
There were also a few subplots relating to the nursing home and Peter, that helped keep the focus from just being completely on the romance and added to the story even more. Oh, and it was so unique that Shelby's father was deaf. Definitely not something you see often in books. And Pendaran sounds like a lovely country that I want to visit / live in <3 So overall, I enjoyed it!
June 20, 2025
3.75 ❤️
This book has taught me many things about a Christ-centered marriage. I’m just not the kind of woman to read romance day by day. I enjoyed it thoroughly, though, especially the middle parts where the courting was occurring.
God bless your reading!
This book has taught me many things about a Christ-centered marriage. I’m just not the kind of woman to read romance day by day. I enjoyed it thoroughly, though, especially the middle parts where the courting was occurring.
God bless your reading!
February 6, 2013
I haven't read many of Lori Wick's books. Only her yellow Rose series and maybe a few stand alone books. I found I struggled to rate this book. At times, it was really great. I loved the Christian values, I liked the characters, and the plotline was unique compared with so many generic reads these days. However, what had me torn was all the intimate scenes. Certainly I think it was just enough without being too detailed, however, the writing was blush worthy at times. Normally such writing would bother me, especially since I'm not a huge fan of romance books. However, the fact that the couple was married made a big difference to me. Normally, I get so annoyed with characters who flirt and kiss when they don't have any serious intentions of being in a relationship together. It was a nice change to see a couple married first and then finding their way to love and happiness.
I loved both the characters of Shelby and Nick. I loved that they were both already believers and also that they were both really patient and dedicated to making their marriage work. I also was happily surprised to see the honesty on Shelby's part. While I've never been married, and even more so, not married a prince, I found I could relate with Shelby.
The only thing I didn't like was, as I said, all the intimate scenes. I would say this is definitely a book that a younger teen girl shouldn't be reading.
I loved both the characters of Shelby and Nick. I loved that they were both already believers and also that they were both really patient and dedicated to making their marriage work. I also was happily surprised to see the honesty on Shelby's part. While I've never been married, and even more so, not married a prince, I found I could relate with Shelby.
The only thing I didn't like was, as I said, all the intimate scenes. I would say this is definitely a book that a younger teen girl shouldn't be reading.
February 18, 2014
Oh my word what a long winded piece of drivel!!!! Seriously this woman cant write. I only got through 2 thirds before I wanted to shoot myself in the face. Usually i don't write really mean reviews but I'm going to make an exception for this book because of all the religious rubbish. Religion does NOT, i repeat, does NOT play a major part in fiction and this is coming from someone who has been religious all her life. Religion is a touchy subject at the best of times because of all the different beliefs out there so to mention it almost every third page? It got to the point where if someone mentioned the word "Lord" I skipped whole paragraphs just because It was so irritating and felt as if the author wrote this book for the sole purpose of ramming her beliefs down the readers throat. Worrying is a sin? Really? Also everyone is too perfect. Her characters lack passion and are pale colourless imitations. Maybe if the story wasn't so boring I would of finished. I give one star for plot line because the general idea is good but that's it. If you write a book for the purpose of publishing you need to write something your readers will like people!!! If you're into long winded religious babble where the characters are either vaguely happy, vaguely worried or cry a lot and the heroine is a spineless ninny this is the book for you!!! How it got a 4 star rating I'll never know.
September 9, 2022
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Ive been a fan of Lori Wick's books since i was a teen mainly because my Grandma (my Mom's Mom) i remember would read a few of her books on and off when i'd spend weekends with her so i think that's where my love for books and for this author came from.
This was my first time reading this book by Lori so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i loved this book instantly from The Prologue to the last chapter i think mainly because it reminded alot of The Royal Family in Windsor.
The Characters were so enjoyable and lovely to read about. Shelby and Nickolai were definately my favorites and i loved watching their storyline evolve throughout the book.
The Setting was beautfully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book with the characters while reading.
I do wish this book was part of a series cause i'd love to see where Shelby and Nickolai are today.
Overall a Phenomenal Standalone about The Princess of Pendaran!! Can't wait to read more by Lori in the future!!
Review:
Ive been a fan of Lori Wick's books since i was a teen mainly because my Grandma (my Mom's Mom) i remember would read a few of her books on and off when i'd spend weekends with her so i think that's where my love for books and for this author came from.
This was my first time reading this book by Lori so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i loved this book instantly from The Prologue to the last chapter i think mainly because it reminded alot of The Royal Family in Windsor.
The Characters were so enjoyable and lovely to read about. Shelby and Nickolai were definately my favorites and i loved watching their storyline evolve throughout the book.
The Setting was beautfully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book with the characters while reading.
I do wish this book was part of a series cause i'd love to see where Shelby and Nickolai are today.
Overall a Phenomenal Standalone about The Princess of Pendaran!! Can't wait to read more by Lori in the future!!
May 19, 2022
Super long, but I had a lot to say about this book.
I wanted to like this book, thus the reason I wasted time continuing to read even though the beginning chapters annoyed me. Now, don't get me wrong, I've read many a Christan book and remember enjoying some of Lori Wick's series as a teenager, but reading this work of hers with a grown woman's eyes is very different.
This book is set in the mid to late 1990s (when it was written) and the characters live in a fictional country ruled by the House of Markham. This country, of course, has their own customs and views which are supposedly the same as the time era they're set in but lean far more towards the mindset of the 1890s towards women. The storyline would have made more sense for that time period and I would have overlooked the stupid comments because, though still infuriating to a modern reader, they would at least be historically accurate. But as is, I'm left baffled.
The book centers on two characters who have never met, Prince Nikoli and a random commoner name Shelby. The two get married, and even though the prince is still mourning over his first wife, due to some tradition in their kingdom that says the Prince must be married before his 26th birthday he is forced into it. But what of shelby? What's her reason for marrying him and how did this come about for to be involved with the royals? Badically, someone who was friends with the King and is only in 2 scenes in the whole book told Shelby that she was really great and she should marry the prince, and she agrees. And that's it. Which is a little odd, since there's no attempt to persuade her because she's only unsure for maybe 5 minutes, when there should at least be something that makes her struggle in decide OR there is a reason for her to *want* to marry him. But there's nothing holding her back from sacrificing herself to what she believes from the get go is going to be a loveless marriage, so like I said before, if this was the 1890s and her options were slim it would make sense. But this girl is living in the 90s and would be fine without marrying the prince. Especially since she's never met him, she's disinterested in dating and just wants to volunteer at hospitals all day, she has no inward or outward pressure to get married at all and especially no motivation to marry the prince in particular. But she decides to marry him anyway because, "she wants to help him." Girl, he has a whole palace of servants and can afford a therapist if he needs help! This is a stupid reason.
I think the author just wanted to rush to the part where she was a princess and didn't bother with giving her a real life motivation, like if her family was in a financial bind and she felt like marrying a the price would help, or if the whole "you've got to get married before your 26" thing applied to everyone in the country and not just the prince and he was her last hope up or else she'll never get to marry, or just SOMETHING more than "oh I prayed about it and I guess it's totally fine to throw myself into the duties of a Royal without proper training and to know that my husband doesn't ever care about me. Sign me up."
And on the subject of prayer, they are both Christians (which makes sense for a Christian novel that someone's gonna be a Christian in the book), but it was so tedious and pulled you out of the story when every 2 paragraphs someone has to stop and pray. I actually paused at one point while reading a page with *just* one on one conversation with the characters wondering what was different and why I was suddenly enjoying the story, it was then I realized it was because I was reading something that progressed the story instead of stopping to have a prayer session.
And so many of the prayers could have been cut and the scene wouldn't have lost anything. Which brings me back to the first comment about women. The prince at one point prays (after he gets to know and care about her mind you, rather than thinking of her as a stranger he's disinterested in) and I quote, "I want to see her obedient, blessed, and happy." Obedient? Oh, yes. That's definitely putting *her* best interests at
heart.
But clearly his prayers have been answered before he even prayed them, because she NEVER thinks of her best interests! In fact, even though the prince is still grieving his first wife and is disinterested in his new one he decides maybe 6 months into the marriage when their interactions have been nothing but casually seeing each other in passing and maybe a couple weeks of actually trying to get to know her, that he wants to be intimate and she's like, "oh he is a man and needs this, he has been married before so I can't deny him." Gag. He'll survive and she shouldn't have to feel obligated to service him for fear that if she doesn't he'll take his "needs" elsewhere, if he does that the sin is on him. So I hate the messaging that it's up to a wife to keep her husband pure.
I also disliked that even though they sleep together she thinks to herself that she likes him, not loves, just likes. So she didn't even want to sleep with him! And we get the insight that he isn't sure if he loves her either. *eye roll* Maybe if the author went with the idea of "they're obligated because they need an heir, so they have to even if they're not in love yet," but that wasn't the case, the Prince just wanted to be intimate, so who cares if he loves this stranger that's his wife or not. Creep.
And yeah, sure they're "married", but I think the we-got-married-but-we-are-being-forced-to has become a common Christian book trope to be able to write a couple "dating" in their "marriage" so they're allowed to have sex at any point in the story because "it's okay! They're married! They're not in love and it was totally lust taking over, but they're married!" It's kinda a weird trope, but I guess it's an easy way to have built in drama of 2 people sleeping together but since they didn't know or love each other before the marriage they're all insecure and think they may have fallen in love but the other person hasn't, or they can think the other person is still in live with their old flame, etc etc.
I've read "Love Comes Softly" by Janette Oke and it's a much better written version of this trope, because it's set in the right time period and you can understand the motivation of both main characters, AND they're actually spending A LOT of day to day time together, they actually fall in love, and they don't just sleep togetherfort the sake of being stranger that happen to be married. I recommend skipping this book and reading that instead.
And lastly towards the end of the book, the scene in which I gave up on anything saving this story from being too ridiculous was after having a car accident that caused her to miscarry Shelby says to the prince "I've sinned against you" when referring to not immediately telling him she was pregnant with his child. What?? How is that a sin to wait to tell your husband you're pregnant??? And what a super weird way of apologizing in general, which she not only does once but she says it a SECOND time a few paragraphs down. And almost immediately after that Nikolai says it too!!!! Who talks like this?!?! And if it was "a sin" (which it's obvious not) shouldn't she be asking God for forgiveness not her husband???
I'm glad I'm finally done with this book because there was just too many times I cringed reading it and my eyes were starting to ache from rolling back so many time, and since this review is long enough already I won't continue to list them.
I wanted to like this book, thus the reason I wasted time continuing to read even though the beginning chapters annoyed me. Now, don't get me wrong, I've read many a Christan book and remember enjoying some of Lori Wick's series as a teenager, but reading this work of hers with a grown woman's eyes is very different.
This book is set in the mid to late 1990s (when it was written) and the characters live in a fictional country ruled by the House of Markham. This country, of course, has their own customs and views which are supposedly the same as the time era they're set in but lean far more towards the mindset of the 1890s towards women. The storyline would have made more sense for that time period and I would have overlooked the stupid comments because, though still infuriating to a modern reader, they would at least be historically accurate. But as is, I'm left baffled.
The book centers on two characters who have never met, Prince Nikoli and a random commoner name Shelby. The two get married, and even though the prince is still mourning over his first wife, due to some tradition in their kingdom that says the Prince must be married before his 26th birthday he is forced into it. But what of shelby? What's her reason for marrying him and how did this come about for to be involved with the royals? Badically, someone who was friends with the King and is only in 2 scenes in the whole book told Shelby that she was really great and she should marry the prince, and she agrees. And that's it. Which is a little odd, since there's no attempt to persuade her because she's only unsure for maybe 5 minutes, when there should at least be something that makes her struggle in decide OR there is a reason for her to *want* to marry him. But there's nothing holding her back from sacrificing herself to what she believes from the get go is going to be a loveless marriage, so like I said before, if this was the 1890s and her options were slim it would make sense. But this girl is living in the 90s and would be fine without marrying the prince. Especially since she's never met him, she's disinterested in dating and just wants to volunteer at hospitals all day, she has no inward or outward pressure to get married at all and especially no motivation to marry the prince in particular. But she decides to marry him anyway because, "she wants to help him." Girl, he has a whole palace of servants and can afford a therapist if he needs help! This is a stupid reason.
I think the author just wanted to rush to the part where she was a princess and didn't bother with giving her a real life motivation, like if her family was in a financial bind and she felt like marrying a the price would help, or if the whole "you've got to get married before your 26" thing applied to everyone in the country and not just the prince and he was her last hope up or else she'll never get to marry, or just SOMETHING more than "oh I prayed about it and I guess it's totally fine to throw myself into the duties of a Royal without proper training and to know that my husband doesn't ever care about me. Sign me up."
And on the subject of prayer, they are both Christians (which makes sense for a Christian novel that someone's gonna be a Christian in the book), but it was so tedious and pulled you out of the story when every 2 paragraphs someone has to stop and pray. I actually paused at one point while reading a page with *just* one on one conversation with the characters wondering what was different and why I was suddenly enjoying the story, it was then I realized it was because I was reading something that progressed the story instead of stopping to have a prayer session.
And so many of the prayers could have been cut and the scene wouldn't have lost anything. Which brings me back to the first comment about women. The prince at one point prays (after he gets to know and care about her mind you, rather than thinking of her as a stranger he's disinterested in) and I quote, "I want to see her obedient, blessed, and happy." Obedient? Oh, yes. That's definitely putting *her* best interests at
heart.
But clearly his prayers have been answered before he even prayed them, because she NEVER thinks of her best interests! In fact, even though the prince is still grieving his first wife and is disinterested in his new one he decides maybe 6 months into the marriage when their interactions have been nothing but casually seeing each other in passing and maybe a couple weeks of actually trying to get to know her, that he wants to be intimate and she's like, "oh he is a man and needs this, he has been married before so I can't deny him." Gag. He'll survive and she shouldn't have to feel obligated to service him for fear that if she doesn't he'll take his "needs" elsewhere, if he does that the sin is on him. So I hate the messaging that it's up to a wife to keep her husband pure.
I also disliked that even though they sleep together she thinks to herself that she likes him, not loves, just likes. So she didn't even want to sleep with him! And we get the insight that he isn't sure if he loves her either. *eye roll* Maybe if the author went with the idea of "they're obligated because they need an heir, so they have to even if they're not in love yet," but that wasn't the case, the Prince just wanted to be intimate, so who cares if he loves this stranger that's his wife or not. Creep.
And yeah, sure they're "married", but I think the we-got-married-but-we-are-being-forced-to has become a common Christian book trope to be able to write a couple "dating" in their "marriage" so they're allowed to have sex at any point in the story because "it's okay! They're married! They're not in love and it was totally lust taking over, but they're married!" It's kinda a weird trope, but I guess it's an easy way to have built in drama of 2 people sleeping together but since they didn't know or love each other before the marriage they're all insecure and think they may have fallen in love but the other person hasn't, or they can think the other person is still in live with their old flame, etc etc.
I've read "Love Comes Softly" by Janette Oke and it's a much better written version of this trope, because it's set in the right time period and you can understand the motivation of both main characters, AND they're actually spending A LOT of day to day time together, they actually fall in love, and they don't just sleep togetherfort the sake of being stranger that happen to be married. I recommend skipping this book and reading that instead.
And lastly towards the end of the book, the scene in which I gave up on anything saving this story from being too ridiculous was after having a car accident that caused her to miscarry Shelby says to the prince "I've sinned against you" when referring to not immediately telling him she was pregnant with his child. What?? How is that a sin to wait to tell your husband you're pregnant??? And what a super weird way of apologizing in general, which she not only does once but she says it a SECOND time a few paragraphs down. And almost immediately after that Nikolai says it too!!!! Who talks like this?!?! And if it was "a sin" (which it's obvious not) shouldn't she be asking God for forgiveness not her husband???
I'm glad I'm finally done with this book because there was just too many times I cringed reading it and my eyes were starting to ache from rolling back so many time, and since this review is long enough already I won't continue to list them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2024
Five star read. Hands down one of the best love stories I’ve ever read - clean, pure and lovely. Highly recommend. And that’s coming from someone who thinks most love stories are cheesy.
March 22, 2024
It was really good, but my only compliant was that there did not have to be a lot of married people stuff. Other than that it was a sweet book! :)
February 26, 2020
Did I just rate this romance story 5 stars? Why yes. Yes I did.
I was at the thrift store when I picked up an ambiguous black book-coverless hardback, and I *thought* I recognized the author. When I got home, I realized that no, I did not recognize the author. But, I figured I would give it a chance -- why not?
With no book cover, I had no back cover summary to read, no front picture giving me a visual, so I had NO idea what I was getting into. I quickly realized it was set in the fictional town of Pendaran. About a royal family and a regular ol' run of the mill family. And I realized that it was set in modern day.
"Okay," I thought, "must be a wannabe Hallmark movie."
But I kept reading.
And oh . . . every girl out there, who enjoys a smidgen of romance every once in a while, and never attempts to read it because of -- you know -- scenes that might be in the pages that need to be skipped -- you all need to read this.
The start of the story reveals the background of the Nikolai and Shelby, and you quickly find them meeting, and a marriage is arranged. Typically in this setting, you have a trope that always makes its appearance:
One person hates the other and vows to ruin the marriage, only to fall madly in love by the end of the book.
So I was quite expecting the common Hallmark movie theme of become attracted, argue, kiss, make up, and fall in love, in that particular order.
Nope. I was SO wrong.
Both of these people involved are Christians. They're families are Christians. They have the utmost respect for each other, and everyone prays before taking the next step. And even though Shelby still does't know Nikky when they get married, they are fully committed to this marriage.
As in, divorce is not an option, they both fell that love is a commitment, not a mere feeling, and if they do this, it's for life.
Now, I don't know about you, but it's rare that there's a fictional story upholding those truths. That alone made my heart glad.
Then we get to see those two learn to navigate life as a husband and wife. There are some emotional moments, and some humorous moments, and every emotion in-between. We see arguments, we see confusion and misunderstanding, and we ultimately see each other seeking the Lord about how best to love their spouse. We see them begging Him for His guidance. We see them acting in ways that they may not like and that may be totally contrary to their wishes, simply because they are following the Lord.
In the end, we see that God's grace covers all sin, that God's love is sufficient, and that both characters have grown in their love of the Lord, and have grown closer to Him.
There are mentions of physical intimacy, and they are mentioned just like that. Physical intimacy. There is nothing cringeworthy about any of the story, and I never once felt the need to skip pages.
So, how did a love story make it to my favorites shelf?
1. the relationship was built totally on each others character and virtues, not on physical details. They didn't fall in love because she was cute and his smile made her weak in the knees. No, they fell in love by serving the people of the kingdom, and by working together.
2. the relationship was approved of by both sets of parents, both sets of parents offered advice to the married couple, and there was no in-law rivalry or hatred. Both sets of parents, and Shelby and Nikolai, were committed to praying about each step of their relationship.
3. the couple was intent on making a commitment to the marriage. Divorce wasn't an option, and love isn't a feeling.
4. there was no inappropriate contact -- there was a kiss or two, not detailed, and there were several hugs, not detailed. There was no sex scenes, at all, and there were no inappropriate comments. It was sweet and chaste, and while there was emotion, it was pure emotion.
5. the Lord used the relationship to grow each character closer to Him and closer to each other. They had to learn to communicate and talk and love each other, and they learned beautifully. At the end of the story, both characters had grown exponentially.
6. the story was rife with Scripture, and biblical truth. The families attended church, w ere active in ther church, and truly loved the Lord with all their being. They wanted more than anything to bring Him glory, and they were ready to give up their own wants and desires for His.
I would absolutely read this one again. It was sweet and beautifully written.
I was at the thrift store when I picked up an ambiguous black book-coverless hardback, and I *thought* I recognized the author. When I got home, I realized that no, I did not recognize the author. But, I figured I would give it a chance -- why not?
With no book cover, I had no back cover summary to read, no front picture giving me a visual, so I had NO idea what I was getting into. I quickly realized it was set in the fictional town of Pendaran. About a royal family and a regular ol' run of the mill family. And I realized that it was set in modern day.
"Okay," I thought, "must be a wannabe Hallmark movie."
But I kept reading.
And oh . . . every girl out there, who enjoys a smidgen of romance every once in a while, and never attempts to read it because of -- you know -- scenes that might be in the pages that need to be skipped -- you all need to read this.
The start of the story reveals the background of the Nikolai and Shelby, and you quickly find them meeting, and a marriage is arranged. Typically in this setting, you have a trope that always makes its appearance:
One person hates the other and vows to ruin the marriage, only to fall madly in love by the end of the book.
So I was quite expecting the common Hallmark movie theme of become attracted, argue, kiss, make up, and fall in love, in that particular order.
Nope. I was SO wrong.
Both of these people involved are Christians. They're families are Christians. They have the utmost respect for each other, and everyone prays before taking the next step. And even though Shelby still does't know Nikky when they get married, they are fully committed to this marriage.
As in, divorce is not an option, they both fell that love is a commitment, not a mere feeling, and if they do this, it's for life.
Now, I don't know about you, but it's rare that there's a fictional story upholding those truths. That alone made my heart glad.
Then we get to see those two learn to navigate life as a husband and wife. There are some emotional moments, and some humorous moments, and every emotion in-between. We see arguments, we see confusion and misunderstanding, and we ultimately see each other seeking the Lord about how best to love their spouse. We see them begging Him for His guidance. We see them acting in ways that they may not like and that may be totally contrary to their wishes, simply because they are following the Lord.
In the end, we see that God's grace covers all sin, that God's love is sufficient, and that both characters have grown in their love of the Lord, and have grown closer to Him.
There are mentions of physical intimacy, and they are mentioned just like that. Physical intimacy. There is nothing cringeworthy about any of the story, and I never once felt the need to skip pages.
So, how did a love story make it to my favorites shelf?
1. the relationship was built totally on each others character and virtues, not on physical details. They didn't fall in love because she was cute and his smile made her weak in the knees. No, they fell in love by serving the people of the kingdom, and by working together.
2. the relationship was approved of by both sets of parents, both sets of parents offered advice to the married couple, and there was no in-law rivalry or hatred. Both sets of parents, and Shelby and Nikolai, were committed to praying about each step of their relationship.
3. the couple was intent on making a commitment to the marriage. Divorce wasn't an option, and love isn't a feeling.
4. there was no inappropriate contact -- there was a kiss or two, not detailed, and there were several hugs, not detailed. There was no sex scenes, at all, and there were no inappropriate comments. It was sweet and chaste, and while there was emotion, it was pure emotion.
5. the Lord used the relationship to grow each character closer to Him and closer to each other. They had to learn to communicate and talk and love each other, and they learned beautifully. At the end of the story, both characters had grown exponentially.
6. the story was rife with Scripture, and biblical truth. The families attended church, w ere active in ther church, and truly loved the Lord with all their being. They wanted more than anything to bring Him glory, and they were ready to give up their own wants and desires for His.
I would absolutely read this one again. It was sweet and beautifully written.
July 22, 2016
This book was like a Harlequin novel combined with an episode of 19 kids and counting. The plot was of course predictable but that doesn't really bother me in a romance novel. The premise itself was okay -- a marriage of convenience becomes a true romance, that part is a classic device that, while hackneyed, is also good fun. The problems with the book were as follows
1) It was incredibly boring. The plot did not move forward in a way that was particularly interesting. In fact, I skipped whole chunks of it, skimming to get back to the point. The characters were wooden and two-dimensional, and the secondary characters were also poorly fleshed out. I honestly could not figure out the Prince's family tree, in part because I didn't care to try, but it seemed like several generations were wandering around the palace? His parents were not king and queen, but his grandparents were regents? Or something?
2) I had no idea where this was supposed to be. I initially thought it was a fantasy kingdom in another world entirely, but then the author brings up France and the U.S. How big is this kingdom? Is it just the palace, another town for her family to live in, and a lake house? Does the royal family do anything in particular or just go to occasional functions?
3) I personally am turned off by the religious aspect. I say that as someone who is actively religious. I guess I just found it sort of bizarre that this imaginary European (?) country was also apparently entirely evangelical christians, with everyone going to church twice on Sunday and people casually bringing up the Bible and taking notes on sermons.
4) The part that creeped me out the most was the discussion of intimacy, by which they clearly meant sex. Specifically the overtones that your husband needs you as an outlet and therefore regardless of your feelings you owe it to your man to get in the mood, stat. I thought it was weird that these deeply religious people, who hold sex as something sacred and special, nevertheless decided having sex before really loving the person was a super great idea. I also thought the frank heart-to-hearts between mother and daughter about their sex lives read as strange and uncomfortable. I know every family is different, but the strong emphasis the author put on modesty, not seeing even partial nudity etc. made such honesty and comfort talking about sex really not believable.
This book is okay in the following circumstance:
-You are in a situation where you desperately need any sort of distraction: an airplane, a desert island, a dull afternoon. I wouldn't seek out this book, but you don't have to avoid it either.
-You are a very strict Baptist or similar denomination and the books you choose to read are limited to uplifting religion-centered texts. In that context, this would probably read as a good romance interwoven with uplifting messages.
-I will say this: The cover of my edition was not embarrassing. No one needs to know that what you are reading is not great literature.
1) It was incredibly boring. The plot did not move forward in a way that was particularly interesting. In fact, I skipped whole chunks of it, skimming to get back to the point. The characters were wooden and two-dimensional, and the secondary characters were also poorly fleshed out. I honestly could not figure out the Prince's family tree, in part because I didn't care to try, but it seemed like several generations were wandering around the palace? His parents were not king and queen, but his grandparents were regents? Or something?
2) I had no idea where this was supposed to be. I initially thought it was a fantasy kingdom in another world entirely, but then the author brings up France and the U.S. How big is this kingdom? Is it just the palace, another town for her family to live in, and a lake house? Does the royal family do anything in particular or just go to occasional functions?
3) I personally am turned off by the religious aspect. I say that as someone who is actively religious. I guess I just found it sort of bizarre that this imaginary European (?) country was also apparently entirely evangelical christians, with everyone going to church twice on Sunday and people casually bringing up the Bible and taking notes on sermons.
4) The part that creeped me out the most was the discussion of intimacy, by which they clearly meant sex. Specifically the overtones that your husband needs you as an outlet and therefore regardless of your feelings you owe it to your man to get in the mood, stat. I thought it was weird that these deeply religious people, who hold sex as something sacred and special, nevertheless decided having sex before really loving the person was a super great idea. I also thought the frank heart-to-hearts between mother and daughter about their sex lives read as strange and uncomfortable. I know every family is different, but the strong emphasis the author put on modesty, not seeing even partial nudity etc. made such honesty and comfort talking about sex really not believable.
This book is okay in the following circumstance:
-You are in a situation where you desperately need any sort of distraction: an airplane, a desert island, a dull afternoon. I wouldn't seek out this book, but you don't have to avoid it either.
-You are a very strict Baptist or similar denomination and the books you choose to read are limited to uplifting religion-centered texts. In that context, this would probably read as a good romance interwoven with uplifting messages.
-I will say this: The cover of my edition was not embarrassing. No one needs to know that what you are reading is not great literature.
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