The Swedish Prince

Nordic Royals #1

by Karina Halle

**A standalone romance inspired by the classic film, Roman Holiday.**

I never believed in fairy-tales.

Never held out for Prince Charming.

Growing up poor in small-town California as the oldest of six siblings, I knew I would never ride off into the sunset with anyone. That was even more apparent when a senseless tragedy took the lives of my parents, forcing me to become the sole guardian of our dysfunctional household at the mere age of twenty-three.

Then a fateful encounter literally brought Prince Charming to my doorstep.

At first I thought Viktor was just your average businessman passing through, albeit obscenely handsome, six-foot-five, blue-eyed, and mysteriously rich.

But soon I discovered the truth behind Viktor’s façade.

Beneath his quiet, enigmatic gaze and cocky charm, is a man who is running away from who he really is. A role he’d rather not fulfill.

He is Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden.

Yet uncovering Viktor’s secret was only the first step.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with him.

I didn’t expect to have my whole life turned upside down.

When you’re from two different worlds, can your hearts meet somewhere in the middle?

Or do happily-ever-afters only exist in fairy-tales?

NOTE:
- The Swedish Prince will be available on iBooks/Nook/Kobo on March 19th and 20th ONLY
- The Swedish Prince will have a live release on Amazon KU on March 22nd

Genres: Romance, Royalty, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Royal Romance, Audiobook

468 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2018

About the author

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.

When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! The Swedish Prince (stand-alone). Poor young American hotel maid meets handsome Swedish prince & their funny, endearing & scandalously sexy trip down Fairytale Lane!

“Now that you are all clean,” he says. “I’m going to get you dirty again.”

The Swedish Prince (stand-alone) follows Viktor Nordin from House of Nordin aka Crown Prince of Sweden after tragedy strikes. To get away he travels the United States alone, in total anonymity, under the name Johan Andersson aka Mr. Körkort Sverige. That is until his car breaks down in a small town and he is caught in a somewhat compromising position…

The rest to be written in the history books...

Hotel maid Margaret Mayhem McPherson, Maggie cannot believe her eyes when she walks in on the blond Adonis Viking god in one of her rooms. After a tragedy, she was forced to set aside her own dreams of becoming a journalist to care for her five siblings. Dating is low on the totem pole; her sex-life nonexistent. That is until seeing all that is Johan…

This is Maggie’s modern-day fairy-tale…



Eight words to describe Prince Viktor Nordin from House of Nordin aka Crown Prince of Sweden: Charming, noble, dirty-talking, commanding, accommodating, easy-going, lonely and oh so sweet.



Seven words to describe Margaret Mayhem McPherson, Maggie: Determined, strong, despondent, hopeless, nurturing, lonely and loyal.

The Swedish Prince, told from dual POVs, is a feel-good and sexy contemporary fairytale about two lonely souls too burdened by life’s responsibilities to believe in love. It’s the perfect blend of butterflies-in-your-belly romance, Kindle-melting sex (with a bossy Viktor), entertaining dialogue and hilarious situations with a small dose of angst.

***
Hero: ★★★★1/2
Heroine: ★★★★1/2
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | LOW FOCUS |
Humor: | HIGH FOCUS |
Kink: | LOW FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | LOW FOCUS |



Beta copies provided to me by author Karina Halle in exchange for honest feedback and review.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!



A light hearted, yet emotional royal romance that was sweet, sexy, and kept a huge smile on my face! Karina Halle does contemporary romance so well. I adored this book!

Maggie was a student in NYC, living her dream, until her entire life got turned upside down. Now she is back home in small town California raising her 5 (yes, I said 5) siblings. She works hard and is focused on them. Maggie never dreamed in a million years she would meet a Prince, or be swept off her feet, but here she is… meeting a Prince.

Viktor is The Crown Prince of Sweden, but after experiencing a loss of his own, he is in America for a break. When me meets Maggie, he isn’t the Prince, he’s just a man. The two of them meet in a fantastically funny way, and after spending some time together, they start to fall for one another. Maggie is a housekeeper and has her siblings to raise, Viktor is a Prince… it all seems so impossible that things could work between them- but I had hope that some how they could make it work.



The main characters of this book are two of my favorites of Karina’s. Viktor is swoony, lovable, and romantic. I mean, just listen to this… sigh. So freaking romantic!!!

“I could kiss you for a thousand days and it still wouldn’t be enough,” he says. “I could gaze at you for a million days and it wouldn’t be enough. I could touch you, taste you, be so deep inside you that you’re fused to my skin, do this forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. Forever with you isn’t enough.”

I also completely adored Maggie. She was such a strong heroine. I admired her hard work, big heart, and bravery. And don’t even get me started on Maggie’s siblings! Callum stole the show with every scene he was in, and I loved the others as well. And Magnus, too! This book was full of fabulous secondary characters.

Maggie and Viktor have both been through much loss, and even though they appear to be completely opposite, they are more alike then one would guess. They understand each other, they can relate, and it doesn’t hurt that their chemistry is out of this world! The steamy scenes between them did not disappoint one bit! These two are combustable together. Even though it seems as though a real relationship between them is impossible, you can’t help but to root for them to somehow, someway make it work.

The Swedish Prince is a charming, refreshing, and completely enthralling standalone that I recommend to all lovers of royal romances, or just romance in general! Karina’s writing always hooks me and this was no exception! Once you pick this one up, you won’t be able to put it down. 4.5 stars!

“You have shaken me to my very soul, rattled the bars around my heart, and I am yours, Maggie, I am yours.”

[CristiinaReads୨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳This was such a cliche romance, but at the same time, filled with so much fantasy and love and admiration towards the story plot... Loved it so much!



➳This book was just so adorable, I truly did enjoy it more than what I thought I would. I was expecting some sort of angsty-romance that would have kept me in the loop, going around and around trying to find the spark that a romance needs. But I was mistaken and for once I am glad I was since this novel was just put in the list of high recommendations for those who are looking for a tame read, but also filled with so much passion and wild sex!



➳Lot's of filthy, down to earth, volcanic sex. Sex that legit had me panting at work today and had to make sure no one heard or saw me... Karina Halle tends to do that now with this romance and I do not regret reading it at work... Nope, none at all. I was able to finish it in one sitting and I was blessed with my tolerance and control because I wanted to punch certain characters in certain scenes. But, the majority of the time I was enchanted with so much I truly did adore this novel. Viktor has become one of my ultimate book-boyfriends and Maggie is just such a sweet heart. She has made me come to a conclusion that though life throws you a curve ball, you are still able to get a grip on it and try your very hardest to control it and deter your future. As an older sister I can comprehend that one hundred percent and I am beyond ecstatic that Karina was able to provide such a powerful message to her audience in such a wonderful romance novel that will sure take you away.

➳Overall, my admiration for this novel is high above. There were some things that I found rather not upon my liking hence the four stars of a review, but that's because of my own romance triggers. In general, this was such a sweet romance that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a fantasy type of romance, but also being wrapped around the struggles of being an adult are. I am ecstatic to read more of Karina's novels in the future to come...

➳Not going to lie... I was getting a lot of SHAMELESS vibes while reading this novel so, yeah...



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[Jenny••Steamy Reads Blog•• · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swedish Prince is a endearing, refreshing, and completely a captivating standalone that I just adored.

How can you not love a Royal Prince, from Sweden of all places? How can you not fall in love with a girl giving up her dreams to take care of her five siblings when tragedy strikes? This story is about two lost souls, one who has everything he wants, except love, and the other one that has nothing but the love of her siblings. They meet under chance settings and things build when Maggie decides to try and right a wrong and make sure nothing bad happens to a drunk Viktor. This book is full of angst, undeniable love, and makes me jealous as hell that I am not Maggie McPherson. This book definitely leaves you needing more!!!! Hands down a book I recommend to all you loving a good romance ❤️

[Leo (Queen of the Rants and Spoilers) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to think about the rating.
I hate the heroine, hated her..
interviewing a person without let them know that they being interview is an invasion of privacy and she should have never done it.
IMO he should have never asked her out, she was stupid following her stupid friend's advice. She even sounded stupid when she said that she wanted to help him. She was lying to him because that wasn't her intention, her intention was to sell the interview, she wanted the money so why the hell is she hurt that he doesn't believe her?
She was a selfish bitch who didn't even care about her siblings. She didn't have a motherly bone in her body. I just didn't understand why she couldn't take the kids with her when she went to his country. She didn't think hard when he asked her to go with him.
I felt like she didn't cared that her 14 year old sister was dating a 19 year old man, it was never addressed or she never talked to her sister, never gave her advice or anything it was like 'oh she hates me and I don't care' and left it like that. She was her guardian, sister or motherly figure it was her job to make sure that her sister was alright, she didn't care her sister slept overnight with this man. She quits her job to follow the hero, left her siblings with her 18 year old brother to fend for themselves in the same house that her parents were brutally murdered. thank goodness her brother was more responsible that her. But that's not all at some point she had to know that the people would found out that she was dating/sleeping with the prince and she had to know the press would be vicious! Is she that stupid that she thought it would be fine? That they would accept a commoner for princess? She had to know they would tear her apart, but she was a completely bitch to the hero. Disregarded the hero's feelings.

I don't even want to continue talking about this woman.


Safe.
No OW drama.
No mention if he was celibate during the 6 months they were separated.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BMYY366/...

<3 5 STARS <3

Another amazing story from Karina, that I absolutely loved!The story hooked me from the start. I liked the chemistry between Maggie and Viktor and the story line was refreshing!The Swedish Prince was a romantic,intense,heartwarming and super hot story!



The characters were well developed and they have a great chemistry!I love Viktor from the beginning!He was smart,charming,flirty and funny!Maggie is sweet and lovely!Together were something else!I adored them together, they were passionate,intense and sensual!

If you are looking for a refreshing and romantic story this is perfect for you! I highly recommend it to everyone!

 

  

[Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword · Rating 3 out of 5]

✪✪✪
This book has made a suspect of all the men I know in my life and question if they may too be undercover Swedish princes. I mean I wouldn't be mad about it especially if they have Viktor capacities if you know what I mean *wiggles eyebrows*.

“Always more, never less. Always go all in, always give more of yourself, always do your best. Never settle, never cheat, never withdraw.”

😻the sex scenes, holy smokes I do not recommend reading this in an airplane when you are sitting beside a 2-year-old. Viktor. The cast. The fantasy of this reality.
😾Love mixed with passion or lust. Too long.

💭Pre-reading thoughts:
Quick thoughts on this:
-the sex was so fucking hot hot hot hot
-I enjoy Karina's writing
-Why the fuck was this so long?
-Can we get books from Maggie's siblings?
-It was quite ridiculous most of the time tbh

I have seen all the hype for A Nordic King, and I just feel like even though these books are not in a series I wanna read them in order of publication. It's just the way I am.

[Melanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 STARS

Love is the best dream you can have.

I was all over the map while reading this one. At any given moment, I was swooning, rolling my eyes, angry, or completely melting. By the end, I had no idea how to rate this book. So I asked myself, Are you glad you read it? The answer: DEFINITELY! In fact, for all its flaws, I may even re-read it in the future!

So you all know how this trope goes . . . Maggie is a downtrodden 23 year-old who's struggling financially and emotionally with raising her 5 younger siblings after their parents are murdered. Viktor has recently become the Crown Prince of Sweden after his older brother dies. Overwhelmed by a daunting future he doesn't want, he flees to the US where he meets Maggie.

I really liked Maggie. She came across as very balanced: not too sweet or too pathetic. I thought the author did a good job of giving her a lot of strength but still managing to tug at my heartstrings.

I wasn't such a fan of Viktor. I know some found him to be very one-dimensional . . . I wouldn't go that far, but there was definitely some room for him to grow as a character. He's also to blame for my anger at the story; he was a bit of dick on multiple occasions and I thought Maggie let too many things slide that I, personally, wouldn't have let go.

Together, they had some amazing moments though.

It's about finding someone else who seems to understand you in ways no one else does, even if you don't understand yourself all that well.

5 stars go to the secondary characters. There were a ton of sweet/hilarious scenes involving Maggie's family, especially her youngest brother Callum:

On one side of me is a young boy who can't stop smiling. I can't tell if he's just happy or he's plotting my death. ~Viktor

I also loved the members of Viktor's household/security detail, as well as his friend Magnus, the Norwegian Prince:

"It's all about wanting to provide, my friend, and when you get that urge to provide then I think that means something."

"That I've entered caveman mode?"

Sweden itself was also a great character, lol. I adored all the proverbs...

"There's no cow on the ice. It means don't worry."

"Because you would worry if there was a cow on the ice?"

"Well yes. Wouldn't you?"

...and all the cracks about Ikea and the Swedish Chef. I laughed out loud many times.

Unfortunately, for every wonderful moment in this book, there was a cliche plot device. And before you tell me that obviously cliches are to be expected considering the trope, just know that I thought they could have been handled with a lot more originality.

That said, The Swedish Prince charmed the pants off me. I suspect the other two princes mentioned will get their own stories and I'll be first in line to read them. :) I'm such a sucker for a fairy tale!!!

[Jessica Hull · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the most painful review I've written because I absolutely adore this author, I adore EVERY book I've read from her, and I know how much she loved writing  The Swedish Prince. I can rattle off a dozen Karina Halle titles that are some of my absolute FAVORITE books ever, so it pains me to say that I just couldn't find a connection with this one. I searched and dug for that emotional chord that typically comes so easily when I read Halle's work, but it evaded me this time. It pains me to say that a book that is so special to the author, a book that she put so much of herself into, felt like it was missing that special something I desperately needed as the reader. Its clear that I'm alone on the island with my feelings about The Swedish Prince, with so many readers loving the hell out of it. So it's entirely possible that my inability to connect wth this particular story falls entirely on me and not with the book itself. Given that, I strongly encourage you to read it yourself!

I typically love a royal romance. I ALWAYS love Halle's stories. This one was just not a memorable storyline for me. I didn't feel much of a connection with the characters for a large part of the book, the exception being the last 20 percent. It was then that things finally picked up for me, I felt the gravity of the drama that was taking place just then. But the rest of the book felt... bland, for lack of a better word, as compared to all of Halle's other romances. Halle's books are rife with fire and undeniable passion, sweeping me away with romance and angst and sensuality, and I eagerly anticipated being swept up by this story too and it just didn't happen.

This isn't a bad book, don't get me wrong. This is a classic case of "Its not you, it's me." This book is well written as all Halle's books are, it's just not one that I connected with. While I've never seen Roman Holiday (maybe that was my problem?) I thought the premise was a cute one. It reminded me a bit of Coming to America or The Prince and Me, a story where the royal tries to keep his identity hidden so he can experience America in its entirety before having to go home and face his royal responsibilities but along the way he meets an American girl and his affections for her complicate everything. It's meant to be light and fun with moments of heartache, I just didn't feel what I hoped to feel while reading it. I adore this author and I look forward to whatever she'll deliver next. And as readers seem to be really loving Maggie and Viktor's story, I suggest diving right in to decide for yourself if this royal romance between an American commoner and a Swedish Prince is for you. 

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

despite my rating, this was not awful.

it was just... very very lackluster. i think a lot of romance can fall victim to, like, a select handful of bad plot issues and this definitely did.

sex does not make a relationship. sorry. you can have the longest slow burn in the history of slow burns but if the characters are pretty flat, fall in insta love, and then once they do bang that's ALL they do.... yeah it's just a no. and this happens SO often it's kind of embarrassing.

getting it on does not solve problems, it doesn't grow your interpersonal relationship, and it definitely doesn't overcome cultural differences. the couple of main conflicts in this book are solved with a brief 5 second conversation and then the characters fall in to bed together. meh.

and in general, the characters were nothing special for me. the only thing i'll probably remember is viktor's gross swedish dirty talk.

anyway i'm going to go promptly forget this book now, BYE!

[Alba and Her Secrets..♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'Always more, never less' Stars!
ARC provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.


I am really into light, sexy, almost no-drama romances and Karina surely delivered that with The Swedish Prince! I was really excited to see how she would develop this theme of the royalty world colliding with the normal world and I have to say I quite enjoyed it. Also, did I mention Karina does give us lots of heat? Yep, this book has a lot of that too and I am not complaining.

So, The Swedish Prince is Karina Halle’s newest release and it is a standalone contemporary romance. The story focuses on Sweden’s Crown Prince Viktor of House Nordin and how his life has changed after his brother’s death. Now everything (his parents, the royalty, rich people, the media..) is interested in him. He feels lost and his parents give him an escape for four weeks in America. Well, his life turns upside down even more when he meets Maggie McPherson, a poor woman also lost after the loss of her parents and now care taker of her siblings. Everything changes when they fall in love and they have to fight to keep that connection alive (especially when the distance is longer between them).

“I’m sorry I walked in on you naked.”
“You are?” he asks, tilting his head ever so slightly to study me through his long lashes. “I could have sworn you enjoyed that.”

Karina Halle just created a great group of characters in this novel and I do hope we get more stories about them (I mean who is not curious about Magnus?!). But let’s center our thoughts to the sexy Swedish prince now. This couple has one hell of a first meeting (you’ll see what I mean!) and nothing will be the same after that that is for sure. Even though there are some little lies at the start between them, the connection between Viktor and Maggie cannot be stopped. They fall in love almost instantly and holy moly, that chemistry! The sparks between these two will sure burn your Kindles!

I’ve minded my manners, I’ve stayed noble, but when it comes to taking her in the bedroom, all of that is gone. I won’t be royal. I’ll be a savage instead.

Also, these two characters are struggling. They don’t feel ready for what’s ahead of them, Viktor on becoming the Crown Prince and Maggie on taking care of her family on every aspect. I loved that they become stronger together and they fight to take care of everything and also to keep their connection. However, I do have to say one thing. I loved the heat and I enjoyed how this couple grows though the book but it took me a little bit of time for me to connect with them and their relationship. I don’t know exactly why. Maybe because these book is very drama-free. My last read by Karina Halle was extremely emotional and I kind of missed that in here, I think. Also, I found the ending a little bit rushed. Adorable but rushed. Still, I really enjoyed this reading experience as a whole, specially the sexy times and getting to know these characters!

“You have shaken me to my very soul, rattled the bars around my heart, and I am yours, Maggie, I am yours.”

Therefore, I am rating The Swedish Prince with 4 STARS because I do believe Karina has written another adorable and super sexy love story! Yeah it took me a little bit of time to love these characters but I definitely did at the end. Maggie and Viktor have an awesome connection and I really enjoyed them as a couple, their relationship with their families and, of course, the heat! I do hope Karina writes Magnus’ story because I am so curious about him! So, if you want to read a sweet and sexy royal love story, check this one out, guys!

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[Dilek VT · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at %40

I hated the heroine!

When she first saw the hero, she saw him naked by accident and she was instantly obsessed with his big d**k (how original, right?) Well, she also liked the rest of him.

Then, she met him again when he was in a bit of trouble and without knowing who he was, she helped him.

He asked her for a date the following day and she accepted willingly. But unfortunately, before this date, she learnt that he was the prince of Sweden. Then, with a little bit of encouragement from her friend, she decided to record their conversation during their date to be able to write an article about him. She was going to sell it to the tabloids to get money.

I know she had to look after her siblings as her parents were dead but it was impossible for me to like a heroine who planned to do that and the book lost me there.

Still, I tried to continue and wanted to give it some more chance. The prince was disappointed and angry when he realized it and cancelled the date. However, later he went back to her place and said he wanted to help her to earn that money. So noble of him, really!

He offered a chance for an interview with his permission. She accepted it. They started dating and she started collecting information about him to write in her article, which might have a title like "My one week with the Swedish Prince"... And, I couldn't stand it anymore.



Hating the heroine, rolling my eyes at how cliché the storyline is and feeling awfully bored with everything in it, I am now dropping it at %40.

Oh, let me tell you that there is also some family drama going on that contributes to how boring it is!

***********************************************

P.S. You see "Korkort Sverige" and "Johan Andersson" on an identity. Which one would you assume as the guy's name? Korkort Swerige or Johan Anderson?



Our heroine calling him Mr. Sverige was not funny at all. It was just a sign of how dumb she is. Then, he started calling her Miss America.

Wow, this is supposed to be funny, right? I insist... dumb it is!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+++stars.
Not sure if I am going to bother to review this book but I will say that I enjoyed it a lot.
I felt slightly giddy and happy while reading. Infact I am pretty sure that I had a big smile on my face the whole time.
So I am going to call it a mood-enhancer!
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 ★'s

“Always more, never less.”

So, this is a typical prince-trying-to-find-himself who runs into a young woman-who's-just-trying-to-make-ends-meet story but you know when you read a Karina Halle story that there no such thing as "typical".

However, I did have my reservations...as in been there, read that but Karina Halle surprised me. I don't know why since I've read and loved most of her books. And I always feel like she manages to put a pinch of Dex 2.0 in every hero...and I love that!

Viktor's brother died a month ago and now he is heir apparent. Not only is more of his time and privacy taken away but he cannot show any weakness and he is seriously grieving his brother's death. His parents being wise suggest he take an anonymous trip away from Europe to regroup so that's exactly what he does.

Maggie has also suffered loss. Both her parents were killed by an inmate from the prison where her father worked. She has to move home from New York and take care of her five younger siblings and work at the same hotel her mother did as a maid. Her life has become more of a wash, rinse and repeat than the exciting new life that she had in New York...but she's not complaining, not really.

Life takes an unexpected turn when she walks into one of the hotel rooms and sees a very naked, very endowed male. Then an even crazier turn when she sees him at a bar that night passed out. She can't just leave him so she takes care of him instead.



Viktor was only bidding his time in this small town waiting for a car part so he can fix his car and be on his way but Maggie changed all that. He ends up fixing her family dinner as a thank you for taking care of him and as they get to know each other better, their relationship becomes stronger.

There's a little bump when Maggie finds out who Viktor really is but once he makes peace with it, things really move forward. However, Maggie has to decide what she can and cannot make peace with. She has a lot of people counting on her so she cannot be frivolous.

Viktor is sooo forward he really made me laugh and such the dirty talker...phewwwww. I loved when he whispered sweet Swedish nothings in Maggie's ear.

But soon, Viktor has to leave and it's all kinds of heart breaking. Can they make this long distance thing work? Not everyone is in their corner unfortunately.

We get to know Prince Magnus from Norway and he is pretty amazing. His relationship was Viktor was great and I loved what he brought to the story. (I can't wait for his book, The Wild Heir, coming out May 17, 2018.)

Maggie's family is pretty amazing as well. Her youngest brother is a hoot but it's the older one, Pike, that I want to know more about. Hopefully, he gets a book!

The story is pretty predictable but that's obvious since Karina Halle states that she wrote it loosely on a movie but added her own twist. Still, I'm happy I read it...Viktor is sooo yummy and not to be missed!

[Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.• · Rating 4 out of 5]

And they all lived happily ever after…. Who doesn’t love a great fairytale? I certainly do and Karine Halle delivers with a modern day sweet love story.

Maggie’s world is turned upside down with one phone call. Her parents are dead. Her life of being a student and chasing her dreams have been ripped from her. She now needs to step up and care for her five siblings, while drowning in her own grief. Not many people would cope with something as life changing as this but when you have no choice you will be surprised what you can cope with.

One year later and it would be fair to say that Maggie is just in survival mode. She does have good support and help from her 18 year old brother Pike but there is a fine line between being a sister to her siblings and parenting them. She is working six days a week to put food on the table and cover all the school expenses. She is swimming upstream and and just trying to stay afloat. Meeting the family financial and emotional needs is a tough ask for a young girl but giving in is just not an option.

Viktor is heir to the throne of Sweden, his life was not meant to be filled with royal duty but when tragedy strikes his family his future life plan is mapped out for him and he has no choice in the matter. He is on a one month sabbatical to wrap his head around what he now has ahead of him and finds himself in a small town in California. Bad luck or fate? When he crosses paths with Maggie he is in complete awe of the sweet, compassionate, beautiful girl.

Maggie works in housekeeping at a local hotel and this is where she meets the Prince. It would be fair to say that their first meeting was very ‘confronting.’ The second encounter is just as memorable. She obviously makes a lasting impression on him and they find themselves spending lots of time with each other for the duration of his stay.

‘I sit down, both loving and hating the feeling of him doting onme. I’m so used to doing everything all the time that to actually just sit and be served food like this makes me feel like I’m royalty here and not the other way around.’

Viktor is enamoured with Maggie and loves getting to know her siblings, I loved the interactions he has with them, especially as the Swedish chef, lol! It becomes apparent to him that there is a connection between them that he cannot deny or understand. He just wants to sweep in and make Maggie’s life better for her and her family. She is focused on looking after everyone else but who is looking after her? However, they both know that this love story has a time limit. Or does it?

"My skin feels tight and hot and the nerves in my stomach dance in a constant conga line. Every part of me feels alive. The fact that I think I’m falling for him doesn’t scare me but what does scare me is what happens after that."

This was the perfect weekend read for me, swoony, sexy, funny and full of love!

[Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting from start to finish!

And Karina Halle has done it again. I LOVED LOVED LOVEEEEED The Swedish Prince ❤. Whether Karina writes dark or contemporary romance, it doesn't matter—she makes my heart sing with her words.

I found Halle's voice spellbinding; once I start reading her books, there is nothing that breaks my connection with them until I hit the end. And this time was no different. I devoured The Swedish Prince. Viktor & Maggie love story consumed me from beginning to end.

Maggie was one of those characters that were just so adorable you couldn't stop yourself from loving her, and Viktor... well, let's say he made my heart fluttered and managed to turn me into a puddle of warm mush every time he made an appearance. Every page sizzled when these two got together, but this book was so much more than a royal hot romp. This story had heart and lots of it.

You guys! Honestly, I loved all the characters. Even April and her teenager drama, and please don't make me start talking about Callum...Bork Bork! Seriously, so crazy in love with them!

My heart is so full after finishing this book, and even hours later I haven't stopped thinking about the characters. I even looked up for recipes from The Swedish Chef, LOL! This story has definitely left me with a book high!! I'm irrevocably in love with this book and its fairytale vibes. A Prince and a maid? A love story you cannot help but embrace.

Wonderfully written, The Swedish Prince has it all... a royal romance, family, heartbreak, longing, fun, and a smoldering hot chemistry that bleed from the pages and will keep you glued to your Kindle. Definitely a top favorite of 2018.

Ahhhhh! This story made me so giddy that I hope this is not the last I hear from some of the characters here. (Hint, hint, Pike, Magnus, and Aksel.)



You can find me here: INSTAGRAM

[Ana Vizentim · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Alltid mer, aldrig mindre - Always more, never less Stars

This book was light hearted, yet emotional royal romance.

It was sweet, sexy, and kept a huge smile on my face!!!!!

I loved Prince Viktor since the beginning!!!! He's definitely my book boyfriend now!!!! He's perfect!!!

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ 2 STARS ⭐️⭐️
Overall it was alright.
Karina Halle's writing is decent, the plot was cliché but reading the blurb I was expecting that.
The characters development felt unbalanced to me, as for all purpose and intent Prince Victor seemed as interesting as a cardboard cut out of Prince Harry. Pretty facade but lacking any depth (except in his pants.). Maggie on the other hand was a good heroine and watching her trying to fulfill her imposed parental duties and struggling to keep her family afloat was touching. Actually let me amend this statement, her family was touching. Her siblings made her interesting. Maggie was just... average.

The first meet cute between the Prince and Maggie was funny but the way their paths reconnected later on a bit of a stretch to me. They fell in love rather quickly and while I usually don't mind the insta-love trope, I felt it was more an insta-lust case here than anything. No swoons or tremors.
A few Swedish-isms had me smiling once or twice, and despite the hot as fuck couple of sex scenes I couldn't find it in me to hold onto the supposedly wild chemistry and connection between the MCs.

I've found myself skimming quite a bit through the story, not really fearing to miss anything of importance. Whatever conflict thrown into the story felt trivial considering Maggie and Victor were already in love and the HEA in this type of story is a given.
Cute story, cute characters, light romance with a nice dose of steam and low on drama and angst. Usually how I like my romance but strangely I couldn't connect with either characters here.

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[Radd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m so happy I walked in on you naked.”

“You are my life and you are my everything and you are my love,” he says gently. “You have shaken me to my very soul, rattled the bars around my heart, and I am yours, Maggie, I am yours.”

**Synopsis:**
Maggie was living in New York and working on her journalism degree when she received some tragic news. She had no choice but to pack up and move back home to care for her siblings.On the other side of the world, Viktor has spiraled a bit out of control since the loss of his brother. Now that he is the Crown Prince his responsibilities have exponentially increased and as a form of therapy to deal with all the new changes, his parents send him away to get a much needed break
- ”We think the best way for you to deal with what happened to Alex, to deal with your new future, is to take a break. A real break. A holiday. Pretend to be someone else for a while.”

Viktor ends up in Tehachapi, California due to car problems. When Maggie enters his hotel room to clean, Viktor is completely naked and Maggie has extremely difficulty tearing her eyes away from his glorious nether region. Attraction zings between them but their lives are literally worlds apart and their road to HEA has many obstacles to overcome.

“I almost forgot how you make me feel,” she admits breathlessly.
“How do I make you feel?”
She gives me a sweet smile. “Always more, never less.”

** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * I always love a cute kid. Callum had some scenes that brought a smile to my face. ”herdy schmerdy bork bork” 🙂

* * Maggie selflessly uprooted her life and changed her plans to be there for her family. I admired that aspect of her character.

* * cliché and predictable, but I was ok with that. It’s what I expect from a “royalty” romance

* * there’s not a ton of angst. Most of the drama comes from the kids and the demands of royalty

* * Maggie almost made a really bad decision that I think would make it hard to like her character. Thankfully she didn’t follow through

* * the author indicated this is her version of Roman Holiday. I’m glad it didn’t end like the movie. This was a much better ending 👍

“You are more than enough. So much more. You live by your family’s motto so well. Always more, never less. You are the always more and you…you fucking astound me.”

**Overview:**
- Trigger warning: death of parents (off page)
- Setting: Tehachapi, California
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: royalty/commoner, one rich/one poor, insta love

- Who is the Hero? His Royal Highness, Viktor of House Nordin (age: 30)
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Hero: elegant, cocky, confident, self assured, persistent, multi-faceted
* H likable? Yes.
—-Viktor: “I was the one no one paid attention to and I liked it, I fucking liked it, because I could fail on my own and no one would notice. But now a whole country is watching. A whole country is measuring me against Alex.”

- Who is the Heroine? Maggie Mayhem McPherson (age: 23). Hotel maid. Guardian of her 5 siblings
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Heroine: sad, hurting, tired, strong, bold, dynamic, smart, effortlessly funny
* h likable? Yes.
—-Maggie: “I want the freedom to drop everything and just run away. Run away like a coward but at least I would feel the wind in my face and hope under my wings. At least for a little while I could live under the pretense that anything can happen until the guilt and shame and responsibility would drag me back home. I hate that I feel that way. And then I hate myself for hating myself. The cycle never breaks.”

- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 41%
- First time they sleep together: 47%
- First time they say I Love You 63%
- steamy? Yes. Descriptive bedroom scenes
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? six months
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? the cute little kid had me smirking a few times. No big lol moments, though
- Did I swoon? Prince Viktor had a few swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? 6 months later
- Recommend? if you’re in the mood for a low angst royalty romance, pick this up


**Quotes**
“Sverige means Sweden in Swedish,” he says. “Körkort means driver’s license. I’m afraid you’ve been calling me Mr. Swedish driver’s license.”

“I want you to tell me the things you keep inside. I want to be the man that you confide in, that you trust, that you want to let in.”

“Her middle name couldn’t have been more fitting because she brought mayhem to my heart, my life, turned my world upside down and I was a better man in the end because of it, because of her.”

“There is great strength in trying. It’s like working a muscle. The more you try to do something, the more you try to do better, the stronger you’ll get.”

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Swedish Prince walked naked into a room...

Holy Shamoly!! Seriously, even as a happily married woman, there is NO WAY I could look away if a naked 6ft 5 bloke walked into a room. Sorry hubby, but I would DEFINITELY be checking out his package. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU FOUND OUT HE WAS ROYALTY TOO???? OMG, I don't know about you, but I had images of Prince William in my head as I was reading The Swedish Prince. Sorry, Kate, I know he's taken and all, but he and Harry are the only royalty I know...in a princely kind of way. Well, the ONLY royalty I wouldn't oppose and run off screaming if I saw them naked. The only other royal blokes I know are Charles, Andrew and Edward...I DO NOT WANT TO SEE OR THINK OF THEM NAKED!! (shudders) But, then again, I haven't done a World Royal Watch, so I can't vouch for royalty in other countries.

Anyways...back to the story. I really enjoyed The Swedish Prince and found it even more appealing because it wasn't mistakenly represented in a "Modern Day Fairytale" kind of way. We get to see this prince warts and all. Sure, he's a good-looking bloke with plenty of money, a fancy pad and a cool car, but he's also had to face tragedy in the public eye. There is no way all the money in the world would make me smile (to appease the public) when a family member has passed. Sleeping in a fancy bed, driving around in an expensive car or having the nicest clothes will not bring a loved one back. Being constantly monitored, sometimes terrorised and having to be regularly "up" is not something I could do. I know it and thankfully there's not a chance in hell Prince Charming is on his stead racing in to whisk me off to his castle.

There was one part of this story that resonated with me. When Viktor needed to escape his everyday life, I could completely relate. Obviously, my escape is not exactly the same, but in my own little way, it was similar. See, at this time every year, hubby, the boys and I escape to the beach for two weeks. My work brain turns off, I only turn my laptop on every couple of days, and I look at my phone to check the beach conditions not my update feeds. This is my escape from reality. Viktor, like me, needed to escape his real world, become a little oblivious to what's going on at home and just be a tourist for a little while. In some ways, I think everyone needs to step away for a while to hopefully come back refreshed and able to tackle everyday life again.

While this story was good, there were a couple of times I was a little frustrated. Not all of it was because of the story. For one, it took me a lot longer to read. I started The Swedish Prince just before my holidays started so I was running around like a headless chook and didn't have the time to read. Secondly, it did get a wee bit bogged down in parts. I couldn't exactly tell you where, but it did feel like it went on forever at times, and I just wanted to get to the HEA already. I also felt that Prince Viktor expected Maggie to fit into his world without a lot of change to what he normally does. Mate, what the heck? Maggie didn't know the language, lives in a country where there is no monarchy AND she's scraping by as a maid in a hotel. Bloody Hell!! Lucky you have a good mate in Magnus, or your HEA would have been a happy in the sack for a day or two, instead of everlasting love.

Really enjoyed the family dynamics, Viktor's staff and friends that you know you can count on. Disliked the pressure from the media when they feel like you're public property. I know it's a reality, but I hate that the media are under pressure to get the right picture, break the biggest stories and expose the deepest secrets.

The Swedish Prince is sexy, thought-provoking and very sweet. Plenty of times that my heart pumped harder, my sighs were distinct and my smiles were of the goofy variety. It was a win for me and I'm definitely going to read more of these royal tales.

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am quite disappointing with The Swedish prince. I think this book is the most less like from the series.
Miss Halle seems to lose her focus of the story. Adding more and more ridiculous plot.

The secrecy romance is too old and there is no worthy climax to make this book interesting. I even surprise that this book is written by Miss Halle.

Anyway... moving on...

2 stars

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

When I picked up The Nordic King last year by Halle and LOVED it so much, I love the heartwarming humor that Halle has portrayed in these books and in The Swedish Prince it was done so well and I had a fun time with this book. Not quite as much as The Nordic King, however, it was such a charming read and one of my favorite royal/maid set ups.

Our story begins with Maggie, who had been going to NYU and working on a journalism degree, when she gets a phone call that her parents have been murdered and she is the guardian for her siblings and so she throws her dreams out the window and heads back home on the west coast to take care of her family. Its now been a year and Maggie is working herself to the bone as a hotel maid. Its not the most ideal situation and they are barely making it by financially, but her siblings need her. Then she runs into a naked viking who tempts her more than anything in a very long time.

Viktor has his own pain too. Viktor is the younger son, but then his brother commits suicide he becomes the heir to the throne, a job that Viktor never wanted and now there is pressure for him to be someone he never imagined he would be including grieving for his older brother and not living up to his parent's expectations. His parents cause an intervention and send him away for one month, anywhere outside of Europe, to have a vacation and get his head on straight. So he heads to the states traveling all over, but when his vehicle breaks down, he finds himself in a small town and being intrigued with Maggie, a beautiful hotel maid who has her own mix of pain and family drama. As the interest between them grow, a love develops and Maggie and Viktor will need to make a choice to be together or lose everything they have together.

The Swedish Prince is a story that I had some great delight in reading, and Karina Halle has the type of reading that sweeps you off your feet. I love royal romances and Halle did a great job with this one. I liked seeing that both of these characters had been grieving over a great loss to themselves personally and so you really see the emotional intimacy between them really grow and it was simply beautiful. I love that Viktor saw the lovely and strong woman that Maggie is and looked beneath her maids uniform and we see so much growth in both of these characters. We see Viktor find love but also find himself in the process and settle into being the kind of leader he needs to be and then we see Maggie learn the true value of family and sacrifice. I love how devoted she is to her family even if its not her dream job but we see her come into her own strength and discover what she is capable of and find true value in her own self worth and confidence.

You…you Victor, you are a prince in every way shape and form. You embody the word, you are selfless and kind and proud and smart and noble and you care, more than anything, you care. You’re the prince that every girl had a fantasy about but you’re more than that, because you’re real. You’re so real. And you’re here right now and you’re with me and I can’t…I can’t thank you enough

I truly enjoyed seeing this love story develop and this book was a story that gave me all the happy feels. The romance that develops is so endearingly sweet with the right balance of serious tones and laughs and you can easily settle into this book with a smile on your face all the way through. I really admired seeing these two find what they need in themselves and in each other and their relationship. There was something so vitalizing about their relationship, it definitely had a “Harry and Meghan” feel to it at times, it just came alive and I enjoyed seeing them work around being in their own “secret world” with no one but Maggie’s family knowing of who they are.

I could kiss you for a thousand days and it still wouldn’t be enough,” he says. “I could gaze at you for a million days and it wouldn’t be enough. I could touch you, taste you, be so deep inside you that you’re fused to my skin, do this forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. Forever with you isn’t enough.

Then we are introduced to some fun times with Maggie’s family, my heart aches for their loss of their parents though especially since they were murdered by a ex con who had it out for their father (who was a prison guard) but the descriptions of their parents just made the reader admire what this family has suffered through. I simply adored this family so much and seeing the various level of grief that each child is going through but how they stick together no matter what is going on and loved that and I felt like Karina Halle handles family relationships so well done, there was a sense of vibrancy to their bonds and you just want to gravitate towards them.

Overall I found The Swedish Prince a fantastic story and it portrays the powerful storytelling ability of Karina Halle, its a tale of pain and loss but also courage, strength and a passionate love worth fighting for!!! MAGNIFICENTLY PENNED!

 

[Betül · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**



3.5 stars

I love Karina Halle's books/writing, and I always trust her to deliver a great story with fun characters. The Swedish Prince started out really good, I was in particular kind of obsessed with the HOT Swedish Prince Viktor. He was a very nice and understanding persona and I liked him right away. Maggie, has been dealt a bad hand, but she tries to make it work with what she has. She left everything behind and goes back to her home town to take care of her 5 siblings (which isn't easy). I appreciated how hard she worked to make a better life for them. It wasn't always easy, and she had her issues with some of them, but she never gave up, which shows she is a strong person.

I loved how Viktor and Maggie met, it was very fun and sexy. However, for me it was a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I also didn't feel a very strong bond between these two. I think the main reason for that is the fast pace of their relationship. At one point the story was elevated and it was put on high gear, which resulted in me feeling left on the side-lines of the story instead of being right in the middle. I still liked the plot and characters, but I think I would've enjoyed it more if I had time to really get into the story. However, I do want to say that I loved the fun plot and the interaction between Viktor and Maggie's siblings.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

***FULL REVIEW - AVAILABLE NOW***

5 Bork, Bork CROWNS

Do you love fairytales? Dashing princes? Heroines who are worthy of a crown? Then, The Swedish Prince is for you! It is romantic, HOT, and absolutely happily-ever-after perfection!

Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. Man, oh man, do I have the biggest crush on this prince. Charming, sweet, captivating, and dominating in the bedroom, this man had me swooning HARD, like fall to the floor, death by swooning. As with any good character, he is more than the standard prince, and he is dealing with the crushing weight of becoming the new heir to the crown. His devotion to Maggie, though, is unparalleled. He, like any good romance hero, knows how to woo a woman, and readers won’t be able to resist his charm. 

Maggie is a 23 year old in charge of her siblings. She is at times immature, a bit lost, struggling at times to run a house, but could you really expect anything less. She is young, and has been given a huge task when many are just trying to find themselves. Her unfailing loyalty and arduous desire to protect her siblings, even sacrificing her happiness will absolutely earn reader loyalty. She sacrifices so much that we yearn for to get her HEA while also holding onto who she is. 

I was swept away by this modern day prince finding his princess. Their initial meeting is hilarious, but we quickly see them become more. While there is immediate attraction, they become so much more than insta-lust. Through conversations and experiences, we see them open up to each other, fall in love, and get caught up in their short lived time together. Because he does have to eventually leave America, many of their moments are laced with sadness; it lingers on the edge. There are many moments where I felt my heart break for them because I just wanted it to work, even when I knew they would part when he returned to his country. They both deserved it. The conflict is one that isn’t surprising, but it still hurt just as much when it comes to fruition. The resolution is quick but fulfilling, and I was so happy with the fairytale ending! 

Romance let’s you gets lost. We get wrapped up in the idea of man coming and captivating us, loving us, wanting to make our lives better, and the The Swedish Prince meets all of this while giving us a modern heroine who can save herself, making this book one of my favorite Halle novels. 
________
ARC received in exchange for an honest review

[✶Rachelle✶]

DNF @ 35%

Yes, Roman Holiday is an insta-love. And yes, this book is based off of the movie, so I knew going into this that it was an insta-love. However, I felt like this book was missing the charm that the movie portrayed so well The MC couldn't keep her mind off the love interest's penis. She thought about it every other page. It got really annoying, and ruined any sort of genuine chemistry I might have sensed between the two. Like I said above, there's no charm with that. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I'll stick with Joe and Ann.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this series out of order, but Nordic King is still my favorite!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Emotional, funny, heart-warming, sexy and romantic- this was a fantastic story! The writing was exceptional- I was hooked from the prologue and didn’t want to put this down. A top pick of 2018! Highly recommend!

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of annoying. Kind of cute.

The Swedish Prince was a bit predictable. It also had some annoying characters and some weird ass stuff just thrown in there. It follows Maggie and Viktor and their kind of cute romance. Both characters suffer from some tragic family event in their lives and they somehow find love between the mess - sort of instantly.

Maggie, was living in NYC and about to finish school with a Journalism degree. Well, until one night when she gets a dreaded phone call about her parents, and dog, being brutally murdered. She leaves school instantly and goes hope to help raise her siblings. She doesn't get the greatest job ever, she's a maid for a hotel, because she has no degree. However, that doesn't stop her from working hard to save as much money as she can to help her little siblings out. The oldest brother Pike, about 19 years old, is working as well since he isn't in school and didn't go to College either. However, life still sucks and her younger siblings definitely give her hell.

Then there's Viktor who is grieving over his older brother's sudden death. He found him and still hasn't dealt with what happened. He's also the crown prince and heir to the throne now. Of course he starts acting out - which causes his parents to send him away with a secret identity. Then he meets Maggie, unexpectedly, and the two start a little cute romance.

From then on, you meet her siblings and his parents. Out of them all, April was the one I liked the least. She was acting out so much, like a teenager, but she took it to the extreme. Yeah, she didn't want to live in the house where her parents died.. but they didn't have the money to move. They were poor and she was just making matters worst. Until the end, she got a little bit better but that's about it.

Overall, it was cute. Predictable, but cute. They got their happy ending and that's all I can really say. I'm glad that they could lean on each other and deal with what happened in their pasts.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 – 4 stars

I haven’t read a Karina Halle read in a long time. I was seduced by the cover and the blurb for this one. I wanted a typical prince book and for the most part I got it.

The book started out strong and I love a single “mom” kind of read. The heroine has to take care of her 4 younger siblings with her 18-year-old brother. I really like that storyline and I found Maggie endearing. She’s a housekeeper now, giving up her dreams of living in NYC as a journalist.

I usually hate the famous person / Journalist storyline, but thank goodness it’s not that kind of book.

I liked reading Victor and Maggie getting to know each other, but I wanted the whole mysterious prince vibe to last a little longer. I felt like the couple become a couple fairly fast and the book went warm to steamy hot fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love a steamy book, but it felt unbalanced. Not enough foreplay in the beginning in my opinion.

I also like it when all the kids are cute and nice, not a little shit “APRIL” kind of killed some of the story for me. That’s just me, I’m so picky. Especially when she took the letters?! What the fuck?

I also felt like towards the second half of the book things got dragged out and the writing flow got a bity wordy. I started to skim pages and pages of inner monologue. Oh my god, what happened to the beautiful dialogue writing that was in the first half of the book?

Overall, I liked the storyline, but I felt like 10% of the book could have been edited out (like the inner monologues) and I could have more of the cute parts with Maggie and Victor. I did like Victor, even though some reviewers found him boring. I just think the chemistry between Maggie and Victor was better in the beginning.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

One delightful, emotional and pretty much amazing story from Karina Halle! She made my week with this book since I was very sick and wanted something good to get me through the tissues and the running nose...and the busted ear.

Maggie's and Viktor's stories were sad and very aching. I believe that Maggie deserves a statue for all her efforts to keep he family together. I loved little Callum and Pike and even April despite the 'thing' she did. And Viktor? Yum...just yum!

Following Karina's Instagram was a very agonizing waiting seeing all these amazing pictures! And I think that there is a chance for more stories on the secondary characters in the book!
I totally recommend it!