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Royals of Sondmark #1
The Impossible Princess
Mom's eyes narrow into tiny, triumphant slits. "I knew it. You asked her. You asked the—"
"Princess. Yes. I asked Princess Clara out. It seemed the gentlemanly thing to do after groping her on live television."
Hoping to carve out a meaningful role in the royal family of Sondmark, Clara needs to prove to her mother that she can be the perfect princess. Perfect means opening mass-transit car parks and giving speeches on childhood nutrition, without a hair out of place. Perfect doesn't mean developing a crush on an unnamed military officer she sees once a year. But infatuation is a victimless crime, and nobody ever has to know.
When Princess Clara falls into his arms in front of a bank of photographers, Lieutenant Commander Max Andersen of Her Majesty's Royal Navy is thrust into the tabloids, the gossip threatening his promising career. He hates the sudden glare of media attention and hates how it diverts focus from his job. But the way Clara feels in his arms is a different story.
"The Impossible Princess is the perfect sweet romance!"
"Princess. Yes. I asked Princess Clara out. It seemed the gentlemanly thing to do after groping her on live television."
Hoping to carve out a meaningful role in the royal family of Sondmark, Clara needs to prove to her mother that she can be the perfect princess. Perfect means opening mass-transit car parks and giving speeches on childhood nutrition, without a hair out of place. Perfect doesn't mean developing a crush on an unnamed military officer she sees once a year. But infatuation is a victimless crime, and nobody ever has to know.
When Princess Clara falls into his arms in front of a bank of photographers, Lieutenant Commander Max Andersen of Her Majesty's Royal Navy is thrust into the tabloids, the gossip threatening his promising career. He hates the sudden glare of media attention and hates how it diverts focus from his job. But the way Clara feels in his arms is a different story.
"The Impossible Princess is the perfect sweet romance!"
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2022
156 people are currently reading
3333 people want to read
About the author
Keira Dominguez
9 books200 followersI'm a writer and a reader. If I review a book here, it's because I liked it, or the author is long dead and I have some things I'm tryna to work through.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
July 11, 2024
Keira Dominguez can do no wrong.
This sweet contemporary romance gave me Chasing Liberty vibes and was a fantastic mashup of the zaniness of The Princess Diaries and the class difference, incongruous couple of The Prince and Me. It was absolute perfection.
Clara is doing everything she can to bear up under the weight of the crown and all of the expectations that come with it. Her college escapades were chronicled in the tabloids and she’s determined to overcome her party girl image. The fact that she was only acting like a normal college student is irrelevant- she tainted the family dignity.
One of her first efforts at redemption is giving bouquets of violets to the naval officers to honor their bravery and the bravery of all of those who have defended her country.
Things go swimmingly until her blue stilettos are revealed to be a wardrobe mistake- and she is rescued by the handsome lieutenant she has been crushing on from afar.
Plot: 5 ⭐️
Character Development: 5 ⭐️
Steam: 1 ⭐️
This sweet contemporary romance gave me Chasing Liberty vibes and was a fantastic mashup of the zaniness of The Princess Diaries and the class difference, incongruous couple of The Prince and Me. It was absolute perfection.
Clara is doing everything she can to bear up under the weight of the crown and all of the expectations that come with it. Her college escapades were chronicled in the tabloids and she’s determined to overcome her party girl image. The fact that she was only acting like a normal college student is irrelevant- she tainted the family dignity.
One of her first efforts at redemption is giving bouquets of violets to the naval officers to honor their bravery and the bravery of all of those who have defended her country.
Things go swimmingly until her blue stilettos are revealed to be a wardrobe mistake- and she is rescued by the handsome lieutenant she has been crushing on from afar.
Plot: 5 ⭐️
Character Development: 5 ⭐️
Steam: 1 ⭐️
April 8, 2024
4 stars.
March 17, 2023
Bruvvvvvvvv this was SOOOO GOOOOD D:
I- I have no notes. Good job. GG Keira. I'm in love and I'm upset about it.
I- I have no notes. Good job. GG Keira. I'm in love and I'm upset about it.
June 13, 2022
bruh this is so so SO CUTE <33 just look at the cover 😤😤
this book really got me out of my reading slump. i loved our two main characters and the story was fast-paced; we didn't waste any of our time over lots of useless events. Oddy specific rating, but this was a solid 4.3 stars, but i'm still rounding up because this book deserves it and did what needed to be done with ease. do yourself a favor and read it.
this book really got me out of my reading slump. i loved our two main characters and the story was fast-paced; we didn't waste any of our time over lots of useless events. Oddy specific rating, but this was a solid 4.3 stars, but i'm still rounding up because this book deserves it and did what needed to be done with ease. do yourself a favor and read it.
December 26, 2023
3 ✰ Was enjoyable but definitely something I wouldn’t read again
June 23, 2023
Super cute read, just wish it had a bit more substance. Things happen really quick and I just wanted more build up.
Her mother, the queen also really sucked lol.
There is no steam at all in this, which doesn’t bother me but there’s not even the appearance of anything further lol.
Her mother, the queen also really sucked lol.
There is no steam at all in this, which doesn’t bother me but there’s not even the appearance of anything further lol.
April 11, 2025
4/11/25: reread this on a whim, and it was just as delightful as I remembered. It was fun to read it again after reading books 2 and 3 to see the tiny crumbs of those stories being laid out from the very start.
I'm so glad that Keira Dominguez (and her books) have blessed my life.
.
This book is a departure from her usual magical regency and it is just perfection.
.
The writing, the dialog, the characters, all of it, just perfect.
.
Knowing what she was going through, personally, while she wrote this book makes it even sweeter.
I'm so glad that Keira Dominguez (and her books) have blessed my life.
.
This book is a departure from her usual magical regency and it is just perfection.
.
The writing, the dialog, the characters, all of it, just perfect.
.
Knowing what she was going through, personally, while she wrote this book makes it even sweeter.
September 26, 2022
3.5 stars
This was so cute.
Albeit the writing was a bit too flourish and sometimes it put me out of the story the storyline was fun and fast paced.
I do hope we get more books from this world (Especially Ella and Alma!)
Overall this was a fun and sweet story.
This was so cute.
Albeit the writing was a bit too flourish and sometimes it put me out of the story the storyline was fun and fast paced.
I do hope we get more books from this world (Especially Ella and Alma!)
Overall this was a fun and sweet story.
May 13, 2022
This was adorable and swoon-worthy and so much fun. I am so excited this is going to be a series!
May 16, 2022
So fun! Keep them coming —you better be writing about all the siblings !
I love when I know I will always like what the author is writing!
I love when I know I will always like what the author is writing!
January 31, 2023
So sweet i'm crying
January 14, 2025
4 estrellas porque yo me quedé con más ganas de leer a Clara y Max pero ya no a escondidas 😭😭💗.
Son tan lindos, los amé. ✨
Son tan lindos, los amé. ✨
July 27, 2023
this actually ate so hard like. i was sad when it ended hello. reading the second book asap!
June 23, 2022
This was a book that was just meh. The writing, characters, and plot was very mediocre and the story had nothing to keep me interesting.
The only thing I did enjoy was the 3rd act breakup (which I usually hate) and then them getting back together.
The book didn’t make me feel anything! No excitement or anything! Only finished so I didn’t DNF
The only thing I did enjoy was the 3rd act breakup (which I usually hate) and then them getting back together.
The book didn’t make me feel anything! No excitement or anything! Only finished so I didn’t DNF
December 26, 2022
LOVED the writing in this one. Their banter was delightful and realistic, and their love story was so, so charming. Top-notch read.
Read
August 5, 2024DNF @ 28%
There are words in this book that I don’t know the meaning of and I feel very dumb 🫠😂
I’ve never had to use my dictionary function on my kindle so much omg
There are words in this book that I don’t know the meaning of and I feel very dumb 🫠😂
I’ve never had to use my dictionary function on my kindle so much omg
July 22, 2023
Trama: ella es una princesa y el es un almirante de la marina
Fue un romance que me sacó de mi mini bloqueo de lector y que me mantuvo bastante enganchada. Por un lado, Clara es considerada por la prensa y por la reina, su madre, como la princesa fiestera a la que no le dan demasiadas responsabilidades por miedo de que afecte la continuidad de la monarquia. Por otro lado, Max es un almirante de la marina que espera ascender a capitán por lo que no debe entrar en dramas ni estar en titulares. Me pareció super lindo y sincero desde el primer instante, es fácil que te enamores de él🥺. Fue un buen libro, con el drama necesario por ratos puede parecer plano por los momentos cozy entre ellos pero a mí me gustó que fuera así.
La reina no me cayó bien, entendía porque actuaba como lo hacía pero yo quería que valorara a Clara y a su esfuerzo, sentí que la controlaba demasiado. Sé que es la reina pero vigilaba cómo vestía, que hacía, con quien salía, etc.
Sobre los hermanos tengo que decir:
No me convence el romance de Noah con la secretaria de su madre, porque me la imagine todo el libro como una viejita 😭y la siento aburrida y como una versión de la madre del mismo solo que más joven (sorry not sorry).
Ella me agradó bastante es la historia que más espero.
La hermana mayor me dio poquita intriga pero ya veremos.
El libro de Freya es el siguiente ya veremos qué tal.
Fue un romance que me sacó de mi mini bloqueo de lector y que me mantuvo bastante enganchada. Por un lado, Clara es considerada por la prensa y por la reina, su madre, como la princesa fiestera a la que no le dan demasiadas responsabilidades por miedo de que afecte la continuidad de la monarquia. Por otro lado, Max es un almirante de la marina que espera ascender a capitán por lo que no debe entrar en dramas ni estar en titulares. Me pareció super lindo y sincero desde el primer instante, es fácil que te enamores de él🥺. Fue un buen libro, con el drama necesario por ratos puede parecer plano por los momentos cozy entre ellos pero a mí me gustó que fuera así.
La reina no me cayó bien, entendía porque actuaba como lo hacía pero yo quería que valorara a Clara y a su esfuerzo, sentí que la controlaba demasiado. Sé que es la reina pero vigilaba cómo vestía, que hacía, con quien salía, etc.
Sobre los hermanos tengo que decir:
No me convence el romance de Noah con la secretaria de su madre, porque me la imagine todo el libro como una viejita 😭y la siento aburrida y como una versión de la madre del mismo solo que más joven (sorry not sorry).
Ella me agradó bastante es la historia que más espero.
La hermana mayor me dio poquita intriga pero ya veremos.
El libro de Freya es el siguiente ya veremos qué tal.
November 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Max Anderson & Princess Clara
- Dual POV
- Princess FMC
- Naval officer MMC
- Nosey, opinionated Royal family
- “Just friends”
- Forbidden romance
- Political & Royal family drama
✨a few of my favorite things:
- the sister dynamic
- Max’s dedication to Clara & making sure she’s comfortable
- Their nights in
- How they find every second they can together
- Playing and teasing and ending up in the lake
- Clara standing up for what she wants and researching and going after it whole heartedly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Book 1 of the Royals of Sondmark Series - If you want a book that feels like the British Royal Family and a romcom dream then this is it. Max and Clara are so playful. Max doesn’t push Clara but he supports her and tries to encourage her. He is so all in with Clara, that the rocky road they face breaks your heart for Max. However, their HEA was so sweet and made their long journey even more worth it. The pull they have to one another is undeniable and I was yelling at Clara for most of the book to go all in on Max too. The moment she does I was jumping up and down and over the moon.
I’m so intrigued by all of the Royal family and I cannot wait for all their books. I need to know how this all plays out especially with that cliff hanger in the epilogue.
This is a closed door modern royal romcom. There is non-descript kissing, Sondish cursing, and vague mild innuendo.
Songs:
Hey pretty girl by Kip Moore
Slow burn by Sadie Jean
So easy (to fall in love with me) by Olivia Dean
We can’t be friends by Ariana Grande
On my mind by Alex Warren & ROSE *
No judgment by Niall Horan**
Max Anderson & Princess Clara
- Dual POV
- Princess FMC
- Naval officer MMC
- Nosey, opinionated Royal family
- “Just friends”
- Forbidden romance
- Political & Royal family drama
✨a few of my favorite things:
- the sister dynamic
- Max’s dedication to Clara & making sure she’s comfortable
- Their nights in
- How they find every second they can together
- Playing and teasing and ending up in the lake
- Clara standing up for what she wants and researching and going after it whole heartedly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Book 1 of the Royals of Sondmark Series - If you want a book that feels like the British Royal Family and a romcom dream then this is it. Max and Clara are so playful. Max doesn’t push Clara but he supports her and tries to encourage her. He is so all in with Clara, that the rocky road they face breaks your heart for Max. However, their HEA was so sweet and made their long journey even more worth it. The pull they have to one another is undeniable and I was yelling at Clara for most of the book to go all in on Max too. The moment she does I was jumping up and down and over the moon.
I’m so intrigued by all of the Royal family and I cannot wait for all their books. I need to know how this all plays out especially with that cliff hanger in the epilogue.
This is a closed door modern royal romcom. There is non-descript kissing, Sondish cursing, and vague mild innuendo.
Songs:
Hey pretty girl by Kip Moore
Slow burn by Sadie Jean
So easy (to fall in love with me) by Olivia Dean
We can’t be friends by Ariana Grande
On my mind by Alex Warren & ROSE *
No judgment by Niall Horan**
December 18, 2025
this actually wasn’t that good and i fear im sad about it. the writing was just really clunky and choppy and there were no frickin speaker tags. felt like every other sentence got deleted so the story had a bunch of gaps and left me confused. could not get emotionally invested in this relationship unfortunately, but it wasn’t so bad that i couldn’t finish it. when i saw that this author graduated from BYU i feel like that explained it all. maybe like a 2.5?
November 23, 2023
3.5/5⭐️
No podía dejar de leerlo, que adictivo
No podía dejar de leerlo, que adictivo
December 19, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5, rounded up!)
GENRE
-royal romance
CONTENT
-🤬: mild language (20 total instances of d*** & h***), one use of bast****
-❤️: just kisses
-⚠️: none
This one ended up being just okay for me. I liked Clara and Max, but I wished we got more time with them at the end of the book. It felt like their HEA was very rushed and I wanted more time with them together.
I'm interested in the rest of the royal family so I do think that I'll check out the next books in the series! Especially after that comment in the epilogue about an elopement...👀
Favorite Quotes:
😆 Max looks even better in jeans and a plaid shirt than he does in his uniform, and that ought to be scientifically impossible.
⏰ When she arrives at six I want to lean up against the door frame and kiss her until her shoes come off. Six is exactly on time. She can't know what punctuality does to me.
❤️ "Clara, I need you to be brave for us. Fight. I'll fight with you."
😍 "The girl underneath this royal shell isn't disappointing or spoiled. She has gifts, even if her mother has no use for them She's fun, charismatic, and kind. She deserves to have a patronage because she's good at what she does, not because any one has to do her any favors. She's enough, exactly as she is.”
GENRE
-royal romance
CONTENT
-🤬: mild language (20 total instances of d*** & h***), one use of bast****
-❤️: just kisses
-⚠️: none
This one ended up being just okay for me. I liked Clara and Max, but I wished we got more time with them at the end of the book. It felt like their HEA was very rushed and I wanted more time with them together.
I'm interested in the rest of the royal family so I do think that I'll check out the next books in the series! Especially after that comment in the epilogue about an elopement...👀
Favorite Quotes:
😆 Max looks even better in jeans and a plaid shirt than he does in his uniform, and that ought to be scientifically impossible.
⏰ When she arrives at six I want to lean up against the door frame and kiss her until her shoes come off. Six is exactly on time. She can't know what punctuality does to me.
❤️ "Clara, I need you to be brave for us. Fight. I'll fight with you."
😍 "The girl underneath this royal shell isn't disappointing or spoiled. She has gifts, even if her mother has no use for them She's fun, charismatic, and kind. She deserves to have a patronage because she's good at what she does, not because any one has to do her any favors. She's enough, exactly as she is.”
July 26, 2022
This book was okay, however it felt like there was a book before this one that I was missing. It was almost as if Clara and Max had already had some type of relationship before the "groping" scene, as I felt like they had known each other before due to the way that it was written.
I also would have liked a map, as it would have helped to determine the climate of Sondmark and its neighbouring countries. I kind of just assumed that Sondmark was in Scandinavia.
Alas, I was not able to finish this book purely based upon the first fact that I mentioned, as it left me extremely confused after every reading session. 2/5 stars.
I also would have liked a map, as it would have helped to determine the climate of Sondmark and its neighbouring countries. I kind of just assumed that Sondmark was in Scandinavia.
Alas, I was not able to finish this book purely based upon the first fact that I mentioned, as it left me extremely confused after every reading session. 2/5 stars.
August 8, 2022
This book is so fun and sweet with amazing chemistry and just the right amount of heartstrings pulled.
Royals done right. 👌🏻😍
Things I Loved:
-“Regret, regret, regret,”
-Pickled herring
-Texts
-Friends
-Re-gifted seeds
-This
-Clara’s relationship with her godmother
-Max’s relationship with his mom
-”I′m famous for looking at your legs, Clara.”
-“Be brave for us. Fight. I′ll fight with you.”
-“I don’t play around.”
-Block heels in leopard print
When I finished this sweet read all I could say was—ok but, when does the next book come out?! I cannot wait for more of the Royals of Sondmark! 😍
CW: Mild swearing (technically only in their language, I think) and very mild innuendo.
Royals done right. 👌🏻😍
Things I Loved:
-“Regret, regret, regret,”
-Pickled herring
-Texts
-Friends
-Re-gifted seeds
-This
-Clara’s relationship with her godmother
-Max’s relationship with his mom
-”I′m famous for looking at your legs, Clara.”
-“Be brave for us. Fight. I′ll fight with you.”
-“I don’t play around.”
-Block heels in leopard print
When I finished this sweet read all I could say was—ok but, when does the next book come out?! I cannot wait for more of the Royals of Sondmark! 😍
CW: Mild swearing (technically only in their language, I think) and very mild innuendo.
December 21, 2022
2.5 ⭐️
thought it would be a cute romance with how it started out but i couldn't connect with the characters and it felt really meh halfway through the book. think my expectations for this was too high, don't think the writing style is for me either unfortunately :(
thought it would be a cute romance with how it started out but i couldn't connect with the characters and it felt really meh halfway through the book. think my expectations for this was too high, don't think the writing style is for me either unfortunately :(
May 20, 2022
Vale a ver, ¿Qué puedo decir de este libro?
Sinceramente, no conocía mucho a la autora pero me salió en Instagram e inmediatamente me atrajo la portada. Es taaaaan bonita! A parte, capta la esencia de el libro perfectamente. Continuando con la historia, me decidí por escribirle para darle la enhorabuena por la maravillosa portada y el maravilloso libro y me di cuenta de que tenemos el mismo apellido! Qué coincidencia! jajajaj Con ello, intercambiamos algunos mensajes y no sólo me di cuenta de que el libro es PERFECTO, sino que la autora es super amable y se nota que vuelca todo de sí misma en sus libros y ahí se demuestra.
La historia nos cuenta la vida de la princesa Clara, la cual es la más pequeña de las princesas de este reino. Por lo que le toca llevar a cabo la tradición de darle una flor a cada uno de los generales, el problema es que con uno, Max (menudo amor de chico) se le queda el zapato atascado y crea un momento no muy propio para una princesa (vergonzoso y cómo si fuesen novios, no penséis mal!) .
Por lo que los medios de comunicación, se vuelcan en este hecho y a los pobres no los dejan en paz. Bueno, esto es el principio luego pasan miles de cosas, la madre estricta y todo (eso es parte de la trama) pero las quedadas de ellos por la noche o el día para disfrutar de una simple comida sin que nadie les moleste... dios, eso es precioso. Si ya con los primeros capítulos ya podías presenciar su atracción.
En cuanto a los personajes, Clara es una chica que fijo que si la conociese me caería bien jajaja por otro lado, me gusta como su personaje madura a lo largo del libro. En cuanto a Max, él es la PERFECCIÓN en persona, literal, se centra en todos los detalles, la ayuda con todo y es el novio que todas querríamos.
En conclusión, si lo que buscas es una historia bonita, no muy larga, llena de momentos que te llenan el estómago de mariposas, y completamente adorable, entonces esta es tu historia
** PD: esta historia es completamente apta para menores dado que no tiene escenas fuertes ni (que yo recuerde) lenguaje fuera de lugar.
##REVIEW IN ENGLISH##
Okay, what can I say about this book?
Honestly, I didn't know much about the author but a post popped up on Instagram and I was immediately drawn to the cover. It's soooo pretty! Besides, it captures the essence of the book perfectly. So, I decided to write to her to congratulate her on the wonderful cover and the wonderful book and I realized that we have the same surname! What a coincidence! jajaj With that, we exchanged a few messages and not only did I realize that the book is PERFECT, but that the author is super nice and you can tell that she pours all of herself into her books and this is shown here.
The story tells us the life of this princess Clara, who is the youngest of the princesses in this kingdom. So it falls to her to carry out the tradition of giving a flower to each of the generals, the problem is that with one, Max (what a wonderful man) gets her shoe stuck and creates a moment not very appropriate for a princess (embarrassing and as if they were boyfriend and girlfriend, don't think bad!) .
So the media, goes on full mode on this fact and they don't leave the poor people in peace. Well, this is the beginning, then thousands of things happen, the strict mother and all (that's part of the plot) but their meetings at night or during the day to enjoy a simple meal without anyone bothering them... God, that's beautiful. In the first chapters you could already witness their attraction.
As for the characters, Clara is a girl that if I knew her I would like her hahaha on the other hand, I like how her character matures throughout the book. Moreover, Max, he is PERFECTION, literally, he focuses on all the details, he helps her with everything and he is the boyfriend we all would want.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a cute story, not too long, full of moments that fill your stomach with butterflies, and completely adorable, then this is the story for you.
** PS: this story is completely suitable for minors as it has no strong scenes or (as far as I can remember) language out of place.
Sinceramente, no conocía mucho a la autora pero me salió en Instagram e inmediatamente me atrajo la portada. Es taaaaan bonita! A parte, capta la esencia de el libro perfectamente. Continuando con la historia, me decidí por escribirle para darle la enhorabuena por la maravillosa portada y el maravilloso libro y me di cuenta de que tenemos el mismo apellido! Qué coincidencia! jajajaj Con ello, intercambiamos algunos mensajes y no sólo me di cuenta de que el libro es PERFECTO, sino que la autora es super amable y se nota que vuelca todo de sí misma en sus libros y ahí se demuestra.
La historia nos cuenta la vida de la princesa Clara, la cual es la más pequeña de las princesas de este reino. Por lo que le toca llevar a cabo la tradición de darle una flor a cada uno de los generales, el problema es que con uno, Max (menudo amor de chico) se le queda el zapato atascado y crea un momento no muy propio para una princesa (vergonzoso y cómo si fuesen novios, no penséis mal!) .
Por lo que los medios de comunicación, se vuelcan en este hecho y a los pobres no los dejan en paz. Bueno, esto es el principio luego pasan miles de cosas, la madre estricta y todo (eso es parte de la trama) pero las quedadas de ellos por la noche o el día para disfrutar de una simple comida sin que nadie les moleste... dios, eso es precioso. Si ya con los primeros capítulos ya podías presenciar su atracción.
En cuanto a los personajes, Clara es una chica que fijo que si la conociese me caería bien jajaja por otro lado, me gusta como su personaje madura a lo largo del libro. En cuanto a Max, él es la PERFECCIÓN en persona, literal, se centra en todos los detalles, la ayuda con todo y es el novio que todas querríamos.
En conclusión, si lo que buscas es una historia bonita, no muy larga, llena de momentos que te llenan el estómago de mariposas, y completamente adorable, entonces esta es tu historia
** PD: esta historia es completamente apta para menores dado que no tiene escenas fuertes ni (que yo recuerde) lenguaje fuera de lugar.
##REVIEW IN ENGLISH##
Okay, what can I say about this book?
Honestly, I didn't know much about the author but a post popped up on Instagram and I was immediately drawn to the cover. It's soooo pretty! Besides, it captures the essence of the book perfectly. So, I decided to write to her to congratulate her on the wonderful cover and the wonderful book and I realized that we have the same surname! What a coincidence! jajaj With that, we exchanged a few messages and not only did I realize that the book is PERFECT, but that the author is super nice and you can tell that she pours all of herself into her books and this is shown here.
The story tells us the life of this princess Clara, who is the youngest of the princesses in this kingdom. So it falls to her to carry out the tradition of giving a flower to each of the generals, the problem is that with one, Max (what a wonderful man) gets her shoe stuck and creates a moment not very appropriate for a princess (embarrassing and as if they were boyfriend and girlfriend, don't think bad!) .
So the media, goes on full mode on this fact and they don't leave the poor people in peace. Well, this is the beginning, then thousands of things happen, the strict mother and all (that's part of the plot) but their meetings at night or during the day to enjoy a simple meal without anyone bothering them... God, that's beautiful. In the first chapters you could already witness their attraction.
As for the characters, Clara is a girl that if I knew her I would like her hahaha on the other hand, I like how her character matures throughout the book. Moreover, Max, he is PERFECTION, literally, he focuses on all the details, he helps her with everything and he is the boyfriend we all would want.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a cute story, not too long, full of moments that fill your stomach with butterflies, and completely adorable, then this is the story for you.
** PS: this story is completely suitable for minors as it has no strong scenes or (as far as I can remember) language out of place.
March 19, 2024
Princess Clara is the youngest of the Queen of Sondmark's children, and she's desperate to get her mother to trust her with real work, something more worthwhile than the minor events with pre-written speeches that are all she's currently allowed to do. Unfortunately, while she was away at college in the United States, she assumed she had a little more freedom to behave as she wished and ended up with the nickname "Party Princess." In order to get past that, she knows she has to behave perfectly.
Which doesn't mean she can't nurse a little crush on Lieutenant Commander Max Andersen of Her Majesty's Royal Navy. When an accident lands the two of them in the tabloids, Clara knows she should do her best to put distance between the two of them, but she can't resist the chance to get to know him a little better. They agree to just be friends, but can they keep to that agreement as the attraction between the two of them grows?
I picked this one up because the cover art is cute and I enjoy occasionally reading royal romances. This featured a believable royal family and good world-building, with lots of details about Sondmark and its relationships with other fictional countries (the United States existed but none of the real-world European countries did). The author laid the groundwork for future books for Alma, Clara's eldest sister, and Noah, the heir - Alma was the perfect princess engaged to someone who barely paid any attention to her, and Noah was the playboy prince who had a surprising interest in Caroline, her mother's drab and professional private secretary.
For the most part, the romance between Clara and Max was just okay. Very nice and comfortable. In order to keep Clara from constantly having the press in her face, Max suggested that they mostly meet at his home, which struck me as at least as risky for both their reputations as meeting in public places, but whatever. They had dinner, watched movies, painted his house, etc. - it was all very nice.
The last 60 or so pages were much more emotional and riveting, and I really enjoyed how things worked out, from the way Clara resolved things with her mother to the way to the way Max's knowledge about his ship was worked into his part of the story.
Weirdly, the next book in the series appears to be Princess Freja's. She was mentioned a few times in this book, but her story didn't get nearly as much setup as Alma's or Noah's. Since I'd like to try more of this series, I'll probably read it, but I'm not nearly as interested in Freja's story as I am in Alma's or Noah's.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Which doesn't mean she can't nurse a little crush on Lieutenant Commander Max Andersen of Her Majesty's Royal Navy. When an accident lands the two of them in the tabloids, Clara knows she should do her best to put distance between the two of them, but she can't resist the chance to get to know him a little better. They agree to just be friends, but can they keep to that agreement as the attraction between the two of them grows?
I picked this one up because the cover art is cute and I enjoy occasionally reading royal romances. This featured a believable royal family and good world-building, with lots of details about Sondmark and its relationships with other fictional countries (the United States existed but none of the real-world European countries did). The author laid the groundwork for future books for Alma, Clara's eldest sister, and Noah, the heir - Alma was the perfect princess engaged to someone who barely paid any attention to her, and Noah was the playboy prince who had a surprising interest in Caroline, her mother's drab and professional private secretary.
For the most part, the romance between Clara and Max was just okay. Very nice and comfortable. In order to keep Clara from constantly having the press in her face, Max suggested that they mostly meet at his home, which struck me as at least as risky for both their reputations as meeting in public places, but whatever. They had dinner, watched movies, painted his house, etc. - it was all very nice.
The last 60 or so pages were much more emotional and riveting, and I really enjoyed how things worked out, from the way Clara resolved things with her mother to the way to the way Max's knowledge about his ship was worked into his part of the story.
Weirdly, the next book in the series appears to be Princess Freja's. She was mentioned a few times in this book, but her story didn't get nearly as much setup as Alma's or Noah's. Since I'd like to try more of this series, I'll probably read it, but I'm not nearly as interested in Freja's story as I am in Alma's or Noah's.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
May 16, 2022
Struggling to overcome her party-girl image and make a name for herself among her highly talented and already established royal family, Clara has made every effort to act as close to the ideal princess. However, one fashion mistake with a pair of heels leads to her being saved by the dashing Lieutenant Commander Max Anderson. After their awkward gossip-inducing encounter, they come to learn more about each other within the small confines of Max’s secluded cabin. Max knows of Clara’s position and responsibilities but treats her as a friend, even though he knows his feeling go far beyond friendship. Clara struggles to deal with and balance their “friendship” alongside her royal duties.
Clara is such a relatable and dynamic character. It’s unfortunate that in the beginning, she is underutilized within her family because she is brilliant and has a keen eye for real issues that her position could bring awareness to. Max lives his life with such honor. He could very well give caution to the wind and lean into his feelings for Clara. Still, he does not and opts to balance respectable, albeit sometimes blurred, boundaries of friendship between them. How their relationship develops is mature and respectful. The character development of both characters is the true highlight of the novel. Yes, we love Clara’s and Max’s mutual pinning, but it translates even better on the page as we see them grow as individuals alongside each other. I could not be happier with this book, and I want more! I want to learn more about the siblings and the relationship between Clara’s parents.
Clara is such a relatable and dynamic character. It’s unfortunate that in the beginning, she is underutilized within her family because she is brilliant and has a keen eye for real issues that her position could bring awareness to. Max lives his life with such honor. He could very well give caution to the wind and lean into his feelings for Clara. Still, he does not and opts to balance respectable, albeit sometimes blurred, boundaries of friendship between them. How their relationship develops is mature and respectful. The character development of both characters is the true highlight of the novel. Yes, we love Clara’s and Max’s mutual pinning, but it translates even better on the page as we see them grow as individuals alongside each other. I could not be happier with this book, and I want more! I want to learn more about the siblings and the relationship between Clara’s parents.
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