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The Frog Prince

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It was his pheromones that did it. With one sniff, sex researcher Leigh Fromm recognizes that any offspring she might have with the mysterious stranger would have a better-than-average chance of surviving any number of impending pandemics. But when Leigh finds out that the handsome "someone" at her great aunt's wake is Prince Roman Habsburg von Lorraine of Austria, she suddenly doubts her instincts--not that she was intending to sleep with the guy. The royal house of Habsburg was once completely inbred, insanity and impotency among the highlights of their genetic pedigree. (The extreme "bulldog underbite" that plagued them wasn't called the Habsburg Jaw for nothing.) It doesn't matter that his family hasn't sat on a throne (other than the ones in their Toilette) since 1918, or that Austria is now a parliamentary democracy. Their lives couldn't be more different: Roman is routinely mobbed by paparazzi in Europe. Leigh is regularly mocked for having the social skills of a potted plant. Even if she suddenly developed grace, charm and a pedigree that would withstand the scrutiny of the press and his family, what exactly is she supposed to do with this would-have-been king of Austria who is in self-imposed exile in Denver, Colorado?

A handsome prince, gut-busting laughs, love, dirty ballroom dancing, pathetic commoners, sex factoids, Vienna palaces, cursing in German, random hilarity, little to no frogs. See why tens of thousands of readers have fallen in love with this Amazon bestseller! Because someday your prince will come...sort of.

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2010

140 people are currently reading
1499 people want to read

About the author

Elle Lothlorien

11 books149 followers
A “military brat,” Elle Lothlorien was born in Germany and spent her childhood in such far-flung places as Puerto Rico, Charleston, S.C., Italy, and Washington D.C. Sadly, the only language she ever became semi-fluent in is English. She writes romantic comedies that are loose riffs on the popular fairy tales she read as a child–stories she still loves as an adult. Elle’s first self-published romantic comedy, The Frog Prince, became an Amazon bestseller in 2010–a distinction it kept through the summer of 2012 when it peaked at #1 on Amazon’s Top 100 List for Humor. Her female characters are known for their snarky attitude, intelligence, quick wit, and a near-universal lack of interest in designer shoes and haute couture.

Before writing rom-com full-time, Elle worked as an administrator overseeing clinical research studies at the University of Colorado. Her scattershot work history also includes everything from running fire and rescue calls as an EMT to managing movie theaters to locating underground utilities to stay-at-home mom, although she readily admits that getting paid to sit around in her PJs all day dreaming up hot, amazing men who are good enough for her novel’s heroines is, hands-down, the most rewarding job she’s ever had. Elle lives in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, mostly because she’s deathly afraid of man-eating sharks and understands that, while they’ve successfully infiltrated every ocean on the globe, they’ve never quite managed to adapt to mountain living. She keeps a teenage boy and a miniature dachshund named Bacon Bourgeois of Legend around the house to provide comic relief.

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5 stars
529 (22%)
4 stars
789 (33%)
3 stars
709 (30%)
2 stars
236 (10%)
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90 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
Profile Image for Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms.
2,801 reviews344 followers
September 3, 2012
*My reviews are personal reflections of what I read and take notes of. It is in no way meant to dissuade a person from reading a book from authors who put a lot of work into their stories. I do not get paid for my reviews nor have I been asked to give my opinions concerning these books. This book was lent to me from the kindle library collection*

This and other reviews can be found in full on my blog (un)Conventional bookviews

Leigh Fromm is an American commoner, living in a trailer park, although she has a good job and a solid education. Her best friend Kat is her sidekick. Leigh is described as being clumsy and awkward in social situation, but she hardly ever seems that way when she is actually meeting new people or talking to them – or even being interviewed.


Profile Image for Lyndi W..
2,042 reviews210 followers
authors-behaving-badly
August 10, 2014
I'm actually tempted to give this one star without reading it for the slight chance that the author will read it and address me.

Due to this: Utter Bullshit

You can read a real author's opinion on this travesty here: Utter Enlightenment
Profile Image for Yodamom.
2,208 reviews215 followers
Read
March 4, 2016
No rating
I gave it to 11% to grab my attention but it didn't happen, my rule is 10%. I could not connect with the MC, her lines were just weird, her behavior was bizarre to me and had me wanting to skim along. The instant attraction and his reaction after the foot stabbing was unbelievable. This is not the book or author for me. Deleted and moving on
Profile Image for Thibaut Nicodème.
604 reviews134 followers
October 21, 2014
http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/...

Or if you want to give her blog post hits (which I don't recommend)

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2012/...

In a nutshell:

Would you be surprised if I told you that every negative review I’ve responded to that resulted in a dialogue [this is key] with the reader ended with them 1) deleting their review altogether; 2) amending their review with more favorable language; 3) Increasing their rating at least one “star,” but more typically by two, three, or even four?


Well if you're harassing every single negative reviewer you get, no, I wouldn't be surprised. Have fun trying to change my mind.
277 reviews4 followers
March 3, 2012
This is a DNF. I did not get past page 2. The author didn't know the proper pronunciation of the word "potable" then had the bad taste to write about it.
Profile Image for Lesley.
354 reviews26 followers
June 23, 2017
Unfortunately I have to admit that I all too often suffer from the same malady as Leigh does with the senseless rambling on that you know has people wondering 'why is she still talking?', so I really felt a connection to her. There were quite a few instances where I had to read a part outloud to my husband and ask him 'hey, who do you know that would say something like that?' knowing fully what his answer would be!

At the beginning of the story, it seemed a little rushed in that, boom they met and that was it, they were together, much to Leigh's constant amazement that such a Prince of a guy would be so interested in her. But there were enough twists and possible issues that popped up that you just weren't sure how it was going to end, until the very end.


But I did love The Frog Prince. It was a funny romantic tale that gives us all hope that if a socially challenged twenty-something can seek a forever happiness with a Prince, that we all have a chance at finding love!!

This is only my 3rd read from this author, but it's safe to say that I'm a fan!!
11 reviews
March 18, 2012
This book had me literally laughing out loud at some of the main character's (Leigh's) quirks. This book is heartfelt, funny, and I love that the main character is self-deprecating and you get to see her grow out of her awkwardness through the love that Roman shows her. Leigh is very easy to relate to for anyone who has ever dreaded "awkward silence" and will say anything, SOMETHING to avoid it. The characters are real and you even get to see some of the secondary characters start to grow out of some of the things that made you hate them in the beginning. I agree with some of the other reviews that there are many sub plots started in this book that are never really concluded, but I don't think that that should be the focus. The focus is on this great relationship that is developed between Roman and Leigh, the hardships they face and the ways that all the characters overcome their individual flaws. 5-stars for me, I can't wait to read some more from this author.
Profile Image for Anita.
94 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2019
This book has been sitting in my "to read" queue for quite some time now and I just recently discovered that it is now available on Audible. I absolutely love being able to fit books into my daily routine as I take my walks, drive, or perform mundane tasks at work (sssshhh don't tell my boss). Oh c'mon...you know you do it too!

Anyway, on with the review!

Unlike so many of the other reviews I found The Frog Prince by Elle Lothlorien to be a book that tries way too hard to be witty, and that's saying something because I have been dubbed with the superhero name of Sarcasma by those who know me. I can appreciate sarcastic, witty and pithy one-liners with the best of them and completely enjoy myself. But, there is a fine line where natural wit crosses over to dialogue that feels old, forced and overdone. Sadly, that's what I experienced with The Frog Prince. The dialogue just felt as though Ms. Lothlorien tried far too hard to make this book funny...and it failed for me. Honestly, I didn't laugh once. Not a titter, snort, guffaw and certainly not a gut buster.

Truth be told, I grew tired of Leigh Fromm (our main character) constantly complaining and over-thinking ev-er-y-thing. Sure, I can see a bit of that happening. After all, she is introduced to an environment with a host of "almost royals" from all over the world that is completely foreign to her, but jeeze chick...roll with a few things without thinking it to death. Have some confidence. And seriously, if you are invited on a posh weekend with "almost royals" wouldn't you make sure what you pack you can actually wear with success? There's far too much to-do about a cocktail party were Leigh ponders over whether she should wear a gown or a cocktail dress. Which is better? Taping her boobs in or taking the time to do an up-do? Oh and apparently she managed to bring the most dangerous pair of heels ever created (even though she bought them herself mind you)...and she's going to be an utter disaster walking around in them. See what I mean? Utterly ridiculous; stuff like this comes across to me as nothing but filler.

Honestly, I didn't find Leigh appealing. She's the kind of woman I'd walk up behind and smack on the back of the head when she won't shut up or over-thinks (just ask my friends, I'd do it.) And I didn't find Roman appealing enough either to compensate for Leigh's shortcomings so I had nothing to root for in this romantic comedy.

But, on a good note...I love this cover! Kudos to the graphic artist; It is fun, whimsical and did grab my attention. Unfortunately, I really didn't find any laughs to be had "gut-busting" or otherwise as advertised. This frog stayed a frog for me; I give it 2 stars...just because I liked the cover.

If you'd like to see more of my reviews visit me at my blog.... Green Eyed Irish Lass's Book Reviews & More
Profile Image for TabReads.
419 reviews10 followers
September 29, 2017
Not a review, just my musings.

I feel bad because a friend recommended this book as one of her go-to favorite comfort reads and I really don't feel the same.

This book starters off as an amusement ride of hilarity. The prose whiplashed from one joke to the next and I thought I was going on a wild ride. However, that ride just turned into inconsistencies. I had high hopes, but ultimately I was disappointed.

Also, the use of the word "retard" as a pejorative is always a turn off. That happened at least twice and that right there dropped the star rating by one.

The book definitely has some very funny lines and I like the fairytale fantasy, but the lack of dialogue between the characters left me wanting for chemistry. I never really bought them as a strong couple.
Profile Image for Becky.
401 reviews182 followers
December 27, 2012
I bought this out of the "Humor" category because it was cheap and after all my literary fiction reading I wanted a fun, easy read.

I liked the book - the main character, Leigh, is a socially awkward yet beautiful woman who meets the would-be Prince of Austria at her great-aunt's funeral. He would be the prince if the country reinstated the monarchy, which hasn't happened in 30 years. Leigh embarks on a whirwind romance with the prince (Roman) who is not only handsome and successful but is of course thrilled by her awkward social graces. When Austria votes to reinstate the monarchy, will Leigh have to chose between Roman and her regular life?

I liked a lot of the humor in the book but surprisingly, I didn't find it to be "laugh out loud" funny, which the author clearly intended it to be. In fact, I felt that the author was trying to hard to be funny, and that if the humor had been more subtle, it would have surprised me into laughing out loud. I felt the book was an easy read but definitely felt the book lacked some weight - the story moves quickly and a lot of things aren't really explained. We never really get to know Roman or any of the other characters, we just spend a lot of time with Leigh and her thoughts/opinions.

However, it was an easy, fun read and I do think the author has potential. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Preet.
3,381 reviews233 followers
April 3, 2012
I will admit to being an admirer of history and by extension the romance and glitter of royalty. I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Lothlorien does a great job with her characters. I was dismayed to find out Roman was actually a royal. He seemed like nothing more than a hippie tree hugger. I loved Leigh. She reminded me of me, at least personality wise. She's anxious in groups and doesn't always find quite the right words to say. The plot is interesting and flows well. I love how Ms.Lothlorien dropped in tidbits of history as it related to the royals and their lives. Some of the tidbits were hilarious and others were new facts to knowledge to absorb.

The problems that Roman and Leigh face in the book are portrayed quite well. I may love to hear about royalty and their lives, but I am sure living it is no walk in the park. So I will leave my childhood aspirations to be a princess behind and will instead read about them in books. And I will definitely be reading more by Elle Lothlorien. I'd like to suggest you do too.

Profile Image for Ceci.
3 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2013
I downloaded this book over the summer because it was free and I was on a kick reading for fun again. I had just read a book for free that was terrible, and was hoping this one would be different. The first chapter though was disappointing and dragged. It didn't catch my curiosity at all, and so the first chapter was as far as I got. Flashforward to January and the movie I downloaded to watch on my flight from California to Michigan failed to download (no!!!!) So i had nothing else to do. I decided that I didn't want to play solitare for 4 hours and pick up where I left off. Well I'm sure glad, I did, because it turned out to be a funny book! I was letting out giggles here and there, and when we came home, I had to finish reading it. So overall, its pretty silly, it's a romantic comedy about a girl who falls in love with a prince, a la Princess Diaries (the movie). The middle and end are interesting, but it takes a while to build up. Good for a fun read.
Profile Image for Marijayne Stegman.
17 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2011
Cute story. The book is somewhat split into two halves, before and after Roman becomes the Prince/King that don't tie together as well as I would have liked. In the beginning of the book Leigh talks about being a social misfit and never having the right words. However as the relationship develops, we lose this and we don't circle back to it at the end as I would have liked. We also lose the fun impetuous Roman once he becomes the Prince/King. He's all caught up in the official which he seems to know how to do so quickly. Once Roman becomes royal officially, the whole story shifts as if it is a different book and storyline with the madcap adventures of avoiding the press and searching the castle. I still enjoyed the book and the characters but the story in general could have been improved upon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sheryl.
1,890 reviews38 followers
June 4, 2011
I just loved this book! Leigh and Roman are wonderful characters and make a perfect match. Leigh is socially awkward yet is hilarious with her witty observations and sarcasm. Roman loves all that about her.

This book first grabbed me with its humor. I laughed out loud so much while reading the Kindle sample, I just had to buy it. The hilarity continued til about halfway through but then the book morphed into something more emotional and so romantic. This turn totally surprised me but somehow the change just felt right and I was swept right along with the change in currents. The latter half of the book retained some of its original humor and playfulness, but went a step further to take it to the next level.

I totally loved every minute I spent reading this book. It was absolutely delightful. I can't wait to read another book by Ms. Lothlorien.
Profile Image for Whitney Oaks.
154 reviews
February 18, 2012
I LOVED this book! I downloaded it around Valentine's Day thinking it would be a great read for the romantic holiday and I was not disappointed!
I loved Leigh's character and thought she was hilarious. I sometimes have that problem of saying the wrong things in public, but she just takes the throne as queen of the one-liners. Haha.
Roman was the perfect catch for her and I'm so glad they ended up together. How awesome will it be to tell their future children how they met!? :)
I can't wait to read more by Elle Lothlorien!
Profile Image for Jody.
16 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2012
This was a fun and easy read. Truth be told, I picked it out because it was free for the Kindle and I was in need of some light-hearted chick lit after reading two self-help books in a row. This book did not disappoint. I laughed out loud quite a few times, mostly at the main character. I found her very endearing as a beautiful yet socially inept woman. What girl doesn't enjoy a goood fairy tale? And a humorous one at that!
Profile Image for Nicole.
11 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2012
The book started off on a bad foot. I couldn't stand to read another story about a lead female character with poor self-esteem. However, as I read on, Leigh became stronger and less annoying. As to be expected from a book called The Frog Prince,the book reads as a typical fairy-tale. A bit predictable, but overall not a bad read.
Profile Image for Marsha Cornelius.
Author 8 books118 followers
April 25, 2015
Clever, light-hearted romance. I like the author's sense of humor. If you're a Janet Evanovich fan, you should like this. (Although Janet puts in more heat between Stephanie and Joe and Ranger.) I could have used a bit more spice to convince me of the couple's attraction. You know, don't tell me . . . show me. But overall a fun read.
Profile Image for Diana Francis.
Author 44 books761 followers
December 27, 2011
I liked this overall, but I found some of it a little draggy, and some a little contrived. It was a clever reworking of the frog prince tale, but I just didn't engage with it as much as I wish I could have.
Profile Image for Colleen.
2 reviews
June 30, 2011
I LOVED this book! The author has a fabulous sense of humor!
Profile Image for Shannon P.
151 reviews9 followers
December 19, 2019
I have enjoyed getting to know Elle over the years and reading the books of hers that I own. This is the first time I have read a book of hers on my Kindle and listened to it on Audible as well. I had the book and wanted to give the experience a try so when I found the corresponding title on Audible Escape during my free trial, I grabbed it quickly. I thought it would be a safe start with Escape and it would kick my butt into gear after leaving too many Kindle books on my TBR list.

Here goes:

Barely into the book (15.5 minutes audio) and the author uses the "R" word ("...social r--...") to have the MC describe her socially awkward ways. I want to stop, especially considering the narrator is very dry and using little inflection or change in voice for different characters. I need a break. I love Elle as a person and I know this book is from a few years ago, but it's not so old that the R word was used in that time as much other than an insult. The medical community had already moved on to using another diagnosis instead of MR because of the way the R word had been taken over and used disparagingly.

I may or may not come back to this at this point here so I don't have to hear the word again. I won't be reading my Kindle version along with it next time.
Profile Image for SANDYE.
458 reviews4 followers
June 3, 2017
Grabs your attention!

For me this book starts out slow and then before you realize it, it's pulled you into the world of Royalty, tabloids, and love. A great story where you find yourself rooting for the success of two people specifically, and outright disliking two others. Based on a fairytale, you of course are expecting and hoping for the inevitable happy ending, only to be left questioning the outcome right up until the end! Hold on to your golden carriage as you navigate through this exciting drama ... You'll even learn how to swear in German! You just can't go wrong with this great tale!
Profile Image for Kathi.
1,339 reviews4 followers
December 23, 2024
This one has been on my TBR list for years. I don't often read romances, but I was able to get it for free when I started collecting e-books (rather than print books).

It starts out slow: between her job and her lack of interpersonal communication skills, I can't decide if Leigh is on the spectrum or just really socially awkward. It takes some suspension of belief at how she blossoms withing weeks of meeting Roman. Just relax and go with it: none of this could ever happen, and the trip is fun.
Profile Image for Vickie.
1,591 reviews4 followers
July 6, 2019
This was a cute retelling of the Frog Prince fairy tale but the narrator really ruined it for me. There was some hilarious dialogue and I liked the main characters, Leigh (Whiskey Tango/White Trash) and Roman (Papa Romeo/Prince Roman). However, the narrator was not very good - while not exactly monotone, she was on the high end of excitement all the time and it did not make for a fun listen.

Go Cards! L1C4!!
Profile Image for (Grace) Kentucky Bohemian.
1,988 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2020
A Sweet & Fun Romp
This was a super fun modern retelling of the classic fairy tale with some awesome twists. The story had some great LOL moments, along with self-deprecating humor and some just plain face-palming moments. Both the prince and his intended are intriguing characters in their own rights- neither are cardboard cutouts of two dimensional expectations. In short, this is great escapist reading. My one caveat is with the audio-book: I found the narrator tough to listen to.
Profile Image for Anastasiaadamov.
1,058 reviews38 followers
October 12, 2017
I did not know what was I getting into but "A Romantic Comedy" gave me hope that at least there will be fun.
Above all the funky dialogue made the whole book seem chaotic. At first I thought it was my English for some metaphors and lines seem just too weird.
There was not enough comedy to pull this book out of mediocre chaotic experience.
44 reviews
May 31, 2020
Loved this story!!

This book is loaded with laughs (that I read out loud to anyone who would listen), angst, quirky personalities, great friends, nasty enemies, and just about everything else that makes a book my favorite. I’m also a sucker for royalty and commoners to get their HEA!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews

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