Eliza Tricklebank is not expected to make a brilliant match, much less a royal one. But when the private secretary of a visiting prince is murdered and her newspaper for ladies receives and anonymous tip about the culprit, she finds herself thrown unexpectedly into the company of Prince Sebastian of Alucia. Unabashed by his royal dignity, Eliza hectors and lectures him on his rude manners in a way he’s never experienced before. As they work to solve the crime together, Sebastian finds himself wondering just what it would be like to marry this overbearing and entirely delightful commoner–if only it were allowed!
This book was not at all what I was expecting. With the frilly cover and tagline that says “fans of The Princess Diaries will enjoy this title…” I was expected something a little more clean and lighthearted. Eliza herself, with her eccentricities such as a proclivity for repairing clocks, was an interesting character. Sebastian was not a character I admired–his interest in setting up casual and clandestine liaisons with English women was distasteful, and I thought his actions toward Eliza were entirely dishonorable. I found myself enjoying the fake royalty setting within a real historical England but not caring for the plot of this book.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rosanne E. Lortz 