Book Review: Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins

Series: Royals Book #1

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporay

Publisher: Penguin

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair, a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

Review

This was a cute YA contemporary. I read it in just a couple of hours and enjoyed my time with the characters. The romance was cute, but not as developed as I would've liked. Actually, I felt that way about a lot of the story. I wanted more development with many of the characters and story lines. 

It felt kind of like a Disney movie-if drinking was kosher on the Disney channel. It was a very one level story. Like I would've like to know more about the sister's relationship. I would be ok with less romance if that relationship had been more deeply explored.

The friendships were really cute and pretty healthy. There is a group of guy friends that seems a little toxic, but is actually pretty good which I like. And Daisy's parents were funny. It's nice to have a YA book with parents who are actually in their kids' lives.

Overall, this was a good story. Maybe it is more of a 3.5 star read. I definitely want to pick up the next story. And I hope more of the side characters get books because I'm interested in them.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Review: Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Series: Royals Book #1
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: New Adult
Publisher: Self-published

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees. 

 
Review

This was definitely an addictive read. I didn't love it and found it a little problematic, but I couldn't put it down. And I do want to read what happens next.

There's a soap opera feeling to this story. And it kind of has an Abbi Glines feel, too. You know the poor helpless girl brought into a world of privilege and alpha males. And the characters are fairly well done or are on their way there.

I don't completely get the romance. But I'll trust them to make me buy it. And I do like a lot of the other relationships Ella has. It might've helped if Reed's POV had been explored.

My issues surround some of the alpha-hole behavior. I trust Elle Kennedy so I'm withholding judgement. Besides they kept straying toward slut shaming and then pulled away. So, the whole thing may be happening on purpose. We'll see when I read the next book.

Thanks for reading!
Holly