Once Upon a Prince by Rachel HauckMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (for review)
Genre: Christian Romance
Book Description: Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess─just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.
The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.
Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.
It’s the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God’s will or their own?
My thoughts: Every little girl dreams that she is a princess. She dreams that she will find her prince, or true love, marry and live happily ever after. Susanna Truitt only wanted to find "the one". She wanted a forever love, she had no idea that he would be a real life prince. She held on to a dream of her happily ever after for 12 years until it shattered, they she was ready to embrace her future and find room for Nate, or Nathaniel, a crown prince.
I enjoyed reading this book. Susanna is a wonderful person. She has had many heartbreaks in her past and has become a strong and capable woman from them. With each setback she opens up her heart and tries to figure out what God's plan is for her.
I liked Nathaniel as well. Seriously, Susanna's heart was history the moment he came into her sights. He is not pretentious and is compassionate to those around him. He is aware of his political position and doesn't take advantage of others. He wants to be considered a regular guy.
The romance is paced well. I like that they didn't instantly fall into each other's arms. They took time to be sure of each other and their feelings. There were many setbacks to relationships that were looked at and discussed. The story is written in three parts. Time lapses between each part, but it doesn't distract from the story. It lets the reader know that while they were away from each other, their hearts held constant. It is also told from Susanna and Nathaniel's points of view. I liked that feature. It was great to know where each character's head and heart was.
The writing style was easy to follow. I was caught up in the story and it paced very well. Rachel Hauck was able to describe her characters and settings to where I could make a mental image.
Now that I have read this book, I think I need to go back to A March Bride and reread it. I think I may like and appreciate it better. It is the after part of the story. After the engagement and before the marriage.
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I have a had this on my TBR list for a while! I am so glad you liked it. That was a great review! I like it when stories are told from multiple points of view.
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