Rachel Hauck: To Love A Prince

 By Kelly Bridgewater

 

About the Book:

Title:  To Love a Prince

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Royal Romance

Publication Date: August 11, 2020

 Daffodil Caron is not a princess, even though she once dreamed of being one. After all, she grew up as a playmate to royal princes, running through the halls of Perrigwynn Palace and dining with the queen. But the day she stumbled upon a royal secret, everything changed.

Flash forward eighteen years, and Daffy’s living a sweet, non-royal life. A skilled art curator for the Royal Trust, she has friends, a flat in the heart of the city, and a handsome, successful fiancée. The last person on her mind is Gus, a prince she once called her best mate.

HRH Prince Augustus is no longer “Prince Pudgy,” as caricaturized by the press, he’s charming and gorgeous, possessing a world-famous smile. But when he’s jilted at the altar by an American heiress as millions of people around the world watched, the spare heir to Lauchtenland’s ancient House of Blue escapes, finding solace on a Florida beach.

A year as a regular bloke allows him to rethink his purpose. He’s half decided his calling is to pour pints at a tiki bar, rather than serving his country and the Family.

Until an accident on the beach with a Frisbee changes his course.

Despite his long hair and beard, Daffy recognizes her prince, and their childhood friendship is renewed. She assures Gus Lauchtenland needs him, giving him the courage to return home.

When Daffy and Gus find themselves on assignment to Hadsby Castle in preparation for his brother’s wedding, their friendship blooms into affection.

But Gus cannot, will not, trust his heart again. Daffy’s engaged. And she also remains a royal family outcast because she knows the Queen’s secret.

When affection grows into love and secrets are exposed, trust is destroyed. Gus must choose which is stronger: the lies of his past or the hope of his future. And Daffy must face every fear to prove she will forever love a prince.

From Goodreads

 My Thoughts:

Rachel Hauck has a delightful way of taking any topic and crafting into a delightful stories for readers. I have read all of Hauck's stories, and I have enjoyed majority of them. With her first self-published novel, To Love a Prince, I had a hard time putting the story down. It was a unique story filed with redeemable characters. I loved how the story allowed two characters who had to move on from the past brokeness and learn to love each other. It captured my attention and didn't let go. I loved getting to know Prince Gus and seeing him fall more and more in love with  Daffodil. The story twisted and turned, but held my attention. Hauck is a wonderful writer too. I loved seeing the story play out in my imagination as the story unfolded before my eyes. It moved without effort and allowed me to see the characters move and fall in love. I really enjoyed this story, and I can't wait to read whatever comes next from Hauck.

I received a complimentary copy of To Love A Prince by Rachel Hauck through the Celebrate Lit Program, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase To Love A Prince

 

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

 

More from Rachel

Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!

I’m thrilled to share To Love A Prince with you. So many of you who loved the Royal Wedding Series have asked for more royals so as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward princes and princesses. What’s more romantic than a royal wedding?

This royal story, the first book in a new series, True Blue Royal, is set in a new fictional country, Lauchtenland, in the North Sea. I’m really squeezing all those oil wells currently occupying that body of water.

The beauty of royal stories is they remind us of who we really are: princes and princesses. There is always a point in the story where the royal character, as well as the commoner, must come to grips with his and her true identity! Who God says we are!

Stories are a powerful reflection of life and it’s fun to insert ourselves into the tale. While fiction employs a lot of hyperbole we can find ourselves on the page somewhere, somehow.

Thanks for going on this little tour with me and To Love A Prince. You are so vital to my story as an author. Thank you!

Yours,

Rachel

Blog Stops

Worthy2Read, September 10

Captive Dreams Windows, September 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 10

Genesis 5020, September 10

Novels Corner, September 10

Connect in Fiction, September 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

deb’s Book Review, September 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 11

Remembrancy, September 12

Breny and books, September 12

Texas Book-aholic, September 12

Inklings and notions, September 12

For Him and My Family, September 13

Artistic Nobody, September 13 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 13

The Book Chic Blog, September 13

Among the Reads, September 14

Soulfully Romantic, September 14

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 14

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 15

lakesidelivingsite, September 15

All-of-a-kind Mom, September 15

Reflections From My Bookshelves, September 15

Betti Mace, September 16

Where Faith and Books Meet, September 16

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, September 16

Blossoms and Blesssings, September 16

She Lives To Read, September 17

Wishful Endings, September 17

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, September 17

Life of Literature, September 17

Life, Love, Writing, September 17

Book Love, September 18 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Maureen Timerman, September 18

Batya’s Bits, September 18

Labor Not in Vain, September 18

Bigreadersite, September 19

Hallie Reads, September 19

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 19

Splashes of Joy, September 19

Christian Bookaholic, September 20

Musings of A Sassy Bookish Mama, September 20

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, September 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 20

Inside the Wong Mind, September 21

By The Book, September 21

Mary Hake, September 21

Godly Book Reviews, September 21

Hebrews 12 Endurance, September 22

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, September 22

Livin’ Lit, September 22

Writing from the Heart Land, September 22

Simple Harvest Reads, September 23 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Mamma Loves Books, September 23

Daysong Reflections, September 23

Black ‘n’ Gold Girl’s Book Spot, September 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a royal gift box of Pampering Princess items that includes bath balms, tea, tiara and other surprises!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10098/to-love-a-prince-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

Roseanna M. White: A Portrait of Loyalty

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera--and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question--and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he'd feared. 

From Goodreads

 

My Thoughts:

Roseanna M. White's stories are well-written. She definitely knows how to dive into her characters and their settings. She does a wonderful job at picking a topic that is a little different, yet in a good way. She moves the story along at a nice pace. The romance builds slowly, which is the way I like my romances, if I want them a story, to happen. No rushing through the romances for me. With a Portrait of Loyalty, I really liked that the heroine had a job that I never heard of during the war. Some of her skills with pictures seems pretty obvious with all the technology we have now, but back then, it really didn't seem that obvious. I really wished the story featured more of this in the story. When it happened, I was fascinated and wanting to learn more of what she was doing to help the war effort. It would have been nice to see her actually doing the task at hand, then just been told that this is what she was doing. As for the heroine, I really enjoyed how he was trying to run from his past, but still struggled with issues in his past. He wanted to do better, but he needed part of his past to be part of his future. A lesson a lot of people today actually need to learn. Overall, A  Portrait of Loyalty had its ups and downs. A good story, well-written but had a little holes in the plot for me.

I received a complimentary copy of A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Portrait of Loyalty

9/11 Tribute

By Kelly Bridgewater

Every person who is at least 25 years old or older knows where they were on September 11, 2001. I was on the way to a Sociology class at IUPUI. I was four months pregnant with my first born son. Who is now enrolled in his first semester at college. 

I remember thinking this really couldn't be happening. 

As obsessed as I have become with World War II, it makes me think of what my grandparents had to think when they heard about Pearl Harbor. 

How dare another country come into our airspace and bomb us? 

This is our home. What were they thinking?

www.military.com

I can't imagine it being easy for my grandparents. They just had radio broadcast, and they had to wait until President Roosevelt announced it for the entire country to hear. 

In 2001, we had televisions. 

In 2020, we have social media, which can be a total poison, if you are paying much attention to what people post. 

I wish America would have that same freedom and care for others that we have after a natural disaster like these two. 

Currently, America is falling apart, and the values have left the train a LONG LONG time ago. I pray for my children as they have to face a world that is not the same as I grew up in. I'm not that old either. 

BUT my grandparents thought the same thing. 

Jesus, come!! I can't wait to go home!

Colleen Coble: Two Reasons to Run

By Kelly Bridgewater

Gripping romantic suspense from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble. 

A lie changed her world. 

Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small-town department just as she took over for her retired father—the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her presumed-dead fifteen-year-old son, Will, and his father, documentarian Reid Bechtol. 

A crisis looms. 

When a murder aboard the oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other behind them and work together to prevent the rig from being sabotaged. 

A killer targets her son. 

Then the terrorist puts her son Will’s life on the line. Protecting him could be the common ground they need . . . but then ghosts from the past threaten to ruin Jane and Reid for good. 

She’s got plenty of reasons to run. But what if she stays? 

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble is a continuing novel in a new series. This continues the life of Jane Hardy and her escape from the cult. Now she is coming to terms with her reality as a police chief. The suspense kept moving, but I actually looked forward to reading more about Jane's past as she and Reid worked together to try to solve this mystery. The mystery has been done, but there was a nice twist that I didn't see coming. It was nice to read something different. The romance between Reid and Jane is nice because they had an awkward beginning and are trying to figure out who and what their relationship actually is. Overall, this was a wonderful romantic suspense novel that checks all the points for this genre. This was a good addition to a romantic suspense novel.  Definitely pick this book up. 

I received a complimentary copy of Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Two Reasons to Run

Mary Connealy: Her Secret Song

 By Kelly Bridgewater

After a rough winter spent alone, Ursula Nordegren realizes she must overcome her fears of the outside world and begins a trek down Hope Mountain. Along the way she finds a badly wounded stranger and realizes God may have used her decision to leave as a way of saving the man. 

Wax Mosby was climbing Hope Mountain in part to atone for his terrible choices. He was hired to drive out the Warden family and now knows he was duped. But when he's wounded during the climb, the last person he expects to rescue him is a beautiful blond woman with the voice of an angel. 

As both Ursula and Wax weigh the costs of living new lives, the two find an unlikely bond. And they're joined by Ursula's sisters and the Warden family as the final showdown over the family ranch looms with the coming of spring.

From Goodreads

 

My Thoughts:

With Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy had tied some of the stories loose ends. While the romance and the budding relationship between the sisters advanced and moved forward, Connealy did not forget some of the elements that made this story different from other stories. I like how Ursula did not want to come down off Hope Mountain, even so far, as to be scared of the choices her sisters were making, but she overcame those and learned to live again. I liked how the plot kept moving forward. The parents were explained, and readers will learn more about the grandparents who taught the young girls to be afraid of the outside world. While the story does not have the non-stop action that I enjoy in my stories, the story was unique and definitely captured my attention. I liked how the heroines in this series were brave, yet a little timid. Different than what I have previously read. Overall, Brides of Hope Mountain was an enjoyable read, and I'm glad that I came back to reading all three of them.

I received a complimentary copy of Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Her Secret Song

Labor Day

By Kelly Bridgewater


Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

I pray you have a wonderful time with family as we celebrate the "close" of summer.

I hope you don't have to work, but if you do, you earn time and a half. (Sorry, Postal Workers, I know that doesn't include you!)

Eat some good food and play some games!

What do you do this weekend? Any memory making moments?

Rachelle Dekker: Nine

By Kelly Bridgewater

Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn't seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.

Award-winning author Rachelle Dekker throws you into the middle of the action and keeps the pressure on in this page-turning story that, asks Are we who the world says we are--or can we change our story and be something more?

From Goodreads

 

My Thoughts:

Nine by Rachelle Dekker start with a promise, and I watched as the characters raced for their lives, but then about 50% into the book, I had a hard time staying focused. The characters were doing things all science like that didn't capture my attention. I didn't understand why in the beginning of the novel a hero character appeared to be on the bad side, then he flips and helps out the heroine. I was a little confused as to where his loyalty actually lied. As for the plot, it was a little odd and hard to follow. I don't think I would continue to read any other books like this one. I wasn't really found of this story. It started like a thriller, then it turned into a science fiction fantasy that lost my attention. Overall, Nine by Rachelle Dekker didn't thrill me. I had a hard time staying focused. But I imagined fans of science fiction authors like Kathy Tyers might totally disagree with me and love this novel. This is my humble opinion.

I received a complimentary copy of Nine by Rachelle Dekker from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Nine