I love this cover! All of the books in this series are gorgeous! They definitely capture the overall theme of the series, while being very unique. The colors are perfect for the model and the scrolling vines around the title are a nice touch. Very pretty. :)
Description:
An American heiress and a crown prince seem destined to be together. Will the devastation of war keep them apart forever?
American heiress Corina Del Rey caught her prince once. But the tragedy of war kept her too long in a fog of grief. Now she’s shifting her life forward, reigniting her career as a journalist. Still, nothing can relieve her of the secret and the love she carries in her soul.
Prince Stephen of Brighton is one of the world’s most eligible bachelors and a star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life. His days in Afghanistan with the Royal Air Command will mark him forever. And he can’t shake their dark shadow.
But when his brother, King Nathaniel, confronts him with a document the prince thought long buried and forgotten, Stephen is forced to face the pain of his past and the love he left behind.
With a little heavenly help, Prince Stephen and Corina embark on a journey of truth. But when the secrets are revealed, can they overcome, move forward, and find love again?
About the Author:
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times, and Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower.My Review: 4.5 stars
I didn’t want it to end!
How to Catch a Prince is the third book in Rachel Hauck’s Royal Wedding series. I have loved the other books in the series, so of course I was super excited to read Prince Stephen’s book. We first met him in Once Upon a Prince, when he is nagging his big brother, Prince Nathaniel, about love. Little did he know that he would soon be on the receiving end of such a lecture.
I very much enjoyed the descriptions and details throughout the book. Ms. Hauck once again does a wonderful job of bringing each setting to life, from her fictional country of Brighton, to Florida, to Georgia, and even Prince Stephen’s memories of Afghanistan. Each scene was vivid and the story drew me in, making it seem as though I was actually there with them. I hated putting down this book and even when I managed to, it stayed on my mind. I was constantly wondering what would happen next and how everything would turn out.
The dialogue is very smoothly written with no obvious mistakes or deviations. The Brightonians are portrayed with English accents and while the heroine is from the South, it doesn’t come through in her speech very often. I did find it a little odd that while many of the characters speak very proper English, those of the lower or middle class are given a more rural accent. I would expect that in a historical novel, but not a contemporary one.
Corina Del Rey is the heroine of this story and I fell in love with her immediately. She is so realistic that I could easily relate to her. She isn’t the stereotypical spoiled-brat heiress, but is rather sweet and kind, with a stubborn streak a mile wide. She knows her mind and doesn’t back down from any challenge. I loved getting to know her and seeing her heart. She earnestly seeks God and desires to do His will, even when it seems impossible. She has her flaws, of course, but that made her even more endearing. She is broken after losing those dearest to her, but she doesn’t become embittered. Rather, she turns to God in her darkest hour and learns to trust Him. Prince Stephen is the exact opposite - he ran from God and when tragedy shook his foundation, he crumbled along with it.
Stephen turned out to be an excellent character and I ended up loving him, too. I kind of wanted to hate him, but I have to confess, I was a bit jealous of Corina. Even though his stubbornness rivals Corina’s and it took him awhile to come around to a new way of thinking, he is such a great wounded hero. He is kind to Corina, even when trying to push her out of his life. He is weighed down by guilt from the war and is unable to move on. Facing nightmares that trail his waking hours too, he finds himself unworthy. Honestly, he’s one of those characters you cry along with, because his pain is so palpable. This is one of the few books that brought me close to tears more than once.
The romance was very sweet, with a couple sigh-worthy moments, and fortunately wasn’t cheesy. I was a little concerned that having the couple previously married would leave us with the same old storyline and scenes, but thankfully, I was wrong. Corina is encouraged to “love well” and it was wonderful, seeing her put this into action as she learned what it truly meant to love and live well. Prince Stephen, being on the receiving end, was a little thrown off by her continual support and encouragement, but it was exactly what he needed.
Honestly, the only reason I’m not giving this book five stars, is because there was a portion of the spiritual element that I didn’t really agree with or appreciate. While I loved the encouragement to “love well” and seeing Stephen come back to his faith and finally understand forgiveness, I didn’t really care for the mysterious things that happened which were attributed to God. I do believe that God works in our lives, but the extent portrayed seemed a bit farfetched for me. It’s rather obvious that Ms. Hauck will be stopping the story here for quite a while. The ending was a little drawn out for my tastes, though it did give her time to tie up all of the loose ends and give the reader a complete ending. Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed this story. It came alive in a way that evoked my emotions and touched my heart. I fell in love with some great characters and it made for a lovely escape.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Christian Manifesto for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you for coming by! I hope you enjoyed my review! It is also available on The Christian Manifesto, along with many of the newest (clean) novel releases.If you're interested in looking into this book or maybe purchasing a copy, here are some links to get you started.
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Nice review!
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