A pregnant princess…
…and her knight in shining scrubs?
When a forbidden and oh so passionate weekend together leads to a very unexpected consequence, Dr. Lucas Beaufort and Princess Gigi Baresi find their lives turned upside down. So when a car crash leaves Gigi's father -- the king! -- with his life hanging in the balance, she'll have to decide: duty to the crown, or claim the family, and love, she's always wanted…
Like the other books in the series, this one takes place during the time between the automobile accident that injured the king and Christmas, plus a prologue that sets the scene for Gigi and Lucas's relationship. Lucas is Gigi's brother's best friend, and Dom asked Lucas to watch over her during a visit to Seattle during the summer. Gigi has the reputation of being trouble-prone, though she is trying to change that. That troublesome side of her comes out when attraction flares between her and Lucas.
Lucas is a buttoned-up kind of guy who Gigi calls "Captain Serious." Events in his past have caused him to lock away his emotions. He isn't happy when sparks of attraction flare between himself and his best friend's little sister. Resisting her determined advances is impossible, and they spend an intense weekend together before parting ways.
The next time Lucas sees Gigi is when she and her father arrive in his ER at Seattle General. Before she consents to have her injuries treated, Gigi insists on seeing Lucas. He is stunned when she drops the bomb that she is pregnant, and he is the father. Lucas never intended to have a family, so this news isn't very well received at the beginning. Fortunately, after adjusting to the idea, he wants to be sure that his child never suffers from the same miserable family relationship that he did. I liked how he wanted to have a serious conversation with Gigi about how they would handle it. I was not very happy with how Gigi kept putting it off.
Matters are complicated by the fact that with her father in a coma and her brother incognito as a doctor at the hospital, Gigi is the one who must provide leadership for their small country. While I applauded her conscientious devotion to duty, I also felt that she frequently used it as an excuse not to have the necessary discussions with Lucas. I did approve of her invitation for him to return to Isola Verde with her so that they could spend time together.
I ached for both Lucas and Gigi during this visit. They grow closer physically and emotionally, but their differences also become more apparent. Lucas is uncomfortable with the whole palace/royalty life where he feels useless. Things improve somewhat when Gigi takes him to the new hospital, and an unexpected turn of events gives him a purpose while he's there. Gigi spends a lot of time tempting Lucas and pushing for more than he's ready to give. When they return to Seattle, her future and his seem to be set on different paths. I hurt for Lucas when Gigi walked away because of duty and for Gigi because she needed him in her life. I loved the ending when Captain Spontaneous replaced Captain Serious, and Lucas went after the family he never knew he wanted.
I enjoyed the epilogue as it brought together all four couples from the series a year later. I liked catching up on their lives, though I was a little confused. The resolution of the country's leadership was not the same as I thought it was at the end of the first book, Falling for the Secret Prince. I'm not sure if it is a continuity issue or an evolution of the plan. Either way, I did like it.
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