The Princess's Christmas Baby - Louisa George (HMED #1142 - Dec 2020)

Series: Royal Christmas at Seattle General (Book 4)

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.

One Night with Her Brooding Bodyguard - Cara Colter (HR #4729 - Sept 2020)

Series: Cinderellas in the Palace (Book 1)

It's his job to protect her…

…not to tempt her!

The last thing Sophie wants is to be stuck under the professional eye of Connal Lancaster, the man she shared that mistake of a kiss with two years ago. Only, she has no choice. Her life is threatened as the princess of Havenhurst's best friend. And when a storm forces Sophie and Connal to spend one night in a secluded cabin, this time Connal's kiss feels nothing like a mistake…

Good book. I remember "meeting" Sophie and Connal in His Convenient Royal Bride and thinking that there was potential for a good story there. I am delighted to say that I was right. In that book, Sophie was still very young and obviously crushing on Connal. He makes it clear that he has no patience with her antics. At the beginning of this book, four years have passed. The prince and Connal have discovered that some unexpected threats would affect Maddie and Sophie. Rather than tell them the truth, they concoct an elaborate scheme that brings Sophie to Havenhurst.

Sophie is older and wiser now. She finished college with her marketing degree and went to work for a band, traveling the world with them. She also had been engaged. But the engagement and the job ended unexpectedly, giving her the freedom to visit her friend. One thing she is determined to do - live down the mistakes of her past when it comes to Connal. She is sure that she's outgrown the old crush and can behave accordingly.

I loved the first meeting between Sophie and Connal when she arrived. His effect on her hasn't changed, and she ends up feeling awkward rather than confident. I did laugh at her trick with her bag, which confused him. Connal's first reaction to seeing her was relief that he could protect her. It was quickly followed by the realization that she is now a beautiful woman and one that has an unwelcome effect on him.

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Sophie and Connal. The sparks are there and reveal that Connal felt them from the beginning. But he has buried his emotions because of the guilt he feels over the deaths of his wife and son. He won't allow himself to be needed by anyone. Sophie has issues with trusting her judgment and has written off men in her immediate future. But one thing that hasn't changed is Sophie's dislike of being told what to do. Within a week of her arrival, she has had enough of always being followed and becomes adept at ditching her security detail. She's not too happy when Connal confronts her, but she successfully makes a case for her need to get away. I laughed out loud at the scene in the lingerie shop and her attempt to get him to lighten up. I ached for Connal as he showed her where his fun stopped. I liked how Sophie stopped thinking in terms of what she wanted and decided to try to bring some laughter back to his life.

Starting with the night at the pub, during the spoons performance, and the dancing afterward, Sophie made it her mission to make him feel again. I liked her enjoyment of seeing him relax and have a good time. However, he freaked out a little when he realized that he pictured her as the type of woman to come home to.  The night they attended his family party, Sophie had her moment of jealousy, which made her mad. The sparks between them were off the charts when they spent time in the hot spring, showing both of them that they were playing with fire.

Those sparks turn into a conflagration when Connal and Sophie become trapped by a storm during a fishing trip. The fishing itself turned into a competition that brought out more of the connection both tried to deny. Everything from doing dishes to chopping wood was a symphony of flirtation hidden in the guise of more competition. But it was when they took the time to talk of their pasts that the true depth of their connection became apparent, and their desire could no longer be denied. I loved the joy they found in being together and had high hopes for their future. However, the arrival of the rescue party reminded Connal of his belief that she deserved better than him, and he pushed her away. I wanted to shake him for being such a boneheaded jerk, especially since his stunned realization of his feelings quickly followed it. I ached for Sophie, who believed that once again, she'd made a fool of herself and fled to preserve her pride. I loved Connal's conversation with Edward and the push he received to make things right. I enjoyed seeing his frustration when he finally caught up with Sophie and had to convince her of his feelings. He had to work for it, but the result was sweet.

The Prince and the Wedding Planner - Jennifer Faye (HR #4703 - Mar 2020)

Series: Bartolini Legacy (Book 1)

When different worlds collide……sparks fly!

With her family name on the line, wedding planner Bianca Bartolini needs this royal wedding to go perfectly -- she can't afford distractions. Too bad the bride's dashing brother has other plans! Duty-bound Crown Prince Leo has mere weeks to announce his own engagement, but none of the candidates measure up to Bianca. They're the most unlikely match, but might that just make them perfect for one another. 

Good book. Bianca's life has been upended. Her parents' recent death left her and her brother and sister reeling. The terms of their parents' will state that the sibling whose business prospers most will inherit, pitting the siblings against each other. Then Bianca discovers an entry in her mother's journal, revealing that one of the siblings is the product of an affair. Bianca, who frequently feels out of step with her family, believes that she is the one. All three agree that a DNA test is the only way to know for sure.

Meanwhile, Bianca is determined to grow her wedding planning business. While working at her most recent wedding, Bianca meets Prince Leo, who asks her to assist in the planning of his sister's wedding. Doing well at this wedding would give her business a tremendous boost.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Bianca and Leo develop. There were sparks between them from the moment they met. Leo whisks Bianca away to his home, counting on her to help bridge the gap between his sister and his mother's ideas of the perfect wedding. He also hopes to get to know Bianca better. But Leo is caught between a rock and a hard place. To become king, he must be married, something he has been putting off. To gain his mother's cooperation in working with Bianca, he agrees to pick a bride by Giselle's wedding, or his mother will choose one for him. Leo doesn't want a political marriage; he wants one like his sister's. He can't stop thinking about Bianca and finds any excuse to spend time with her.

Bianca is equally attracted to Leo, but with her possibly questionable heritage, she is sure that a fairy-tale ending is not possible. That doesn't stop her from dreaming. There are some sweet scenes between the two of them walking in the garden, private dinners disguised as business, and my favorite, a hot-air balloon ride. I loved seeing Leo able to share his deepest secret with Bianca and how she helped him see it in a new way. I liked seeing Leo realize the depth of his feelings for Bianca and wanted to shake him when he allowed her fears to send her running. He redeemed himself quite nicely, standing up to those who might come between them. His big moment at the end was fantastic.

The secondary characters were terrific too. Bianca's brother and sister were equally devastated by the loss of their parents and the questions raised by their mother's journal. Even so, they were steadfast in their support of Bianca. I loved seeing them close ranks around Bianca after her return, and their protectiveness when Leo came looking for her. On Leo's side, I loved his sister Giselle. She clearly adores her big brother and worries about him even amid her own happiness. She is strong-willed, which enables her to stand up to her mother in defense of her preferences. The queen was hard to like at first. Her strict adherence to tradition and her attitude toward Bianca made me wonder how anything would get done. I also didn't like the way she manipulated Leo into picking a wife. I did soften toward her at the end when Leo talked to her about his father and Bianca.

 

Their Christmas Royal Wedding - Nina Milne (HR #4691 - Dec 2019)

Series: A Crown by Christmas (Book 3)

Cinderella takes the throne…

…and the hand of her Prince Charming?

Since discovering she's heir to the throne of Casavalle, ordinary girl Gabriella is adjusting to her new royal life. On an impulsive nighttime horse ride she meets a handsome stranger and has no idea he's Prince Cesar of Aguilarez. A convenient marriage would unite their countries, but their attraction is anything but convenient! Can duty and desire unite for a fairy-tale happy-ever-after?

Terrific Cinderella story. Gabi first made her appearance in the first book of the series, Cinderella's Prince Under the Mistletoe, as the heroine's best friend. At that time, Gabi was struggling, but no one knew why. When Gabi's aunt and uncle died, she discovered that her mother had been married to a king, making Gabi the heir to the throne of Casavalle. At the beginning of this book, Gabi is still adjusting to her new role and feeling woefully out of her depth. Seeking comfort in the stables, she runs into a handsome and kind stranger who stirs something in her.

Cesar, Prince of Aguilarez, is the third son of his family and the diplomat in the family "business." Even as a child he knew that there was no love or passion between his parents; that duty ruled over everything they did. He believes that love has no place in his life, and is content with brief affairs. He has no plans to marry until his parents call him home from his latest ambassador post and inform him that he is to woo and wed Princess Gabriella. Cesar isn't happy but knows his duty. He arrives at the palace with plans to meet her unofficially but doesn't expect to find her in the stables in the middle of the night. When she mistakes him for staff, he uses the error to spend some anonymous time with her.

I liked the first meeting between Gabi and Cesar. The sparks are immediate, and neither one knows quite how to handle them. Gabi is aware of her position but enjoys talking to someone who seems so understanding. Cesar is taken aback by the fire she stirs in him, and by the protectiveness he feels toward her. I liked the way that he showed such confidence in her abilities. I appreciated that he felt guilty over the deception and tried to make it right before their official meeting the next night. Gabi's hurt and anger were understandable, but she also took Cesar's advice to heart.

I enjoyed the development of Gabi and Cesar's relationship. Both are aware of their duty, though Gabi has a harder time with it. I liked Cesar's honesty as he told her that marriage between them would be beneficial for their countries, that he would be a good and faithful husband, but that love was not in the cards. I ached for Gabi, who still had the hope of love living in a corner of her heart. I liked seeing the two of them get to know each other. There were some emotional scenes as they shared events of their pasts that had influenced who they were now. There were also some delightful scenes as Cesar found activities that would make Gabi happy. It was fun to see Gabi work her way into his heart without him realizing it. Though neither one spoke of love, it was easy to see the caring that was between them, so when Cesar proposed, she said yes. Things looked so promising until their wedding reception when part of Cesar's past came calling. I hurt for Gabi because what she heard reinforced all of her fears. Cesar's big moment at the end was sweet and powerful as he opened himself up to all the emotions he had denied for so long. The epilogue was great. I especially loved seeing the gifts they picked out for their family members.