Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Released: Feb. 4, 2014
358 pages
Series: The Royal Wedding # 2

About the Book:

 

Regina Beswick was born to be a princess.

But she’s content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware a secret destiny awaits her. One that will leap from the pages of her grandmother’s hand-painted book of fairy tales.

Tanner Burkhardt is the stoic Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg. When he is tasked to retrieve the long-lost princess, he must overcome his fear of failure in order to secure his nation’s future - and his own.

 

Yet lurking in the political shadows is a fierce opponent with sinister plans to abolish the throne forever.

Overwhelmed with opposition, Regina must decide if she’s destined to restore old cars or an ancient nation. Together - with a little divine intervention - Regina and Tanner discover the truth of her heritage and the healing power of true love.

 

My Rating & Thoughts:   🌟 🌟 (2 stars)

 

First off I have to say this hurts to give a Rachel Hauck book this rating. But I really enjoyed the first book of this series and had trouble connecting with this one that. The storyline didn’t capture my attention and I didn’t connect with the characters very well. There were parts of the story that felt very unbelievable such as the characters reactions to overwhelming situations was underwhelming, loose-end situations were wrapped up too quickly and easily, and the unexplained glow in the forest that leads to the discovery of a something that seems to have been hidden but is discovered at just the right time just pushed it too far for me. The romance felt rushed and didn’t seem to have much substance. There were times that the main characters annoyed me, but there were other times where I wished things would work out for them. I did like Tanner in that he was trying to make right a mistake he had made in his past. I think my biggest struggle with this book was that I couldn’t connect with Reg. I also enjoyed the inserts of the diary entries from Reg’s great-grandma. There are entertaining and sweet moments throughout and the characters from the previous book make appearances. Readers who enjoy all things royal or romantic will probably enjoy this, but for those who want a more realistic story with characters who are memorable this probably won’t hit the mark. This is the first Rachel Hauck book that I haven’t fully enjoyed and I’ve read quite a few.