Hello Everyone!
Welcome Back To The Preppy Book Princess.
I can't believe it's already almost the end of August, and that soon my most favorite season of all will be upon us.
There's so many fall themed books I can't wait to dive into, and then of course, I can't wait to read the amazing sounding Christmas books releasing later this year.
I've been blessed this month with loving most of the books I've picked up, with the occasional exception of course, and today I'd like to share a new review of a book I recently finished and highly enjoyed.
I'd mentioned a few posts ago, which you can find here, that my friend and I had chosen Rachel Hauck's Once Upon A Prince as the first book for our book club.
I finished it a few days ago, and I honestly can't wait for our next meeting to finish discussing it, as we're planning on going over the discussion guide included in the book itself.
This book was exactly what I needed to read, and while I'm anxiously awaiting the meeting to get to discuss it thoroughly with my best friend, I thought I'd take the time to share my thoughts on it with all of you guys. :)
Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck:
Source: Purchased For Myself
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013
Synopsis:
Once Upon A Prince, the first novel in The Royal Wedding series by best selling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern day fairy tale.
Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess--just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high school sweetheart--turned-marine-officer-breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.
The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.
Their lives are world's apart. He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?
My Review:
Every once in awhile a book comes along that's a refreshing change, and the perfect fit for what you've been wanting to read, and that was definitely the case for me with Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck. For as long as I can remember, the "famous or royal person falling for the regular person" has been one of my favorite tropes, and I've read so many books with this tagline over the last few years. However, this one was so different from anything I'd read previously, and it warmed my heart to read such a sweet romance that focused on faith, family, friendships, God's will, and self sacrifice rather than the selfish desires that often are at the forefront of romance novels.
Susanna and Nathaniel were both characters that I enjoyed right from the get go. After Susanna's humiliating breakup, that her whole town soon finds out about, the typical response would have been bitterness or revenge. Instead, Susanna reaches deep inside herself to realize that Adam was right in breaking off what had become more of a set plan for their lives, rather than an endearing relationship. She also shows great maturity when she meets Adam again later in the novel, and only has the best wishes for him in his future endeavors. Similarly, she refuses to give up on her career aspirations, even offering to work pro bono just to get her name and her work out their for all to see. Nathaniel is also a humbling protagonist, in the sense that his country and family legacy mean the world to him, but he often struggles with feeling like this wasn't God's plan for his life, but rather man's. He's not the slightest bit self righteous in his reasoning for why he can't continue a relationship with Susanna, and instead is refreshingly honest with his feelings, and the pact that dictates who he must marry.
As well, from the start, their relationship is never just about physical attraction. Obviously they're both human and hormones of course come into play, but there's so much to their developing friendship than just attraction. One of my favorite quotes from the book was " When they stopped for ice cream, he lost one of his two scoops in the dirt when he failed to maneuver his bike down the road with any schoolboy skill. She laughed over the incident for the next mile, head back, mouth wide, and Nathaniel had half a mind to do the trick all over again just to hear that sound." As it showcased to me the fact that Nathaniel was drawn to Susanna's personality and gracious spirit, rather than just to her appearance and his corresponding attraction.
Faith obviously plays a huge part in this book, and I thought it was written in beautifully. When Nathaniel questions his royal responsibilites as being separate from God's handiwork, Susanna reminds him that God's master plan is what brought him this close to the throne in the first place, and the two spend many of their precious moments together in sacred worship in holy spaces. Nathaniel also shows humility when he's willing to sacrifice his relationship with Susanna for the good of his country, but still isn't willing to do what he feels isn't right, even when it seems the easiest solution to all his country's problems.
All in all, it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a romance novel this much, and I rated this one four out of five stars. Rachel Hauck has clearly written a winner in my eyes, and I'm looking forward to not only continuing on with this series, but also reading the numerous other books of hers I currently have sitting on my bookshelves.
I'm definitely glad we chose this one as our first book club book, and I will definitely be recommending this one to anyone looking for an inspirational romance novel that really resonates in their lives, or anyone who's fascinated by royal culture, and wants a sweet romance novel about it.
Thanks so much for reading guys!
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owner.
Welcome Back To The Preppy Book Princess.
I can't believe it's already almost the end of August, and that soon my most favorite season of all will be upon us.
There's so many fall themed books I can't wait to dive into, and then of course, I can't wait to read the amazing sounding Christmas books releasing later this year.
I've been blessed this month with loving most of the books I've picked up, with the occasional exception of course, and today I'd like to share a new review of a book I recently finished and highly enjoyed.
I'd mentioned a few posts ago, which you can find here, that my friend and I had chosen Rachel Hauck's Once Upon A Prince as the first book for our book club.
I finished it a few days ago, and I honestly can't wait for our next meeting to finish discussing it, as we're planning on going over the discussion guide included in the book itself.
This book was exactly what I needed to read, and while I'm anxiously awaiting the meeting to get to discuss it thoroughly with my best friend, I thought I'd take the time to share my thoughts on it with all of you guys. :)
Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck:
Source: Purchased For Myself
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013
Synopsis:
Once Upon A Prince, the first novel in The Royal Wedding series by best selling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern day fairy tale.
Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess--just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high school sweetheart--turned-marine-officer-breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.
The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.
Their lives are world's apart. He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?
My Review:
Every once in awhile a book comes along that's a refreshing change, and the perfect fit for what you've been wanting to read, and that was definitely the case for me with Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck. For as long as I can remember, the "famous or royal person falling for the regular person" has been one of my favorite tropes, and I've read so many books with this tagline over the last few years. However, this one was so different from anything I'd read previously, and it warmed my heart to read such a sweet romance that focused on faith, family, friendships, God's will, and self sacrifice rather than the selfish desires that often are at the forefront of romance novels.
Susanna and Nathaniel were both characters that I enjoyed right from the get go. After Susanna's humiliating breakup, that her whole town soon finds out about, the typical response would have been bitterness or revenge. Instead, Susanna reaches deep inside herself to realize that Adam was right in breaking off what had become more of a set plan for their lives, rather than an endearing relationship. She also shows great maturity when she meets Adam again later in the novel, and only has the best wishes for him in his future endeavors. Similarly, she refuses to give up on her career aspirations, even offering to work pro bono just to get her name and her work out their for all to see. Nathaniel is also a humbling protagonist, in the sense that his country and family legacy mean the world to him, but he often struggles with feeling like this wasn't God's plan for his life, but rather man's. He's not the slightest bit self righteous in his reasoning for why he can't continue a relationship with Susanna, and instead is refreshingly honest with his feelings, and the pact that dictates who he must marry.
As well, from the start, their relationship is never just about physical attraction. Obviously they're both human and hormones of course come into play, but there's so much to their developing friendship than just attraction. One of my favorite quotes from the book was " When they stopped for ice cream, he lost one of his two scoops in the dirt when he failed to maneuver his bike down the road with any schoolboy skill. She laughed over the incident for the next mile, head back, mouth wide, and Nathaniel had half a mind to do the trick all over again just to hear that sound." As it showcased to me the fact that Nathaniel was drawn to Susanna's personality and gracious spirit, rather than just to her appearance and his corresponding attraction.
Faith obviously plays a huge part in this book, and I thought it was written in beautifully. When Nathaniel questions his royal responsibilites as being separate from God's handiwork, Susanna reminds him that God's master plan is what brought him this close to the throne in the first place, and the two spend many of their precious moments together in sacred worship in holy spaces. Nathaniel also shows humility when he's willing to sacrifice his relationship with Susanna for the good of his country, but still isn't willing to do what he feels isn't right, even when it seems the easiest solution to all his country's problems.
All in all, it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a romance novel this much, and I rated this one four out of five stars. Rachel Hauck has clearly written a winner in my eyes, and I'm looking forward to not only continuing on with this series, but also reading the numerous other books of hers I currently have sitting on my bookshelves.
I'm definitely glad we chose this one as our first book club book, and I will definitely be recommending this one to anyone looking for an inspirational romance novel that really resonates in their lives, or anyone who's fascinated by royal culture, and wants a sweet romance novel about it.
Thanks so much for reading guys!
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owner.
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