A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson Review

 Happy Tuesday Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to stop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

We're going to be continuing on today with the five days of book reviews. and today brings us to review number two. 

It may still be August, it may still be summer, and it may seem like a weird time to be thinking about Christmas, but today officially marks my first review of the 2023 Christmas releases.

I love getting to read as many of these releases (especially from the Christian fiction genre) as I can each year, and I love getting to share my reviews of these titles with you all.

So without further adieu, let's dive right into today's review, my first review of the 2023 Christmas releases.

A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: September 5th, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction/Christmas Read/Contemporary

Synopsis:

Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school and now that the end is in sight, she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she has been found through a DNA registry to be a direct descendant of King Maximillian V, the ruler of a small Eastern European principality called Montovia. She's understandably skeptical. This is the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Although the pieces of this surprising family puzzle seem too good to be true, curiosity gets the best of her. At the king's invitation, Adelaide embarks on a Christmas break trip that is chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament--and the chance at a real fairy tale romance with a happily-ever-after ending.

Spend this Christmas with bestselling author Melody Carlson as she whisks you away to a royal holiday you'll never forget!

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

It wouldn't feel like the Christmas season without a new holiday book release from bestselling author Melody Carlson, and this year's story is truly unlike anything she has ever written before.

Adelaide Smith is a hard working law student from the USA whose life is about to change in ways she never could have seen coming. The father she went her whole life basically knowing nothing about? Well he just happens to be the ruling monarch of a small European country, and he's only recently learned of her existence. In a plot move that's reminiscent of both Hallmark and The Princess Diaries, Adelaide is whisked away for a winter holiday to Montovia, to meet the father she never knew she had, and the country she is now in line to rule. Fairy tales have never been something that she's found herself believing in, but how else could she possibly explain her current situation? Of course, fairytales aren't always all sunshine and rainbows, and she will soon find herself on a journey she never could have expected. 

For anyone who is a fan of royal romances, A Royal Christmas is definitely the book you've been waiting for. The romance is clean and swoon worthy, the characters are likeable and easy to root for, and the plot twists and turns in many ways I never could have expected. Perhaps best of all though, is just like every other Melody Carlson Christmas title, emphasis is placed on the true reason for the season, and how God always has the perfect plan if we can only trust Him long enough to reveal it.

A wonderful Christmas read, and a lovely addition to Melody Carlson's holiday stories, A Royal Christmas is everything I was hoping for, and was the perfect book to kick off the Christmas 2023 season for me.

Final Rating: 4/5.

I'd definitely recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of heartwarming Christmas stories and/or clean royal romances.

Thanks so much to Revell Publishing for allowing me to read and review this title.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)