The Princess Plan
Author: Julia London
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Eliza Tricklebank was once the picture of the demure, polite young lady. But her heart was broken by a cad who spoke of love and marriage while courting and marrying a woman with large purse strings. Now Eliza is content to run her father’s household and help her sister with her popular lady’s gossip gazette. When a foreign prince visits London in search of a trade agreement and an English bride, the gossip mills run overtime, especially after the prince’s personal secretary is found murdered!
Prince Sebastian of Alucia is tired of being in the spotlight and doing what is best for his country when it isn’t best for him, yet he’ll always perform his duty with a smile on his face. When the brash Miss Tricklebank enters into his life with information about his secretary’s death, he is drawn into solving the murder – with Eliza’s help. And soon Sebastian finds that he can’t focus on anything but Eliza.
The Princess Plan is a wonderful romance with a touch of whodunit mystery, bringing together two very unlikely people. At first, the Prince is very much the arrogant aristocrat, not even remembering his introduction to Eliza at a ball. He isn’t unkind, but he knows where he fits into society, and she is just a commoner. But it’s her bold ways – she kicks him out of her house! – that makes her memorable, and after Sebastian gets over the shock, he realizes she is kind, honest, and trustworthy. He really doesn’t have anyone to turn to, so he relies on Eliza as a confident. She is so open and true that it doesn’t phase her to befriend the prince, and she knows there can never be an offer of marriage, so she accepts him for who he is as a man.
As the story progresses, the pair begin to develop a true and meaningful secret relationship. But it is Sebastian who falls head-over-heels. He not only desires her, but truly esteems and loves her – all of her, and it eats him up that he cannot marry her. It’s all-consuming, which in turn caused heartbreak and pain for Eliza. Their plight tugged at my heart-strings, and I could feel their anguish Their romance is genuine and passionate, and I cried along side both as they accept the truth they cannot be together. But, this is an HEA romance, and I’ll just let you know… things do work out in the end!
Ms. London has written a Prince for all ages. One that is kind and generous and wants more than arm candy. One who realizes real friendship and love when it falls upon him. One that values true inner-beauty, but understands his position. I love how desperate he is for Eliza, how she’s ruined him without even trying.
As the story culminates, the confrontation and confirmation of who the murderer is and what the ultimate plans were takes place off page. At first I was a bit frustrated with that, but then realized it worked better that way. While the story revolves around a murder mystery, ultimately, this is a romance and the story of two people falling in love. The murder is the catalyst for their friendship and ultimately a deep love. The details of who, what, and why are needed for closure, but more important is the impact of what happened on the pair’s relationship.
The Princess Plan is a sweeping romance with all the feels. I was wrapped up in Sebastian and Eliza’s story and loved almost every minute of it.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Jen
About the Book:
Princes have pomp and glory—not crushes on commoners.
Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.
With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Publisher: HQN
Series: A Royal Wedding #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): paperback (400 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)