"Heart of a Royal" by Hannah Currie

About this book:

  “Brought to the palace as a newborn, the royal life bestowed upon Mackenna Sparrow was never meant to last forever. With Princess Alina engaged to be married, Mackenna's presence as companion is no longer required and, like it or not, she must return to the birthright which should have been hers - that of a commoner.

   But not everyone at the palace wants her gone. When the truths she's based her life on start crumbling as fast as her future, will she find the courage to trust, both herself and the prince she's fallen in love with?”

Series: Book #1 in the “Daughters of Peverell” series.

 

 

Spiritual Content- Talks about God & faiths; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; It is illegal to worship a higher power in Peverell; *Spoiler* Towards the very end, it’s revealed that Rebels (a “terrorist group”) are those who believe in God; At first, Kenna believes there is no god and that those who believe in one are fools, but she is witnessed to by others and starts asking questions (because she doesn’t believe, the ‘G’s for God are lowercase); She prays to commit her life to Him and feels peace afterwards (she doesn’t quite understand all the details about it, but wants to trust and believe like her loved ones’); Her parents hid their faith because it was illegal to share it (they could answer questions, but not directly witness) and always hoped that Kenna would ask questions and believe *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of God, believing in Him, trusting Him, a statement of faith, & being willing to die for your faith; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of chapels, worship, & persecution; A couple mentions of a song about a kind lord (the ‘L’ is lowercase, but it’s from a couple Scriptures); A couple mentions of thanking God (one is cut off and replaced with ‘goodness’); 

            *Note: A mention of someone being idolized (not actually). 

 

 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: eleven forms of ‘stupid’; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Having something similar to a panic attack; Pain, Injuries, & Blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of terrorists, attacks, threats, & deaths (towards the royal families, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of exile & treason; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip, rumors, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of a potential kidnapping & torture; A few mentions of criminals & crimes; A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of prisons; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of drinking bubbly drinks & a drunk; A mention of a bomb; A mention of a tattoo. 

 

 

Sexual Content- Three hand kisses, three cheek/jaw kisses, a forehead kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses; A dream with a few barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Recalling a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss; Dancing, Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, Shivers, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed, including a bit of a guy’s muscles); Kenna quickly changes the topic in her mind when it comes to sharing a bed “and more” with a guy; A man insinuates that Kenna is pregnant (out of wedlock) and tells her to come find him later (he also leers at her and she feels filthy being in his presence); He bothers her again, hoping to get in a compromising situation with her (does not happen); Kenna is helped out of a dress by a man (they don’t meet the other’s eyes, it’s more awkward than sexual tension filled (about 70/30)); *Major Spoiler* Kenna and Ben are forced to get married because of rumors and a law about if you touch a woman, you have to marry her (he did not touch her inappropriately, but saw the opportunity to marry her as his father wouldn’t allow it elsewise); They both like each other, but are awkward due to the situation and do not share a bed at all *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of hinting of a wedding night, a couple sharing a bedroom (in an intimate way), & being wanted by your spouse;  Mentions of a man being known to have ruin many girl’s reputations & his leers; Mentions of a morality law that would force a man who took advantage of a woman or inappropriately touches her to marry her; Mentions of a rumor of someone seducing another; Mentions of a first kiss, kisses, hand kisses, kissing, wanting to kiss, & regretting a kiss; Mentions of touches, dancing, very close nearness, & hand holding; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of blushes & winks; Mentions of being & falling in love; Mentions of courting & courtships; Mentions of crushes, swooning, & a girl going on about a guy’s good looks; A few mentions of men not being allowed in Kenna’s room & if a man was caught there, they would both be ruined; A few mentions of assumed lovers’ trysts & love affairs; A few mentions of flirting; A few mentions of chaperones & reputations; A mention of another man possibly taking advantage of a young woman; A mention of a young woman talking about a young man’s arms and muscles and being held in them “and I don’t mean to dance” (her eyes hint to something more intimate); A mention of a hint about a couple possibly “doing other things” when alone; A mention of a maid giving Kenna the wised that men can be different when they’re alone with a lady & that not every man is a gentleman; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions; 

               *Note: A possibility of a man taking off his shirt in front of Kenna because she’s injured (she hopes he doesn’t because her strength can only take so much, also because he is attractive and her imagination works well (he doesn’t); A few mentions of a mother dying after complications after labor; A mention of a flimsy nightgown being on a newly married wife’s bed; A mention of a girl’s dress showing off “every enviable curve”. 

 

-Mackenna “Kenna” Sparrow, age 17

                                1^st person P.O.V. of Kenna

                                                        306 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

 

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

 

This book surprised me. It really did.

All I knew about it was that it was a royalty story about a girl who wasn’t a.) a royal herself or b.) just found out she’s a royal. It gave the story a very interesting perspective since she’s not a royal, but has been mostly treated as one since birth.

Kenna and Ben’s banter was the absolute best and what quickly pulled me into the story. They were adorable and I don’t think I’ve shipped (that is, wanting a pair of fictional characters to be together/in a relationship) a couple so hard in a long time. They were so much fun and all the elements of a young adult story that I like to see.

I do have two smaller…not complaints, but just notes that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. 1.) There’s some alluding to wedding nights and a married couple being intimate and while it stayed right at the threshold of what I’m personally comfortable with, it does bring down the ratings for younger girls. Which is a bummer because I could see young teens enjoying this story. Nothing was over-the-top in the hintings nor was there a fade-to-black scene (the author gets my respect just for that alone, thank you!!), but it still makes me hesitate to recommend this book for those under 16. (If the girl has read secular YA books, then it would be compared as very clean, but it depends on the family’s views on such content being mentioned.)

Secondly, and this isn’t something I necessarily disliked because it fit the pacing of the story well, but a note regardless: the faith content happened all at the very end of the story. I did struggle a bit with this element because it felt rushed to me. I also don’t know if I agree with people hiding their faiths because it’s illegal and not telling their children about their faith because the whole family could be harmed if the child innocently says something. I know it happens in other countries (such as North Korea) and I honestly don’t know what my actions would be in the same situation. I could see some families not agreeing with this element.

All that said, this was an overall enjoyable book and I do plan to read the next book. This one was very entertaining and I really enjoyed the writing style and our main couple.

 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

 

"In Search of a Prince" by Toni Shiloh

About this book:

  “Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops the mother of all bombshells--Brielle is a princess in the kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, is failing.

   Distraught by her mother's betrayal, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before assuming the throne or the crown will be passed to another. Uncertain who to choose from the council's list of bachelors, she struggles with the decision along with the weight of her new role in a new country. With her world totally shaken, she must take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring.”

Series: As of now, no. A stand-alone novel.

Spiritual Content- Scriptures are read & remembered; Many, many Prayers; Blessings over food; Many Talks about God, His will, & forgiveness; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Brielle has a dream similar to the one Samuel had that is recorded in the Bible (“Here I am, Lord”); Church going & a bit of who they are discussing in the Bible; Many mentions of God, His will, & forgiveness; Many mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches/chapels, church going, a pastor, & worshiping; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of faiths; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of devotionals; A mention of a Bible study; A mention of sins;

             *Note: When on a date, after the man says he will say the blessing, Brielle asks what if she wants to say grace, he replies that in a marriage the husband is the head of the household and the spiritual leader, she retorts back that they are not married; Another man tells Brielle that he doesn’t believe in love, so she questions his allegiance to God because God is love; Mentions of a Muslim population in the country, mosques, and the elder of their community mentioning that if a man doesn’t “follow the God he claims to profess, his word means nothing”; A mention of Hala carts in New York; A mention of Santa.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bah’, a ‘gah!’, an ‘OMG’, an ‘oh my word’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘dang’s, and four ‘stupid’s; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Eye rolling; Grieving the death of a loved one; Mentions of a drowning & death; Mentions of slavery & past protests about slavery and the oppressions of Blacks and other racial unrest in the States (Brielle has seen some of these protests and says it stirred an anger she didn’t know what to do with); Mentions of threats; Mentions of a divorce; Mentions of rumors; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & feeling betrayed; Mentions of smoking & cigars/pipes; A few mentions of social drinking (at dinner or parties); A couple mentions of vandalism; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of a hostage situation; A mention of jail; A mention of depression; A mention of blood; A mention of thinking about getting a tattoo;

             *Note: Mentions of TV shows (Punk’d, Undercover Boss, The Bachelorette, Friends, and Law & Order); Mentions of social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest); Mention of other pop culture references and celebrities (Michael Jackson, Usain Bolt, the Grinch, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hermione from Harry Potter, the Narnia series, and Uber); A few mentions of movies (Pride & Prejudice, Return to Me, Lord of the Rings, & The Hobbit); A few mentions of brand names (Apple products, Wikipedia); A few mentions of a car brand (Mercedes). 

 

 

Sexual Content- A hand kiss, two cheek kisses, four forehead/head kisses, a not-detailed kiss (married), a barely-above-not-detailed kiss (married), three semi-detailed kisses (all married), three detailed kisses (1 unmarried, 2 married), a very detailed kiss (married), and a kiss (semi-detailed) leading into a fade-to-black scene (no true details, but the leading up to it is barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of staring at someone’s lips; Embraces, Touches, & Hand holding (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & be embraced (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Flutters, Sparks, & Heat (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks & Blushes; Noticing & Smelling (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); *Spoilers* Brielle needs help unzipping her dress & her husband helps her (though she grabs the top of the dress so he doesn’t have a view of anything that could lead to something neither of them are ready for); On the wedding night, Brielle is conscientious of her short pajama shorts; After a very detailed kiss, her husband breaks it off and goes to shower before they do something they’re not ready for, she thinks of the “heat pooled in her middle” and his eyes “glistening with desire”; As mentioned above, there is a kiss that leads into a fade-to-black scene with barely-above-not-detailed mentions of the beginning *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of a wedding night, being prepared, sharing a bed (it’s an awkward conversation for Brielle and the man, but she thinks that they could share a bed and respect each other’s boundaries), being ready, & consummating a marriage; Mentions of illegitimate children, a father doubting a child is his, cheating, & women “comforting” (sleeping with) married men to get something they want (the woman who brings this up says women in her family have been sleeping with men in power for generations and that it is not something to be ashamed of, that she can help him in ways his wife cannot); Mentions of a man’s harem-like commune & his multiple baby mamas; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of fertility & popping out a child; Mentions of dates; Mentions of crushes & blushes; Mentions of summer romances & boyfriends; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of flirting & flirts; A couple mentions of a man saying he’s slept with a woman before marriage and is not proud of it; A couple mentions of Brielle being suggested to keep her office door open with meeting with a man so nothing untrue is accused; A couple mentions of a lady’s man (player); A mention of something happening between men and women for centuries (intimacy); A mention of a husband’s knowing look & saving the thought the wife is having for later (at night); Love, attraction, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: *Trigger Warning for miscarriages* Brielle’s husband has a dream that she was pregnant and miscarried, he describes their grief and how they drifted apart *End of Trigger Warning*; Mentions of misogynistic views from some men believing that women should only be wives & mothers (not rulers of a country); A mention of a man’s eye roaming Brielle’s figure.

 

-Brielle Bayo, age 25

                               1st P.O.V. of Brielle (Prologue in Tiwa’s 3^rd person P.O.V.)

                                                        352 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

I went into this book only knowing that it was about a girl who founds out she’s a princess. I have never read any of the author’s other books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect on content levels.

I was enjoying this book—the beginning 75% of it—so much. The faith content was excellent, how Bri’s faith was so second-nature to her, it was obviously a large part of her, and I loved seeing that represented throughout the story. It was an easy four star for me at that point because of that and how light the romance was in the book.

But then at 74% in (reading on Kindle, roughly 260 pages in (?)) the romance kicks up quite a bit and leads to a (married couple) fade-to-black scene. I’ve said it more than once and, unfortunately, I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last time I say it: I do not need to know that a couple—real or fictional—consummated their marriage.

The kisses and emotions got heavier than I was comfortable with and I’m truly so sad about this. I was ready to go buy my own copy because I was enjoying the story so much at the at the beginning with the faith content and diversity, but this sexual content is disappointing and lowers all the ratings for this book.  

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this (Advance Reader Copy) e-book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this honest review. Having read an ARC, there are some details listed in this review that may have been changed in the final print edition.

"To Love a Prince" by Rachel Hauck

About this book:

  “Daffodil Caron is not a princess, even though she once dreamed of being one. After all, she grew up as a playmate to royal princes, running through the halls of Perrigwynn Palace and dining with the queen. But the day she stumbled upon a royal secret, everything changed.

  Flash forward eighteen years, and Daffy’s living a sweet, non-royal life. A skilled art curator for the Royal Trust, she has friends, a flat in the heart of the city, and a handsome, successful fiancée. The last person on her mind is Gus, a prince she once called her best mate.

  HRH Prince Augustus is no longer “Prince Pudgy,” as caricaturized by the press, he’s charming and gorgeous, possessing a world-famous smile. But when he’s jilted at the altar by an American heiress as millions of people around the world watched, the spare heir to Lauchtenland’s ancient House of Blue escapes, finding solace on a Florida beach.

  A year as a regular bloke allows him to rethink his purpose. He’s half decided his calling is to pour pints at a tiki bar, rather than serving his country and the Family.

  Until an accident on the beach with a Frisbee changes his course.

  Despite his long hair and beard, Daffy recognizes her prince, and their childhood friendship is renewed. She assures Gus Lauchtenland needs him, giving him the courage to return home.

  When Daffy and Gus find themselves on assignment to Hadsby Castle in preparation for his brother’s wedding, their friendship blooms into affection.

  But Gus cannot, will not, trust his heart again. Daffy’s engaged. And she also remains a royal family outcast because she knows the Queen’s secret.

  When affection grows into love and secrets are exposed, trust is destroyed. Gus must choose which is stronger: the lies of his past or the hope of his future. And Daffy must face every fear to prove she will forever love a prince.”

Series: Book #1 in the “True Blue Royal” series. Mentions characters from “The Royal Wedding” series and “The Fifth Avenue Story Society”. 

 

 

Spiritual Content- There is a character that is supposed to be Christ and another supposed to be a angel; Being witnessed to & Talks about God; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, & missionaries; A few mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A mention of an event from the Bible;

             *Note: “Thank God”, “If there was a God [this would happen]”, “Perhaps there is a God”, and “[after a kiss, I feel] Like the Divine cares about me” are said by the main characters (see my final thoughts on this); Gus had prior said that he was his own higher power.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘darn’, a ‘gosh’, an ‘oh my word’, two ‘crikey’s, two ‘oh my gosh’s, two ‘shut up’s, two ‘what/where in blazes’s, three ‘blooming’s, three forms of ‘idiot’, four forms of ‘blast’, six ‘blimey’s, and ten ‘stupid’s; A mention of the ‘b-word’; Mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & pubs/bars (both Daffy and Gus drink with their friends; at one point Gus has a lot to drink and ends up drunk); A few mentions of a story of someone falling to their death (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of a woman who left her child in a hot car; A few mentions of thieves, stealing, & a stolen item; A few mentions of deception & lies;A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of cigars; A mention of divorce;

             *Note: Mentions of brand names; A couple mentions of singers & songs; A couple mentions of Star Wars & characters; A mention of a car brand.

 

 

Sexual Content- three cheek kisses, three forehead kisses, four almost (up to semi-detailed) kisses, nine not-detailed kisses, twelve barely-above-not-detailed kisses, nine semi-detailed kisses, and two detailed kisses; Wondering about kissing someone & wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Remembering nearness & kisses (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (including a shirtless man’s muscles, up to semi-detailed); a ‘babe’ and a ‘sexy’; Catching a couple in the middle of a kiss with clothes and hair messed up; Many mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dating, dates, exes, & crushes; *Spoiler* Mentions of the queen having a baby out-of-wedlock & when they conceived the child *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of Daffy not going to hop into bed with a guy until it’s right but considers being with her fiancé at night; Mentions of yearning for someone & desire; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of cheating & affairs; Mentions of flirting & flirts; A few innuendoes about intimate relationships & a first night together; A few mentions of jealousy; A mention of Gus wanting a love with passionate nights and giving themselves to one another; A mention of some guys who only want one thing; A mention of an old law to watch a royal couple’s wedding night; A mention of being a virgin when married; A mention of a fling; A mention of a wife swishing her bottom and winking at her husband; A mention of a woman sitting on guys’ laps without asking; A mention of catcalls; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: Mentions of shirtless men & their abs; A few mentions of women in bikinis; A mention of a woman revealing her store-bought assets; A mention of tampons; A mention of menopause; A mention of books with shirtless men on the covers.

 

-Daffodil “Daffy” Caron

-Augustus “Gus”, age 28

                                              P.O.V. switches between them, Taffron (once in the beginning chapter), Catherine (twice), & Coral (once)

                    Set in present day (with the exception of the beginning chapter being set in 1938)

                                                        352 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. I’ve read some of the authors other books—including some of her royalty series—and like many others, I find royalty stories to be interesting, so I gave it a try. I liked the book overall, but some parts were a little strange to me (such as the almost allegory/supernatural character of Christ, lots of kisses, and some comments by our main characters that weren’t really Christians at the beginning.) I struggled at the beginning to tell if either main character was a Christian and while they would tell someone to bring a complaint up with the Almighty or Thanking God, in the middle they both said the phrase “If God was real [this would happen]” or “Maybe God was real after all”. Personally, those two phrases annoy me. The ending felt a little tied up with a bow and there were many mentions of other characters and their stories from other books by this author. I suppose it was an overall likeable read, but not one I really really enjoyed.

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.