"Your Heart's Desire" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “It's almost New Year's 1946, a perfect time for Caroline Clark to start a new chapter in her life. Widowed three years ago when she lost her husband in the war, she has decided to move with her nine-year-old son to join her sister's family in sunny California. Her sister's new house has a basement apartment for Caroline to rent, and though jobs for women are scarce with so many veterans returning from the war, it seems the local chocolate factory is hiring. The apartment turns out to be rather dingy, and the job may be working the assembly line--a step down from Caroline's office job as a secretary back in Minnesota. But Caroline is determined to make a great new life for herself and her son. As she goes about making that happen, she keeps running into a handsome stranger--at the diner, at church, and he even works for M.G. Chocolates. With a New Year, a new home, and a new job, is Caroline ready to find new love?”


Series: No, a stand-alone story.


Spiritual Content- Church going; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, services, hymns, a reverend, Sunday school, & stained-glass windows; Mentions of being blessed; A mention of God; A mention of a Bible; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘doggone’ and three ‘stupid’s; A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; Caroline drinks Champagne at a party (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of World War II, fighting overseas, deaths, & grief (including Caroline for her husband and a woman for her son, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of drinking Champagne at a party; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking; A few mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of jealousy; 
             *Note: Caroline’s sister says that she should take off her wedding ring as it’s “high time” for that & be open to meeting a man again (Caroline isn’t sure at first, but does take off her ring the next day); Caroline thinks about how some people think that it’s her “moral responsibility” to find a replacement father for her son; A couple comments about working mothers and women in the workplace; A few mentions of magazines/newspapers (Life, Vogue, & Los Angeles Times); A few mentions of singers & songs (Glen Miller, “Little Brown Jug”, “String of Pearls”, & “Moonlight Serenade”); A few mentions of books & fictional characters (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Tom Sawyer, & Scarlett O’Hara); A mention of actress (Ginger Rogers); A mention of a brand name (Tiffany and Co.); A mention of a car brand; A mention of Boy Scouts.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses; Seeing a married couple kiss; A few touches, embraces, & dancing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of flirting, crushes, & secret admirers; A few mentions of boyfriends & dates; A mention of a possible affair (meaning a romance and not infidelity); A mention of a couple going to a hotel together for work (nothing happens between the two, but someone imagines it could have happen); Light love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of a woman’s low-cut gown.
 
-Caroline Clark, age 31
                                P.O.V. of Caroline
                                      Set in 1945-1946 
                                                        160 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

That was really cute! The ending was a touch rushed because it’s only about 200 pages, so that makes sense. It reminded me of some other books I’ve read in the 1940s/1950s and I really liked the chocolate factory setting—especially around Valentine’s Day! I did bunny trails of research after reading about the heart-shaped chocolate box and found out that originally started in the 1860s! I was quite shocked to learn that!

 

As far as our characters, we only get Caroline’s POV—which I was a bit bummed about at first by not getting the love interest’s perspective—but I liked her and enjoyed reading her story. The romance was light and there wasn’t a lot of emotions, mostly just that she keeps thinking about him and should stop that, so it almost felt like a lighter romance book in that way, which I appreciated! The faith content was light and but so was the angst from a trouble-making woman; overall it was a cute book that made me smile while reading!

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday 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.

"A Royal Redemption" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “Two princesses...one crown.
    The royal twins have battled it out for eighteen years, but Princess Heather was firstborn and now rules the Kingdom of Raspen. Meanwhile, Princess Rose is doing time in the dungeon. Caught in the act of usurping the crown—as well as her sister’s man—the second-born princess has time to think.
    After a failed scheme that sends her spiraling into despair, Rose has an epiphany. Before she can dwell on it, though, she learns that their kingdom might be in serious trouble, so with her sister’s help she dons a disguise and befriends a pair of cellmates, spies from an enemy country. Though Rose is only hoping to extract vital information from them, she ends up kidnapped when they make their escape.
    While Queen Heather tries to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom, Rose is forced into an adventure she never wanted, but which she’s determined to use for the good of Raspen and her sister. But with more enemies than friends and the threat of a wicked king hanging over her, Rose begins to worry that her redemption will do little to save her life.”


Series: Book #2 in “The Princess Wars” duology. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is quoted; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Going to a chapel to pray and light candles for others; Rose wonders about what happens after death and gets a sinking feeling that if God “really sat in heaven judging them”, He would be more likely to take Heather’s side than hers; Rose has never had an interest in prayer and even in church only pretended to pray, but starts to pray and attempt pleas to God; *Spoilers* When Rose thinks she may die, she tries to say her prayers like her mother used to; Towards the end, Rose thinks that she deserves the divine punishment for her sins *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/chapels; A couple mentions of thanking and praising the Lord; A mention of divine guidance; A mention of a miracle; A mention of the possibility of the Lord raining down judgement on someone; A mention of a mother frowning down on her daughter from heaven; A mention of a place feeling “like heaven” compared to another place;
             *Note: ‘Heaven knew’ is said once; Heather recalls her mother explaining that because of her and Rose being twins, they have a “spirit connection” and are able to have dreams about the other that would end up coming true (Heather is concerned one dream is a premonition); Heather comments on her seamstress’ abilities being like magic (though the seamstress says it is not magic); A dungeon cell is called “hell” and a “hellhole” once each; A couple mentions of an evil man.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘Egad!’, a ‘good grief’, two ‘give a whit’, three forms of ‘shut up’, and six ‘stupid’s; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Sibling bickering & harsh comments (verbally and feeling hurt by the other); Being kidnapped (x3), Being attacked/grabbed, Being tied-up and locked up, Being knocked unconscious, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Rose wonders about dying (instead of being locked in a dungeon) & if starving to death would be painful (later, she wishes she was dead, but not truly; A bit farther in, she says her prayers just in case she does die); Rose is in prison/a dungeon for some of the book; Rose lies & deceives others to get her way; *Spoilers* About a quarter through the story, Rose realizes that she has been selfish and jealous & that Heather was born to be the queen; She tries to change and shoe her sister than she is sincere *End of Spoilers*; Many mentions of possible wars/invasions, attacks, treason, spies, & arrests; Many mentions of prisons/dungeons & prisoners; Mentions of deaths & grief (including from a plague; grief for a mother, parents, a wife, and an infant son); Mentions of possible deaths; Mentions of Rose impersonating her sister & threatening and planning to kill Heather (Book #1); Mentions of possible murderers (& someone wanting to slit the throat of another, but instead ties him to a tree for the vultures to get); Mentions of an almost drowning (Book #1) & a possible drowning; Mentions of kidnappings & a country planning to kidnap women from another country; Mentions of thieves, bandits/robbers, stealing, criminals, crimes, & bribes; Mentions of wine/alcohol & drinking; Mentions of nightmares (of a family member in trouble or dying); Mentions of lies, lying, deceit, & manipulation; Mentions of jealousy & hatred; Mentions of rivalry between siblings; Mentions of hunting; A few mentions of beatings & possible torture; A few mentions of weapons & someone being held at sword-point; A few mentions of injuries & pain; A few mentions of drugging someone with a sleeping draught; A few mentions of tobacco, smoking, & a pipe; A couple mentions of possible executions or exiling someone; A couple mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of eavesdropping;
             *Note: A group of people prefer to be called “travelers” rather than “gypsies” (though both names are used); Rose want to rebel over the thought of someone else making decisions for her & wishes to control her own life; Rose feels like she was a disappointment to her father and leaned into becoming superficial and spoiled because everyone expected her to be that way; Heather faces a couple of her council members talking down to her partially because of her age and gender; Heather comments on it being time for women to be “let into some other roles previously reserved to men” now that she is queen (adding that young women should be able to learn about the things that interest her and to use the gifts the Lord gave her); A mention of a young woman being unable to gain an apprenticeship with the “closed-minded old men” of her town.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, three not-detailed kisses, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Some touches, hand holding, warmth, & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Heather wishes to marry for love, but knows that most royal marriages are more about politics (she wonders if it is unrealistic to believe that a marriage could be founded in love); Rose deceives a man by making him think she loves him (such as writing his name with hearts and casting shy glances); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of love & wanting to marry for love; Mentions of being smitten with someone; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of large age gaps between couples (some unnamed in the amount of years and another that is twelve years; Heather says that if she loved a man, his age is “inconsequential”; *Spoiler* Rose ends up marrying a man twelve years her senior at the end of the book *End of Spoiler*); A mention of a bordello; Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Rose dresses as a man for her plan to gain information from the spies (she wears a binding around her chest; *Spoiler* A man discovers she’s a girl and threatens that he’ll find out for himself if she doesn’t tell him the truth; Rose feels unsafe traveling with a man alone when he knows she’s a woman, but nothing happens *End of Spoiler*).
 
-Heather, age 18
-Rose, age 18
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        244 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I had to reread the last chapter of the prior book to remember where this book would be picking up; I’m glad I did that because while the book somewhat explains and alludes to past events, I think it would be best to read them back to back, making it a very binge-worthy duology. 

 

I’ll say one thing: after reading Melody Carlson’s YA books for years, she sure knows how to write a teen girl that I would love to slap some common sense into. Rose was definitely this character and had me nearly banging my head into the wall with her thoughts and plans. Her 180 change was very sudden (even Heather comments in it) so while it was a bit jarring, it was also good to see and know that I wouldn’t have to put up with her hatefulness for the majority of the book. 

 

There are some…perhaps unrealistic events and conversations that happen, but it was overall fine. The ending took me by surprise as it felt out of left field, but alls well that ends well, I suppose? I feel a little meh about the romances, but they were clean and suitable for teens. 

 

I was bummed there was no epilogue, but I guess it wasn’t truly needed. I wouldn’t say this was anywhere near a new favorite duology of mine, though it wasn’t bad and I overall enjoyed it. I thinks ages 14+ that only want light romance elements would enjoy it the most.

 

 

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.

"Just for the Summer" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her. Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather's fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She's grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she's just not going to find in this backwoods town.
   The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they'll swap jobs and lifestyles. But they never anticipated swapping love interests . . .”


Series: As of now, no. It seems to be a stand-alone novel. 


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is remembered & thought over; We see that Ginny has a faith, but no hints to Jacqueline having one (besides a mention of her sending a prayer for a new job); Ginny knows that she loves God and God loves her, but longs for being able to love and be loved in a human form as well; Mentions of God & His will; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going; A mention of purgatory; 
             *Note: The words ‘miracle’ and ‘heaven’ are used loosely (wanting a miracle for a job-related thing and thinking a place is heaven); The phrase “when hell freezes over” is said once; A mention of Jacqueline being almost “worshipful” to a new boss to get on her good side; Jacqueline teasingly calls Ginny a “saint”; Mentions of luck, being lucky, & lucky stars; A few mentions of magic & someone being a magician (not seriously); A mention of someone who has passed “looking down” with approval over someone; A mention of a child wondering if a place is haunted.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘doggone’, a ‘give a hill of beans’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stinking’, a ‘ticked’, a ‘witch’ (calling a woman that), a ‘what the devil’, two ‘dad-burned’s, two ‘good grief’s, two ‘hurts like the dickens’, three ‘crummy’s, three forms of ‘dang’, four forms of ‘darn’, and five forms of ‘stupid’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Drinking (with others, both Ginny and Jacqueline; Jacqueline plans to win a guy over with acting helpless and alcoholic beverages); Ginny’s boss manipulates her at work; Jacqueline lies, manipulates, looks to blame others for her mistakes, and has a bad attitude about working at her grandfather’s place (complaining, avoiding responsibilities, not being helpful; It’s said she has an “entitled superiority complex going on”); *Spoiler* Jacqueline feels like she is unwanted and unloved after seeing Ginny take over her job when she wants it back; This causes her to lie more to get rid of Ginny and have a certain man’s interest again; She has an outburst about no one liking her *End of Spoiler*; Ginny tells a lie (not being truthful about her feelings); A father makes his teen daughter tell a lie “for a good reason” (to be able to be alone with a woman); A teenager makes comments about not being happy in her family, yells at her mom, talks about being emancipated from her parents, & is hurt and bitter from her parents’ divorce; Mentions of a young son drowning & the possibility of others drowning (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths from cancer (a mother and a wife, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of injuries, pain, & a broken bone; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & bars; Mentions of an out-of-control party; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & manipulation; Mentions of fathers leaving their families, divorces, & the daughter of a divorced couple being upset (due to her mom “dumping her” on her father); A few mentions of jealousy & hatred; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of a war; A couple mentions of a wife loving her husband’s money and family name more than him; A mention of death row; A mention of an abduction; A mention of thieves; A mention of arrests; A mention of a teenager “pranking” her stepfather by keying his car; A mention of a fire; A mention of cigarettes; A mention of a nightmare; A mention of hunting; 
             *Note: A man makes comments against cancer doctors due to losing his wife to cancer & hating doctors and medicine because of it; Both Jacqueline & Diana mention their therapists & what they’ve been told (such as Jacqueline being told that she overcompensates with guys because her father left her when she was little); Mentions of brand names, items, & stores (Keds, Carhartt, Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, T-Mobile, Jell-O, iPad, Safeway, & Goodwill); Mentions of authors (Stephen King & John Grisham); Mentions of Disneyland; Mentions of a baseball team; A couple mentions of anxiety; A mention of PTSD (Ginny being concerned over fish who were released after getting caught would have PTSD); A couple mentions of celebrities (Chris Hemsworth & Margot Robbie); A couple mentions of a song (‘The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night’); A couple mentions of car brands; A mention of Google; A mention of the Oscars; A mention of a magazine (Glamour).
 
 
Sexual Content- An almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Jacqueline enjoys receiving attention from male guests & purposely dresses to get guys’ attention (including showing off her legs and waist); a ‘hunky’; Many mentions of dates, dating, secretly dating behind someone’s back, girlfriends/boyfriends, exes, & broken hearts; A few mentions of a kiss (that Jacqueline initiated with a guy); A few mentions of a bachelorette party (with a man there as well); A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of flirting; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Genevieve “Ginny” Masters, age 37
-Jacqueline Potter, age 27
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        288 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Funny thing, this book felt like a throwback for me. Melody Carlson was one of the first (if not the very first) author I read when I got into Christian Fiction 13+ years ago and I really enjoyed her contemporary, usually drama-filled books. That’s not to say that I liked every book (or would recommend them now, I’d have to reread most of them), but this book definitely reminded me of that style. I probably would have enjoyed it much more when I was in the 13-15 age range (as this is the style of books I enjoyed then), but wasn’t fully my cup of tea now in my mid-twenties. 

 

I liked Ginny, but I found Jacqueline to be insufferable, so I was holding out hope for her character development. I forgot how well this author writes shallow, superficial, self-centered characters who only care about themselves and designer brands. (This author does it very well were you want to smack some sense into her.) Brace yourself. If you like drama, have at it, but brace yourself for that girl. The change does happen but it happens very fast towards the end, which was a little disappointing. I would’ve like to see it more gradually, but it was good to see the change regardless. 

 

Ginny has a faith that we see some of, but Jacqueline doesn’t show anything expect a prayer once for something good to happen to her. Both of the potential love interests have no faiths shown or discussed which made me wonder why Ginny was interested in either of them. To be fair, she was really only interested in one and the other just followed her around, but still, it was strange to see no faith discussions or confirmations before they started falling for the other. It felt more like a clean fiction book in that regard. 

 

While I enjoyed parts of this book and it was a distraction for a few hours, I wouldn’t call it spectacular by any means. Jacqueline was pretty frustrating, the ending was rushed, the faith content was light, and there was casual drinking by main characters. It’s an overall very clean and summer-y read, but not one I’ll be recommending often nor thinking about much.

 

 

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 book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

"A Royal Christmas" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “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.”


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


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Church going; Talks about God; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Set around Christmas and mentions of the true reason for the holiday, a nativity, & hymns; Mentions of God, Jesus, His plans and timing, & peace; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & a priest; A mention of Heaven; A mention of a miracle; A mention of women’s church groups; A mention of a cross necklace;
             *Note: Mentions of Saint Nicholas, day of celebration around him, & Santa Claus; Mentions of the day before Saint Nicholas day is similar to Halloween with an evil “half-goat, half-demon” creature called “Krampus” that terrorizes children into behaving and is part of the pagan winter solstice rituals (said to have been the son of Hel and the underworld, parties will have devil costumes and lots of drinking, shown negatively, up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of someone who has passed away watching another’s event; A couple mentions of fictional myths/folklore (Loch Ness Monster & Big Foot); A mention of not being able to see another who has passed “in this world” again (both the person who has passed and Adelaide who thinks this are Christians).
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘heck’; A bit of Sarcasm; Adelaide goes to a Halloween-like party (people dress up as devils or with horns and drink a lot) and has a fake alcoholic drink to blend in; Grieving & Pain (up to semi-detailed); While it’s implied that Adelaide is given wine at dinner, we do not see her drink (besides mulled wine at events); Others socially drink (including the love interest) and talk about needing or having a drink or wine; Adelaide is grieving her mother after her tragic death *Spoiler* & father *End of Spoiler* (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grieving (for a mother and a father); Mentions of illnesses (liver cancer), signs, & being near to death (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a missing person, some thinking foul play was involved, an abduction, & a possible murder;  Mentions of an abduction & prank; Mention of scams; Mentions of alcohol, bars/pubs, drinking, social drinking at dinner and parties, & drunks; Mentions of eavesdropping; Mentions of a hunter & hunting; A few mentions of drunk driving & deaths (bluntly semi-detailed); A couple mentions of a possible drowning; A couple mentions of crimes; A couple mentions of drugs & addicts; A couple mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of a serial killer; A mention of World War II; A mention of a thief; A mention of smoking; A mention of the death of a pet cat;
             *Note: Mentions of some in Montovia having a “backward attitude towards women” and Adelaide being upset by those people thinking that being female is a shortcoming; Mentions of brand names (Splenda & Sugar In The Raw); Mentions of movies, TV shows, actresses, songs, & fictional characters (including Finding Nemo, Shrek, Downton Abbey, & Sharon Stone); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of social media sites and apps (YouTube, FaceTime, & Zoom); A few mentions of the British royal family; A couple mentions of Hallmark & Masterpiece Theater; A couple mentions of Adelaide being worried about what her “animal activist friends” would say about a fur coat; A mention of Disney; A mention of the phrase “buzzkill”.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two almost kisses (one being up to semi-detailed); Dancing & Hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Adelaide’s mother never told her about her biological father (they weren’t married so  Adelaide was born out-of-wedlock/illegitimate, and the father didn’t know); Adelaide’s ex-boyfriend was insistent about them moving in together (she was waiting for a ring); Mentions of kisses & almost kisses; Mentions of dating, exes, & Adelaide’s mother being a “jerk magnet”; A few mentions of an affair & some thinking a woman might be having an affair; A few mentions of illegitimate children; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of a woman being a head turner & getting attention; A mention of some wild dance moves making Adelaide blush; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Adelaide wears a dress with a “slightly plunging neckline” to fit in at a party where many are dressed provocatively; Mentions of dresses with plunging necklines & slits and other provocative clothing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Adelaide’s new stepbrother being interested in her as marrying her would be a quick way to get the throne; A couple mentions of Adelaide’s friend possibly being interested in a much older man (quickly shut down).
 
-Adelaide Smith, age 28/29
                                P.O.V. of Adelaide 
                                                        176 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This plot (trope?) is so common of a normal girl finding out she’s a Princess, but is also just so much fun. I will completely blame the Princess Diaries movies for my love of this kind of book. 

This book was cheesy at times and not one that requires a lot of thinking, but that’s nice some days—especially around the busy holiday season. 

I liked Adelaide, she’s strong and stands up for herself against a queen that doesn’t like her. It was nice to not see a young woman in this position cowering or being meek. I wasn’t a fan of her best friend, though.

 

I didn’t love the parts about Krampus. I’m glad that it was portrayed negatively, but it affected my enjoyment of the story at times and makes me mark this book for older girls. The author definitely showed it as wrong and as a comparison for the True Meaning of Christmas, but I disliked the evil of it being in this book. 

Being a novella, it did feel a bit rushed at the end to me, but it was still a good ending and an overall fun story. I would have loved to see an epilogue though!

 

 

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 book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

 

"A Royal Quest" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “Two princesses…one crown.
The royal twins have battled it out for almost eighteen years, but Princess Heather is firstborn and her ailing father’s first choice to inherit his throne. Princess Rose is not a bit pleased, and the Kingdom of Raspen is not in good shape.
Before Heather takes on the kingdom responsibilities, she is determined to venture beyond the palace gates to see how her people really live. To do this, she chooses to disguise herself as one of them and, accompanied by her royal instructor and his son, sets out, hoping for a memorable adventure.
    Her well planned excursion quickly unravels when she is separated from her traveling party by bandits. ‘Aided’ by a handsome but mysterious young man, her journey grows even more perilous. By the time Heather makes it back to the kingdom, everything has been turned upside down by her sister’s rivalry and Princess Heather’s biggest battle has just begun.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Princess Wars” duology. 


Spiritual Content- Mentions of God; Mentions of praying; A mention of a blessing; 
             *Note: Mentions of a woman being called evil & a witch because of what she’s done; A few mentions of a forest that’s said to be haunted (with ghosts and goblins); A mention of trusting in fate; A mention of a woman possibly being a witch (not confirmed or denied).
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blooming’, an ‘oh my word’, two ‘stupid’s, and six forms of ‘shut up’; Some eye rolling; Almost drowning, Being kidnapped, Being tied-up, Being slapped, & Fighting (self-defense, all up to semi-detailed); Sibling bickering, fighting, & harsh comments (verbally and some objects thrown at the other); Heather lies & feels pride and guilt over how easy it was to do; Heather lets someone believe something she didn’t correct (not an outright lie, but not the whole truth); Mentions of a deaths & grieving (for parents); Mentions of war; Mentions of fights, fighting, & thugs; Mentions of thieves, bandits/robbers, stealing, criminals, crimes, & prisons; Mentions of a kidnapping & ransom; Mentions of ale, drinking, & hangovers; Mentions of lies, lying, & deception; A few mentions of rumors; A few mentions of jealousy & hatred; A few mentions of hunting; A couple mentions of murderous thugs & possible murder; A couple mentions of threatening someone with death; A couple mentions of slavery; A couple mentions of believing a beloved horse has died (he is fine); A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A mention of thugs being willing to slit a throat; A mention of when Heather would sneak out when she was younger; A mention of nightmares; A mention of bullies; 
             *Note: Mentions of Gypsies.
 
 
Sexual Content- A barely-above-not-detailed kiss and a semi-detailed kiss; Recalling a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches & Tingles (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A suggestion of Heather sharing a bed with two men (due to lack of space and the speaker not knowing she’s a girl); Mentions of flirting & a woman at an inn trying to proposition herself (talking about spending the evening with men, being good company, having an expensive dress and will always be paying for it, etc.); A few mentions of kisses & kissing; A couple mentions of a husband possibly finding himself in hot water with his wife or having to sleep outside; A mention of a dreamy guy; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Heather dresses as a man for her journey for safety & she’s very excited about it (calls it “exhilarating”because she’ll basically be invisible); A mention of Heather wondering if men created sidesaddles “just to make like harder on women”; A mention of curves.
 
-Princess Heather, age 17
                      P.O.V. mostly of Heather but switches to a couple others at times
                                               Medieval Time Period
                                                        203 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This book has been on my radar for years, ever since the author independently published it. I didn’t love the story, as it had a pretty simple and predictable storyline, but it was a princess story, so I honestly didn’t expect greatness. Heather thought a bit too much of herself and her skills, which irked me a bit, I’ll admit. The romance felt out of leftfield, personally, but I expect more to come from that in the second book—either the guy being better or being the suspicious guy I think he may be. I do plan to read and review that one when it releases in 2024.

All that said, I do think younger teen readers would enjoy this book especially those that have enjoyed Melanie Dickerson’s princess/fairytale retellings books. 

I am marking the rating for Pre Teens a bit lower because of the suggestions of an older teen girl flirting with men and staying with them for the evening; it’s handled lightly and may go over younger readers heads, but it is there, nonetheless. 

 

 

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.