To Love A Prince (True Blue Royal)

Rachel Hauck does it again, uniting a modern romance with every little girl and grown-up girl's dream come true--becoming a real princess. The first in what appears to be her new series hit a lot of great notes, from the relationship between Gus and Daffy to the beautiful country of Lauchtenland to the unexpected "glimpses beyond the veil."Daffy and Gus are, no other way to say it, a cute couple. I'd go so far as "adorable," from Gus hitting Daffy with a like green Frisbee to Daffy's "tell" of blushing to their kisses (finally)! to their hike up the Hand of God. I rooted for them from page one onward, but also enjoyed them by themselves. For the first time in a long time, I think I actually enjoyed the hero a bit more. I wanted to know more of Gus' life and how he overcame his insecurities and found God's love. I definitely enjoyed seeing him grow and mature here, though. At the same time, I appreciated Daffy's ability to be a mature woman and yet keep some of her childlike faith and zest for life. It made for some great emotional dynamics.The plot's non-romantic events work well here too, perhaps better than the romance at times. For instance, I got a sense of what the queen's secret was well before it was revealed. But because of how Rachel constructed the aftermath, I never felt like, "This is cliched" or "This is too easy." Daffy's conversation with the queen was a definite high point. The same kind of thing happened with other events; for instance, when Daffy finds out her ring from Thomas was never really hers, I thought, "Oh, I know where this is going." Well, I did...and yet I didn't. The surprises weren't breath-stealing, but they were clever ways to turn tropes on their heads.Rachel's "glimpses beyond the veil," as she calls them, came off beautifully. I'm not entirely sure I'm on board with Emmanuel's character--rather, how he's eventually identified. But considering this is a modern day fairytale, and considering Rachel's portrayal is true to the Scriptural nature of Emmanuel, I'd say she made it work. The same is definitely true for Adelaide and other characters of her, shall we say, ilk. I'm definitely looking forward to Rachel giving us more characters like Emmanuel and Adelaide in future books, and I loved the callbacks to her previous works, too.The Lauchtenland setting, fictional country or not, wins more points from me. It simultaneously feels like the usual Kingdom Far Away, and like a cozy place I'd visit to feel at home. Kudos to Rachel for spending so much time not only in the palace, but in beloved locales like the Belly of the Beast and the ski lodge. Also, kudos for making Daffy an actual Lauchtenland citizen so we could see this country through a local's eyes, rather than those of the "usual" American or British tourist. Little touches like the shortened Dalholm speech add final, needed dimensions.I did feel the characters were a little two-dimensional at times, and that certain characters got away with too much (Leslie Ann, looking at you)! I sometimes felt Daffy came off as naive or empty-headed for getting close to so many people who didn't treat her as well as she treated them. Also, and this is a nitpick--but Rachel, what is with these character names? Daffy is a Looney Tunes duck, Scottie is a male name (my father and uncle both have that name, so I couldn't connect it to a girl right away), and so forth. But again, that is a complete nitpick and well, who wouldn't think a Daffodil was a lovely woman? Anyway, I can safely recommend this brand new Hauck fairytale and want more ASAP.

I love reading stories about the Royal Family and as a little girl I dreamed of being a princess. Reading this enchanting story stirred my interest once again in all things Royal. The author delivers a breathtaking account of a Royal Family and gives us a look at their protocols. I loved being swept away in a place where ball gowns, lavish food and spectacular sceneries adorned the pages.Daffy is such a great character and it is easy to see why Prince Gus was smitten with her even as they were children. Daffy grew up around the Royal Family and played in the palace . One day while hiding in the Queen’s closet, she overheard something that she knows must be kept secret. I had a diary when I was younger and in that diary were my secret thoughts that I didn’t want anyone to know. Daffy writes down the conversation she overheard while hiding and then over the years forgets about the diary. That diary will fall into the wrong hands and thus begins a story of a secret that could crush the Royal Family.Gus is trying to get over being left at the altar and travels to America to escape the hurt he feels. I loved how Daffy and Gus bump into each other after many years apart. I could sense they still had sparks for each other. Gus is a wonderful character and is happy to see his childhood friend. I won’t say how they end up back at the Royal Palace together but it will bring secrets, surprises and lots of fun reading.I loved how the author brought faith in the story in a subtle way. Gus and Daffy both have a few things they must work on in their personal lives. I enjoyed the interaction between Daffy and the Queen. There were a few tense moments between them, but God had a way to bring hidden things to the surface. We think our secrets will be hidden forever, but this story reminds us that “all things hidden will be revealed.”The story has a good message of forgiveness and it shows how letting go of bitterness can set you free. I especially liked the special place called “The Hand of God.” It is significant in the story as someone finds themselves drawn to God while in this spot where peace is found. I would love to have a place like this to go to to be alone and rekindle my faith. The ending is spectacular and fills readers with hope that dreams do come true. I look forward to the next book in this exciting series.I received a copy of this story from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

I read a lot....a lot and have been seldom moved to write a review, however Rachel Hauck's latest is just so bad, so mind bogglingly ridiculous that I felt I had to put my thoughts into words. As a reader, I am expected to believe that the ninny who overheard a conversation about a big secret kept her mouth glued shut but casually handed off the bloody diary that contained the information with barely a blink...resulting in...oh dear, a mess. She has a disgusting friend who abuses her trust regularly but oh, dear, Miss Self Righteous forgives her routinely, sometimes taking just a bit longer, but, forgiveness nevertheless. The hero, a tepid, two-time rejected bridegroom with a down on his empty, silly head is barely tolerable. The world building i.e. the pretend kingdom is equally boring and unbelievable. Listen, I suspend my belief for blue aliens, rock chicks and numerous other romance novels but this one just plain sucked. The first and last book I will ever buy from Rachel Hauck....PS Can I get my money back.

Great! Thoroughly enjoyed it!! Love how Rachel Hauck intertwines Emmanuel and Adelaide and other characters throughout her Princess Series and now True Blue series.