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N. N. Light
Nov 29, 20223 min read

5+ stars for Charming the Prince by @maddiejames #holidayromance #royalromance #romance #bookreview



Title: Charming the Prince

Author: Maddie James

Genre: Holiday Romance, Sweet Romance


Book Blurb:


A Royal Dickens Romance!


Krissy Kringle’s dream of owning her own business and settling into a community with her ten-year-old daughter, Merry, came alive when she moved to the Christmas village of Dickens. The dream happened with hard work, sacrifice, and a bucket-load of luck—but Kringle’s Diner now exists, and business is booming, even if she is beyond weary doing the work of three people.


So, she hires a man who frequents the diner. He needs the work, or so it seems. Thing is, he comes with a huge Bernese Mountain dog named Prince, who takes up residence in the corner booth every day with Merry. Krissy tells herself she can deal with it—help in the kitchen trumps a few dog germs. Right?


Contrary to popular belief around Dickens, Max Alexander (aka Alex Maxwell) is not homeless, but royalty. Alexander Henrik Vincent Maxwell III, Prince of Beldova, heir apparent to the throne, is searching for something. Incognito, of course. That “something” is Krissy.


Twenty years earlier, as awkward pre-teens, the two shared a magical summer vacation on a lake in upstate Wisconsin. The next year, both their lives changed forever. Finding Krissy, Alex thinks, may help him ground him before he takes a permanent step toward becoming King.


They happily work together for several weeks, and their attraction for each other grows, but Alex doesn’t tell Krissy he is the boy from the lake. He understands her need for community with the security of home. His future is uncertain. When he must abruptly leave Dickens and return to Beldova, he gifts Prince to Merry and Krissy, with a promise to return.


A rapid unraveling of withheld truths entangles their shared reality like Christmas lights dumped in a box. Can they untangle the omissions and half-truths—along with their feelings for one another—and recover the magic of that one special summer by Christmas?


My Review:


A delightful holiday romance that’ll charm your stockings off. Royal romances are all the rage, and this is the best one on the market. How can this be when the market is flooded? Simple: the writing is sublime and whisks the reader on a romantic adventure. A wandering prince looking for the one that got away and the woman who craves family connection.


I found Max/Alex to be a puzzle of a man. Why doesn’t he want to be king? What’s missing in his life? Why doesn’t he tell the woman he loves who he is?


My heart goes out to Krissy throughout reading this story. She’s a hard-working single mum trying to make a life for herself and her daughter. Why can’t she see a good thing when she encounters it? She deserves happiness, just as much as her daughter does.


The romance between these two has complicated written all over it but the author makes it fun to read. Interspersing comical moments, misunderstandings, roadblocks, and more obstacles than you can imagine, the author brings it all together at the end. It’s an emotional read with plenty of feel-good moments. Fall in love this holiday season with this book.


My Rating: 5+ stars


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Author Biography:


Whether writing flirty contemporary romance or gritty romantic suspense, Maddie James writes to silence the people in her head.


Maddie loves contemporary romance and cowboy worlds. As Madelaide James she writes women's fiction, as M.L. Jameson she pens romantic suspense, and as M. J. Ames she writes short erotic fiction. Whew!


Affair de Coeur says Maddie, “shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews claimed, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hope on for an exhilarating ride.” Learn more at www.maddiejames.net.


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Reviewed by: Kris

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