Hand-Me-Down Princess by Carol Macado ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

Prince Malachi of Mevendia is determined to be different from his father, and stay true to his wedding vows, despite the marriage being arranged and the fact that he has never met Jessabelle before in his life.

Will the two royals survive the media or will it ruin their fragile marriage?

I liked both Malachi and Jessabelle.  Malachi is a sincere person, and he truly wants to make things work, he knows being married to him isn't what Jessabelle wanted and he does his best to help her and befriend her.

I liked how Jessabelle grew and gained confidence over the course of the book, learning to live a more public life with grace. And she and Malachi both rely on their faith to get them through.

What I didn't like was Lizbeth, and how clueless Malachi seemed to be to her scheming. It was kinda crazy that he didn't notice how much she was trying to sabotage him.

I liked how this book dealt well with their growing relationship, spreading the story out over a reasonable amount of time, as they learn to trust and depend on each other.

Overall, an enjoyable read that shows that love can grown in the harshest of climates. Though I really hated Lizbeth and Malachi's father--like, a lot! For fans of modern fairy tales.


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This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hand Me Down Princess CANDID Publications (August 31, 2015) by Carol Moncado

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When she’s not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband, four kids, and a dog who weighs less than most hard cover books. She prefers watching NCIS to just about anything, except maybe watching Castle, or Girl Meets World with her kids. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not watching her kids – and the dog – race around her big backyard in Southwest Missouri, she’s teaching American Government at a local community college. She’s a founding member and President of MozArks ACFW, category coordinator for First Impressions, blogger at InspyRomance, and represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency.


 ABOUT THE BOOK

Prince Malachi Van Renssalaer of Mevendia is getting married. The problem? He’s never even met his bride. His father arranged everything, right down to the marriage contract. Malachi swears to himself that he will be nothing like his father in the ways that count - including his fidelity to his wife.

Jessabelle Keller would happily spend her entire life in obscurity, but her father once saved the life of a future king. Before he dies, her father is committed to seeing that king make good on his promise to have one of his sons marry her so she would be taken care of for life.

No sooner than Prince Malachi and Jessabelle return from their honeymoon, they find themselves dealing with both private trauma and the very public drama of groundless accusations from the press. Just as they begin to weave their fragile trust back together, a ghost from the king’s past arrives and threatens everything they’ve ever held dear.

Secrets have a funny way of coming out and this one could rip the faith of the country in their leaders to shreds. Malachi is determined to protect Jessabelle no matter what it takes, but will it ever be enough for her to not feel like a Hand-Me-Down Princess?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hand Me Down Princess, go HERE.