Melissa's Bookshelf: REVIEW: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Series: The Suddenly Series #1
Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Fiction
Pub Date: April 2013 (self-published)
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Source: Pre-ordered directly from the author at an event.

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

MY THOUGHTS
Soooo... Can I tell you how much I LOVED this book? I read over half of it one evening and then put off work the next morning (good thing I work from home!) to finish it. Okay, now let's just go ahead and get this out in the open: no, the premise of Suddenly Royal is not exactly original (think The Princess Diaries, but steamier). However, in my opinion that absolutely does not take away from what an incredibly fun and engaging book this is! For me, I think that's in part because I'm one of those girls who always had that secret little dream inside of discovering that she is actually a princess. I'm not ashamed to admit that in the least! Come on, I know there are more of you out there...

I read most of this book with what was probably a very goofy grin on my face. I was hooked from page one. How could I not love Samantha?! She is smart, sassy and unafraid to speak her mind, yet at the same time vulnerable and just so real. And while far from perfect, Alex certainly made for a pretty dreamy prince. It probably didn't hurt that Chase had mentioned she envisioned Chris Hemsworth as Alex. I'll take that visual any day! Prince Yummy, indeed... ;-) But in addition to these engaging lead characters, Chase does what she is so very good at, providing a well-rounded and well-written supporting cast. Between Sam's personal assistant, Chadwick, her best friend Jess, and various members Alex's family and other Lilarian royalty, there is a great variety of people who each add something special to the story and the events that unfold. Without a doubt, the lovable (and even the less-than-lovable) characters are the other big reason why this story just worked so well for me.

What may be most telling: I loved this story so much, I would rather not even call attention to the handful of typos I came across, but fairness dictates that I have to at least mention them. I believe they were all cases where apostrophes had jumped into words where they didn't belong -- probably from some of the words that were missing them... Those pesky apostrophes! Even they could not mar my enjoyment of Suddenly Royal. I laughed, I even got a bit teary, and by the time I turned the last page I sighed in complete contentment.

Looking back, it's funny to think that had I not worked with a young lady who knew Nichole Chase and just happened to mention her Dark Betrayal trilogy to me in conversation one day, I might not have discovered her books -- at least, not as soon as I did. Suddenly Royal is easily now my favorite of Chase's books and if you have read the rest of her works, I think you will see how much her writing and storytelling have grown. The earlier mention of The Princess Diaries aside, this book really did play out like a movie in my head as I read, thanks to Chase's descriptive and easy-to-read writing, which enables you to just immerse yourself in the story as if you were a part of it. I think anyone who had dreams of becoming a princess or their own happily-ever-afters would enjoy this book. And, well, if you don't happen to be one of those girls, then you might just enjoy it for the smart characters and the steamy romance that develops between Sam and Alex.

*It should be noted that due to adult content, Suddenly Royal falls into the New Adult category, not YA like Chase's Dark Betryal trilogy.
Read this book...