Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck

After the end of a twelve year engagement, Susanna Truitt's future has never been more uncertain. Nate Kenneth, heir to the throne of Brighton, has never had a more certain future. When a flat tire brings Nate and Susanna together under the fabled Lover's Oak of St. Simon's Island, a friendship forms that could progress into more if it weren't for Brighton law. Before Nate returns to Brighton, his royal status is revealed, but Susanna receives no further communication from him except an invitation to his coronation. Accepting the invitation, she travels to Brighton with her sister. While her external choices are publicly dissected, she finds her internal choices are muddled and confused by this blossoming, but impossible love. Has God brought Nate and Susanna together for a lesson in surrender that will later be told as a tale of unfulfilled love or is there more for their future than either of them could have planned? Read more in Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck.

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck is the first novel in the Royal Wedding Series. The book's prominent theme of surrendering one's will and plans for the future to God even if it requires giving up a dream, a love or one's pride was an outstanding choice by the author. Most the characters were enjoyable, though I think the book would have benefited from Lady Genevieve's character having more depth. Her motives are foreshadowed in such a way that her admission later in the story seems surprisingly shallow and lacks the deviousness promised by the foreshadowing.

Regarding the plot of Once Upon a Prince, I was disappointed. To me, the first half dragged and the second half borrowed heavily from The Princess Diaries movies. The storyline was a mesh of The Princess Diaries with Christianity and the American South. It sounds like an appealing combination, but too many of the scenes, relationships and situations were such close replicas to the movie, that I just couldn't enjoy it. Considering that Hauck has also written a book (which I haven't read) that is supposed to play off of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, I think this lack of originality was actually intentional.

Unfortunately for me, the positive aspects of Once Upon a Prince were overshadowed by the lack of originality. I've no doubt there will be readers that aren't bothered by the lack of originality and are just looking for a sweet read. However, for the aforementioned reasons, I recommend renting from the library before buying.

I'm participating in a blog tour for Once Upon a Prince and there is a great giveaway going on right now:

Enter Today - 5/6 - 5/27!
Also, don't forget to visit other blogs on the tour to read what they say! Click on the "Blog Tour Schedule" button to see the list.

And now the book trailer:

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."