From small-town waitress…
To royal bride!
Since leaving her cheating fiancé, sensible Maddie Nelson
is back waiting tables in her hometown. When a gorgeous stranger needs a guide
for a few days, she decides to throw caution to the wind, never expecting him
to be Prince Edward Alexander of Havenhurst. And he's in need of a convenient
wife! Now Maddie must decide if their powerful connection is enough for her to
swap her café…for a crown!
Good Cinderella story. Maddie left New York and her
cheating fiancé behind and returned home to Mountain Bend to help a friend. Now
she spends her days waiting tables, baking, and trying to find a way to keep
her small town from dying. The café owner, Kettle, and the other waitress,
Sophie, have become her family. The arrival of two handsome but mysterious men
at the café throws her life into turmoil.
Edward is the prince of a small island country with the
weight of the world on his shoulders. Besides the challenges of reviving the
island's economy, he is caught in a marriage dilemma. Contracted to a
neighboring princess since they were children, he has learned that she is in
love with another man but will honor the contract if necessary. Edward came to
the US to escape for a while, for a chance to feel normal, and perhaps find a
way out of the marriage so that someone can be happy.
I enjoyed the scene in the café when Edward and Maddie
met. Sophie was funny, yet frustrating, in her bubbly forwardness, as Maddie
tried to rein her in. I loved seeing Lancaster have to eat his words about
Maddie's scones. But mostly I loved the instant connection between Maddie and
Ward. He wants Maddie to spend time with him and is a bit flustered when she
resists, not used to being told no. I liked seeing the way that both of them
loosened up as they enjoyed the hot springs. Maddie is feisty and doesn't hold
back her opinions and thoughts. His invitation to attend the concert with him
unsettled Maddie, but she wanted to break out of the box she'd put herself in.
The first part of the concert was great, and both of them lost themselves in
their enjoyment of the music. Matters became complicated when Ward was
recognized, and Lancaster had to get them out of there. I ached for Maddie and
her feelings of betrayal as she learned the truth about Ward, and laughed out
loud at her reaction as she melted away into the crowd to escape him. Ward
earned points from me when he insisted on checking to be sure she made it home.
I loved seeing him gather his courage and determination to see her and explain.
He stunned himself and Maddie when he proposed a marriage of convenience to
help him with his dilemma in exchange for his help with the town's problems.
I loved the development of Maddie and Ward's
relationship. Though they went into it as a business contract, it was clear
that there were already feelings between them. Ward is firmly convinced that love
is not in his future as he has no idea what it is. Maddie believes that she can
keep from falling for Ward. But the more she gets to know him, the more she
sees the lonely man under the princely façade and wants to change it. Ward is
fascinated and intrigued by Maddie's feistiness and down to earth attitude. The
more that he wants to be with her, the harder he works to maintain his
distance, knowing that she will leave. He also believes that he is no good for
her and that keeping her with him would hurt her in the long run. Maddie
refuses to give up on him, and slowly works her way past his walls. But an
unexpected complication causes her to question her future with him. Can she stay
with a man she loves with all her heart when there's only a business contract
in return? I hurt for Maddie and her heartache over her belief that Ward didn't
care. Ward's misery when Maddie disappeared was intense, as was his desperation
to find her. His big moment at the end was deeply emotional as he bared his
fears and feelings. Maddie's response was perfect and a life-changing
realization for both of them. The epilogue was terrific. I would love to see if
something develops between Sophie and Lancaster.
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