Dating The Prince (What If Series, #1)
by Alina Snow
Publication date: May 7th, 2018
Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance
Small-town girl, Katie O’Connor has always dreamed of seeing her name in lights. Check the box for fame, a movie deal, the perfect leading role that comes with a gorgeous leading man! Katie moved to Hollywood, elbows her way into auditions, lives on a shoestring budget — whatever is required to land a deal, she throws her heart into… until she’s involved in a royal kidnapping.
As the future king, Prince Alexander refuses to rule from an ivory tower. Duty-bound, he intends to relate to his future subjects, regardless of their walk of life. Before his coronation, he needs a foolproof plan to outrun his security team and go temporarily AWOL. While visiting L.A., all it takes is a sound stage collision and Alex is blindsided by a headstrong woman who is simply irresistible. So much so, he calls in a favor in order to secure her help… as his pretend girlfriend.
Their worlds are oceans apart, but their immediate attraction is impossible to put aside, especially their nonstop banter. Miffed at being wrangled into a situation that might blow up in her face, Katie comes up with her own plan. If The Prince is serious about walking the walk of the common folk, she’s only too happy to oblige as his pretend girlfriend. Through an ice storm, a road trip, kitchen duty, and a Texas pig race, Alex captures the hearts of the locals as well as Ms. O’Connor’s.
What starts out as a deal Katie can’t refuse becomes the acting role of a lifetime… letting Prince Alexander go without a fight.
A delightfully funny retelling of The Prince and The Pauper that romance readers of all ages will enjoy. On a two-week 1,500-mile road trip, Katie and Alex discover the end of the road might just be the beginning of their ‘Happy Ever After’ together.
~BOOK REVIEW for "Dating the Prince"~
***(3) out of 5 Stars!
I found this story a bit hard to believe. Alexander's accent didn't strike me as particularly British, nor Katie's as especially Texan. And it really bothered me that Alex was supposedly next in line for the throne, with so many blatant similarities to many recent members of the royal family, and yet he is so obviously not an actual person. That nobody through all the places they visited recognized this apparently world-famous prince, even with a dye job and some new clothes, struck me as rather unlikely. Their overuse of Mr this and Mrs that, especially Alexander calling Katie Ms. O'Connor, made me wonder if I were in the early 1950's rather than the late 2010's. The change of scenery from California to Texas to England were rather abrupt transitions and somewhat disconcerting. And one of the most annoying things to me was how there were a lot of different people, scenarios, various things hinted at — and then not followed up on at all. Also, that Katie and Alex fell in love to the extent that they wanted to be married, when they'd practically barely even held hands, seemed absurd.
Still, despite the many things that I found bothersome about the plot in particular and the book in general, there was just something about it... The characters, if not exactly believeable, were still enjoyable and pleasant. I found myself rooting for Katie and Alex through the entire book, especially at the end. Their romance was sweet and clean (a definite plus for those who like that sort of thing). Some of the peripheral characters were just as endearing; Jeffrey and Rudolph were a couple of my most favorite!
I understand that this the debut novel for this author, and I'm interested to see what her future works might entail, as I think there is as lot of promise in her writing. Basically, if you want something with a plot that can hold water, this is maybe not the right choice for you. But if you are looking for a light, fun, clean romance, with a definite happily ever after, this book has got you covered!
Author Bio:
Southern gal at heart. Alina is a librarian who adores her job. She has a degree in anthropology from Vanderbilt and loves writing offbeat romance comedy. To refuel, Alina sings karaoke, bakes sweet treats, and can be found at the Y, kickboxing. She lives in Knoxville with her husband and Callie, their doxie mix.
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