Carol Moncado

While I enjoyed the read, I had trouble believing how it was possible to go from one point to the next with very little problems. But I guess part of the fun of writing is making what seems impossible possible. I feel that the Crown Princess has a great heart that is in the right place, but I also felt that she was too much of a problem-solver. You can't solve everything. No one, not even a princess, is that perfect.

I really felt that this book needed some wit, humor, etc. Just a little comedy to lighten things up. I really wasn't seeing any of that. Aside from that, I feel that the Christian community would thoroughly enjoy this book. It's clean all the way around: no cussing, no drugs, no sex. It's just a good clean read.… (más)

Princess Adeline was in the states studying for an international relations degree, but under the disguise of a student named Addie, she met Charlie and fell in love. Charlie was a single father and after finding out about the woman whom he'd fallen for was a crown princess, he realized he was not even close to the man she would need to rule beside her. But Addie would try anything to get Charlie and his lovely daughter to be a part of her life. Sweet romance with the tables turned for a Cinderella ending.… (más)

Title: Hand-Me-Down Princess (Brides of Belles Montagnes #1)
Author: Carol Moncado
Pages: 374
Year: 2015
Publisher: CANDID Publication
Prince Malachi at the age of 21 is forced into an arranged marriage by his father when his brother refuses to marry the girl whose father saved the life of their father. Malachi meets his bride at their wedding ceremony and soon discovers she is no more interested in marrying him than he is in marrying her. However, he will obey his father and he promises Jessabelle he will be a faithful husband. At 19, Jessabelle has never even been on a date and now finds herself married to a royal prince. She is thrust into the public eye and a royal family when all she wants to do is blend into the background. She is not comfortable in her marriage or her position as a royal princess. Will she ever get over her insecurity and feel a sense of belonging in this royal family?
A mere three weeks after her wedding, her father dies. Jessabelle is still trying to adjust to being a wife and now she grieves for her father. Her mother died when she was a young girl, so now she feels all alone. Her husband is incredibly kind and respectful of her. He supports her any way he can. Jessabelle begins to have an inkling of what love might be like, but is far from letting down her emotional walls to let Malachi into her heart.
While I enjoyed this book, I wish I would have read the author’s other series about other members of the royal family as I felt I was missing some background on several of the characters that appeared in this book. Events and relationships were referred to that I didn’t know about. This didn’t detract from the writing or the plot of this story though I would have liked to know these details to enhance my reading experience. Prince Malachi was a wonderful prince and Christian man with a great deal of patience, compassion and empathy for his new bride. He was so gentle and loving toward her; he treated her as precious to him, but also reminded her that her identity came from God not man. I liked getting to know Jessabelle and see her grow into her place in the royal family. The relationship development between Jessabelle and Malachi was also very touching. I’m looking forward to future books in this series.
My rating is 4 stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend product s or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.”… (más)