A truly inspiring book! I loved the main character, I loved that she triumphed over her struggles and most of all I loved her faith in God.
Brielle is a teacher in NY city. Her receives a letter from her grandfather. He wants her to come visit him in Africa. She is hurt that her mother kept family away from her all her life
Upon arriving in Africa she meets her grandfather who stuns her with the news that she is a princess and he would like her to become queen upon his death. She faces many trials, including having to choose a husband. Her faith in God sustains her and she conquers each trial as it comes. A must read! ( )

(3.5 / 5)

Content as a 25-year-old middle school teacher in New York City, Brielle Bayo never planned to move to an island off the coast of Africa and rule a nation. But that's just what she's asked to do when her mother informs her that she's heir to a throne, and that the king, her grandfather, doesn't have long to live. Uncertain about whether she can be a queen, or even wants to, she is then also faced with a requirement to marry before her grandfather dies, in order to be legally allowed to reign. It's too much to handle alone, but maybe it's a chance for Bri to learn to let God be in control.

This story shows that finding out you're a princess isn't always the fairy tale little girls might dream it to be. But it can be a blessing, especially if you can see God's hand at work throughout. Though it takes Brielle a while to fully trust that "God's got this," it's one of the biggest themes in the book. I'll admit, it was a little disheartening to see the main character be reminded of God's sovereignty often, and continue to be stressed and question whether she's made the right decision. I also feel that she puts way too much stock in the world's definition and view of love, which is more about passion, attraction, and the feeling of "falling in love," even when she's reminded that that's not what love really is, especially from a biblical standpoint. Fortunately, another character was a lot more grounded overall, but I'm not sure it ever fully rubs off on Brielle.

I think the title of the book does an injustice to the story, as it focuses on Bri's requirement to marry, and the romance side of the story, when there's really so much more to it than that. Or at least, it seemed like there was trying to be more to it than that. Bri's desire to help the people of her ancestral home, the fictional island of Ọlọrọ Ilé, to bring them into modern times, and to be the ruler God designed her to be, is the primary plot, with the romance a large side plot. And I liked that part of the story overall. The love interest (only not mentioning his name in case it's a spoiler to anyone) was almost too good to be true, with only perceived faults that the reader can see aren't really true. However, he was still one of my favorite characters.

Contemporary romance books are often less enjoyable for me, due in part to me feeling fairly detached from the modern world, and this was no exception, as dialog was very modern and full of slang (even from some of the Olorans). My bigger frustration with the writing, though, was the tendency for the main character and one major side character to talk almost solely in murmurs to each other for a good chunk earlier in the book. For one thing, it was a gross overuse of a single verb in a small space (seems like it should have been caught by editors), but for another...well, how often do people really murmur in normal conversation? It made me feel like there was just a lot of mumbling going on for a while, and was peppered here and there later in the book too. This is more personal preference, though; overall, the story was good, and I think most fans of contemporary Christian romance will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review. ( )

Loved this soooo much! ( )

Romance with a big dash of modern day fantasy. A young woman finds out that she is the descendent of a prince from a small country in Africa. She had no idea - and is very mad at her mother for a while - but she agrees to go meet the grandfather that she never knew and find out more about this part of her family she never knew about. She and her best friend are whisked off in a private jet where they disembark, meet a handsome bodyguard/driver, and are set up in a suite of palatial rooms right on the beach. It sounds like the stuff of fairy tales and for Brielle it is - except for the fact that her newly found grandfather is dying and tells her that he wants her to become her successor. Brielle has many decisions to make, and eventually that will include who she will marry as the Governing council decrees that she must marry before she can ascend to the throne.
This book was pure fun to read. Readers who enjoy hallmark movies and modern day fairy tales will lap this up. Enjoy! ( )

4.5 stars ( )