The Reluctant Princess

by Melissa McClone

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She wants to work on a pit crew—not be a princess. Determined to be a member of a racing team’s pit crew, the last thing mechanic Isabel “Izzy” Poussard expects is for a gorgeous guy to step out of a limousine and drop a bombshell: she’s a long-lost princess…and his wife. Crown Prince Nikola “Niko” Kresimir of Vernonia only wants one thing from Isabel: an immediate annulment. To him, the pretty American in grease-stained coveralls is far too rough around the edges to be his future queen. Their marriage is the result of an archaic custom neither knew about, and Niko needs it to end so he can modernize his country.

As sparks fly, Niko and Izzy fight their growing attraction for each other. Neither wants to remain in an arranged marriage, but staying together might be the only way to keep peace in the kingdom. The romantic conflict is clear: can they bridge their vastly different worlds to find a true love match, or will their individual aspirations and stubborn pride keep them from a happily ever after?

Tropes & Themes:

Royal Romance

Surprise Royalty

Arranged Marriage

Opposites Attract

Reading Note: Book 2 in the Her Royal Duty series, and it can be read as a standalone romance. Please note: This contains a closed-door / fade-to-black wedding night scene.

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Royal

Series

Her Royal Duty • Book 2

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

2 Mild

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

April 25, 2019

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Arranged or forced marriage, Natural-disaster scenes, Pregnancy/childbirth on-page

Great Read

This was a nice story!

Such a joy to read!

This book take you to an understanding of how royalty marries. Majority of the world is curious of every royalties lovelife. Some news exaggerates for publicity. The emulation is ridiculous! End of the day, they are human and individuals like us. I truly enjoyed reading this story its one of those HEA. But of course not all is as perfect, classic example is Charles and Diana. Anyway, thanks for this. Entertaining and insightful!

Very sweet story!

Loved Niko and Izzy. Izzy is looking for a key to a box and it changes her life. It isn't any box, it is a bride box given to her on her wedding day. It was an arranged marriage twenty-three years ago and now that Izzy has surfaced her husband has to figure out what to do. The king was a sly guy and very nice to Izzy. Niko was set in some old fashioned ways and needed to change. Izzy was what he needed to make the change. Very sweet story!

Short & Sweet Princess Novel

I adored this little book and the connection between the main characters gave me a warm fuzzy feeling that lasted after I closed the final page.I found the writing to be well done for the most part: I didn't find myself skimming or cringing at anything. Although at the beginning I was a little confused by the situation in the monarchy. Of course it's not very long, and the character of the prince isn't extremely developed so it is somewhat fluffy. Still, it hit a deep spot with me because of the theme of being your authentic self.If you enjoy princess tales, you'll probably like this book. It's not too long of a read, so it's perfect if you need a little afternoon pick me up. You will notice some familiar themes and tropes from such stories as The Princess Diaries movies, as well as a Christmas Prince on Netflix.But the main character will be a little different as she's a mechanic without a desire to be primped and made into a princess, and not willing to budge on expressing her personality.SPOILERIn some ways the predicament that makes her into a princess is a bit gross and disturbing in that it seemed like she had no choice but to marry someone she doesn't know well--but it captivated me into continuing to read the book anyway. It also ended in an empowering way.

An enchanting romance

I was completely enchanted by "The Reluctant Princess", a beautifully written contemporary romance that kept me entertained and intrigued from the beginning and I wanted it to continue when I got to the end. I really liked independent and stubborn Isabel "Izzy" Poussard who wants to work on a racing team's pit crew and loved her dynamic with the other characters especially Crown Prince Nikola Tomislav Kresimir of Veronia. This is a great beginning to the Her Royal Duty series by gifted author Melissa McClone and a must-read for fans of sweet and tender romances.I received an advance reader copy of this book and am leaving my voluntary and honest review. I also purchased a copy for my keeper library.