Review: How to Catch a Prince + GIVEAWAY

How to Catch a Prince
By Rachel Hauck
The Royal Wedding Series, #3
Zondervan, 2015


Summary

An American heiress and a crown prince seem destined to be together. Will the devastation of war keep them apart forever?

American heiress Corina Del Rey caught her prince once. But the tragedy of war kept her too long in a fog of grief. Now she's shifting her life forward, reigniting her career as a journalist. Still, nothing can relieve her of the secret and the love she carries in her soul.

Prince Stephen of Brighton is one of the world's most eligible bachelors and a star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life. But his days in Afghanistan with the Royal Air Command have marked him forever. And he can't seem to shake their dark shadow.

But when his brother, King Nathaniel, confronts him with a document the prince thought long buried and forgotten, Stephen is forced to face the pain of his past and the love he left behind.

With a little heavenly help, Prince Stephen and Corina embark on a journey of truth. But when the secrets are revealed, can they overcome, move forward, and find love again?


My thoughts

How To Catch a Prince is the stuff of which dreams are made - the whole series, really. All the fairytale-like ingredients are present in this world where a commoner can suddenly become royal:  the enchanting Brighton Kingdom in the North Sea, King Nathaniel and Prince Stephen, cathedral bells that ring in chorus, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. But if you think this story is all fluff, you would be very wrong, for spiritual truths and the emotional pull of Stephen and Corina's story are surprisingly strong .

Rich depth also comes from topics such as war, survivor's guilt, grief, unworthiness, deception, and unforgiveness. But great depth also comes from the overarching theme of "love well" - and not just romantic, but love for family, friends, those we work and serve with, and above all, God.

"With each passing day, she remembered she had a secret." Corina's opening thoughts introduce a major theme - secrets that refuse to stay hidden, that have to be brought into the light so healing can begin. While Stephen and Corina have all the trappings of royalty and wealth, they come across as real people, flawed, and are so easy to relate to. Stephen felt like he was a fraud and escaped his demons by throwing himself into the game of rugby. Corina, an heiress who seemingly had it all at one time, lost that which was most valuable while being denied understanding. Yet the chemistry between them is vividly real . . . Stephen "wanted to push Pause and simply stare at her for a moment, refilling his cup with the light of her hazel eyes."

Rachel has done an outstanding job at seamlessly weaving important spiritual truths throughout a story that is meaningful in itself. One of the most moving scenes takes place toward the end of the book in Archbishop Caldwell's seaside cottage - a joyous scene of repentance and redemption, and the archbishop's words that speak to us all, "No man is worthy until Christ makes him worthy."

The ending is deeply satisfying, not at all rushed. I love the message that encompasses the whole series - that we are all royalty, sons and daughters of the King of kings. And the true meaning of love well as expressed in Corina's words:  "If we want to be royals and have all the benefits and authority, to be respected, then we must be willing . . . to serve the common man. Be like Jesus. Lead through serving."

How to Catch a Prince is a lovely story, moving conclusion to a lovely and meaningful series. Recommended.

Click on the title to see my review of book #2, Princess Ever After.

Rachel Hauck

RITA Finalist and Carol Award winner Rachel Hauck, named by Family Fiction readers as one of the top five romance authors in CBA, is the author of more than seventeen novels, including the acclaimed Songbird novels with multi-platinum country singer Sara Evans and the EPCA/CBA best-selling novel The Wedding Dress.

Find Rachel online at rachelhauck.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Also, be sure to visit the Litfuse Blog Tour page.

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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GIVEAWAY

I am very thankful to Litfuse Publicity for providing a copy of How to Catch a Prince for one of our readers. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment pertaining to this book/series . . . For instance, have you read either of the two previous books? Do you enjoy royal themes? New to Rachel's writing?

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS in a safe format - [at] and [dot] - for the drawing. It's also helpful to share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter if you can.

"Likes" on my Facebook page, ThePowerofWordsBookReviews, are greatly appreciated, as are followers on Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, and this blog.

Contest ends at midnight PST on Sunday, March 16. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted by e-mail. Respond within 48 hours of notification or another winner will be chosen.

Eligibility: US residents, 18 and older