CFBA - Hand-Me-Down Princess

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingHand Me Down PrincessCANDID Publications (August 31, 2015)byCarol Moncado
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When she’s not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband, four kids, and a dog who weighs less than most hard cover books. She prefers watching NCIS to just about anything, except maybe watching Castle, or Girl Meets World with her kids. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not watching her kids – and the dog – race around her big backyard in Southwest Missouri, she’s teaching American Government at a local community college. She’s a founding member and President of MozArks ACFW, category coordinator for First Impressions, blogger at InspyRomance, and represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency.

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Prince Malachi Van Renssalaer of Mevendia is getting married. The problem? He’s never even met his bride. His father arranged everything, right down to the marriage contract. Malachi swears to himself that he will be nothing like his father in the ways that count - including his fidelity to his wife.

Jessabelle Keller would happily spend her entire life in obscurity, but her father once saved the life of a future king. Before he dies, her father is committed to seeing that king make good on his promise to have one of his sons marry her so she would be taken care of for life.

No sooner than Prince Malachi and Jessabelle return from their honeymoon, they find themselves dealing with both private trauma and the very public drama of groundless accusations from the press. Just as they begin to weave their fragile trust back together, a ghost from the king’s past arrives and threatens everything they’ve ever held dear.

Secrets have a funny way of coming out and this one could rip the faith of the country in their leaders to shreds. Malachi is determined to protect Jessabelle no matter what it takes, but will it ever be enough for her to not feel like a Hand-Me-Down Princess?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hand Me Down Princess, go HERE.


MY THOUGHTS

Stories abound of arrange marriages, but Carol Moncado gives a new and unusual twist to this one, and the result is a charming read that I couldn't put down. It would be hard enough to start an arranged marriage without ever meeting your intended; doing so in the "fish bowl" of a palace with overbearing parents/in-laws would be nearly impossible! Moncado creates a host of characters that leap off the pages of this fascinating tale. Jessabelle and Chi immediately garnered my affection and sympathies. Plenty of tension and obstacles for this sweet couple thread throughout the story, but none as great as the unforeseen twist near the end! Don't miss this incredible novel; just be sure you have some uninterrupted time before you start reading! Highly recommended.