A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF 2019How do you tell your best friend you can’t marry him after all? Abelia is content in her menial job and tiny apartment. When royal emissaries arrive to enforce the marriage contract she thought was void, she has no intention of going with them across the Unveiled. But the alternative means losing the chance to say goodbye to her dying father and letting five … her dying father and letting five years of silence be the last thing they share…
Edward is handed his kingdom unexpectedly when his brother goes off the rails. Now, he must fight a war he doesn’t think he can win. The only task more daunting will be convincing the girl he’s loved all his life to cooperate…if only she’d call him back.
No one has ever gotten out of an international marriage contract. Can Abbie find a loophole in time to save the life she’s fought to live?
The Ex-Princess is the first book in the Borderline Chronicles and has a guaranteed HFN ending. It’s Stardust meets A Princess in Theory; you’ll love Fiona West’s heart and wit in this sweet fantasy romance adventure. Grab your copy now!
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“Chasing Down Her Highness” by Fiona West was a fun, refreshingly creative blend of adventure, fantasy, and romance that featured lovably quirky characters and a fast-paced, engaging plot. For good reason, female lead character Abelia (aka Abbie), the erstwhile princess of Brevspor, gave up her claim to the throne and left to build a life of her own. Her betrothal contract to childhood friend and fellow royal Prince Edward of Orangiers remained in effect, however, so when Edward’s brother attempted to murder their father and set off a potential civil war, he decided to track down his wayward fiancee. Edward hoped that marrying Abbie and solidifying their countries’ alliance might be enough to prevent the coming battle. Unfortunately, he didn’t plan on Abbie’s refusal to honor their contract, mercenaries intent on kidnapping her to prevent the marriage, or any number of other threats along the way. They were forced to undertake a lengthy, arduous journey in disguise on horseback through unknown (and often unfriendly) territory to get back home.
I loved the way Abbie and Edward’s romance slowly grew over the course of the story as they got to know each other again as adults. Even though the book ended in a HFN (Abbie and Edward’s story continues into book two with their wedding), their story felt complete, and I wasn’t disappointed at all with where they ended up. I also loved how much growth was evident in each of their character arcs.
The book’s secondary characters were a tremendous amount of fun and added a lot of depth and humor to the story. My favorite was Stargazer the talking horse because he was so amusing; his lines were some of the best in the book. I also liked Abbie’s traveling companions, Rubald and Rutha. Rubald was sometimes a bit gruff, but his wife Rutha was so kind and loving, and they each took good care of Abbie in their own way.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Chasing Down Her Highness” and recommend it for fans of YA and/or adult fantasy romance. I plan to continue with the series.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
Fiona West’s The Ex-Princess (The Borderline Chronicles Book 1) is a fabulously innovative and imaginative work for so many reasons. It’s world building is unique: a mixture of lands with and without technology (but don’t worry, those over the veil have fun things like talking horses and look down on those in the “box”). It’s got a mix of almost medieval royalties and political intrigue, etc., mixed with modern things like press conferences. Ugly war based on claims to a throne but countries where racial tolerance is the norm. It’s got plot lines that run the gambit from a quite recognizable autoimmune disease and it’s impact, to family dynamics, to politics and intrigue to great romance, action and adventure. This book most definitely does not fit into a category but the overall story, and especially the romance of Abbie (the ex-princess) and Peter (heir to another throne and her contracted mate), is a truly wonderful one. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
This was a world and cast of characters I just fell in love with. Funny, witty, sweet, sarcastic, caring, tender, and incredibly stubborn and mule headed. Abbie is an amazing character dealing with an autoimmune condition that is dealt with in an honest, real and raw way that is rarely seen. The enemies to lovers romance is so well done – oh Edward – my heart! Clean, slow burn, relationship based- the kind of deep love that isn’t afraid to laugh at the awkward moments and battle though the conflicts. All wrapped up in a fantastic adventure you won’t want to put down.
The world is unique as well, with strict boundaries containing magic and tech. The magic seems almost sentient at times – and playful and capricious. This book chronicles both the ex-princess’ journey back home and her journey to accepting who she is. Along the way she encounters a large cast of dynamic characters, many of whom you will be loath to leave behind. Definitely a world I want to spend more time in.
This is the first book in the Rocky Royal Romance series and can be read as a standalone – no clffhanger ending. The world and characters are so richly drawn you’ll want to dive right back in though. There is a bit of set up for the next book in the series and promises of more danger, swoon-worthy kisses and laugh out loud hilarity.