Brought to the palace as a newborn, the royal life bestowed upon Mackenna Sparrow was never meant to last forever. With Princess Alina engaged to be married, Mackenna’s presence as companion is no longer required and, like it or not, she must return to the birthright which should have been hers – that of a commoner. But not everyone at the palace wants her gone. When the truths she’s based her … life on start crumbling as fast as her future, will she find the courage to trust, both herself and the prince she’s fallen in love with?
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This book is so enchanting, so beautifully written and so engrossing I didn’t want it to end. As I read the book I thought of Lady Dianna and how unsure she was as she became the most photographed woman in the world. Her life changed so drastically the moment she said I do. As little girls many of us dream about marrying a prince and living in a palace. Those dreams sometimes come true but at a cost.
Kenna is a wonderful character who has grown up in a castle where she was given the name Lady Mackenna. Many people hoped one day that she would become queen. In one moment her life was almost perfect and then in the blink of a eye she was exiled from the palace. I disliked the King and how callous he was in his treatment to Kenna. The king was bitter over losing his wife and for some reason had it in for Kenna.
Oh Ben be still my heart. The Prince was everything I hoped for in this story. He is handsome, kind, thoughtful and has a big secret. It was easy for me to see how much he loved Kenna, but she kept denying it in her head. The author has written a book so romantic and entertaining that I kept hoping the story would never end. It was easy to picture the ball and the lovely gown Lady Mackenna wore. Her grace and Ben’s charm were nothing short of a fairy tale romance.
I loved reading how an unexpected event draws Ben and Kenna closer together despite his father’s demands to stop seeing each other. I liked Ben’s ability to follow his heart and not be threatened by his father. Towards the end of the story, the author throws in a wonderful glimpse of God and how much He loves everyone. The ending is touching and the story shows how faith has guided several people in the story. I was captivated by the devotion Ben and others had to something that could possibly get them killed. It is a beautiful story written with such grace, vivid descriptions and the unconditional love of the one true King.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
If I could describe this book in only one word, it would be “intriguing”.
This book grabbed my attention from the very first page. It’s a little hard to put this story in an exact time and place which makes it even more intriguing. At times I thought I was reading a “modern” fairytale, but then something would happen to make me question if it was actually set in a modern time period or a more historical one. The author does a great job describing the palace and the “kingdom” and making it seem as if the country of Peverell could actually exist.
The character of Kenna is compassionate, thoughtful, and has a deep sense of loyalty to the kingdom. She’d make the perfect princess or Queen—except she’s not born to royalty. She’s been raised in the palace from babyhood and treated like a princess and companion to the royal princess Alina; even had palace duties and made public appearances on behalf of the royal family. But Alina is now engaged, and Kenna’s role in the palace is no longer needed. She finds herself now leading the life she was actually born to—that of a commoner. Ben, the oldest royal son and next in line to become King, does not look at Kenna as a “little sister” anymore, although Kenna does not realize this. Their love story has quite a few obstacles to overcome, and that’s what kept me reading until I finished the book. Ben’s a good guy, and wants to be Kenna’s hero.
But all is not well in the Kingdom. There’s a challenge to worship and faith. This part of the story raises some interesting questions and I’d love to be in a group discussion about this aspect of the book.
And it’s not often that I think this, but this cover was PERFECT for this story!
This clean, sweet story is great for Young Adults-up. And now I’m waiting to see what happens next in the kingdom of Peverell.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This is a very interesting book. I enjoyed the characters. Some I liked and some I didn’t think much of but that was how they were portrayed. I did like what the rebels were trying to fight for. It was interesting to find out what they were fighting for. This is a good romance. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
While most little girls dreamed about being princesses, in the fantasy of my imagination I was a prairie girl—funny, really, because my name is Hebrew for “princess.” I watched all of the Disney movies and read endlessly, so I had a passing familiarity with fairy tales, but the life of royalty never appealed to me as something I would welcome. Too much attention, too many restrictions, having to dress up and entertain…no thanks! Finery and lavish living don’t entice me at all. I will admit that being able to have a gorgeous library for my vast collection of books would be wonderful, though! That aside, however, I gravitate toward frontier fiction and add a few imperial reads for spice. In this case, I’m glad that I did!
As a debut novel, “Heart of a Royal” swept me off my feet. Hannah Currie crafts a beautiful beginning to the Daughters of Peverell series, and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. Although it is primarily a romance, there is also plenty of humor as well as some somber scenes. Even the cover evokes uncertainty and refinement. The interplay between the characters was well done, and although the major plotline itself was for the most part predictable, its execution and details did contain several twists. Mackenna (Kenna) Sparrow narrates the tale in the first person, and from the first line, I liked her. As more or less a companion to Princess Alina, she has lived her entire childhood with the same privileges, but that ends with Alina’s engagement: “For almost eighteen years, I’ve lived the life of a princess. It’s time I stopped pretending to be someone I’m not”. Kenna is much more down to earth and sensible than Alina, with an empathetic nature and compassionate heart. In some ways, Prince Thoraben (Ben) seems too good to be true, although more of his disposition becomes clear later in the narrative. Ashe’s roguish yet caring personality makes him shine. I was a bit disappointed that Kenna’s parents did not feature into the story much, especially given the decisions they made in her life.
Intended for a teen and young adult audience, “Heart of a Royal” is suitable for older readers as well. While there is some angst, I did not think that it was overdone, and this is a clean Christian story that promotes faith and traditional values. I will confess that there were many times during the narrative when I wondered how Mackenna could be so blind as to not recognize the love being bestowed upon her, but then I realized that we do the same thing. How often do we not realize God’s love for us, even after we are saved? Sadly, we, too, doubt the One who has never left us and who never will. Yet His arms are always open to welcome us home, and if we will take Him at His word and trust Him, as Kenna learns, “All will be well.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Here’s Why Heart of a Royal is a Book You Should Definitely Read:
* Seriously, look at the cover!!
* The first-person, single point of view from Kenna – this story absolutely needed to be told this way! It’s easy to get lost in the story and feel every emotion!
* Excellent development of some truly beautifully written characters
* The setting – author Hannah Currie shares vivid details of this contemporary yet somewhat medieval nation while at the same time, allowing the reader to imagine Peverell in their own way.
* Romance, humor, action and adventure!
* Many surprises along the way!
* Faith and hope in what seems like the darkest of times.
* God’s unconditional love
Did I mention the cover?!?!
Frankly, more books like this – stories filled with hope, light and the reminder that God loves you – need to be face-out on the shelves in the Young Adult section of bookstores and libraries.
I absolutely recommend this book! I’m so glad I read it! Heart of a Royal is a solid debut novel. I can’t wait for more from Hannah Currie!
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To purchase a copy of Heart of a Royal directly from WhiteFire Publishing click HERE!
I received a copy of this book from author Hannah Currie and WhiteFire Publishing. A positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book was an absolute delight to read. It was cute and sweet and everything I needed at the time. An uplifting story that left a smile on my face.
Kenna and Ben were super endearing right from the start. Ben’s an honorable guy. Such a gentleman. I couldn’t help but fall for him. Kenna experiences quite a few big changes during the course of the book and I thought she handled them with grace and, though she might deny it, bravery.
Royalty books are always so much fun and this one was really good. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly but, all in all, I enjoyed it a lot and am very much looking forward to more from this author.