She’s a nobody from the future. He’s a prince in the past.Lily is fascinated by the idea that a matchmaker has just been given the ability to grant wish fulfillment. When the purple haired matchmaker actually manages to send Lily into the past taking the place of Princess Liliana, betrothed to the Prince of Aragonia, Lily is excited to play along.Eduardo, Prince of Aragonia, has only had his … Aragonia, has only had his parents’ horrid marriage to compare to and is less than eager to make a similar match. When Liliana arrives, she’s different than expected, and he finds himself less bothered at his parents forcing him to marry. Can the two of them find happily ever after, or will the dangers of the past and Lily’s strange ways keep them apart?more
I have had several of the books from The Book Club series on my reading list for awhile and decided to jump right in the middle with The Reluctant Royal. I instantly fell in love with the story line (first comes marriage, then comes love) but wish there would’ve been more about the Book Club itself and a little more back story so I could better understand the foundation of why Lily is transported back in time and how, but that is my only complaint. It does touch on it briefly, but since I am starting the series in the middle, I could’ve used a little more to get my footing.
I enjoyed this book immensely, falling in love with both Eduardo and Lily, as well as the beautiful kingdom of Aragonia. Whimsical in both plot as well as the characters themselves, I found myself charmed and captivated from beginning to end. Perfectly placed with just enough tension made this a book that I devoured quickly, leaving a sweet smile on my face. I cannot wait to read more books in this series!
I Enjoyed the context and semetry of the novel.
4.5 stars for this new release in the Book Club series. Lily loves to read stories about common girls who fall in love with rich princes and live happily ever after, but no matter what Dr. Lachele Simpson (a book club member who has fairy godmother powers to allow members to find their true loves going back in time) says it doesn’t happen in real life. That is until Lily wakes up in a field many years in the past to find herself betrothed to Eduardo, Prince of Aragonia.
A fellow reviewer commented that this Book Club series reminded her of the Power of the Matchmaker series. I agree, as I thought the same thing when I heard about this new series. Both have a person that appears in all the books in the series, but they didn’t time travel in the Power of the Matchmaker.
This story drew me in from the beginning when Lily wakes up in a field and finds out she’s leaving right then for a journey to Aragonia where she’ll wed Prince Eduardo the day after she arrives. She’s up for the task even if her betrothed doesn’t seem to like her. Oh, but Eduardo does like Lily, he just can’t let his father see it, as he’s a cruel man–as a husband, father and ruler. Eduardo’s plan to leave on a tour of their kingdom immediately after the wedding allows him to get to know his new bride, who is different than anyone he’s encountered before.
I liked that each chapter gave us both character’s perspectives. I liked the post-wedding trip, when Eduardo visited his uncle and his family. Their marriage and family was such a stark contrast to that of Eduardo’s parents–who have a horrible marriage. It was the only good example he had. I really got into the intrigue that happens a few chapters before the end. It added an element of suspense and showed different facets of Eduardo and Lily to each other that they may not have otherwise seen.
The title kind of threw me off because it wasn’t Lily who was reluctant to be a royal. The story ended too soon for me–I would’ve like a couple more chapters of Lily and Eduardo and him becoming king. He’ll be a far different king than his father was and I would like to have seen a little of that.
If you’re into time travel romances you’ll want to check this one out. This is clean romance with a couple mild perilous scenes.
4.5 stars!
A fascinating time hop story complete with adventure, suspense and romance. A very enjoyable short story!
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The beginning of the story was kind of abrupt as suddenly Lily is back in another time without much of an explanation except Dr. Lachele sent her there. She was a matchmaker in other books, who set up matches sight unseen where the couples married right after meeting. This story was like that as soon after arrival Lily is put on a ship to sail to Aragonia to marry Prince Eduardo. He is cold towards her at first and she wonders if she made a mistake and should ask to be sent back. But she saves his life from an assassin and shows her compassion towards his people and as a result his heart becomes more open to her. I couldn’t live in a time much removed from today without modern amenities.
Liliana decides to take her fairy godmother up on a trip back in time, to meet the man of her dreams, Prince Eduardo or Aragonia. Thus begins the fairy tale. The marriage has been arranged by Eduardo’s father as an alliance. But Liliana is not a princess from a far-off country. And she is not familiar with all the protocols and how she should be acting. She does not like Eduardo’s high-handedness toward her although he is just acting as any man of the time would. Liliana has nothing but the historical romance novels she has read to go on and soon realizes they are not necessarily accurate. There is danger in the land and lives are in danger. Can Eduardo save the woman he is beginning to care for?
Quick, exciting read. A real fairy tale for sure.
What a wonderful story! The Reluctant Royal sucked me in from the first chapter. Lily certainly adapted things she learned in the 21st century to her new circumstances in medieval times. This book has a dictatorial ruler, an arranged marriage, and intrigue! It was enjoyable watching Lily and Eduardo discover who the other person was and try to find a way to make their marriage work.
Another interesting time travel romance to the Book Club series. It’s a short story,moves quickly and smoothly and has strong characters with an entertaining plot. The author does a great job describing her scenes and bringing the story to life. It’s an enjoyable read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions min this review are my own and freely given.
This is the first book in this series I’ve read. It is an enjoyable, fast read. The story does lack some depth & there is an unanswered question-the motive for the attack on the king (except for the fact he is a bad king). I think it’s worth the read but lacks the pezass found in the authors other works. I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest, voluntary review.
The Reluctant Royal is another book in the Book Club series. Dr. Lachele is in the book club and she has fairy godmother powers to allow members to find their true loves going back in time through a book. Lily, who is also in the book club wants to find her prince and she does. She is transported back in time to meet Prince Eduardo and become his wife. This is an interesting story of royalty, castles, dangers, and time long ago. I cannot imagine living back then but Lily can when she falls for the prince. I enjoyed the story and learning about that time period. I am so glad I did not live back then. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
This is only the second book I’ve read in this series and I definitely suggest at least reading the beginning or The Hopeless Heart to understand who Dr. Lachele is and her role in this series. This story kind of jumps right in and doesn’t give any back story for those unfamiliar with the series. However, the story itself was sweet. Lily and Eduardo have a marriage of convenience, but can they get past their differences to become more? There were some interesting twists and turns that kept you reading. I enjoyed the story, but felt it ended too soon. I would have liked some more resolution to what was happening at the end of the book and maybe an epilogue a few years later to check in on how things were going.
“The Reluctant Royal” by Laura D. Bastian
A fun, time-travel, short story. Time travel is not my usual genre. I was gifted a copy of this story and quickly got caught up in the story. I liked this clean romance. Time travel is definitely something different for me to read. I did tend to ignore the time travel part and concentrated more on the political intrigue. This is an easy read. Happy Reading !!
The Reluctant Royal
Laura has done a great job melding views of today with class roles of the past in The Reluctant Royal. I found this to be an endearing story and one worth reading.
There was plenty of angst as the divide between cultures makes it difficult for Lily and Eduardo to clearly communicate their thoughts and feelings toward each other. The tension amps up as they find themselves attracted to one another and unable to display their emotions.
Although it doesn’t distract from the book, I’m not sure the title is representative of the story as Lily was hoping her match with Eduardo would be successful. The reluctance comes into play with Eduardo but only in his attitude toward arranged marriages in general and his father’s heavy-handedness.
If I had any complaint it would be that the story ended too quickly. Lily and Eduardo were wonderful characters and I would have loved to have even more of their story.
There was no clear explanation of the motives of the antagonist in the story and it left the reader a bit confused. With the death of the royal family he wouldn’t have been the ruler so you wonder was he working alone or with others. And why?
I enjoyed this book and recommend it as an easy read, worth the time spent.
I received an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest review.