A Royal Christmas By Melody Carlson

A Royal Christmas

by Melody Carlson

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 9780800742317

With the season turning chilly in my area, I was looking forward to reading A Royal Christmas! This cover gives off all of the Christmas feels! Thanks to the publisher for sending me the book for review.

Summary:

Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school, and she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia. 

What? No. That's the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.

My Review:

Tis the season! If you're looking for a quick read that gives Christmasy vibes, then you'll enjoy A Royal Christmas. You'll get the sense that you've just landed in a Hallmark Christmas movie. The story felt like a mix between Princess Diaries and To Win a Prince (by Toni Shiloh). It wasn't really original, but it was a sweet read.

I really liked Adelaide. She's thrust into a life she never expected and dives in with great aplomb. There's a dying kind (her father), a "wicked" stepmother, and a stepbrother who is rather clueless. I liked that there was a bit of added suspense with the king's missing brother.

There is a thread of romance in the story, but it kind of feel a bit flat for me. I could see where it was going, but never got a sense of romance other than what the author tells us. Had it been a full length novel I'm sure that storyline would've been more developed.

Thankfully there was a good sense of faith to the story. I really enjoyed how the king and others wanted to keep the traditional sense of Christmas and hearing more about the Weihnachtskrippe (hand carved nativity).

If you want a quick read that gives you Christmastime feels, then you'll want to grab this story.

About the Author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic TimesCareer Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.MelodyCarlson.com.