Suddenly Royal (Royal, #1)

by Nichole Chase

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master's degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it's to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D'Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he's had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women--especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She's stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone's front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

• ISBN10: 1483953297
• ISBN13: 9781483953298
• Publish Date: 1 April 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: CreateSpace
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 466
• Language: English

Reviews

[kymmiejournals]

The story is cute and Sam knows what she wants and who she is. She's a strong and dedicated woman. Clumsy is definitely not her middle name. One thing that makes her heart melt is her stepfather who takes care of her until he was diagnosed with Cancer. Sam's world began to turn upside down when she found out that she's a royal blood. It's not a typical Cinderella story as she doesn't need to be saved by his "Prince Yummy" (as what Jess would call him) because she, herself is a Duchess. I like the story and it's cute but I don't know why the author really have to make "falconry" or study of birds/raptors a big deal. She could've just used other interests. So disappointed that the sequel isn't told by Sam anymore, or the story has been changed to Catherine's perspective.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating 3.5 Stars

This was quite adorable. I enjoyed the romance between Samantha and Alex, and found the interactions between them quite enjoyable. They had great chemistry and the banter was fun. There were a few times in the book where I thought it dragged, but the romance was great and the ending was really strong, leaving me with a good last impression.

[Nicole Lynn]

Sweet novel! Loved the story. Review to come!
--
UPDATED: Finally posting my review from my blog :)

This review previously appeared on my blog, PopCrunchBoom Books

Samantha Rousseau is just a regular girl, well sort of. She’s currently working towards her master’s degree in wildlife biology and taking care of some pretty awesome birds on campus. (Not every girl is into cleaning up bird cases and dicing up some mice). She lives with her best friend Jess and takes care of her dad who’s dealing with cancer. She has no time to worry about boys, gossip or fashion. So when a duchess from Lilaria shows up with a pretty hot nephew prince in tow she didn’t pay much attention. Until the duchess was requesting to speak with her. Then everything changed. Thrown into this new world as a long lost royal to an unfamiliar country, Sam struggles to balance her new duties, taking care of her father, and trying desperately not to fall in love with Alex, the crown prince of Lilaria.

Nichole Chase gives us an adorable New Adult novel with Suddenly Royal. I’m such a sucker for these types of novels and couldn’t wait to delve in. The story can be compared to the Princess Diaries a little bit, but I think Chase makes it her own. Plus there isn’t that much of a drastic transformation with the main character.

Sam is academically focused, loves her family, doesn’t really care about fashion or gossip and stays on equal footing with Alex. I really loved reading from her point of view. She was funny and spunky and had a laid back feel to her character that I instantly connected with. Her chemistry with Alex was sweet in some spots and hot in others. She was practical (like most main characters in these types of stories) until her heart finally won over her brain!

Alex was also written well as the love interest. He was a prince, but also a regular guy. His hotness read clearly off the page and I definitely found him swoon worthy. Their relationship developed fast, but there was still a lot of give and go between the two characters. Their connection was fun reading and I loved reading their interactions. Chase did a good job and bringing the chemistry alive between the two characters.


The subplots throughout the novel were also entertaining. Suddenly Royal wasn’t just about the romance or whether Sam would give into Alex which I like. The novel also took readers through Sam’s relationship with her father and his battle with cancer, her friendship with Jess, Jess’ relationship with her boyfriend, Sam’s growing friendship with Cathy (Alex’s sister), and various other subplots of secondary characters. Readers also saw Sam’s growth as a character as she accepted her role as a duchess in Lilaria.

I enjoyed how the story built and how Sam grew as a character. The “love story” aspect of the novel was definitely my favorite. I loved watching Sam and Alex interact and their relationship grow. This novel also set up the rest of the novels in the series as well. Readers get to see more of Cathy in Chase’s Recklessly Royal and read Max’s story in Reluctantly Royal which just had a cover release a few days ago!

Overall, this novel was super cute. It had it’s sad moments and struggles, but in the end was a heartwarming read. It was definitely a modern fairy tale story, but had its own unique aspects. The novel did have some racy and suggestive scenes, so I wouldn’t recommend anyone under 17 (though use your own judgement of course). Otherwise, go pick up this book right now! It’s a perfect pick me up for Valentine’s Day if you’re looking for a “love story” to read! :)

[Cocktails and Books]

As a reader who loves regency era historical romances, I always jump at the chance to read a contemporary romance that involves modern day aristocracy. Give me a commoner who somehow manages to spark the interest of a Duke, Earl or **gasps** a Prince and I'm there. So when I saw Abbie Glines share a link to this book on Facebook, I had to have it.

Samantha Rosseau, wildlife biology grad student, has her life turned upside down when a meeting with a visiting Duchess (who she thinks requested the meeting regarding a donation to the school's wildlife program) tells her they think she is the the heiress to a Dukedom in the country of Lilaria, Sam finds her world turned upside down. While she digests the information, His Royal Highness, Alex D’Lynsal, insists on helping Sam navigate the media storm the blows in while she makes her decision about venturing to Lilaria and claiming her birthright. What neither of them expect is the attraction between them. Alex may want to pursue more, but can he convince Sam that she's worthy of him, despite what she might think?

I loved the story, Sam and Alex. There was something magical about the whole thing. The fact that this tiny country would track down it's lost descendants and do whatever they could to restore the aristocracy. That this country would welcome a socially awkward American girl, with open arms. And most importantly, that the heir to the throne would look past duty and lineage to not only help Sam as she tries to process all the changes in her life, but fall for her despite her perceived shortcomings.

This book had it's moments of throwing an emotional gut punch, but it was done in such a way that the magic of Sam and Alex was still present. I'm so glad I saw that Facebook post, because this was one of those books that I wished could go on forever. Pure magic!