As with several of the other books this author has written, The Inadvertent Princess is the story of a marriage of convenience, though in this case, Anabelle and Kensington have at least started the process of falling in love before they get married. But once they elope, things start getting a little crazy.
As I was reading about the characters traveling between the islands, I caught myself thinking about doing a Google search to find out about the most common ways the people travel between the islands and how much it would probably cost (could the poorer people afford to go back and forth). All of a sudden, I realized that these islands only exist in Ms. Moncado's imagination and her books! I love that I was able to get so caught up in the descriptions that the places became real to me.
The characters were interesting and "real". Anabelle got bored, depressed, angry and scared. She did not deal with situations perfectly, though she did realize it was important to turn to God in prayer for help. Kensington was already losing some of his hair. What is funny is that I don't recall details of his physical description other than this. Possibly because my handsome husband has some of those same genes, apparently.
There were some plot elements in the book that didn't seem to get resolved. I don't want to give any spoilers so I won't mention which ones. It is possible that they will be worked out in the next book, or the one following. As all of this author's books are intertwined, this is very possible. Overall, the story was complete and did not end on a cliff-hanger related to the main characters.
As I was reading, I kept coming across things that had me thinking "I'm so glad I'm not royalty". So I listed them here:
Why I'm Glad I'm not Royalty
- I can dance with my husband throughout the entire ball, and no one will be affronted and sever relations with my country if I do
- I get to pick my own house - seriously, I wonder how often a complete demolition for a remodel of a suite of rooms in a palace takes place. Are the members of the royal family just stuck with the rooms the way they are?
- No paparazzi chase me!
- I get to pick out my own clothes, and no one but me cares if my style is not ideal
- I have no need for a personal security team to follow me everywhere I go
- I don't have to wear disguises when I travel in public
- I only have three names and no titles to remember (nor the intense responsibility that goes with them!)
- No politics unless I choose them
- The field of acceptable jobs for me to do is vast
What do you think? Are there any reasons you can think of that you are glad you aren't royalty? I'd love to have you respond in the comments with your thoughts.This review was originally posted on Among the Reads