ONCE UPON A PRINCE by Rachel Hauck

Prince Nathaniel comes to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia for a holiday. His father is sick which means he’ll be taking over as King of Brighton sooner than expected. The last thing he’s looking for on this holiday is love but then Susanna Truitt enters his life in a most unexpected way. Susanna is a planner and likes everything laid out nice and neat. So when her boyfriend of 12 years breaks it off, she’s understandably hurt and angry. She ends up being hassled by a vagrant and the Prince comes to her rescue. She doesn’t know he’s a prince. Her spit and fire attracts him but he also sees an honest, compassionate woman. She is drawn to Nathaniel because of his kindness and integrity. But what will happen when she finds out he’s really a prince? And how can they have a future together if the Brighton law requires him to marry someone else?

This was a fun modern day fairy tale and one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I loved getting to know Susanna and Nathaniel. Both were interesting, loveable characters loaded with personality! I also loved the setting of St. Simon’s Island. I have family that live in Brunswick so the area was familiar to me which made it even better. The story moved along at a steady pace, although a few parts got a little tied up with the political background of Brighton, but other than that you want to keep reading to find out how it all turns out. The message of totally turning everything over, including yourself, to the Lord was very well done. It’s something that’s easier said than done, especially for someone like Susanna. But, God’s way and timing are always best. The ending was great although I did have a few questions I would have liked answered. However, this is the first in a series so I’m guessing those may be brought out in the next installment, which I'm looking forward to. If you're looking for a fun, take-me-away type story then I recommend Once Upon a Prince. Don’t you just love the cover?

*This complimentary copy was provided by Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0310315476
ISBN-13: 978-0310315476