HOW TO CATCH A PRINCE by Rachel Hauck

Corina Del Rey, an American heiress, found her true prince in Prince Stephen.  With the promise of a wonderful future together, Stephen heads off to serve in the Royal Air Command in Afghanistan (along with Corina's brother).  War can change a man and when tragedy strikes, Stephen returns home an empty, guilt-ridden man who rejects Corina and pours himself into playing rugby.  Now Corina faces a future without her Prince as well as her brother.  What really happened in Afghanistan to change Prince Stephen so much?  A bargain is made between Corina and Stephen and as the truth unfolds and secrets come to light (and with a little heavenly help), Stephen and Corina must learn to put the past to rest and trust in the One who holds their future and loves them well.

I thoroughly enjoyed How to Catch a Prince.  From beginning to end, I was totally enchanted with the characters as well as the story.  Corina was so down-to-earth and non-pretentious for being an heiress.  I loved that.  She could easily have been a good friend and I liked how she handled things.  Stephen was a really great guy.  Strong yet gentle, full of heart, romantic, but I will say that I just wanted to give him a good swift kick in the pants a time or two. (I'd say that's good writing when a story makes you feel that kind of emotion).  One of my favorite aspects of the story was the mystique of the Manor as well as Adelaide and Brill.  You'll have to read the story to understand what I mean but I thought it added an interesting element that you don't really find very often.  It's a modern day fairytale with a heavenly twist.  I found the aspect of 'loving well' to be very encouraging.  One quote I highlighted was "If one wanted to love well, learn from the Master.  Corina understood that life was a journey and if she'd trust him, Jesus would carve her way through the wilderness.  Be her light in the dark."   Great reminder that we have a light in the dark!  The whole Royal Wedding Series has been a complete joy to read.  Entertaining and fun with some great thought-provoking lessons.  This installment was a little more serious than the previous two as Corina and Stephen deal with the aftermath of war, but it was also uplifting as well.  So, how do you catch a Prince?  I highly recommend you pick up the book, grab a steamy beverage, cozy up in your favorite chair and find out!

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

For more information on this book or other books by Rachel Hauck, I recommend you visit her website at www.rachelhauck.com/.

UNDER THE LAWMAN'S PROTECTION by Laura Scott

Isaac Morrison is a SWAT cop and very good at his job.  When his best friend, Hawk, contacts him to say his covers been blown he asks Isaac to protect his sister, Leah, and her son, Ben. Isaac quickly accepts the challenge.   Leah and Ben arrive home and just as Leah steps out of the car someone grabs her.  Isaac arrives in time to help and he realizes he must take them somewhere safe.  Hawk was working undercover with the ATF because illegal guns that were confiscated by the police were ending up on the street and being used for crimes.  Dirty cops are involves but Hawk nor Isaac know who who they are or who they can trust.  Because her dad was killed in the line of duty, Leah has a hard time with the danger of her brother's work and although she's attracted to Isaac, she knows she can't fall for a guy who's a cop. She promised herself she would never fall for guy who had a dangerous job like her dad.  However, Isaac is so caring and wonderful with her son she really can't help herself.  Both Isaac and Leah have experienced great loss.  Will they allow the Lord to heal those inner places and perhaps take a chance on love?   But first they must find out who the dirty cops are before it's too late.

Under the Lawman's Protection is a fast-paced read that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go until the last page is turned.  You'll find yourself reading at light speed to see what happens, while biting your nails watching it all unfold.  Who can they trust!!!  I found Leah and Isaac to be life-like.  Good people with real issues; easy to relate to.  I also thought Ben was such a cute boy; a real heart stealer!    I appreciated that although Leah had a strong faith she also had questions about why God allowed the things He did.  Don't we all do that?  I also liked how her faith had an impact on Isaac.  It's a good reminder to us, that we too can have impact on someones faith, for good or bad.  There were a couple of people in the story that I felt needed closure.  They are mentioned several times and there were things going on but we never found out what happened to them.  Other than that, this is a top-notch romantic suspense and one I would definitely recommend.  This is Book 3 in the SWAT: Top Cops series but you could read it as a stand alone.

*This complimentary copy was provide by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more information on this book or other books by Laura Scott, I recommend you visit her website at www.laurascottbooks.com/