"In Search of a Prince" by Toni Shiloh

Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops the mother of all bombshells--Brielle is a princess in the kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, is failing. Distraught by her mother's betrayal, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before assuming the throne or the crown will be passed to another. Uncertain who to choose from the council's list of bachelors, she struggles with the decision along with the weight of her new role in a new country. With her world totally shaken, she must take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring.

I'm not big on contemporary royalty fiction, but this one was really well written. Superficially, the story is like The Princess Diaries, but I'd say it's a thoughtful, faith-filled, grown-up version. Brielle isn't worried about looking and acting like a perfect princess--she's concerned with learning about the country, honoring the people, and choosing what's best for them, even when it doesn't feel like it's what's best for her. It means giving up her life for something she never dreamed she'd have to prepare for. She has her flaws, but she's a very steady, responsible person (not bad characteristics for a middle school teacher). I was feeling anxiety on her behalf as her timeline kept getting cut shorter and pressures kept piling on her. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes!

It was wonderful to read a story set in Africa. While the country itself is fictional, the culture and history are based on the countries surrounding it. Ọlọrọ Ilé might be tropical rather than edge-of-the-Sahara, but it still definitely evoked memories of Dakar, Senegal for me (especially discussion of the gorgeous fabrics--I totally agree with Iris's passion on that front). Speaking of Iris, I'm glad to see there is a story her coming next! She makes a great best friend, and I'm excited to see her get her own happy ending.

Christy Award winner of the Amplify Award in 2022!

"The Debutante's Code" by Erica Vetsch - Thorndyke & Swann Regency Mysteries, book 1

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away at school, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a family legacy of espionage. Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft. Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

I enjoyed that this book is a set-up for a series about Juliette and Daniel, not just a stand-alone. This is Juliette's introduction to the spy world, and it's a lot to take in for a debutante freshly home from abroad. She's no only navigating her first season, being on hand to support her best friend, and after years abroad at school, STILL not getting to see her beloved parents, but also doing nightly cryptography work, spy training, art theft, and being hounded by a handsome Bow Street Runner. She's got a pretty full plate.

It was fun to Daniel come into his own as he fights for his place among the Bow Street Runners. Lots of mystery remains about his past and anonymous patron. I'm glad we get more books to get to know him! And I have to say, I adored Uncle Bertie. I hope we get more of him in the future! I'm looking forward to the next book and what exciting mystery will cross over between the criminal underworld and international espionage--and toss Juliette and Daniel back together.

Thorndyke & Swann Regency Mysteries
1. The Debutante's Code
2. Millstone of Doubt 
3. Children of the Shadows

"Enchanting the Heiress" by Kristi Ann Hunter - Hearts on the Heath, book 3

Harriet Hancock likes to make the lives of those around her better whether they like it or not. So, she is surprised when her friend Sophia Whitworth has ideas of her own on how to make Harriet happier--by throwing her together with Sophia's brother, stable hand Jonas Fitzroy. When Harriet discovers his natural way with words, she hatches a plan that would benefit them both. Holding a grudge against Harriet for her meddling in Sophia's life, it is only because of his sister that Jonas agrees to approach Harriet about a possible artistic project. What he doesn't expect is for her to request his help writing a book. As they work together, they start to see each other in a different light, but when the truth of Harriet's schemes is revealed, she'll find her good intentions for once have gone too far.

I have enjoyed every one of Kristi Ann Hunter's novels, and this one no exception. There's plenty of humor, a sweet romance, lots of growth, and possibly the most bible references I've ever read in a single novel (which I enjoyed--they're even listed out in the author's note!). I was looking forward to getting to know Harriet after the previous two books, and I never expected her pairing up with Jonas--they are definitely a case of opposites attracting. But he's strong and stubborn enough stand up to her machinations, which she needs. There is a fine line between subtle help and manipulation, and Harriet wobbles between the two. She always has good intentions, and the results are often quite good, but Jonas does have a point that she goes a bit too far. 

I'm still hoping for a book about Lord Rigsby. 

Thank you Bethany House and Revell for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Hearts on the Heath
1. Vying for the Viscount
2. Winning the Gentleman
3. Enchanting the Heiress

Related series: (Chronologically Hawthorne House comes first, Haven Manor second, and then Hearts on the Heath)

Hawthorne House
0.5 "A Lady of Esteem" - a free novella introduction to the Hawthornes and friends!
1. A Noble Masquerade
2. An Elegant Facade
3. An Uncommon Courtship
4. An Inconvenient Beauty

Haven Manor
0.5: "A Search for Refuge" (free prequel e-novella)
1. A Defense of Honor
2. A Return of Devotion
3. A Pursuit of Home 
3.5: "Legacy of Love" (published in The Christmas Heirloom novella collection)

"The Do-Over" by Bethany Turner

When McKenna Keaton walks into the boardroom of Wallis, Monroe, and Burkhead, she expects to be named senior partner. Instead, she learns she’s being investigated for embezzlement. To wait out her unpaid leave, McKenna sublets her apartment and goes home to North Carolina to save money. Saving face is going to be another thing entirely, but she assumes her problems will blow over soon. While living in her childhood hometown, McKenna learns about a family curse that—if real rather than imagined—could suggest she has less than a year to live. This information is troubling (of course!), but it’s the reunion with former classmate Henry—Durham’s favorite son—that flips her world upside down. Henry is now a celebrated documentarian, back in town to premiere his latest masterpiece. As she waits out the results of the investigation and wonders if her literal life is hanging in the balance, McKenna debates her future and questions her past. She might survive it all in one piece—but a new love and a newly-examined life might be the only things that can save her. 

It's an entertaining romantic comedy that would fit in well with classic 90's rom-coms, like You've Got Mail, Runaway Bride, and While You Were Sleeping. Lots of funny moments, some tender moments, and some wonderfully cathartic ones when McKenna finally does the right thing. McKenna is definitely flawed--particularly when it comes to her relationships with her family. I vastly disagree with some of her choices--burying the truth about something as significant as an embezzlement investigation is not . . . ideal, and every little lie one tells to hide it just digs the hole deeper. However, I do like how she grows closer to her tag-along little sister (as well as her close relationship with her older sister), and how she reprioritizes her family. I wouldn't have minded a bit more about the embezzlement scandal, but to be fair, it was a rom com, not a legal thriller.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.