Review: The Secret Prince by Justine Lewis

The Secret Prince
by Justine Lewis

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance
Publication:  November 4th 2014 by Penguin Australia
Format: ebook
Source: NetGalley

Prince Alexander Davros is on the run. From the press, from his bodyguards, and from a secret that threatens his position as heir to his country's throne ...

Journalist Maddie Lawson is determined to prove herself capable of covering hard news. She's fuming when her boss tells her to investigate reports of a European prince holidaying undercover in Sydney. As far as Maddie is concerned, Alexander Davros is a freeloading playboy.

When their accidental meeting results in a media frenzy, Alex is convinced Maddie's just been using him for a story. And Maddie can't believe the cute surfer she kissed was actually royalty. With her professional reputation in tatters, Maddie has no choice but to accept the royal family's offer to travel to Europe to write a profile on the Prince.

While furious that his father has arranged for Maddie to visit, Alex is forced to keep her close or risk having her uncover his secret. And as they spend more time together, the attraction between them grows. But if Maddie discovers the truth, she'll have to choose between the career she's worked so hard for and the man she's just getting to know ...

The Secret Prince is definitely a light, entertaining read. It was nicely written and reading this book feels like reading a fairy tale, with the Amorea prince fell for a common girl from Australia.

Maddie met Alex on her job to investigate reports of a European prince holidaying undercover in Sydney. Maddie had no idea who Alex were when she met him. But after they shared a kiss, everything changed. Alex turned out to be the prince she was looking for. 

I love the characters in the book. But I love Maddie the most. She wasn't really a princess material, and she made it clear from the start. And Alex is such a cutie at first, but his personality changed once he returned to Amorea. Both Maddie and Alex were trying to deny the feeling they had for each other to protect themselves. Nevertheless, I thought that the two of them had a really good chemistry. They were cute together. And reading the book makes me smile. 

The ending was very sweet and cute. But I kinda wish that Maddie should resist just a little bit and give a thought about being a princess. Still, I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to read more from the author.

Review: First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost (Waverley Family #2)
by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance
Publication:  January 20th, 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Format: ebook, 304 pages
Source: NetGalley
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook

From the New York Times bestselling author of GARDEN SPELLS comes a story of the Waverley family, in a novel as sparkling as the first dusting of frost on new-fallen leaves...

It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has. Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke? When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

Lose yourself in Sarah Addison Allen's enchanting world and fall for her charmed characters in this captivating story that proves that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It’s where the real story begins.

First Frost is a delicious and heartwarming read. At first, I was a bit confused with the changing point of view. There were lots of characters and I didn’t get the chance to get to know them in the first book. But after a while, I got used to it and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. 

The writer had her own magic with her stories. The story was written beautifully. I hadn’t realized how time flies by the time I finished the book. I was so immersed with the magic that the Waverley women had. I love the relationship between the Waverley sister had. But I was more enchanted reading about Claire and her magic with her candies, since I do books with a bit of food. It was exciting to see Bay and her romantic life. And I was intrigued with the mystery man in town. I hope to see more books about the Waverley women soon. Maybe one that centered on Bay’s story? That would be wonderful!

I haven't read the first book, Garden Spell, although I’ve heard a lot of good things about the book. And now, I really need to read the first book soon. Even though First Frost is the sequel of the Waverley Family series, I think that First Frost could to be read as a standalone. This book was an enjoyable quick read. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ARC.