The Calico Critic: Book Review and Giveaway: Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Regina Beswick was born to be a princess.

But she's content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware a secret destiny awaits her. One that will leap from the pages of her grandmother's hand-painted book of fairytales.

Tanner Burkhardt is the stoic Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg. When he is tasked to retrieve the long-lost princess, he must overcome his fear of failure in order to secure his nation's future---and his own.

Yet lurking in the political shadows is a fierce opponent with sinister plans to abolish the throne forever. Overwhelmed with opposition, Regina must decide if she's destined to restore old cars or an ancient nation. Together---with a little divine intervention---Regina and Tanner discover the truth of her heritage and the healing power of true love.

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Almost a year ago author Rachel Hauck brought us the lovely Once Upon a Prince, the beginning of her Royal Wedding series. I enjoyed this modern fairy tale, which was predominantly situated in South Georgia, where I now reside. It was romantic and sweet as well as thought provoking and inspiring. This set of stories now continues with Princess Ever After, now available from Zondervan press.

Although second in the series, Princess Ever After is not a sequel to the first tale. Hauck introduces us to a new set of royalty, characters with their own separate histories from those in Once Upon a Prince. And while Hauck retains a similar romantic and chaste tone throughout the novel, the new main characters of Regina Beswick and Tanner Burkhardt have their own struggles, temptations and lifelong issues that they are wrestling with. The setting is once again in the south (Tallahassee, Florida to be exact), but the story felt less grounded in the location as it was in Prince.

A main premise of the story centers around the notion that the antique car-loving, independent-minded Regina is found to be the heir of a small island duchy in the North Sea called Hessenberg. She’s given the opportunity to take her place as royalty, thereby possibly saving the culture of this land, due to legal reasons in an entail. At first it was challenging for me to understand the legal justifications of this premise, but this mirrored Regina’s initial confusion as well. I appreciated the time that Hauck took to bring Regina (and this reader) into clear understanding (and belief) of the presented situation. Miss Beswick is faced with believing the outlandish story of a stranger, Hessenberg’s Minister of Culture. Had I been in her position, I would have doubted his claims of my royalty as well. Regina doesn’t just buy his story outright, hook, line and sinker. Through legal documents and corresponding true facts from her past, she comes to believe that she indeed is the long-lost princess.

Like Once Upon a Prince, Rachel Hauck builds a realistic, sweet and delectable relationship between the main characters in Princess Ever After. They also must overcome the contrary motivations of those whose lust for power would obliterate the Hessenberg throne in order to achieve their own purposes. For the most part, we can see where the plot is headed, but the journey is so pleasant, it’s more about enjoying the ride than being amazed by unbelievable plot twists.

There are also spiritual lessons interwoven throughout the narrative. Like many of us, Regina wrestles with God’s will for her life. She has her own personal desires, both in choosing where she will live out her days and regarding the handsome young man who has come into her life. Tanner has some pretty challenging issues from his past, and he struggles with some of the same feelings that many of us deal with as we look back on poor choices we made in our youth. Once again, the Christian values are evident without being heavy-handed. However, the novel is not filled with copious sermonizing. It’s simply a charming story, one that any lover of light romantic tales involving royalty would savor. I’m pleased to say that Princess Ever After is a delightful edition to the Royal Wedding series, and I look forward to more regal tales from author Rachel Hauck.

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of her latest "swoon"-worthy romance, Princess Ever After, with a fun $200 "Princess" prize package giveaway and a Facebook "Princess" party on March 6th. Grab your tiaras and RSVP today!

One winner will receive:

A $200 Visa cash card (buy your very own "princess ever after" gown or tanks of gas for your "royal" ride)
Princess Ever After, Once Upon a Prince, and The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 6th. Winner will be announced at Rachel's "Princess" Facebook Party on March 6th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of "royal" book chat, princess-themed trivia, laughter, prizes, and an exclusive look at the next book in the Royal Wedding series!

So grab your copy of Princess Ever After and join Rachel and friends on the evening of March 6th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)