The Calico Critic: New Book from Rachel Hauck | How to Catch a Prince and Royal Giveaway

Behind him, beside him, before him, the synchronized cathedral bells began to ring out.

One, two, three . . .

Then she said it first. The words his heart burst to share. “I love you, Stephen..”

She caught her prince once. Can she catch him again?

American heiress Corina Del Rey’s life was devastated by war. Every thing she loved was lost. But after five years of grief, she’s shed her grave clothes and started over in the sunshine along the Florida coast.

But some things are not so easily forgotten. When a secret from her past confronts her face to face, she realizes she must follow her heart. Even if it cost her everything.

Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom is a former Royal Air Command lieutenant turned star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life after the devastation of war.

When his brother, King Nathaniel, discovers Stephen’s pre war secret, he must deal with an aspect of his life he longed to forget. But how can he do so without exposing the truth and breaching national security?

Yet, true love has a destiny all it’s own. As the cathedral bells peal through Cathedral City, Corina and Stephen must chose to answer the call of love on their hearts.

Or let it be lost forever?

The year 2013 brought us Once Upon a Prince, followed by Princess Ever After in 2014, and now we have the next volume in the Royal Wedding Series by Rachel Hauck. I enjoyed the first two titles in this collection, and How to Catch a Prince is no exception. Like its predecessors, the main female character is from the American south, this time the Melbourne, Florida area, not too far from where I lived in Vero Beach from 2006-2011. I found it amusing that two of the three stories in the Royal Wedding Series are set in areas very close to areas I’ve lived. This bears no influence on my opinion of the books; I just found it to be interesting.

Unlike the other novels, How to Catch a Prince begins with the main characters’ relationship in a different state. They already know each other and have a significant bit of history. The struggle of the tale comes in how they work out that history, as well as painful secrets between them. Corina and Stephen have great chemistry—in just being around each other, they can’t help but banter and participate in the dance that is their relationship. Corina is vulnerable, yet strong. I had Olivia Munn from The Newsroom in mind as I envisioned her. For the royal, rugby-playing Stephen I imagined Henry Cavill of the latest Superman movie. There is more than one reference to the Man of Steel in the novel, so I found that casting choice to be an interesting one. And like Stephen, Henry is not an American. He has a lovely English accent, much like I hear in my head for Stephen.

Corina: Olivia Munn

Stephen: Henry Cavill

The narrative tension in How to Catch a Prince is not quite as strong as in the other novels, but I never lost interest in the plot as the story unfolded. The conclusion of the story was kind of a “given” in my mind. It was just a matter of seeing how we would get to that conclusion, and specifically how that ending would appear. Hauck once again includes a significant portion of spiritual material with her characters. God is definitely an influencing force in their lives and relationship. I particularly enjoyed the use of a couple of characters in an old inn, where Corina resided while on a visit to the kingdom of Brighton. They were certainly very spiritual, but I also felt that they gave a “Cinderella feel” to the story, taking on fairy-like roles in Corina’s life. It was magical, and I loved their presence in the narrative.

Rachel does include references to the other novels in this series, most notably the first novel, as Stephen is the brother of King Nathaniel from Once Upon a Prince. But as with the other titles, How to Catch a Prince can very much stand on its own. Reading the books in order is of course preferable, but feel free to jump right in with How to Catch a Prince. You’ll do just fine. Once again Rachel Hauck has brought a fun, light, yet spiritually thoughtful story to her audience. It’s my understanding that this is to be the end of the series, but I hope that Ms. Hauck composes another. The ancient ancestor King Stephen could easily sustain his own novel. Indeed, his life story is interesting enough that it’s made into a movie within How to Catch a Prince. I think there’s some good storytelling to be found there.

As the new Cinderella movie has come to theaters (and I look forward to seeing that as well), lovers of fanciful tales involving commoners transforming into princesses will most likely enjoy the Royal Wedding Series by Rachel Hauck. She provides for her audience fun entertainment, but with an important spiritual messages, such as "Don't confine yourself to a life of insignificance," and "You are a person of worth because Christ died for you." Her stories are more than sweet romantic tales, tied up with a pretty bow. While they are sweet and romantic, the eternal truths that they share go beyond mere fairy tale. They can touch the reader's heart and be an instrument of God's hand in their lives. So while How to Catch a Prince was an entertaining, magical and worthy newcomer to this delightful series, it also encourages us to live a life of purpose and to know that yes, even we are worth dying for.

An American heiress and a crown prince seem destined to be together. Will the devastation of war keep them apart forever? Find out in Rachel Hauck's new book, How to Catch a Prince. True love has a destiny all its own. With a little heavenly help, Prince Stephen and Corina embark on a journey of truth. But when the secrets are revealed, can they overcome, move forward, and find love again?

Enter to win a "royal" prize pack!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A royal-themed Brighton charm bracelet
2 tickets to see the new Cinderella movie
The Royal Wedding series (Once Upon a Prince, Princess Ever After, and How to Catch a Prince)

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 23rd. Winner will be announced March 24th on Rachel's blog.

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

Paperback

Kindle

Audiobook

Book 1

About the Author:

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as The Wedding Dress, Love Starts with Elle, and Once Upon A Prince. She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, Softly and Tenderly, one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets.

Find Rachel online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Complimentary copy provided for review purposes only. No other compensation given.

The Calico Critic

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

New Book from Rachel Hauck | How to Catch a Prince and Royal Giveaway

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