[Review] A Princess by Christmas, by Julia London

Title: A Princess by Christmas
Series: A Royal Wedding #3
Author: Julia London
Publisher: Mills&Boon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: October 1st 2020

Synopsis:

A Secret. A Lie. A Revolution.

Hollis Honeycutt has written her London gazette since the death of her husband – featuring fashion plates, marriage advice, and the latest gossip in and around Mayfair. But now she feels her gazette should have more meaning, cover topics of more consequence than the latest curl cream.

The opportunity presents itself when Hollis overhears rumours of a potential coup in the Kingdom of Wesloria, a coup linked to the highest level of government in London. During her investigation Hollis spies a man with no business lurking around peace talks, and determines to expose him for the traitor he most certainly must be.

When Weslorian Marek Brendan was fifteen he was shocked to discover his heritage was not what he believed – he was whisked away from the Weslorian palace when he was born because there was fear that corrupt forces would try and kidnap him. Now he is determined to stop these corrupt forces staging a coup in his home country. Except for the beautiful woman whose questions are putting his own investigation at risk. Yet soon Marek realises that pretty Hollis can help him. But when he confides his suspicions, Hollis’s loyalties are tested and she must choose between her loyalties to her family, or her heart…

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

First of all, I have to admit it took me quite a bit of time to read this book (and if you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a few stories about me being bored with the current book). However, I kept reading, and around the 75%, 80% mark, the book did improve.

I usually really enjoy Julia London’s writing and stories, but this series has been amiss with me (I’ve started the first one I don’t know how long ago, but since it wasn’t an ARC, I’ve put it aside to read at a different time).

I didn’t really like the heroine, Mrs Hollis Honeycutt, and I didn’t like that the author kept perpetuating this “oh corsets are bad, they squeeze you up, bla blab la” situation. If you’re interesting in knowing more about the subject, and why it’s wrong to keep saying this, check out Abby Cox, Bernadette Banner, and others on YouTube. It really annoyed me that even though we were given a curvy heroine, she was always complaining about the tight dresses, not wanting to wear a corset, and her family just kept harassing her about her extra weight. It just seemed unnecessary, and too much, too many times.

I wasn’t a fan of the heroine’s family, either. It just didn’t feel right how they treat Hollis, and how she sometimes behaved.

I actually liked Marek, even though it was hard to know him – but that was part of his charm. I felt the whole white hair/deaf situation (me trying not to spoil things!) was left unfinished, and in truth the title made me think something different would have happened.

I liked the main plot point, but boy did it drag on! It took a looong time for something to happen, which is one of the reasons why this book was just too boring for me.

At the end, it picked up the pace a bit, but that didn’t make up for everything before.

There really isn’t much more to say about the book, it wasn’t bad, it just was… boring.

[Excerpt] A Princess by Christmas, by Julia London

Today I bring you an excerpt of Julia London's new book,
A Princess by Christmas!

Title: A Princess By Christmas
Series: A Royal Wedding #3
Author: Julia London
Publisher: Mills&Boon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: October 1st 2020

Synopsis:

A Secret. A Lie. A Revolution.

Hollis Honeycutt has written her London gazette since the death of her husband – featuring fashion plates, marriage advice, and the latest gossip in and around Mayfair. But now she feels her gazette should have more meaning, cover topics of more consequence than the latest curl cream.

The opportunity presents itself when Hollis overhears rumours of a potential coup in the Kingdom of Wesloria, a coup linked to the highest level of government in London. During her investigation Hollis spies a man with no business lurking around peace talks, and determines to expose him for the traitor he most certainly must be.

When Weslorian Marek Brendan was fifteen he was shocked to discover his heritage was not what he believed – he was whisked away from the Weslorian palace when he was born because there was fear that corrupt forces would try and kidnap him. Now he is determined to stop these corrupt forces staging a coup in his home country. Except for the beautiful woman whose questions are putting his own investigation at risk. Yet soon Marek realises that pretty Hollis can help him. But when he confides his suspicions, Hollis’s loyalties are tested and she must choose between her loyalties to her family, or her heart…

Chapter Three

He didn’t hear the woman approach him, didn’t see her until she leaned into his line of sight, which gave him such a start that he must have jumped a good foot in the air. This happened to him quite often when someone approached him from the left. He was deaf in that ear.

He recognized her right away, of course. She smiled. She had a very pretty smile that matched her very pretty face, which he had noticed earlier today. She had deep blue eyes that shone with the light of a generous spirit. Her hair was very dark, almost black. He’d once heard that the Welsh had very dark hair. He wouldn’t really know—he’d never met a Welshman in his life.

He realized, a beat too late, that she was speaking. Her voice was soft and he couldn’t quite make out what she said in the din of so many voices. He leaned forward as was his habit, his gaze on her lips. How do you do. Aha. “Very well,” he said. “Thank you.”

“I really must thank you, sir!” she said. “I was so startled earlier that I couldn’t utter a word after you saved me from all but tossing myself into the street.”

He wasn’t certain whether or not she meant she had deliberately tried to fall into the street, or if the expression was another English euphemism he didn’t understand.

“Isn’t this something?” she asked, shifting slightly closer. Now that he could see her lips, the words she spoke sounded clearer to him. “So many kings and queens and potential kings and queens in one room.”

He looked around them. The people gathered here ought to have been kings and queens, given the purpose of this event.

When he looked at her again, she smiled prettily and asked, rather loudly, even to him, “Do you speak English?”

He blinked. “I—I just spoke English to you.”

“Ah, so you did!” she said cheerfully. “You must be Weslorian. Are you Weslorian?”

Was she Weslorian? No, impossible—she had an English accent and wore no green. Why was she asking him this? Why was she asking anything at all? A dull throb of suspicion went through him.

“I spotted your patch of green,” she said, as if she was proud of this, as if it was a special talent of hers. The green was on his cuff, clearly visible. He felt conspicuous. And a wee bit duped, as if someone should have warned him this would happen, that a beautiful woman would approach him from the left and startle him. But, then again, no one had expected him to be at this tea at all, and least of all, him. He’d received an engraved invitation, addressed to Marek Brendan, at the behest, he suspected, of Lord Dromio, the minister of trade.

The woman suddenly laughed, as if he’d said something amusing. “Do you at least have a name, sir?”

He’d failed to introduce himself, he realized, and now he was a bit reluctant. There was something about her that was causing him to feel a bit vulnerable.

In the space of his hesitation, she stepped closer. He caught a whiff of lilac or rosewater—something sweet and pleasurable. “I beg your pardon, I should have introduced myself—Mrs. Honeycutt.” She held out her hand.

He hesitated, then took it, bowing over it. “A pleasure. Marek Brendan.”


From A Princess by Christmas. Copyright 2020 by Julia London and reprinted with permission from Mills&Boon.

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About the author:
Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch and The Perfect Homecoming.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction.

She lives in Austin, Texas.

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