3.5 stars - This was a pleasant nice read. Stephani has been in line be with Raoul for years. She's never attracted on that since he was seeing & then married to her cousin. She works as his assistant & has been there for him as he grieved the loss of his wife. Now, his eyes are opened & he's ready to date. Can they make it work or will going public tear them apart?

Are you ready to be swept away in a wholesome,
heartwarming sweet read?
You will sample part of the life that royals must live
through the eyes of Stephani, the assistant to the Crown
Prince of Marazur.
Description is deftly woven into the story making the reader
feel as if they are there with the vivid, colorful and well
defined characters.
Power packed with emotion, fear to love again, loss and
grieving, family issues, shenanigans, personal growth,
friendship and love,this fairytale story moves at a steady pace.
This is book # 2 in the Royal Duology series. It can be read
as a stand alone. It was the first one in the Duology that I
read and the past and present mixed effortlessly making it
easy to follow the royals and their activities.
A highly recommended read!!
I volunteered to read The Crown Prince’s Bride. Thanks to St
Martin’s Press via Net Gallery for the opportunity. My opinion
is my own.

Knowing and facing the truth are two of life's hardest tasks. The third is facing fears, especially when it comes to love and loss. One woman changed the course of many lives, but can that one woman be instrumental in bringing two grieving hearts a new beginning? The mystic of a fairytale is that we always remember the beauty and forget the heartache. The Crown Prince's Bride forces the facing of some painful truths in order to get to that great big rainbow at the end of the tunnel. Donna Alward brings her own brand of magic to an awesomely majestic romance.

A Royal affair! Raoul lost his wife and love of his life in a terrible accident. He doesn't think he could ever love again, until he suddenly takes notice of his assistant. Stephani has been in love with her cousin's husband for years but his new interest may not be all that she hoped for.

I really liked this story! Both Raoul and Stephani were likeable and realistic. The story moved quickly with some nice twists.

This was such a lovely quick read! it reminded me very much of the reviews I did for the Royal Weddings books from A. C. Arthur. It looks like I do not read royal romances too often and this one was really great.

We have here a fictitious kingdom somewhere in Europe where they speak Spanish and a widowed royal prince starting to wake up from his pain a year after he lost his wife to a tragic accident. All of a sudden he has realized that his assistant (and wife's cousin btw) is well suddenly hot!

Men!

But there is a lot more to the story than this and I have just given you a taste. I frankly read the book fairly quickly in one sitting and I enjoyed it very much. I think what drew me in and got me hooked is actually Stephani that I though was really well presented. She shined for me.

I really enjoyed the book and all the characters main and secondary and I am hoping this could be a series because there is a lot there that we can work with. I am going to very much recommend it and hope you love it as much as I did!

First off, The Crown Prince's Bride is an adorable read. It's the second book, and you don't have to read The Playboy Prince and the Nanny. However, I would still recommend reading it, because you actually see how far Raoul has come. In the first book he was pretty devastated, and he's finally finding himself after his loss. He's slowly realizing he wants to move on. He starts noticing Stephani. Now Stephani has been there the whole time, and she's always wanted someone like Raoul.

We see a budding romance between Raoul and Stephani. It's adorable, because they don't know if they want to pursue the relationship. I mean it could get a little awkward. First off, Stephani was cousin to his decease wife, and she's also his personal assistant. Feelings are a little complicated. Mainly Raoul is facing a personal battle of should he move on or not.

Like I said The Crown Prince's Bride is an adorable read. Not much in the drama department. Plus, it's a fairly quick read. So, if you are in the mood for something light and sweet, The Crown Prince's Bride is calling your name.

Copy provided by St. Martin via NetGalley

Once again Author Donna Alward writes a book that wrung my heart with intense feelings. This second book to the Royal Duology is filled with raw emotions within Stephani and Raoul as well as between them. It felt real and makes one wonder if they themselves were perhaps doing the same in their life.

Though a fairytale it is heartwarming in how it shows the reader that a person can be in love and still be strong enough to walk away honoring their personal power.

Stephani is perfect. Some may think too perfect but I would disagree with them. She is thoughtful, caring and capable of taking care of her personal wellbeing when the timing was right. This part of her shines at the end of the book and is a great example for woman on how to suffer loss and find strength.

Prince Raoul's character came across as forceful enough to rule a country, compassionate and loving for his family but broken from the loss of his wife. The author's portrayal of his heartbreak and fears feels real and true to his situation.

I give this 4 STARS for its emotional impact.

Although I have not read the first book in the series (and I’ve heard it’s even better than this second one), I did enjoy Raoul and Stephani’s love story and quite a lot actually. As the blurb describes, this is close to Cinderella, which is one of my favorite fairytales.

She is smart, a great assistant, has charm and has that spark that helps her handle any though situation. The book opens with her at a party she organized in order to lift Raoul’s mood, after losing his wife in a car accident. Her attributes are well put in light, not only by her actions, but as well from the eyes of our future king. But Stephani knows very well her place and wants to escape this crush she has on him.

Raoul is not willing to give her up. Excuse me, I mean this from a professional point of view. I appreciated a lot how the author tried not to make him the sort of guy who, quite soon after becoming a widower, starts looking for a replacement. In fact, Raoul is comparing Stephani with his late wife, even involuntary. He has this struggle inside, which is very well described, through his actions and feelings.

The story has both Stephani’s point of view and Raoul’s. It helped a lot knowing what each of them was thinking or feeling in a particular moment. These perspectives are quite well balanced. We don’t see more from her and less of him or the other way around. The glamour of palace life is also detailed nicely. Even if we speak about a royal dinner or a super party, we have the etiquette that needs to be respected.

To keep it short, I liked this second book, might as well read the first one. This is my first read by Donna Alward and to me she is an amazing author.

I loved the tender, stolen moments between Raoul and Stephani. Their emotional journey was definitely worth reading. I enjoyed both books in the Royal Duology.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I fell in love with both Stephani and Raoul who had me reading through the night. This is the first book I have read by this author and I can't wait to read about Diego and Rose.

This is book #2 in the Royal Duology series. Even though I haven't read the first in the series I don't feel as if I missed anything and was easily able to figure out the story going forward. The Crown Prince has lost his wife and future queen in a car accident. His heart is broken but enough time has gone past that he wants to feel alive again. He has had an office assistant that has been with him for years. She is his right hand woman,need appointments scheduled or rescheduled,weddings planned,table seating charts arranged,dresses ordered for a special event she is your woman and he counts on her to keep his office running without a hitch. At his birthday party he starts to feel awakened to love again and notices her. It's time for the Crown Prince to have a fairytale romance and wedding. This was a fun romance to read!
Pub Date 09 Jan 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Crown Prince’s Bride by Donna Alward is the second book in the contemporary romance Royal Duology series. The main characters in the story have changed so while there are events and characters mentioned from the first book in the series it’s not completely necessary to have read the first to enjoy the love story in this book.

For those that have read the first book however this second book switches to Raoul as a main character who is the Crown Prince of Marazur who lost his wife to a tragic accident. Raoul’s story is picking up a year after his wife’s death when everyone thinks he needs to start moving on but he can’t seem to let go and do just that.

Working with Raoul for years has been Stephani who also was the cousin of Raoul’s wife. The pair are like family already having spent so many years together working alongside one another but now are both beginning to see one another in a new light but both are afraid to admit to those feelings.

I am one that usually cringes at the idea of a couple coming together who one of which had been friends and/or family to the other’s ex. But when that ex is one that was ripped away from both of them in a tragic accident I can see how and why the pair grow close and develop feelings for one another so I was interested to read this one and see how it would be done.

My one complaint with Raoul and Stephani’s story would have to be that it passes by rather quickly with this short of a read. There was quite of bit of angst involved as one could imagine working through the feelings of loss and love so I wouldn’t have minded a bit more to the happy times making the story a tad longer. Otherwise it was a nice little read to add to this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is Book #2 Royal Duology series.  I have read Book #1, The Playboy Prince and the Nanny.  I love this book.  This was a sweet romantic story about a prince, who has been through so much in his life.  Raoul lost his wife and has 2 small children to raise.  Stephani has been Raoul's assistant for years.  She is the cousin of Raoul's late wife.  She is family.  Stephani has been crushing on him for years, but never said anything. 

This book had me glued to the pages (of my kindle app).  I love how there were some twists towards the end of the book.  That was my favorite part of the book!  I do not want to say anymore.


☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Would I read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

These two have a history that binds them together but what happens when history becomes the now. They both have to consider their options in order to have a HEA




** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Stephani is not only an assistant to the future King of Marazur but she is also the cousin of the Princes late wife who was tragically killed in an accident. Stephani has loved the Prince since she first met him, but she loved and respected her cousin to keep her feelings to herself. Now it seems like the Prince is coming out of his shell a little and Stephani must confront her feelings once again. The Prince has always looked at Stephani as family and as a trusted assistant, but is there something more there? She loves his children, knows his family and he feels a connection. He also debates with his new feelings for Stephani. There are some beautiful moments where the two discover their feelings and you feel the story come to life. There are twist and turns and unexpected events to keep this fairy tale romance interesting and keeps you turning the pages to find out what will happen.
I loved this book by Donna Alward. It was a blossoming fairy tale, but also a story of conflicted love, family and friendship. It was brilliantly written and I look forward to reading her next book. I was so graciously gifted this book by St. Martin's Press for an unbiased review.

The Crown Prince's Bride by Donna Alward is a fairytale story with drama, loss, found love, angst but wit too. It is the second in Royal Duology series. While the couple from the first book are supporting characters, it is still a stand-alone book for the most part.

The pacing and plot are smooth with likable characters. There is not a lot of depth to the story or the characters, but it is an entertaining work. To me it was an easy causal read that is perfect for those evenings that you just need to unwind.

Sweet read. Raoul is the Crown Prince of Marazur and a widower. Stephani is his assistant and been in love with him for years. When his date is a no show, Stephani fills in and sparks fly. Entertaining read with good characters and an enjoyable story. I liked it.

This royal romance showcases opulence and extravagance at its finest as the main characters travel to five star hotels while they develop their relationship. This book really made me think about whether there are second chances at love and how difficult it can be to open yourself up after being through a tragedy like that. The author helps us navigate the minefield of second loves in this quick and easy read, which was also a very sweet story. I hadn't read the previous book so this was my first time being introduced to the characters, but I was still able to get up to date with the story line. The characters were solid and it was a pretty good story line, it was a solid romance novel but wasn't anything overly thrilling for me. I did really like Stephani's character, she was extremely loyal and patience, which was admirable considering how insensitive Raoul was. I would recommend the book if you're looking for a quick read and a sweet romance.

3.5 stars

Raul is the crown prince still coming to terms with the death of his wife, Stephani is his assistant who has been in love with him for a long term.

This is more intense than your normal royalty/commoner romance, it deals with grief and loss as well as the pressure of leading. I like that the romance between the MC's is slower, it allows a more believable romance.

This book is a charming, moving and bittersweet story of new beginnings. The way the story started drew me in immediately. I loved the hero, Raoul Navarro, he is a man who has been going through a lot. He is grieving the loss of his wife and the pressures of his responsibilities as Crown Prince are weighing him down.

Stephani Savalas is Raoul’s wife’s cousin and his efficient personal assistant. Stephani has had a thing for Raoul since she met him but she is conflicted about the idea of a relationship with her cousin’s widow. They both need time to explore their mutual feelings and deal with their attraction to one another. The story delves into their emotions and mixed feelings. The conflict within both of them was very strong, there was a lot of push and pull and insecurities to overcome. Both are honorable, considerate and loyal but they tend to bottle up their feelings.

Their story is sweet and touching, the author did a great job of keeping me engaged, as they start acknowledging that they are drawn to each other. I loved seeing them slowly open up to each other. Although I enjoyed this beautifully written story, the author introduced a final twist I was not so keen on. Overall, despite a somewhat rushed ending, this story was definitely worth reading.