I love Donna Alward books, but I normally hate books with royalty. What to do, what to do, what to do? I read it. I don't regret it! Although the male character was a prince and that played a pivotal part in the book, the emotions were so basic and prominent that I didn't have a problem with it.
In this book, Prince Raoul is still recovering from having lost his wife several years before. He's trying to make the best life he can for his two children and fulfill all of his duties as Prince. The result is that he's pretty overworked and lonely.
Stephani, Raoul's assistant and cousin to his deceased wife has had feelings for him for some time, but is the ultimate professional in keeping his life running smoothly. Once Raoul's feeling start coming to life and he realizes he's attracted to her, it makes for a complicated and messy time. Will he be willing to give love a chance again? Will Stephani be willing to settle for whatever Raoul feels he can give her or will she stick to her guns and walk away if he can't love her?
I received this book from Netgalley.

Back on the beautiful Marazur, we catch up with Prince Diego and Rose, the nanny who traveled from England to the island when she took on the job of taking care of Diego's small children. That was the first book. These characters are still present in the second book, and it's their wedding.

Prince Diego's brother Raoul has always seemed more of a serious character to me than Diego. Stephanie is his assistant at the Palace, and has been for years. Everything changes when she ends us accompanying him to the dance at the Palace........Will they find love too?

Now I have read and reviewed both books in the duology, I would still really recommend them. I love the whole atmosphere, sunny Marazur as well as royals and cute kids. And , of course, a lot of romance. Both books are well worth the read/ listen Donna Alward always has me riveted to her relaxing, but well-paced plots and varied characters. I love the charming Spanish words and phrases dropped here and there within the dialogue. As I'm passionate about, and fluent in, the language myself, it makes the story even more authentic than it already is.

Thank you to Donna Alward and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was not the first Donna Alward book I have read and reviewed. I participated in the blog tour for The Playboy Prince and the Nanny (Royal Duology #1) which I loved. I was very pleased to be approved to read and review The Crown Prince's Bride, the second book in the series. This book and the whole series, are a must-read! If there's another book, I'll be requesting it right away!

Donna Alward continues to steal readers’ hearts with The Crown Prince’s Bride, the second enchanting title in her spellbinding Prince duology.

Grief and heartbreak are Raoul, the Crown Prince of Marazur,’s constant companions. After the death of his wife, Raoul’s heart had shattered into a thousand pieces and he knows that he will never ever experience that kind of love ever again. With two children to look after and a kingdom to rule, Raoul had keeps his heart firmly under lock and key and has thrown himself into his duties. The thought of ever finding love again is anathema to Raoul – but so is the thought of spending the rest of his life alone! But could happiness be within Raoul’s reach – if only he looks closer to home?

Stephani is Raoul’s assistant and she does her job with flair and alacrity. Stephani absolutely adores her job and she does her work diligently and professionally. But she has been keeping a secret from everyone for years: she is head over heels in love with her boss, the Crown Prince of Marazur! Over time, her feelings for Raoul have intensified, but Stephani knows that she can have no hope of a future with Raoul, for even if he were to even contemplate the thought of marrying again, he would choose someone suitable – not somebody like her!

When Raoul is invited to a state dinner and his date bails on him, he asks Stephani to step into the breach. After all, his assistant is well versed in protocol and politics. However, Raoul is flabbergasted when he finally sees the gorgeous woman who has been running his office for years in a whole new light…

Has Cinderella found her Prince Charming? And is Raoul ready to let go of the past and embrace his future with Stephani?

A magical fairy tale romance that had me smiling throughout, The Crown Prince’s Bride is everything you could possibly want from a romantic novel and so much more besides. Heartwarming, tender, passionate and simply irresistible, The Crown Prince’s Bride is an outstanding tale of new beginnings, second chances and healing from the past with a wonderful heroine, a gorgeous hero and plenty of charm and heart to keep readers engrossed from beginning to end!

A lovely read from one of contemporary romance’s most talented writers, The Crown Prince’s Bride is another first class read by Donna Alward!

After I read the first book in this Duology, The Playboy Prince and the Nanny I couldn't wait to see what happened between Raoul and Stephani.

Right away in the first book you knew that Stephani both loved and respected Raoul. Unfortunately he was dealing with the death of his wife who was also Stephani cousin. This story could have quickly turned into the yuck factor for me because of the fact that Stephani did love her cousins husband, but she kept it totally professional while her cousin was alive and I got the feeling Raoul would have stayed a lost love for her.

The author handled the change in their relationship so well. They didn't jump into anything it built and became something.

Both characters had their doubts and weren't sure what they really wanted to do. Very real emotions. I really enjoyed this story and was glad to have read it. This was a real sweet Duology. Make sure to read them in order because they read better that way.

I liked it with just a few reservations.
The main characters and supporting cast of people were good. The fact that the prince had a loving, 25 year first marriage was a refreshing change from some of the other stories out there. He was a man with a lot of responsibilities who faced things head-on and with courage and integrity. He was definitely blindsided when his eyes were finally opened to Stephani and how much a part of their lives she had become.
He was surrounded with people who loved and cared about him. They wanted him to move on and have a life. But he was stuck and then he began to waffle back and forth about his feelings for Stephani. Made me want to smack him right in the head even though I understood his difficulties.
Stephani, now there was a loving, caring woman. She was someone who was capable, humble but she still knew her own worth. And she may have been in love with Raoul for years but she did have a backbone. It was good to see her find it and act on it too.

A few months ago I read The Playboy Prince and the Nanny which is the first book in the Royal duology and I had enjoyed it so I was so excited for The Crown Prince's Bride to come out.

I read this book in one day and it is a good one that kept me reading and is a quick and easy read that I did enjoy.

I give this 4 out of 5.

An interesting sweet fairytale story which I enjoyed.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own thoughts

I usually really enjoy Donna Alward’s books, but this one did not do as much for me. I had not read the previous book but this was a total standalone so I didn’t feel as if I missed anything. What I did miss was becoming emotionally involved with the characters. This was an enjoyable book but it was just a read for me. I want to feel the characters as they go through their emotions and for me, that wasn’t there in this book. I had no great feelings for Stephanie or Raoul and didn’t much respect either of them. She kept loving him silently for years, and frankly Raoul was a coward for most of the book. This is just my opinion and certainly others will like this book much more. I think Donna Alward’s writing is good. She can create a story. This was just not the story for me.

Stephani has had a crush on Raoul and she has kept it a secret and plans too as she thinks nothing will come of it. Being his assistant and being able to be there for him and her cousins kids is more important. Raoul has lost two women who have been closest to him and he is never going to marry again. When things go array in his life he knows he can always lean on Steph. Can they find hope for a relationship or is the working relationship all they will end up with?

I really enjoyed this book and I loved how the author made Stephani this amazing strong women who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I really enjoyed the story I think the only thing that I felt was I wished there was more, not that the story was lacking just wished it was longer such a fun read. The story is over all a pretty clean read it does have adult situations and topics but over all a fun story. This story is somewhat predictable but the story was so sweet.

I revived a free copy from NetGalley

The Crown Prince's Bride drew me in with the the cast of characters. They are smart, funny, and endearing. I felt for Stephanie because she had loved Raul for years while her cousin was married to him. When her cousin dies she has to try to continue to be his assistant while trying to figure out her place in the life of the royal family and Raul. She technically is family because her cousin is the mother to Raul's kids, but now that she's gone she struggles with feeling like an outsider. On top of that she has to find a way to figure out if she can stay and work with Raul or if she should move on and try to find love and a life outside the royal family. The story about broken hearts, moving on, finding your place, and romance.

This was a pretty good read but a little rushed. I wish we could have seen more between the heroine and kids and it all felt too forced.

3.5 Stars

Another enjoyable read from Donna Alward! This royal family has faced some hard times and it was nice to see Prince Raoul find his happy ever after.

This book picks up in parallel to the ending of the first book, The Playboy Prince and the Nanny, but can easily be read as a standalone. The plot is not new and the twists are not unique, but this love story between Prince Raoul and his assistant is an easy read that gets a little bit angsty but delivers a nice happy ever after.

I really enjoyed Stephani. She had a strength about her that I admired. She was committed to doing what was right for her – and was resolved to do so even if it meant leaving the job, country, and family she has come to love.

Raoul irked me at times. He has had a hard time with the loss of his wife, and, add on the pressures of knowing he would one day take over the throne, I could definitely see why he needed to be cautious with his choices. What irked me though is what he put Stephani through – for someone who always needed to be conscious of what impact his decisions may have it got me just a little mad how he ended up treating Stephani. Of course, he does come to his senses – this is a romance novel, so that was a given – but boy did I want to give him a good talking to a couple of times!

I enjoyed catching up with other characters from the first book, and Diego’s children were just as endearing in this one. Having met the other members of the royal family already and seeing the impact that Rose (from the first book) had made on the family made this an even easier read for me – I’m not a huge fan of royal romances but this family did make me smile and enjoy each page I turned.

Donna Alward has created a wonderful fairytale world in Marazur and this book was a nice read to escape in. She has crafted a well put together book that is an easy read.

A must read for those who are fans of royal romances or anyone looking for an easy read to escape in with a happy ever after.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of second chance love. The Crown Prince of Marazur, Raoul lost his wife in a tragic accident and has a broken heart and busy with his two young kids. Stephani has been his assistant for years, but has kept a secret from her boss, she has had a secret crush on him for years. As her cousin was married to him, he was always off hands. Raoul has asked Stephani to stand in as date for him, when he finally sees Staphani as more than his assistant. But, is he ready to open his heart again.

A great story that kept me turning the pages. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone, because now I have to go back and read the first story. I highly recommend this story.

This was a great continuation. Loved how all learned that everyone can have a second love and we all deserve to have our big moment.

A sweet and simple romantic tale where the girl finally lands her prince.

I loved the first book in the series so I was looking forward to reading this. The story is very much centred round Stephani and Raoul's attraction to each other, spending time together and Raoul debating with himself whether to commit to a real relationship or not. There wasn't much elese to their story so I didn't find it very exciting. The story could have been more developed and livened up with a subplot that would bring the couple emotionally closer. Their HEA seemed a little forced at the end.



All in all, it's a nice enough story and a quick read.

3 1/2 stars

The Crown Prince's Bride is for all of you die hard romantics who dream of a handsome Prince falling in love with a commoner. (Not like that could happen in the real world, right? )
While I was wowed by Donna Alward's realistic Deck the Halls, which I reviewed here, I was a little less impressed by The Crown Prince's Bride mainly because, although very capably written, it felt uninspired. I think The Crown Prince's Bride falls into the comfort food of the romance genre. It's well-written with few surprises and the much-desired happily-ever-after.
The saving grace for me came in the form of Stephani, the book's heroine. She is intelligent, savvy, and, although she's been in love with Prince Raoul for a decade and has worked alongside him, she never allows her love to make her a doormat.  She has the strength of character to demand respect and receive it.

The supporting characters were also drawn very well. I liked Diego and Rose and am intrigued by their story which occurred in book one of this duology, The Playboy Prince and the Nanny.

I was not overly enamored with the ever-vacillating Prince Raoul, although Alward did a good job in providing the basis for his behavior. Without reading the previous novel, I felt a little like I was supposed to take it for granted that he was worthy of Stephani's love and devotion because just having the title of Prince doesn't do it for me.

This is for all of you devotees of Cinderella.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet, romantic story of a man dealing with loss and learning to live and love again. To make his struggle more difficult the woman who has gained his attention is his long time assistant and his deceased wife's cousin. Stephani has been in love with Raoul for years but has always hid her feelings for the sake of family and most recently respect and her job. She now has a decision to make. Go after who and what she wants or move on in both her personal and professional life. This story takes us on the journey these two travel to find their HEA.

I would definitely recommend this one.

I have to admit that I have become accustomed to more raunchy and steamy romances. So if you're looking for something that will leave you hot and bothered and have you blushing, than this romance isn't it. But if you want a sweet second chances romance that leaves you with a smile on your face, then this is the romance for you.

Stephani has been working for the crown prince of Marazur of years. What's more, she's also had a major crush on him. But Raoul Navarro hasn't been the same since he lost his wife Ceci in a car accident. He is now a widower with two young children and no hope of every finding love again. He loved once and lost it in a heartbeat. He never wants to feel that helpless ever again so he is guarding his heart.

Raoul has no idea that his personal assistant is madly in love with him. She is his late wife's cousin and is like family. But when a romantic wedding is coupled with too much scotch, he finds himself drawn to Stephani and is finally able to see her as more than his right hand and the woman who has kept his life in order.

But when you are the crown prince and everyone's eyes are on you, can you really be able to live life as you wish? And can Stephani really keep on living her fantasies from a far and not be able to make her dreams come true?

A sweet romance with some heart wrenching moments. I must say that there were many times when I got mad at Raoul, but then we get to understand his hesitation and doubt and can't help but be touched by his pain and anguish. A modern fairytale!!

THE CROWN PRINCE’S BRIDE by Donna Alward is book Two in "Royal Duology " series. This is the story of Raoul and Stephani. I have read the previous book, but feel you can easily make this a standalone if you choose to do so.
Raoul is a Crown Prince whose wife CiCi died leaving him with the kids to care for. Stephani is the assistant to Raoul and also has been in love with him since her first day and she was also CiCi's cousin. But knowing nothing can every be between them under than work makes it hard for her. When Raoul ask her go to a business dinner/function she goes...but Raoul hardly recognizes Stephani...she is stunning. They both feel the loss of CiCi but they both are feeling mixed emotions with each other.
This was a sweet second chance at love story that I so enjoyed having a chance to read it!

The Crown Prince’s Bride by Donna Alward is reminiscent of a fairy story, unrequited love being reciprocated after a broken heart finds healing and a willingness to love again. Stephani, assistant to the Crown Prince and amazing at her job, has been in love with her boss for years but would never act on it. In fact she considers leaving her job andf the royal family to find someone who would love her for her. Raoul, the Crown Prince, lost his wife, Stephani’s cousin, and believes he will never find love again. Raoul finds himself at a crossroad between opening his heart to love again or remain the dutiful and lonely father to his children.

I loved reading this story. Ms. Alward is an excellent storyteller, keeping me interested in this story so that I had trouble putting it down. I highly recommend this outstanding book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.