Overall, this was a disappointing read. Historically, I’ve enjoyed Julia London. She’s written one of my all-time favorite romances. But I would’ve DNF’d this if it wasn’t a review copy. Around 70% in, it got better-like 3 star territory, but I can’t change my rating just for that.

My main issue was that it felt very disjointed. Especially when Eliza, Hollis, and Caro talked I would get confused. And I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters. The romance was also lacking. It was like nothing…nothing…and then BAM! It also was a little unrealistic in the resolution.

I actually liked Eliza’s dad. He was interesting and adorable with his kitting projects. But I’m not particularly invested in the other characters. There was some clunky sequel bait and i don’t know if I want to read their stories. I’ll wait and see what others say about them when they release.

The Princess Plan is the first book in the "A Royal Wedding series by Julia London. If the first book is any indication of how the rest of the series will be, I will not continue with the series. The beginning of the book was bad in my opinion.

The story started with a different point of view from the main characters which threw me off the loop and then there was something about the way the story was told that simply weirded me out. I had a hard time getting into the story and when I did, I was faced with the biggest problem of all.

One of my biggest pet peeves is reading that the hero (usually) or the heroine are sleeping with another woman/man. I was not expecting to find that in this book, but I did and was a little shocked. I couldn't get a solid impression on Eliza, but I did on Sebastian. He is a pig of a man, truly unlikable and intitled. He sent someone to fetch him the woman he was going to sleep with, had zero thoughts of the heroine after meeting her and it was like they had never met. He was a truly awful character.

As you can see the book was not for me and I would not recommend it.

The Princess Plan (A Royal Wedding, #1) by Julia London...Julia London never ceases to amaze me..I was drawn into this story and did not want to leave...Thanks to Julia, the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. Prince Sebastian of Alucia (needs to make a trade deal with England and find a suitable wife) Eliza Trickleback ( on the shelf...helps her blind father a judge and her sister Hollis write the Gossip Gazette) There are other characters Caroline and her brother, Poppy, the dogs and cats and many more....there is a murder, a evil plan, deceit, laughs, tears, some scheming (good and bad) love and steam all leading to a very Fairytale HEA. I am hoping some of the others in this book will get their own story... Fingers crossed.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Tear-jerker Page-turner Entertaining Steamy Happily Ever After Action-packed Great world building Witty Unpredictable Wonderful characters Romantic

I’m a huge fan of Historical Romance and this one is a very good one and I would advise any HR fans to read it. This is also my first Julia London book but certainly won’t be the last.
Firstly let me tell you what worked for me.
1- The main characters Eliza and Sebastian (Prince of Alucia) alternate point of view which give a great view into their mind. They are both lovable and relatable and together, their chemistry is scorching. Neither are perfect but they are adorable, and I love them so much both together and individually.
2- The storyline, their love blossom in the midst of a murder investigation, the plot is very sound, and you don’t get bored. Their feelings develop through the investigation and I’m so glad this book avoided the reheated and reused plotline of the misunderstanding between the characters. No in this book they really express themselves, there is nothing left to misunderstanding and it’s very refreshing.
3- The secondary characters – I know it is a series and the characters are really well developed and I grew attached to a lot of them and hope they will have their book in the remaining of the series.

Then you are probably why only 4 stars then if you loved it so much. Well not come the reasons why it lost 1 star:
1- It took me a little while to get in the story – Over 15% as I believe the first few chapters were over descriptive. Once I got into the heart of the Story and Sebastian visited Eliza for the first time, I couldn’t put the book down but before that? It was a little tedious.
2- The ending. I find it very abrupt. So abrupt that I even emailed the promotion company to inquire if there was an issue with the ARC and if then end was missing but no. Based on the discussions Eliza and Sebastian had on their expectations on married life, children etc… I think the book missed greatly of an epilogue of some sort. I hope this is something that will be revealed in the next opus of the series even if Sebastian and Eliza won’t be main characters.

All in all, it is a great HR which I think will definitely meet the expectations of HR fans like myself.
Rating 4/5

This first book in the brand new A Royal Wedding series has me looking forward to the upcoming books! The royal theme, especially when it involves a fictional country, is my catnip! I have no problem suspending disbelief, and I am especially thrilled when a prince falls in love with a commoner. So, this book and series are right up my alley.

I liked the historical setting. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between the feminine trio of Eliza, her sister, and their best friend. I liked the inclusion of the murder mystery, if it did feel at times as if it dragged a bit and overshadowed the romance.

A disappointment for me was that I never truly liked or cared about the prince. He bedded another random woman right after meeting the heroine, which I found loathsome, and he never redeemed himself. I am a reader who must like the leading man. I can appreciate flaws, but this character never became dimensional for me. I never became truly invested in the relationship between Eliza and Prince Sebastian. However, I recognize that other readers will have a different experience.

Despite the murder storyline, this book has a light feeling and a great feel-good ending. I think this is an example of the cover being a good indicator of whether you will enjoy this book. If it appeals, I say give it a read!

When I first started this book I was very unsure of it. I didnt like the Hero, Prince Sebastian. He was arrogant, haughty, self indulgent.
The heroine, Eliza, was a plain, simple girl who lived an ordinary life on the outskirts of the Ton.
I didn't see or feel the connection between them. But as the book went along and the relationship grew, I found myself rooting for Eliza and Sebastian to find their HEA.
I was so glad I stuck with the book because it was so worth it. This is the first book in a new series by Julia London. It was funny, moving and utterly romantic. I look forward to the next in the series.
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

The Princess Plan by Julia London is a historical romance of a commoner and a prince. Eliza Tricklebank is a spinster. She lives with her dad and helps him with his law work, being his eyes. She is not expecting anything else. Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in England to set up a trade agreement between their countries. Two very different people in very different circumstances.

The storyline has Eliza and Sebastian meeting over rum punch not knowing each other. Later Sebastian storms into her house thinking that she is responsible for knowing information he needs to explain the murder of his secretary and find the killer. Eliza is not easily pushed and throws him out. Somehow they end up searching for new information, even though no one wants Eliza to help. Sebastian can’t let go of Eliza, but he is supposed to marry a top tier debutante.

Julia London is one of my go to authors. This story felt more modern than the time suggested and a fictional land is not a favorite. Having said that, I read the book quickly in a couple of sittings. I liked how quirky Eliza was and quite frankly wish she could stay her quirky self. The Princess Plan by Julia London starts a new series called A Royal Wedding and was a good read.

I’m not one to normally read historical fiction but I had received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review so I thought that I would give this one a go an see if it liked it.
This was an interesting read for me, reading about Eliza and Sebastian I felt like something was missing. How she interacted with Sebastian. It was nice to see their relationship grow, it just didn’t feel right for me.
Eliza attends a masquerade ball and in honor of visiting the prince. The Prince’s goal is to get trading rights and acquire an English bride. Ever since she met Sebastian it was an unforgettable moment for her. I felt like there relationship was lacking emotion. It seemed one dimensional to me. It didn’t have any depth or feeling. I couldn’t connect to either one of them.
While Sebastian is visiting England, his personal secretary is murdered, and no one is sure as to why. I think the only reason that I kept reading this book was because of the murder an I wanted to know who had done it. If it wasn’t for that I think that I would have DNFed it at about 50%/60%.
*I received this book from Netgalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review*

I so wanted to love this book, but wasn't "feeling" it. I enjoyed the love story but there wasn't enough of it in the book. There was too much spy/murder/espionage/government for me. I read a historical romance for the love story not the rest of that stuff. Thank you netgalley for the book to read and review.

This romance has it all: royalty, forbidden love, mystery, and murder, and I enjoyed every page. This was a wonderful departure with so many different genre elements artfully combined.
Eliza Tricklebank is a confirmed spinster who has long ago stopped caring what society says she should or shouldn’t do. She lives each days as she pleases and jumps at the opportunity to meet a Prince.
Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in England to complete a trades seal and find an English bride to cement the deal. Yet when his personal secretary is murdered and all the clues are coming from a Gazette published by Eliza’s sister things do not go as planned.
The interaction between Eliza, Sebastian, and the entire cast of characters was so engaging I found myself still laughing at something they said long after I was done reading. Overall a wonderful read and cannot wait for next installments.

A good historical romance with a little bit of mystery!

Prince Sebastian of Alucia had a target on his back because of his position was in England to negotiate a trade agreement and possibly find a bride when he met spinster Eliza Tricklebank by accident during a masquerade ball held in his honor. Eliza didn’t know who he was because everyone was wearing mask’s concealing their identity but figured it out before leaving the ball. Eliza and her sister printed a gazette for women with gossip and household tips but when a clue to the murder was sent to her father, Sebastian contacted her for more information.

Sebastian didn’t know what to do with Eliza because she was nothing like the women that he usually met and not following his orders but Sebastian was interested in Eliza and thought she would be happy with him seeing her quietly but he had to marry a noble and her family was anything but nobility.

I loved The Princess Plan because Eliza was more than Sebastian expected with a little bit of mystery figuring who the murderer was.

P.S I’m looking forward to Lady Caroline’s book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Typically, I expect the historical romance that I read to be primarily grounded with accurate, or mostly accurate, historical facts. As a result, I seriously struggled with the fictional nation angle in this story. I enjoyed Eliza’s carefree enjoyment of the masquerade. I could imagine how dazzling the venue could be! And then came the rum punch. There was some serious second-hand embarrassment during the initial meeting between Eliza and Sebastian. I had a strong urge to slap the rum punch out of her hands. I had no problem suspending belief for the meet cute, though there was a small part of me thinking “There is no way his security would allow some random to roam about random passages.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the story. From the dresses, the gossip and little pro-tips in the gazette had me equal parts fascinated and laughing hysterically followed by a little bit of googling to find other funny Victorian-isms. I was totally in love with the hobbies referenced in this story. Eliza’s penchant for clock repair was clever and I wish it had a bigger role in the story as it added some much needed dimension to her character. My highlight for the story though was the Judge and his knitting. It is no surprise to those of you that follow DCR to hear me say I have a weakness for loving, if gruff, parental figures and my adoration of the Judge was well earned. I loved his gruff love, his devotion to his daughters and of course his knitting hobby! As a fellow knitter, I’m always happy to see my hobby represented.

As much as I enjoyed some aspects of the story, I found myself frustrated with Eliza for much of the story. Her side of the chemistry seemed flat and her extreme waffling between miss-ish and worldly spinster was whiplash-inducing. It didn’t seem as though she was truly interested in Seb aside from his being a Prince and her reason for spinster life felt a little flimsy. Now, Sebastian’s side of the romance seemed to be fleshed out more, probably because he was a more complicated character, but overall the romance fell mostly flat. Everything just seemed to conveniently fall in their laps and the murder mystery was lackluster. It was a good vehicle to ensure the hero and heroine continued to meet with each other at the beginning but beyond that, the mystery was a miss for me.

Overall, I enjoyed London’s introduction to her new historical romance series. It did take me about half the book to settle in, but overall I enjoyed Sebastian’s story and Eliza had some positive things to add. What individual hasn’t occasionally daydreamed about meeting a royal and being swept off their feet, even if it is just for decadent food instead of romance! Definitely recommended for fans of London and rags-to-riches romance.

**Review will be posted on B&N and Amazon after release
**Reviews posted to Goodreads (link provided) and Bookbub
**Full Review to be posted on DCR during the Blog Tour

I was provided with an ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It all started with one too many sips of rum punch. But the serving passage was away from bossy matrons and the exhausting bustle of the ball. And she had a mask, so no one could accuse her of errant behavior. So she could blame her flirtations and fluttering heart on the effects of three glasses of punch instead of the intoxicating man who cornered her.

Their first meeting is memorable, but Eliza is exactly the opposite of a perfect princess candidate. She is unflinchingly honest, unabashedly forthright, and utterly unintimidated by Sebastian's glowering demands. They are thrown together to reveal a murderer, and their sleuthing leads to the unexpected entanglement.

This was a lovely story about wanting what we have been told we cannot have because of our perceived shortcomings or unrealistic expectations. It is about one couple's ingenuity to overcome those obstacles and grasp the happiness within their reach.

Prince Sebastian from Alucia is in England to settle on a trade agreement and to find a wife who will help him politically.
Things take a turn when his closest friend and secretly is murdered in his bed after a ball. Trying to find the murderer himself, he once again finds himself in Eliza’s company (although he doesn’t recognize her from the ball). He is shocked to find that she treats him like the demanding man he is and not kiss his feet, like he is used to. As she helps him with his case, the enemies turn to lovers even though they know she is not someone he will be allowed to marry.
It was at times very cliche. I also didn’t care for the Prince and his lustful attitude.p and the way he treated women. Towards the end thought his thoughts made him sound like he wasn’t a jerk who used women. That bugged me even more.
It was not as clean as I would prefer, I didn’t remove stars for that though because that’s just a personal preference.
All in all.... meh.

Society in Victorian London has very exacting rules, one of which is that no Crown Prince will marry a commoner. His royal personage may have a discrete romance, but nothing else. In this case, Crown Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in England for two things: trade agreements and a wife of high born pedigree. When a masked ball is given in Kensington Palace, Miss Eliza Trickelbank and her friend from the peerage are excited to meet a handsome prince. From the beginning, Eliza and Sebastian clash metaphorical swords as she treats him as an ordinary man which is something no one has ever done before in his over privileged life.

Eliza writes a gossip sheet with her widowed sister and a close high society friend. They know all about the goings on of those Quality people including their assignations, flirtations, and aspirations especially in becoming the future queen of Sebastian’s country. When his steward’s life is taken, Sebastian is determined to figure out who committed the crime, with Eliza’s helps as it turns out.

As they work together, Sebastian becomes enamored of the feisty Miss Trickelbank; their conversations and verbal dueling stimulate more than the mind. Sebastian is accustomed to telling people what to do while Eliza delights in ignoring orders and commands from overbearing men and society. Her feelings for the handsome prince are definitely intense; however, Eliza knows a marriage between them could never be because of their societies’ dictates.

Fans of this genre will enjoy Eliza’s adventures and saucy attitude. I was less charmed by Sebastian especially since he displays so many of the traits of men who expect to have women for pleasure, marrying only for political reasons which in this case, cost Sebastian a great deal and someone’s life. The pace is sometimes a bit slow burn as well as the relationship development. This story is the first in the Royal Wedding Series so more is to come for Eliza’s compatriots.

~ ARC provided by NetGalley ~

I actually really enjoyed this book. I read some of the other reviews and people didn't seem to please. However, I don't read romances as often as I used to. This was fun and cute. I liked the story and the people in it, it cracked me up. Julia London is still one of the go to reads for me. Looking forward to the next one. ♡

A marvelous story by Julia Landon. Truly a fairytale with a prince a commoner and those who wish to do him harm. Eliza doesn’t care what society thinks of her anymore and lives her life to please herself. Sebastian is a Prince feeling the walls closing in from all his royal duties. The two make for some very refreshing characters. Eliza is smart and fun. She provides enormous entertainment through the book. She decides to call the Prince a friend as they try to solve a mystery. They fall in love but there are still impediments in their way. They show tenacity by solving the issue and achieving their goals.

This is truly a wonderful story that you should ensure you have ample time to read. Once you start you will be reluctant to put it down until the last. The exuberance of the human and animal characters will jump right from the pages and into your hearts. Well worth reading more than once.


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When I'm in the mood for historical romance, I turn to a few authors that I know can do it right, and Julia London is one of them. In The Princess Plan, she provides us with a royalty/commoner storyline that is organic, sweet, romantic and authentic. There is not a lot of drama or angst - just the burgeoning friendship and affection between two people that, at the time, would have been inappropriate partners for each other just because society says they aren't the same class.

Sebastian in honest, has integrity, and truly takes the time to get to know Eliza even though he doesn't think they can have a future together because he just can't stand not getting to know her. He is thoughtful and caring of her feelings. And Eliza is headstrong and honest.

It was a good read - not overly dramatic and angsty - just a good slow-burn love story.

I gotta be honest. And you know I strive to be when it comes to reviews, even when I want to promote the author. This is because while a book may not be my cup of tea, it might be someone else’s. This book was not the easiest for me to read, not because it wasn’t interesting, but because I just didn’t connect with the characters. However, once I got through the book, I found it quite rewarding in the end. This is the first in an upcoming series, it looks like so there will be more coming!

THE PRINCESS PLAN is a historical romance that follows Eliza Tricklebeck, a seeming spinster as an unmarried woman of 28 years. Eliza lives with her father and takes care of the house plus works with her widowed sister on a publication which has become incredibly popular among women, which publishes gossip and hot tips.

Eliza meets the prince of Alucia under less than ideal circumstances, and it is followed by their next meeting being one where he steps on her foot. She is soon to get to know him better after they are each investigating the murder of a man in his employ. As they come together, there is all kinds of mischief, a whodunnit style murder/investigation, and a touch of romance.

The overall story was done really well, and I loved Eliza and her sister, as well-developed characters. The mystery really kept the plot moving forward and was pretty engaging overall. The romance was not as big a hit for me, particularly because of the prince and his attitudes- I did not care for him so much, though he does grow on you a bit by the end. I also really did not like the beginning of the book from the perspective of Eliza's father, who is every bit as sexist and prejudiced as the prince and many other characters. I get that this was typical for the era, but it is not my favorite to read.

Overall, it's a solid mystery with intriguing characters. Would recommend for people who enjoy historical fiction of this era. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.