I'm a big fan of historical romance it's what I started reading as a teen and when I saw this available as an ARC on NetGalley the story looked right up my alley.
A Prince in need of a wife, intrigue to be had during the HEA, sign me up. Sadly, the story did not live up to snuff. The characters were stilted and although there was initially some draw between the Prince and Eliza it was swiftly kicked aside when he didn't even remember her and quickly went for a romp. I made it about 40% in before giving up, which I rarely do but there just wasn't enough to hold the story together.
Maybe this will be someone else's cup of tea.

This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed ..The story, a Prince.. Sebastian who had never lived in the real world and a girl.. Eliza who lived in the real world, how against all the odds stacked against them they fall in love. Couldn’t put it down it had murder, mystery and suspense really do recommend it .

Can a prince marry a woman that is not from an affluent family? A spinster and a prince. Can it happen? Yes! Will is happen? Maybe! But first they must wade through he bureaucracy and obstacles that hinder them.

Can a prince find in an unsuitable English woman the perfect bride he is looking for...

This is my first read by Julia London.
I know, I so very know I have a lot of wonderful authors’ work to catch up, and I very slowly, too slowly try to eliminate the backlog but what I thought an easy task is getting harder and harder every passing day as each rise of the sun brings new writers to my knowledge.
I do also know I’m no major in history nor English language ( far from that as I’m a self taught reader ), but I do felt it is kind of my duty to share the pleasure these writers partake with their long and hard crafted work.
While reading The Princess Plan, I wondered at first what book I was reading, was it an historical romance as the country of the hero was created for the sole purpose of this book, but the more I avances in my reading, the more I decided it was a sleuth romance disguised in a historical.
And whatever, I loved it.
Just the first chapter, introducing the heroine and her friends through the “insight” of her blind father was like a delicacy, a taste of what was to come.
Eliza is such an amazing woman, while she was ruined by a too trustful personality as a young woman, she rose from the ash of what has become her life and swore to never again fall prey of another. She also morphed in a woman who knows what she wants and won’t accept any bullying from anyone.
I loved her boldness and straightforwardness, she speaks her mind and bends in front of nobody, even a crown prince.
Sebastian Chartier, the prince of Alucia is in London as he seeks for a trade agreement to improve his country’s economy and he accepted also to fulfill his duties to the crown and find an English wife.
What he didn’t expect was to be drawn by the more unsuitable woman possible, she threw him out of her house, she told him no and she won’t accept his says simply because he is royalty, worst, she challenges him at every turn, she unsettled him and takes him out of his comfort range.
It was so entertaining and joyful to see them interact with the other, together they take action, they do not shy away nor let miscommunication get between them, they agree voluntarily to what they have to expect from their relationship until it will be not enough or too much.
The background plot was intriguing and the way they followed the leads was attractive and quite funny.
Why I can only recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of mystery with a dashing hero and a strong and clever heroine.
A big 10 stars.
I was provided an advance copy thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher Harlequin, I purchased my own copy and here is my true and unbiased opinion.

The Princess Plan by Julia London is the first book in her new The Royal Wedding series. I have enjoyed reading a number of books by Julia London, but I absolutely loved The Princess Plan, as this has become my favorite one. A wonderful and fun story line, with a fabulous couple.

Eliza Tricklebank, our heroine, is a spinster, who has given up on any possibility of marriage, as she has never forgotten the fiancée who cheated on her. Eliza runs a gossip paper with her sister, and takes care of her blind father, who is a judge. Because of a good friend, she and her sister attend the masquerade ball at Kensington Palace, to honor the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia.

Prince Sebastian, our hero, is determined to finalize a trade deal that will help his country, as well as look for a bride, who has a nice dowry, and powerful connections. Sebastian isn’t happy about finding just any woman, but knows that is his duty as future King of Alucia. While in disguise, he tries to get away from all the female attention, and runs into an unknown woman, who seemed a bit drunk and nervy.
As the night ends, Sebastian discovers his secretary has been murdered, which starts a mystery as to who would kill a member of Alucia and why. He reads the gossip paper the following morning alluding to a tip about one of his members, and then goes to meet Judge Tricklebank. Sebastian gets off on the wrong foot with Eliza, and is shocked that she kicks him out of her house.
What follows is a slow build romance between a Prince and a commoner that is destined to fail, as they both begin to work together to try and resolve the murder. The mystery is intriguing, and has a few surprises, but the romance between Sebastian and Eliza takes center stage. It was wonderful to watch them both fall in love, even though they know there is no future for them. Prince Sebastian must marry a woman from a powerful family with money and political connections. There is no way out, or is there?

I really loved Eliza, as she was smart, independent, outspoken, funny and a great heroine. In a short time, I fell hard for Sebastian, as he found himself falling deeper and deeper in love with Eliza; especially when he realized that he had to find a way to keep her. I also loved many of the secondary characters, such as Eliza’s sister and their best friend.

Julia London did a fantastic job in writing this wonderful intriguing story, with a great couple and a murder mystery that had some twists. Very well done. I could not put the book down, as I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful read. The Princess Plan was a great story that should not be missed.

The Princess Plan was a very enjoyable light read. Characters that are easily lovable in their light heartedness regardless of their predictability. This is the type of book you sandwich in between two really heavy INTENSE fantasy books because you just need some mush without having to worry about your characters life hanging in the balance every two seconds (THE AGONY)!

This was my first historical romance read and overall I liked it!!

I thought the plot was very fun. Loved the masquerades. The carriage rides. The gloved hand kisses. The mystery prince. These are all tropes I find myself very very familiar with and I loved them in this book with the kind of ease one loves a good hot coffee in the morning.

Cant say theres anything really that shocking in this one. The plot was quite unsurprising in that regard however that for me was part of its charm. A classic little poor, society shamed girl, catches the eye of the ever so unattainable foreign prince... DAMNN I’m done for. Recommend this book to lovers of romance and happy endings alike!

Prince Sebastian of Alucia has come to London to negotiate a trade agreement — and he’s expected to return home with a future princess. First event on the agenda is a masquerade ball where the prince will be introduced to a bevy of eligible (read: titled) English women.

In this reimagining of Cinderella, author Julie London adds a twist. The glass slipper is a murder mystery that must be solved. And our heroine, Eliza Tricklebank has neither a horrible stepmother nor stepsisters. Rules of the ton, however, place her far below the prince’s notice.

What are rules when it comes to fairy tales?

Eliza is a delightful character. She has a brain, and she’s not afraid to use it. She also takes advantage of her spinster status to pursue her own interests, including meeting a prince.

Sebastian also is a well-drawn character. It’s fun to see him struggle with what is expected of him as crown prince as he is exposed to the larger (and lower) world.

Julia London has shown her talents in many sub-genres of romance. Those looking for a historical romantic suspense will enjoy The Princess Plan.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Princess Plan by Julia London is the first book in her exciting new series A Royal Wedding.
Eliza Tricklebank is fairly settled in her life as a spinster she cares for her father and enjoys the company of her sister and her friends along with the small freedoms that come with being a spinster such as the ability to go for a walk on ones own and to be able to say what one thinks. She is excited to attend a Masquerade Ball and perhaps meeting a prince might be a fine thing and once she meets the prince perhaps a kiss would be something to savour in her old age, but then she kisses him, and somehow that’s not enough. Prince Sebastian Charles Iver Chartier, Crown Prince of Alucia and Duke of Sansonleon has come to England to forge a trade agreement for his troubled small country and as well to find a suitable bride to help cement relations between Alucia and England. He’s never before met someone who sees him a just a man, and an annoying one at that and when his secretary is murdered he feels that Eliza is one of the few people he can trust to tell him the truth and solve the murder mystery. This is a lovely friends to lovers story and I enjoyed it very much. Medium Steam. Publishing Date November 19, 2019. #NetGalley #JuliaLondon #ThePrincessPlan #HarlequinBooks #HistoricalRomance #Bookstagram

I want to be Eliza when I grow up! She is fresh, vibrant, carefree and so full of life. It took very little time for me to absolutely adore her. I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to maintain it throughout the story but not only did she do so, her character developed to the place that I felt a complete connection to her. She is real. She is engaging. She is the girl we often see ourselves as.

But Eliza wouldn’t have been quite so amazing had she not had Sebastian’s very formal persona as her backdrop. Without a lot of fun in his life, having been raised to be king, he is constantly watched, constantly wooed for one reason or another, both politically and otherwise. With two objectives at hand, he is pressed to move to achieve them until the little spitfire that is Eliza stumbles her way into his life.

I loved the way Eliza treated Sebastian. While she was thrilled to meet a prince, once it’s said and done, she’s moving on. I would have loved for Sebastian to have reacted more to meeting her the first time, rather than take the steps he did which diminished him in my eyes. However, once we get past all that unsavoriness, his reactions and thoughts regarding her had me smiling, laughing, and then cheering him on.

’And yet she was different from the many attractive women he’d met in his life. At first, he’d not understood why, but then, upon reflection, it had become clear to him – she didn’t look at him with starry hope swimming in her eyes. She knew who he was, and yet, she didn’t look at him with any particular reverence. None.

It was oddly disconcerting.’

This has a good bit of relationship angst. After all, we have a prince who must marry someone of consequence and a heroine who does not meet the criteria. Usually, with this trope, I can pretty quickly figure out a way the couple will make it work and often it’s contrived. Not so here. What an interesting way to make it all work out…and I never saw it coming.

The main plot moving along with this budding romance is a murder mystery. It was enough to keep me engaged but I have to confess I was disappointed that the resolution of it all took place off page. I wanted some action and excitement to wrap it all up.

And holy heck! Once this couple are really a couple, at least emotionally, this is nothing short of beautiful. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a hero that was able to verbally express himself in such a way. Pure perfection in every word.

’”All my life, I’ve believed that joy like this was not possible for me. If nothing else, Eliza, if nothing else, you have showed me what love is. Do you understand what a gift that is? I would never have known love had it not been for you.”

Eliza smiled. She framed his face with her hand and leaned down to kiss him tenderly. “Neither of us will ever be the same, then, will we?”

Oh Eliza. He could not possibly express how profoundly he had been changed.’

So, while this had a few things I wasn’t one hundred percent happy with, it left me with a happy beat in my heart, and a smile on my face. But the biggest clue that I loved it…I wanted more.

I’m not usually a fan of romances built on the idea of some fictional kingdom with a prince who falls in love with some ordinary woman. Maybe it’s because I teach European history and I find myself trying to figure out where this fantasy kingdom is and what it would really be like in the 19th century or whatever time period the author has chosen. So I had to overcome that mental block to get into this story about a prince from some country that could have been a German principality during the early years of the Victorian era, but is also described as having a lovely, sunny beach so I have no idea of where it was supposed to be.

Prince Sebastian has come to London to negotiate a trade agreement and find an English wife. Somehow, marrying an English woman is supposed to help his country. But the only woman he’s attracted to is a 30-year old spinster, Eliza Tricklebank, who has several marks against her. Everyone knows that she gave up her virginity to a caddish man who courted and then dropped her. And her father is just a judge, not anyone with a title or great wealth.

I enjoyed their interactions as Eliza’s honest and fresh sincerity catch Sebastian’s notice. She helps him untangle a mysterious murder among his courtiers. Now he just has to figure out how he can marry this woman of an unremarkable lineage. It really becomes the Prince’s Plan, rather than a plan for Eliza to become a princess. She was an interesting character and Sebastian became more attractive as the book went on.

There is a whole lot of disbelief that had to be suspended for this story, but if that doesn’t bother you, you’ll enjoy it.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I loved The Princess Plan so much! Totally not your average historical! It was a very refreshing story, with diverse and endearing characters. There are plenty of fun places to go in future books, and I’m anxious to see where those stories take us. Hopefully, we’ll get to see where The Princess Planners go from here as well, as I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet.

A 'Pride and Prejudice'/Cinderella-type story, 'The Princess Plan' features as its' heroine Eliza: a spinster with a bit of a scandalous past who lives quietly at home, taking care of her blind father and living vicariously through her sister and best friend. When her friend gets Eliza into a masquerade ball, all she wants is to see the crown prince of Alucia, and maybe say hello, so that she has one shining moment in her life to remember. A few twists and turns later, she and Prince Sebastian are in love and trying to solve a murder.

Eliza is a refreshingly unconventional heroine. A spinster at 28, she has accepted her place in life and doesn't worry about her reputation, or what society thinks she should say, act, or do in any given situation, She says what she thinks and acts according to her own beliefs instead of society's. Sebastian is at first appalled, then intrigued, then fascinated by this strange woman- she offers no deference to him merely because he's a prince and doesn't bow and scrape like everyone else. When he acts like a jerk, she calls him on it- even throwing him out of her house because of his rudeness. As might be expected, the very things about Eliza that drive him crazy are what appeal to Sebastian, and they fall in love without intending to.

While you might expect the murder of Sebastian's friend and secretary to become the focus of the book, sadly the murder gets pushed to the side in order for our hero and heroine to spend the most time possible bemoaning their situation in life and their futile love. Readers, as well as Sebastian, go for chapters barely remembering that they are trying to discover a murderer and possible plot against the crown, Sebastian, when he remembers, almost doesn't care because he is so miserable about being a prince who can't marry the woman he loves. While readers might expect that from Eliza, who doesn't have the power to change anything, I was rather hoping Sebastian would grow a spine and figure out how to solve things long before he actually does. If not in regards to Eliza, at least regarding his friend's murderer, who is rather obvious.

As much as I enjoyed Eliza- a quick witted and completely natural, delightful woman- I never warmed up to Sebastian. I never felt any chemistry between them and had a hard time with how stilted and unnatural the relationship felt. Julia London's writing style is light, charming, and witty, always a pleasure to read, but I had trouble staying interested in the characters and plot, and felt like it dragged a bit. I found "The Princess Plan' a bit of a slog to read, but I'm hoping that was just me and others will enjoy it more.

It’s a common complaint among readers when an author writes about one of their characters sleeping around. It makes the character less likable, even if they weren’t with the other character at the time.
That being said, the author does try to mend that by having the H become a devoted man. Sebastian was a bit of a prig at the beginning, very full of himself. I really enjoyed how Eliza would not let him get away with that attitude. Though their meet-cute in the passageway was slightly skeevy.
Eliza, I noticed other reviewers didn’t like her, I did. I found her quirky and loved that she didn’t kowtow to anyone. She was perhaps a little more forward than anyone was in that day. A lot happened that was perhaps not realistic for that time period. I could have done with less details on the trade negotiations, and a toned-down clan feud between the countries.
The ending was ok, it left you with a possible HEA.

Eliza, the daughter of a judge, attends a masquerade ball, along with her sister and friend, in honor of a visiting Prince. The murder of Prince Sebastian’s friend and advisor draws Eliza and Sebastian together as they work on solving the mystery of his death. How the sparks fly between this pair.

This is a beautifully written romance.

The Crown Prince of Alucia has come to London with two goals: negotiate a favorable trade treaty and find an English bride. He wasn't expecting to meet Miss Eliza Tricklebank who is a spinster and one of the authors of the latest ladies' gossip sheet. Eliza's father is a judge which leads to their meeting.

When the Crown Prince's private secretary is murdered in Kensington Palace and a not implicating one of his party is delivered to the judge, both Sebastian and Eliza are determined to bring the murderer to justice. Sparks fly when the two of them meet. Eliza knows that a past scandal and lack of dowry and influence make her ineligible as a potential bride. Sebastian knows that his duty says he needs to pick one of the young women who have the right background and assets to make a suitable bride.

I enjoyed that the romance was wrapped around a mystery. I thought it added depth to the standard historical romance. I liked the Eliza was a smart and helpful partner in the investigation. I liked that her practical nature didn't stop her from falling love with the prince. I liked Sebastian and the way he found a way to end up with the woman with whom he had fallen in love.

This was an entertaining and well-written historical romance and mystery. Both parts of the story were strong.

The Princess Plan, Julia London’s latest historical novel, is a delightful Cinderella story. Set mostly in 1845 London, the story focuses on 28 year-old spinster Eliza Tricklebank, daughter of a judge and former slightly disgraced debutante, and Crown Prince Sebastian of Alucia.
She is relatively content with her life helping her blind father and fixing clocks in her spare time, and has reached a stage in her life where she really doesn’t care what society think of her. He is constantly in the public eye, restricted by protocol and his position in what he can do and with whom, and by the time this story opens he’s heartily sick of being fawned over. There are very few people he counts as friends or trusts, so when Eliza tells him exactly what she thinks of him it’s like a breath of fresh air.
One of the threads that runs through this story is Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion and Domesticity for Ladies, a gossip sheet written by Eliza’s sister Hollis. The thinly disguised on dits it presents make for an interesting and entertaining sub-plot as speculation mounts about who Sebastian will choose as his bride.
As with every Julia London story I have read, this one drew me right into the love story between Sebastian and Eliza. Her ability to convey emotion and create clear images of how her characters are feeling is one of her strengths and in this story she truly excels. She depicts Sebastian’s love for Eliza superbly in sentences like this one: “He wanted to say something, but whatever it was, it swelled in the back of his throat, a lump of unformed words, mangled by feelings that were overwhelming.” Eliza’s love is just as potently demonstrated, “To hear this man whisper her name with such raw desire was astonishing in its capacity to arouse and incite.”
With a sub-plot involving the murder of Sebastian’s secretary there is plenty going on in this story to ensure readers just keep reading. I wanted to find out who was the murderer just as much as I wanted Sebastian and Eliza to fall in love and find a way to move their relationship from a loving affair of the heart to a marriage of two people who simply could not function without each other. I seem to say the same thing with every Julia London book that I read and I will say it again here. Every one of her books is good but this one is the best I’ve yet read.

The Princess Plan will leave you with a smile. Not quite what I expected out of a historical. This book was so much more. There is humor and mystery as well. Great dialogue. Anyone that would like to re-live that falling in love feeling in their lives will very much enjoy the Princess Plan. A bit of a slow start but it quickly picks up and ends on a high note. The relationship between Eliza, a commoner and judge's daughter and Sebastian, a Prince from a foreign land starts with each of them disliking the other as some of the best relationships do. It ends in a romance that will last through the ages. I should mention the fantastical fairy tale feel of the book. For those who love a good fairy tale don't miss this one. The mystery of who killed the Prince's secretary is well done and keeps as guessing as Eliza and Sebastian team up to uncover the truth. The secondary characters of Hollis and Caroline left enough open for a couple of fun sequels. I look forward to these. I would like to thank Harlequin and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are strictly my own.

I was actually leaning more towards a “so-so” rating until about halfway through this one. Both the heroine and hero redeemed themselves (she started out rather silly, he arrogant), and the slow pace picked up a bit at that point. This also had some sweet hints of P&P mixed in throughout.

Eliza is a 28 yo spinster (due to a scandal 10 years earlier) who takes care of her blind father who is a justice. Sebastian is the crown prince of Alucia, visiting England to secure trade agreements and a politically advantageous wife.

There is a murder to solve as well as an unfolding romance, and both H/h are drawn together by their shared isolation and need for honesty and loyalty.

I did come to like both H/h and enjoyed the humor and growth of both characters. Hence, I ended up enjoying this one.

Thanks to #Harlequin and #NetGalley for providing the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I so wanted to love this book as much as I've loved Julia London's other books, but sadly, this one fell a bit flat for me. I really liked Eliza's feistiness but I couldn't seem to connect with Sebastian at all.

**Review will be posted to my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on November 12, 2019 nearer to publication date.""

**3.5 stars**
Thank you to HQN Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The Princess Plan is not quite the Cinderella story. A spinster named Eliza Tricklebank meets Prince Sebastian of Alucia and things happen. And when I say things, I mean…murder and well, falling in love while investigating the murder.

Eliza is a fun character who says what’s on her mind. She’s smart, capable and wishes society didn’t put her on the shelf just because of a scandal (barely a scandal) a long time ago. There is no future of a husband for her now, but she’s come to accept her fate as her father’s caretaker.

Prince Sebastian of Alucia is a typical royal who is used to people doing his bidding, women falling into bed with him and is under the constant pressures of being a future king. He is in England to arrange a trade agreement and find a wife but someone murders one of the people he trust the most, his personal secretary. Sebastian intends to find out who has done it, and enlists the help of Eliza, which is very unconventional.

What I love most about this story is the female friendships between Eliza, her sister Hollis, their best friend Caro and even the maid, Poppy. The girls have a grand time finding content (gossip) for Holli’s women’s gazette. Eliza, Hollis and Caro are the best of friends, and the warmth between them comes through in this story. I also adored the eccentric life of Judge Trickleback’s home. He is blind and Eliza is his main caretaker but I loved the descriptions of the home they live it with the book piles, rope tied from room to room, the scratched table – everything is lived in and cozy, much like their family.

The murder mystery in the story did sometimes make me lose interest because it was a bit predictable. Also I felt like the trade agreement didn’t seem very important to Prince Sebastian because of the murder mystery and him falling for Eliza. Sebastian seems like a man who is strictly bound to duty and the way he chooses Eliza to be his wife seemed a bit easy and a little far-fetched, but by then I was just ready to ready the happily ever after.

The banter between Eliza and Sebastian was fun mostly because Eliza is so quirky and doesn’t fawn over the Prince like everyone else. Sebastian is practiced at controlling his emotions and giving practiced answers. I don’t know that I felt the urgency of their love like I hoped I would and at one point I thought, okay, he’s definitely going to marry a high ranking debutant instead of Eliza because he’d never break the rules. Maybe I wanted him to say to hell with everything and break the rules for her. At least the two of them do share a few steamy scenes together!

Overall, I mostly enjoyed Eliza and her friendship bonds, and seeing her and the Prince fall for one another.