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.

I usually love historical romance titles but this one by Julia London just didn't resonate for me. It would have segments where it flowed beautifully then it would bog down and I would have to put it aside and pick it up later for another try. I finally did finish it but it wan't at all what I expected.
The characters were likable for the most part but imaginary places just don't do it for me. I like locals that I can research in the time it is supposedly situated if I so desire.
There is a bit of a murder mystery in this story which was the saving grace of this book for me.
I had read books by Julia London in the past and sometimes liked them and sometimes not. This one was more a case of a maybe.
I gave this book 3.75(rounded up to 4) stars of 5 for story line and characterization.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book granted to me from Harlequin via NetGalley. to read.
This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in London to develop a trade deal and to also find an English bride who will be an advantage to his country. Eliza Tricklebank was betrayed by her lover years ago and has therefore become a spinster, writing a gossip column, fixing clocks, and caring for her blind judge father. The two characters are given only a superficial back story. I never came to care about either one. It's a stretch how the Prince and the spinster come together to solve the murder of his secretary. With no other suspects, it's not hard for the reader to figure out the culprit. I admired Eliza for becoming a stronger person after being hurt in the past. At one point she observed how proud she was to be able to wander the shops and markets without a chaperone like other women must. Why then did she so want a life of complete restriction and no privacy with the Prince? He told her and she observed he was always under watch and never could expect privacy. In fact, he couldn't eat or drink until a guard sampled it first. The Prince finally invents a ridiculous way for Eliza to become acceptable enough for him to marry.

The Princess Plan is a historical romance with a dash of what feels like a dinner murder mystery. I've not read much of Ms. London's work before and found her writing to be alternatingly intriguing and sluggish. My 3.5 star rating is reflective of me skimming through quite a bit of the story that felt too detailed and slow.

On the plus side, Eliza, our heroine is pretty fantastic. She's got an engaging mind and is fierce and smart. Sebastian is a good match for her although I didn't flat out love his character. He's got some good qualities but I've read much better.

In terms of plot, the mystery surrounding the murder is pretty solid though drawn out. It's not too terribly difficult to figure out who is involved once the story really gets going but it did keep me from skimming those sections. Overall, I found the book to be ok. I've read better, I've read worse and I'm glad I skimmed through about half of it. If you're a fan of this author, you might be happier with the story but it fell a little flat for me and the ending seemed a bit too far fetched.

I had a hard time getting into this one for some reason. I enjoyed the ladies' antics and the writing style had me smiling often but something didn't resonate for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and staying engaged.

Love Julia London! But this one wasn't for me.

I finally had the chance to read this book and I must say I was a bit disappointed in it, it really went on much too long and the whole story just dragged for me. I did love Eliza's character, she was so perky and funny but I couldn't warm up to Sebastian's character. As for the murder mystery plot and Eliza helping Sebastian figure out who the murderer is, I also found that to drag on.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I think I have overly high expectations for Julia London's books. I had a hard time finishing this book after about the half way mark. I wish the second half of the book have lived up to the first half.

Sebastian has never met anyone like Eliza. As Prince of Alucia, he has always been catered to and is astounded to find Eliza treating him like a common man. He's in England to get a trade agreement passed and find a wife. Sick to death of all the calculating women who fawn over him, he finds Eliza refreshing and irritating in equal measures. When a close member of his staff is murdered, Sebastian realizes he must solve the crime since the English police don't seem motivated. Eliza's instrumental in helping him and as they begin to know each other better they form a strong bond. I really enjoyed this book and spent a wonderful afternoon escaping reality and admiring Eliza. Loved it!

Been meaning to read a book by this author and I was really needing a fun HR.



The story follows Eliza who is merely a daughter of a judge who writes for a gossip gazette. The biggest story of the year has landed right in London. A prince from a small country has come to make a trade and find a wife that will help cement the alliance to England. Things happen and the two fall for each other. But duty is duty...right?


This was a hoot. I do get a little worried when the author makes up a country and tries to blend it with real life countries, but when it works it works well and this certainly did. I want to see more of this made up country. I wonder if book 2 will follow Eliza and the prince or we'll get another couple in the country. mmmm. We shall see.


Yes, the characters. I liked them. I was not a fan of other of them at first, but around 35% I grew to like them and want them to be together even though it was impossible of course. However, it is HR and they do find each other (no spoiler there). What I liked was how possible it was at the end. It was a realistic solution that I didn't see coming. I thought it was going to be lame and unrealistic, BUT I was pleasantly surprised that they made it realistic on how they got to be together. Huzzah!


The cover is very pretty but so not accurate. SHOULDERS AND WRISTS! Queen Vicky would've fainted. Too prom-y, BUT I love the dress if you take off my historical hat and put my girl-y hat on. Cute.


OooOOOOoo totally called who the murder was. The mystery WAS good. I did doubt my guess though here and there, but I was convinced on who it was and I was right.


Let's see...mmmm...the beginning was a little hard to get into mainly because (like I said above) I really wasn't a fan of our H/h. They grew on me as I got to know them and then I fell for them and wanted them to succeed and get that HEA and that murderer.


Overall, I did enjoy this quite a bit even though it took a hot minute for me to like our couple and I wish the cover was a touch more realistic. The mystery was good and I loved the ending. It was actually realistic and made sense. Duty IS duty after all. I'll stamp this with 4 stars. I must read more by this author for sure! Fun!

Absolutely delightful! Eliza is humorous and so down to earth she is refreshingly real. The story has an interesting sub plot with a murder mystery and the detective work that Eliza undertakes feels realistic. A satisfying solution and the ultimate resolution make for a romance that makes you believe that love can conquer all!

I enjoyed it. The characters seemed a little stiff to me. More as this was the 1st act of a play where the scene was being set. Not bad, just stiff.

Eliza Tricklebank is not expected to make a brilliant match, much less a royal one. But when the private secretary of a visiting prince is murdered and her newspaper for ladies receives and anonymous tip about the culprit, she finds herself thrown unexpectedly into the company of Prince Sebastian of Alucia. Unabashed by his royal dignity, Eliza hectors and lectures him on his rude manners in a way he's never experienced before. As they work to solve the crime together, Sebastian finds himself wondering just what it would be like to marry this overbearing and entirely delightful commoner--if only it were allowed!

This book was not at all what I was expecting. With the frilly cover and tagline that says "fans of The Princess Diaries will enjoy this title..." I was expected something a little more clean and lighthearted. Eliza herself, with her eccentricities such as a proclivity for repairing clocks, was an interesting character. Sebastian was not a character I admired--his interest in setting up casual and clandestine liaisons with English women was distasteful, and I thought his actions toward Eliza were entirely dishonorable. I found myself enjoying the fake royalty setting within a real historical England but not caring for the plot of this book.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Doesn’t every girl dream of finding her prince and falling in love? In “The Princess Plan” Eliza Tricklebank sees her prince dream come to fruition when she meets Crown Prince Sebastian of Alucia at a masked ball. Sebastian is in England for two important reasons. One is to secure some trade agreements that will bring his country into the 20th century in technology. The other reason is for Sebastian to find a suitable bride. When Sebastian’s personal secretary is murdered an anonymous tip is passed to Eliza’s gossip paper that she and her sisters publish and the hunt for the killer is on with Sebastian and Eliza teamed up to find the perpetrator. Of course working closely together simply fans the flame that’d already been stoked between the two. But everyone knows there’s zero chance of Prince Sebastian taking a commoner for a wife. It just isn’t done! Or is it?

“The Princess Plan” is the first book in a new series - “A Royal Wedding” by Julia London. It’s an enjoyable Victorian fairytale romance with thoroughly likable characters, an engaging plot and dialogue that’s charming, witty and warm and funny. Five stars. My thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Romance Publishers for providing me with an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.
“The Princess Plan” publication date is: 19 Nov 2019
#ThePrincessPlan #NetGalley

A fun book. A fun story with fun characters. My favorite aspect of the book were the characters. They were fun and kept me reading.

Heat Factor: On par with your average historical romance
Character Chemistry: Eliza is irresistible (and irrepressible!)
Plot: Murder and marriage go together!
Overall: A little of this, a little of that, a little bit fun

I haven't read Julia London in a long time. Like a decade. Why not? I have no idea. She writes well. In this case I'd argue to myself that it's probably because we're dealing with an imaginary monarchy and a generally improbable… everything. You might recall that I haven't historically gone with the imaginary monarchy books, but I've enjoyed branching out lately. Ergo my brief summary of this book is: ridiculous but enjoyable.

Let's discuss imaginary monarchies. This book has two! Alucia and Wesloria were once one (or something) and then the king had two sons by different women. Some stuff went down and the second wife's son gained the throne of Alucia while the first wife's son inherited Wesloria. We're sympathetic to Alucia in this book on account of the Crown Prince being our hero. But if we're operating based on rules of primogeniture (and I don't know why we wouldn't given that we're in Victorian times), it's hard to argue that the King of Wesloria shouldn't have a bone to pick with Alucia. Wesloria and Alucia are constantly warring and there's a perpetual state of intrigue (as one expects in a royal court).

Against this backdrop, the Crown Prince of Alucia comes to England to negotiate a trade deal and find a wife. Alliance with England and all that. It's great for the Tricklebank sisters because the younger sister, a widow who inherited her husband's Gazette publication, can publish all kinds of juicy gossip in what is now her Ladies' Gazette. The elder sister, Miss Eliza Tricklebank, helps with the publication and takes care of her blind father, a judge on the Queen's bench. (This is relevant later.)

Eliza is 28 and unmarried because she made a Mistake when she debuted. She's soiled goods, so to speak, and she's never going to make that mistake again. Yawn. Why is every heroine lately a non-virgin spinster who's sworn off love? Anyway, Eliza is obviously special and unique. She doesn't have to conform anymore, so she doesn't.

It so happens that Eliza is invited to a party in honor of the Alucian delegation at Kensington palace. In a totally expected turn off events, this nobody spinster meets Prince Sebastian. The meet cute is fun, and honestly the “proper” introduction is even more fun. Eliza gets a little too sloppy drinking rum punch at the party (a wholly ungenteel activity) and generally behaves in a vulgar fashion. Sebastian doesn’t even remember who she is from one interaction to the next, so when some shady events follow the murder of Sebastian’s advisor and dear friend, it leads to Sebastian and Eliza meeting once more. He’s all snob and remembers her not all, and she continues to be 100% herself. Eventually Sebastian comes to see Eliza’s forthright ways and shabby-genteel house as everything he wants. But how does a prince marry a commoner?! He has responsibilities after all!

This book falls hard into the camp of “liberated woman DGAF about social niceties, let’s throw it out the window and bang!” The love story is pretty sweet, and I enjoyed the book, but if you have a hard time getting on board with stories that seem historically incongruous, you might have a hard time with this one. Eliza is, on the one hand, fun. She doesn’t need a fancy life. She’s living the life she chooses because she can. Whether or not she should is an entirely different story, considering that she’s living this life in the shadows specifically because of this experience she had in her youth. The other thing that I couldn’t quite let go of is that Eliza is truly SO inappropriate for the wife of a king. She has zero social graces and zero interest in learning them. But she treats Sebastian as an equal, so that’s all fine. Mmkay.

For readers who enjoy the historicals but also like a modern platform pasted on a historical background, you’ll probably like this book. I do warn you, Sebastian has teenager levels of angst. Even with the pretty heavy content of the murder mystery propelling the plot, it’s a read with an overall light-hearted mood and a better than average quota of silly.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I'll preface this by saying I am a big historical romance fan, the premise sounded interesting, and the quirky meet cute between the hero and heroine was promising. However, I really did not care for this book. I didn't find the couple's chemistry believable and the murder mystery wasn't very compelling. Overall it was difficult to get through. It's not a hard and fast rule for me, but in this instance it was a real turn off that hero immediately has a liaison with another woman right after meeting our heroine (I know this is a big NO NO for a lot of romance readers). This was my first Julia London read so perhaps she's just not for me.