Cover Image: A Royal Christmas Wish

A Royal Christmas Wish

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Member Reviews

This was such a cute Christmas story. Jenny just bombed an interview and is working her second job when she runs into Dom, a real life prince. She has no idea who he really is, and hopes to run into him again the next day. There is no tomorrow as she discovers his true identity at yet another job. She doesn't have the courage to talk to him, but the help from a little magic could change that. I loved the Cinderella nod with Jenny's wish disappearing at the stroke of midnight.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

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It's rare that I leave a book unfinished. Before A Royal Christmas Wish, all of the books I've read from Hallmark Publishing's imprint have been fantastic and I've really enjoyed them. I think the "magical" aspect in this book was just too unbelievable and the protagonist just lacked motivation - I couldn't connect to the story. After trying for over a month to get through it (between reading other books), I'm finally ready to call it, I'm not going to finish this one.

I hate to give this book three stars, but I just could not get into this story. I highly recommend other Christmas books by Hallmark Publishing, especially the recent Christmas In Evergreen: Letters to Santa and A Down Home Christmas.

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What a fun Christmas romance! A Royal Christmas Wish combines a wee bit of fantasy and Christmas wishes with a very realistic romance. This book is dreamy, realistic, and sweet! The main characters struggle with problems just like everyone else, but come up with ways to improve the world around them while coming to accept their own personal strengths and talents in the process. Great Christmas read!

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This was such a happy feel-good story. Ridiculously unbelievable? Absolutely! Despite that, or maybe even because of it, the tale is charming and full of Christmas cheer. I needed a good pick me up and this fit the bill. It was a quick read, but I couldn't stop smiling the entire time I read it!

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I always love a good royal romance, and this one is no exception. This was a heartwarming Christmas story that I would highly recommend.

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When a Christmas wish turns into a real life fairytale, Just Jenny is stunned. Her Cinderella fantasy of loving a prince sure seems real, but she knows all fairytales have lessons for the princess to learn. So she decides to figure it out. A Royal Christmas Wish is all about being yourself and making dreams come true. A fun Hallmark Christmas read!

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A warm cozy Christmas read that just hit the spot for my Christmas craving. Adorable romance mixed with hoilday warmness and some royal family shenanigans mixed in made this book so great perfect for anyone who's a fan of the prince and me or the royal we those adorable royal family romances with all the hoilday fun thrown in!

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A Royal Christmas Wish is published by Hallmark, and it is, unashamedly and delightfully, a pure sugary fluffy candyfloss confection of a romance. I was mentally casting Kat Dennings as Jenny, a broke part-time waitress and dog-walker with dreams of being Something One Day, and Tom Hiddleston as the European prince she literally collides with one day in Central Park.

There’s an actual fairy godmother, magical Christmas wishes, a romance that’s almost tooth-rottingly sweet and at the heart, a message that being yourself is actually enough, no matter how much you might feel like a failure compared to family members and friends who totally have their act together from a young age. It’s a lovely story with a beautiful message… and I’m definitely hoping to see Kat and Tom, or some other delightful couple with similar chemistry, bringing it to the screen in a Hallmark movie sometime soon!

Five stars for a sweetly fluffy and charming royal romance.

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Oh yes, it most certainly is the most wonderful time of the year (even though Christmas is still months away - but it's on its way!) because all of these lovely Christmas books are coming in! And to be honest, almost no one does Christmas like Hallmark, and that extends to their books too!

A Royal Christmas Wish, as cheesy as the title may sound, was a wonderful wintery, warm and of course Christmassy novel, that would be perfect to read as December rolls around. The story centres on "just Jenny" a regular old Jane Doe, with a passion for serving her community and a beloved dog in the pound - Prince Harry. By chance, she meets Prince Dominic of San Noelle, and somehow, by a mysterious countess elf's magic, her wish of a royal Christmas with Prince Dom is granted - now a princess living in San Noelle, time is ticking as the last grains of sand run through the hourglass...

Characterisation:
Jenny or "Just Jenny" as she's frequently referred to in the novel is a lost sort of girl who has a passion for helping others. She's a kind soul really, but when she's picked up and plopped down into her wish of a royal Christmas with dreamy Prince Dom - she begins to grow, become more confident, willing to take risks and so much more. I really did enjoy growing along with Jenny as she grew and developed as a character. A bit bland at the beginning perhaps, but you do grow to love her.
Prince Dom - would have loved to have seen more of him throughout the novel. I did enjoy the relationship that Shane has built between the two of them and the way that you can actually see the impact that Jenny has on him. I just would have loved to see some more of him.

Storyline and Plotting:
Okay, so perhaps not the most 'realistic' plot in the world, but hey, it's a Christmas novel - and what's Christmas without a little magic? As for the whole 'countess elf who smells like peppermint and clearly has magical powers' thing - I didn't mind the whole idea, but perhaps a bit more fleshing out of her character whilst still trying to maintain the mystery that I'm guessing was intended. As for the last little point about her dream and Dom...I can see what Shane was trying to do, but perhaps an ever so slightly better link between the two worlds, so to speak, would have been nice.

Overall:
Look, I really did enjoy this novel. Sweet, fun, romantic and of course, Christmassy. It's magical, although perhaps not as realistic (although the book would try and spread the message of believing in magic) as one might think. But nonetheless, a lovely book to curl up and read in the holiday season (only a few months away!) with a peppermint mocha in your hand.

Note: I was very kindly provided an ARC of this novel by the publisher and the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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What if you woke up one morning, married to the man of your dreams, who, oh yea, happens to be a prince, which makes you a real princess. You would hope that in “make a wish” fashion, all the frills, benefits and knowledge of being a royal would come with it, but in true Christmas chaos fashion that Hallmark is known for, that is not what happens. Jenny has the pleasure of learning how to be a royal while also trying not to cause international crises. The one thing she does know, beyond a shadow of doubt, is she loves Dom and will do whatever it takes to makes this one wish come true and not expire at the stroke of midnight. All the magic, sparkle, and romance make this one of my new favorite Hallmark Christmas stories, and that’s saying a lot because I love all of them!
Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Jenny is the prototypical romance heroine. She's clumsy; she doesn't know her own beauty (inner or outer); she has not one but two overachieving siblings; she believes in twu lurv; and she doesn't recognize someone who is arguably super-famous.

When she runs into Dominic, the prince of San Noelle (have we yet identified this as a Hallmark book? No? I'm guessing you did after this name), Jenny is just doing your normal thing you do in New York, walking her favorite rescue dog, Prince Harry (I like this author's sense of humor), in Central Park. Then, she slams into a super handsome guy. A guy that she later sees at a fancy party where she is dressed as an elf. She wishes that she could have gotten Dom's number but a lost snowflake bracelet leads to something almost as good, her wish to have a fairy tale Christmas is granted. It's a chance to see what her life would be like if she were actually married to Dom. But she only has until midnight on Christmas.
This is just like a Hallmark movie, comforting and low-key. It didn't trip all my joy triggers but I finished it and, other than having to plow through all the generic romance tropes, enjoyed it.

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 10th
ARC kindly provided by Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

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A sweet holiday romance from Lizzie Shane who has the gift of creating likable flawed characters. Jenny moved to New York from Iowa and hasn't found her calling. She works odd jobs and volunteers at an animal shelter. She literally runs into Dom in Central Park and sparks fly. She find out later that Dom is a prince, meets a countess, and makes a wish. The rest is a journey she hadn't quite planned on but when she follows her heart Jenny finally realizes what her calling is.

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Your dreams might be a real nightmare
Contemporary romance author Lizzie Shane presents "A Royal Christmas Wish. An enchanting Christmas romance from Hallmark Publishing". "Just Jenny" and the dog "Prince Harry" from the dog shelter "Paws for Love" where Jenny volunteers run into "Dom" in Central Park in New York City. The resulting conversation treats the topic of fairy tales, princes and princesses. Her next meeting with Dom is at a party where she works as a server, dressed in an itchy elf costume. She is shocked when she discovers that Dom is an actual prince. On the way home she finds a bracelet and is able to return it to the owner, a mysterious countess, who grants Jenny a wish. Suddenly Jenny finds herself married to Dom and tries to navigate the royal traditions. Living in the castle is quite a challenge since she is clumsy, lacks the necessary self-confidence, and manages to create some incidences, such as smacking the French ambassador with an ice sculpture. But her biggest challenge is that she is truly falling in love with Dom and does not know if there is any chance to turn the wish into reality since the clock is ticking and her wish will have an end. Will there be a solution to her dilemma? What will her life be like when the wish ends?
This great holiday romance includes also the recipe for Chicken Shawarma. The characters are wholesome and it is an enjoyable, funny, and relaxing read. As such I highly recommend it to readers who dream also of being princesses.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ARoyalChristmasWish #NetGalley

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A Christmas wish come true leads Jenny to the tiny country of San Noelle and her true love.

I loved this Hallmark inspired story! The setting was breathtaking and the premise was pure magic. Definitely a great story to put everyone in the holiday spirit!

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I don’t often use the “must-read” recommendation on my reviews. It always sounds so hyped up and not every story is to every reader’s liking so I hesitate to say that… However. If you love Christmas Romance, a touch of magic, the feeling of being right there in the book itself, a strong but gentle message of self-empowerment for women, and a couple who (fate or not) were meant to be with each other — then, yes, A ROYAL CHRISTMAS WISH is a “must-read” romance for you!

I loved watching Jenny go from being a self-conscious, almost nondescript woman who saw herself as “Just Jenny”, seemingly not deserving of happiness in any form to a confident woman who knows who she loves, is loved in return, and finally sees her own self-worth and embraces it – along with the true prince of her heart, a shelter pup called Prince Harry. Dom is perhaps the prince of my own dreams for he saw Jenny’s worth, her specialness long before she could.

I easily fell into this world where the impossible can become reality, where wishes come true but with a few twists and decisions to be made as well. Secondary characters will always enhance any story I’m reading and I loved the cast of characters we meet in A ROYAL CHRISTMAS WISH.

This is a story that I will pull out to re-read every Christmas season from now onwards. And you might, too once you’ve visited this very special Christmas Romance. I had a charming, engaging, magical time with Dom and Jenny – I’d not hesitate one second to recommend this story to any Romance reader who simply enjoys the magic of falling in love no matter the circumstances.

Oh, and that cover is simply stunning!

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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If you love Hallmark movies you'll likely enjoy this book. It was classic Hallmark. Hallmark has done the royal Christmas stories before but this one was a bit different. The Christmas wish makes her married to the prince right off instead of the American overcoming the odds and the prince falling for her against his family's wishes. Through her time in "the Wish" Jenny grows into the person that her loved ones always knew she had the potential to be. She gains faith in herself and I liked that aspect of the story. And then poof! Just like that, midnight strikes and her life in the wish is gone. She forgot to wish for the happily ever after part. Now what will she do?

No sex, language or violence

*I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

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When I read the first chapter or two of this book in Buzz Books 2019: Romance, I was hooked and immediately requested the full book from Harlequin thru Netgalley. I loved every word of this book and did not want to put the book down to deal with "life" things. Poor Jenny, she is searching for who she is meant to be and what she is meant to do, but she keeps sabotaging herself at every turn. Then one day while playing with her favorite shelter dog in the park, Jenny literally runs into a real life prince, only she has no idea that that is true. They share an hour or two together and then go their separate ways. Later that evening at a party that Jenny is a server at, Jenny discovers that Dom is really Prince Dominic of San Noelle. Dom and Jenny talk even more at the party until their duties separate them. Jenny thinks that she will never see Dom again as he is returning home the next day, until she happens to find a bracelet and returns it to its owner. The lady then grants Jenny a Christmas Wish and all Jenny can think of is spending Christmas with Prince Dominic.

Jenny finds out the next morning that her wish has been granted and she wakes up in San Noelle, but just exactly how long does a Christmas wish last? Are there consequences to having said wish granted? Can Jenny and Dom and the dog truly find their HEAs? I promise that you will not be disappointed with the answers to these questions and the only way to find them is to read the book.

Thank you Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC to this book and the above is my freely given truthful and honest review.

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What a fun book Lizzie Shane has come up! Jenny and her bff Margo moved to the big city to chase their dreams. While Margo is about to marry her dream man, Jenny seems to be drifting through life. She has many part time jobs to make her share of the rent while she continues to go on interviews looking for the perfect job. It's while working one of those fill in jobs she literally runs a man down. Later in the evening at another of her jobs, she runs into him again and finds out he's a real prince. Jenny clicked with Dom and when she's offered any wish, she makes one hoping it gets her a prince. While in her dream/wish she figures out what she wants to do, but now she has to figure out how to get it and her prince. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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This is one of the best modern day fairy tales I have read. I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next and I was never disappointed. Just Jenny or Jenny James was a quirky, sometimes clumsy character who lacked confidence in herself until she met her fairy godmother and found herself involved in a royal Christmas wish of her choosing, involving a palace and Prince Alexander Dominic of San Noelle. The wish is a little bit like Cinderella because it involves going to a ball but it is a lot more than that. I liked that you never knew for sure what was going to happen. The romantic story will put you in the mood for the holidays. I also really liked Jenny and Dom and of course Prince Harry, the adorable red-headed mutt. I hope this will be made into a Hallmark movie. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

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Wonderfully written, delightful modern fairy-tale. Magical, wishes, and a fairy godmother, who could ask for more in a royal Christmas romance?

A chance encounter between Jenny and Prince Dom finds easy banter and a spark of romance, a second encounter leaves her wanting more, a wish finds her waking up in another life where she's forced to find her confidence and make her dreams come true. A perfect life, but made of wishes, or is it? When reality hits, Jenny has a choice, return to her old life or seek the one she craves with Dom. Time is not on her side, but with a little bit of help from Tante Arie, and a cloud laced with peppermint, Jenny is transformed into a princess ready for the Christmas ball. Only time will tell if wishes come true when the clock strikes midnight!

I highly recommend this story.

**received an ARC from netgalley

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