Have you read any of Barbara Bourland’s books before? She has a way with words and I’d have to say The Force of Such Beauty is my favorite! Anyone into stories about royalty or princess will love this story. Barbara really paints a picture of what it may be like for someone married into a family with secrets, demands, and expectations.
Caroline grew up traveling around the world for races. As an athlete running was her life and the thing she thought she’d do forever, until a terrible accident took it all away. In rehab Caroline meet a quirky yet unforgettable man who helped her come to terms with her life. The two went their separate ways but Finn always reached out to let her know he was thinking of her.
After the death of her mother Finn flew her out to be with him and the two fall madly in love. Finn showers her with gifts of clothing and a beautiful ring that goes on the very perfect finger. Caroline and Finn decide to wed quickly but Finn explains there are steps to be taken, expectations of the couple that must be seen to before they can become a couple.
At first Caroline is so overwhelmed with love, want, and the need to become one that she doesn’t notice things that aren’t quiet right. When she allowed Finn into her life she had lost so much already and all she asked of him was just to be her person forever. Unfortunately as time goes on Caroline realizes Finn will uphold his promise, but Caroline will learn for her there’s no choice but to stay.

I liked this book but seem to be in the minority that did not think it was great.
I was interested in the main character because of her athletic background. Her romance with the prince was brief and underdeveloped. He needed a wife and heirs and, well, she got to become a princess. So they hurried up and got married after she was thoroughly prodded by an OBGYN. The similarities to Monaco were too obvious. I rolled my eyes when I read that the nationality of the people was "Lugasque" (or some blatant copy of Monégasque). The author could have been more creative. I felt as though I was reading a fictionalized story based on a real person's life. It was too thinly veiled to be taken seriously.
Caroline (the main character) is apparently a stand-in for Charlene, who married Albert of Monaco. However, I was thinking of Grace Kelly, who is probably too old school to appeal to the target audience for this novel. The ending was particularly reminiscent of the fate of Grace Kelly. I also felt the ending was too abrupt, underdeveloped and unsatisfying. I guess it is supposed to leave the reader wondering what really happened to poor Caroline. Caroline may have been an amalgamation of many modern day women who married into royal families and were disillusioned with the reality did not live up to the fairytale.
This main character's suffering was particularly depressing. I guess that was the point.
This book is a decent read, but it felt very unoriginal.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY is a modern day revision of the fairy tale that suggests growing up to be a princess is a good thing; in any way at all. It may also be a thinly veiled fiction of the current Princess of Monaco, who seems quite at odds with her marriage and public role. In both cases, the book is engaging, fast and impossible to put down. In this romance, the happily ever after looks nothing at all like the fairy tales of old; and there is no possible escape for an unhappy princess. I could not stop reading this book once I began it; it was just that good. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book was such an interesting concept but it fell short for me. I think maybe if I read this in a physical format, I would've liked it more but it was hard to pay attention to while reading on a kindle. Somehow it just didn't grab my attention.

I couldn’t put this down. It’s a modern fairy tale, more Bluebeard than Cinderella- exceptional young woman falls in love with a charming prince, loses all autonomy, births little heirs, becomes a pawn whose image is used to run up real estate prices, etc.

This book was cleverly done, giving the glitz, glamour, and dysfunction that make stories about royalty captivating, all while exposing the institution’s rot. Caroline, the protagonist, is developed thoughtfully in the first part of the book; the author took care not to let her disappear into her role as princess, mirroring Caroline’s own determination to maintain her personhood. The ending, while foreshadowed, felt a little rushed- but so is the arm of a monarchy when it wants to protect itself, I guess.

This is a new favorite for me. Definitely suited for a wide variety of readers (I’ve recommended it to about a dozen people so far, all with different taste). Read if you want something dark, engrossing, and glittery. Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ooof, what to say about this one.

First, it took me forever to read, but not because it was bad, just because it was slow. Second, I really enjoyed the things that this book had to say about being a woman and where our worth and identity come from. Caroline trained her entire life to be the fastest woman on earth, treating her body like a tool and asset until she physically could not. When she ends up married to the prince of a small country, she is faced with the reality that her body is once again an asset, but not in her favor and nowhere near within her own control. This book gave me a lot of righteous anger and made me feel deep outrage, especially in the way that Caroline's children were leveled against her to keep her in line.

The author uses her pen to rip the institution of a monarchy to shreds in her novel. A famous athlete becomes a princess and is used as a tool and brood mare for the lineage.
I think the author was writing about a thinly disguised Monaco with her fictional kingdom between France and Italy.
She paints the underbelly of being a married outsider in the monarchy and the high toll it costs women. I didn’t agree with all of her assertions in her afterward, but it is a reminder that being a royal is not living a fairy tale, but it does come with a host of built in responsibilities that some are unwilling to shoulder.

I had so much fun reading The Force of Such Beauty that I finished it in just a couple of sittings. Fast-paced and the ending took me by surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this novel.

DNF at 37%, but I am open to revisiting at some point. I love the premise of this novel, and I was hooked in the beginning. I was fascinated by the main character's past as the fastest woman in the world, and how much her life had changed. But then the book really started to drag and I started dreading going back to it. Life is too short to force myself to read something I dread. Maybe I will be in the mood for it later.

A fairytale- a runner and a prince meet - though the princess realizes being a princess is t all it’s cracked up to be - not when you have a collar and leash - a great exploration of dreams hopes and growing up to realize what you really want -

Four Stars

My first thought when I read the premise of this book was its many similarities to the real life Princess of Monaco, the former Charlene Wittstock, an Olympic swimmer. There were rumblings in the press before her wedding to Prince Albert that she had tried to escape the principality of Monaco on perhaps two occasions before the wedding, and her passport was confiscated- preventing her from leaving. In recent times, there have been weird reports of Charlene spending a year away from Monaco with a sinus infection or exhaustion. In fact, while reading this book the main character of Caroline assumed the likeness of Charlene in my mind's eye. As the book begins, Caroline is attempting a desperate escape from the principality.

Caroline broke an Olympic record as a runner, but her career halted forever after a devastating fall. She had to have a hip and knee replaced, and a shattered cheekbone repaired with plastic surgery. This was all necessary because Caroline was signed on to lucrative advertisements as a result of her Olympic triumphs. The irony was that after the implants to repair the shattered side of her face as well as teeth bonding, she was more beautiful than ever. While in recovery at an upscale rehab she met what turned out to be a prince of a European principality, Ferdinand. After their engagement, she was subjected to a frank interview with his severe mother, as well as an impromptu exam to confirm she was able to have children. Caroline was already ensconced in the suffocating marble edifice of the Castle Talon prior to the marriage, but the more she learned about what her life would consist of as a royal wife, the more untethered she became from her reality- that she simply loved Ferdinand. There were staff to handle every single task such as to improve/maintain her physique and health, hair extensions, wardrobe creation, personal security, and the most important goal of birthing an heir.

Upon completion of the book, I found parallels in real life to both Princess Charlene of Monaco and Princess Diana. It may look like the grass is greener due to the status and opulence of living as a royal, but your life isn't your own and it seems really claustrophobic. The writing style was good overall, but I tuned out a bit in parts where the financial business of the principality was discussed. The book really seared into my mind how much a prisoner of the system you can become as a royal, and even with all its perks, it's not for everyone.

Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group / Dutton for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I just finished reading The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland. I was totally immersed in this title, and was very sorry when I finished it.

Caroline dropped out of school to train for the Olympics. Th.e more she trained, the faster she became, until she was the fastest woman in the world. Suddenly, due to a catastrophic fall, her running career was over.

Caroline met Finn, a real live prince, in rehab.. Caroline was beautiful, strong , unsophisticated and uneducated; she was the perfect candidate to become a princess.

Did Caroline find her happily ever after, Or, did she share the fate of many princesses today - those terribly unhappy young ladies who try to escape, time after time.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about royals and/or psychological thrillers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this book to review from Net Galley.

#The Cost of Such Beauty#BarbaraBourland#IsabelDeSilva

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. Unfortunately it was a book that has an amazing plot, but I didn’t love the execution. I loved the prologue because it really set an intense moment and I wanted to know what led to it happening. The writing can be extremely flowery and detailed when describing things, which is fine. My issue was that the plot moved either incredibly slowly due to the over description or moved really fast with no development. I would have liked a better balance.

Ooh, this was an enthralling story with beautiful, evocative writing. It is full of glamour, tension, and unease.

Caroline “Caro” is a young, gorgeous Olympian from South Africa. Recently injured, she is devastated as she finds her promising career over. Her main identity is “runner/fastest woman in the world”, and, without that, she wonders who she is. Caro finds herself adrift in Portugal, unable to get a job and generally at a loss for what to do next.

One night in Lisbon, she catches a glimpse of Finn, a dashing man she met while recovering from her injury, and she becomes determined to see him again. Finn also happens to be a prince of the fictional country of Lucomo (reminiscent of Monaco). She finds herself falling in love with Finn and wants a future with him. Unwittingly, Caro is a perfect candidate for royal spouse and mother - as malleable as she is beautiful. Soon, she discovers that being a princess isn’t as alluring as it seems…

In The Force of Such Beauty, Caro tells us her story. Immediately, you feel as if you are in conversation with your most intriguing acquaintance. The novel has a riveting and frenetic quality and feels as expansive as it is claustrophobic. I was dazzled by Barbara Bourland’s storytelling and am eager to read her other work.

Thank you very much to Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My daydreams of becoming a princess were shattered by the realistic portrayal of what actual princesses may go through in their very public lives.

3.5 stars

This book was an easy read and somewhat interesting, but it wasn't GREAT literature which is okay. It will be good to read by the beach or the pool this summer.

There are many similarities to Monaco, which made it feel not original to me. I felt like I was reading someone's personal story that was fictionalized. It was a sad, sad book full of back-biting, murder, manipulation, and just ugliness in a royal family in a small, but wealthy monarchy.

I feel that some editing could have been done and a deeper dive into some of the main characters would have been helpful. The ending was not what I expected at all.

LUKEWARM RECOMMEND

Caroline Muller was chosen to marry Prince Finn for her absolute beauty, which was enhanced by surgery following a devastating accident. She was so beautiful that people who visited the principality wanted to be seen with her and she knew it. “The force of such beauty is meant to destabilize a person. I was no exception.” She became a national treasure, of sorts.

When she wanted more independence Finn in exasperation explained, “It’s evidence of God. Without beauty we’re merely bureaucracy. You are necessary, Caroline. You are an ideological necessity.” In other words, play along. As Caroline learned, the fantasy and romance are make-believe. Don’t miss the “Author’s Note” which is very telling.

What a riveting, gritty, heart wrenching book! Caroline is a record setting Olympic marathon runner, until an accident ends her promising career. She meets Finn while recovering from surgery, and their paths cross several times before she discovers he’s the prince of a small European country. After a whirlwind courtship they are wed, and she becomes Princess Caroline, and she finds that all is not gold in her new life. The revelations are startling, with Caroline caught in a web of lies and deception, making her desperate to escape her tarnished fairy take life. Although fictional, this book opens our eyes to the realities, domination, and sordidness of royal life.

I really love this author. Her stories are really dark and I love it.

In this one, she creates a modern fairy tale and then turns it on its head to show it for the nightmare that it truly could be. An athlete, after her career has ended, meets a prince (made up principality) and falls for him. Instead of following her own path, she joins his as his wife. I'm not going to give you all of the details, but let's just say that it's mostly a façade.

This definitely gave me Grace Kelly vibes, though I don't actually know what inspired the story.

The premise of this novel didn't interest me at all, but I loved Barbara Bourland's second novel, Fake Like Me, and wanted to see what she'd do with the story. This book is terrific: compelling and absolutely absorbing. She really does a fantastic job manipulating the reader's emotions and creating a real sense of tension and suspense even though nothing terribly dramatic happens, plot-wise (despite an occasionally busy plot, even the few "big reveal"-type moments are pretty muted). This book was not always fun to read -- there was obviously a point to the occasional sense of repetitiveness, but there were (brief) moments when it felt like a slog. I would personally recommend Fake Like Me over The Force of Such Beauty, but Caroline Mueller is an unforgettable character and I was sorry to say goodbye to her.