This is <b>not</b> your typical fairytale romance. Caroline, the main character, does become a princess when she marries Finn, the heir to the throne of a small, Mediterranean town. This is dark, messy and hard - and very well written.

Caro is a South African retired Olympic Gold Medalist. All she’s ever known was running. When her career ends with an injury in her early 20’s she doesn’t know what to do with her life. Until she meets Finn in the hospital, who’s also recovering from a car accident.

The novel covers the beginning of their brief courtship and their rapid wedding and soon Caroline’s only job is to look beautiful and immediately produce children. That’s it. But having kids isn’t as easy as having a stork drop them off and soon Caroline realizes that the glitz and glamor of being a princess doesn’t automatically mean happily ever after.

Mental illnesses, gaslighting, lies, deceit and much more are covered in this novel and so many parallels to the lives of both Princess Diana and Princess Caroline of Monaco are given a glimmer in this novel. I would definitely recommend.

"The Force of Such Beauty" is a dark story of a South African Olympic athlete who becomes involved with a prince of a tiny Mediterranean kingdom (think along the lines of Monaco.)

What's good: This is a book that is very hard to put down. From the opening pages, there's a momentum driving us forward. I stormed through the book in probably 2 days and it's still sitting in my head.

The main character is likable and normal. Caroline is admittedly not highly educated, but she's intelligent and able to pick up on events beyond her. We see her as able to admit her faults and failures. We see what really matters to her (her physical strength) and what doesn't (perceptions of beauty).

What's iffier: You will be angry during this book. You will want to yell. This is not a fluffy fairytale.

Overall, "The Force of Such Beauty" is about the price of being valued for your skin vs. your self, the commodification of image, and how we discipline women to behave and look in certain ways. It's about class and complacency, and the ways in which we all participate in exploitative systems.

As other reviewers have noted, be sure to read the author's epilogue and her explanation of the inspirations behind this book.

With great thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Despite most of the story taking place in a nonexistent country (albeit one that seems an awful lot like Monaco), it's grounded in specifics that help set it apart. The narrator, Caro, isn't simply an aimless young woman; she's a record-breaking Olympic runner from South Africa who suffers a career-ending injury that changes her life in ways she'd never have imagined. The details of her life as a runner, as a white woman from emerging-from-apartheid South Africa, add to the richness of the story overall. These specifics also serve to explain Caro's naivety and, at times, rashness.

The book does a great job of showing how easily one can be seduced by riches, luxury, and the promise of a frictionless life. It just as effectively shows the costs of such luxury. The main reason I'm giving it four rather than five stars is that Caro played the victim a bit too often for my liking and tarred just about all men with the same brush.

Thank you, Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic read! Barbara Bourland first wow’ed me a couple of years ago with Fake Like Me, so I jumped at the opportunity to read her latest novel The Force of Such Beauty! I was so confident that I would enjoy The Force of Such Beauty that I didn’t read the description and went in completely blind! Boy am I glad I did! This novel is so incredibly unique and original! Centering around Caroline and Finn, Caroline is an Olympic runner and Finn is a handsome European prince. The two have immediate chemistry.. what could go wrong?!?

I was hooked from the very first page! I felt like a fly in the wall of Caroline’s life and I could not get enough!!! When I wasn’t reading, I was daydreaming about these characters and when I was reading, I was thinking that I didn’t want this book to ever end! It’s been a long time since I finished a novel in such record time and I will most definitely be re-reading this 5 star gem! Barbara Bourland is officially an automatic read for now and I truly can’t recommend this novel enough— so darn gooood!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group-Dutton for the digital copy for review. The following opinions are my own and do not reflect the views of Netgalley or the publisher.....OH, NO! OH, NO! Do not read beyond this point as this is a SPOILER ALERT! My heart slowed down, and the tears poured down my face as I read the ending of this book. I so wanted Caroline to be free and she was almost there....when she was killed. I love the writing style, and find the subject matter although disturbing intriguing. I may be the first to mention this, and then again maybe not, but this seems to be so close to the story of what is now going on In a municipality very similar to the one in this book, with a princess who is from South Africa, is a former athlete, and has tried to run away several times. Caroline is in a vulnerable spot, she is no longer the athlete the world recognizes, her mother is dead, and she has no real marketable talents (that she is aware of). Against, her best friend's advice, she marries Prince Charming who as it turns out is not much of a good human being. The warning signs were there, yet she was convinced even after her first escape was (almost) successful to go back to that terrible prison (called home). You have to be patient with this book as it is a slow build to a strong foundation of Caroline's life both now and then. This is a difficult read only because there is nothing the reader can do to help Caroline with her final escape.

This will be the caption on my Instagram post for “The Force of Such Beauty” by Barbara Bourland. The primary image for this post will be of the book itself, taken from the Dutton books Instagram page. It will be published no sooner than one month before release unless otherwise suggested.
What if someone told you that they could give you the fairy-tale? What if they told you that you could have everything you ever wanted and all you have to do is to give yourself to them.
Caroline spent her youth triumphing as an Olympic athlete, as a world record breaker, until an accident leaves her unable to run. It is while she is in recovery from this injury that she first crosses paths with Finn, the heir of a small European country. Over the course of a few months he pursues her, dazzling her with his wealth, his status and the safety she thinks he wants to give her.
It is only after they are married, after her body is exhausted but still been demanded on that she comes to appreciate that a crown can be a cage, and a husband a stranger who will put the image of the country above all.
A darkly realistic and heart-breaking account of what it is to be a woman who takes on the mantle of royalty. It is a searing commentary on the expectations that are placed on women, their bodies and indeed their very lives in order to maintain deeply damaging power-structures. Bourland cleverly weaves the story around Caroline, tightening the threads as her world gets smaller and smaller. It is artfully done. I couldn’t put it down, even the ending managed to surprise me. It’s a 5/5 for me and I have already recommended it to friends.
My thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for this Earc. I very much enjoyed.
This section will appear as a slide on my Instagram post. (First image will be of the book, 2nd slide image will be what is contained below).
“The Force of Such Beauty”
Barbara Bourland.
Read it if:
- You like fiction that veers into feeling non-fictional, indeed almost autobiographical story telling.
- You like books that shine a new lens on an old story. This is not the trad version of girl meets prince and lives happily ever after. I love it all the more for that
- You like books that examine toxic ideology and power structures through a female gaze.
- You love a good unexpected ending, I don’t know what I thought was going to happen but it wasn’t that. 10/10 for the fact that I gasped with surprise as it unfolded.

THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY
BY: BARBARA BOURLAND

Update: I have upgraded my review, because I have not been able to stop thinking about this beautifully written and heart wrenching novel. Therefore I have rated it with Five worthy stars plus! I have edited my review. Highly, Highly recommend this Unique and utterly Original Stunning work by Barbara Bourland, who is a brand new Author to me whom this novel is Unforgettable and a Favorite of 2022. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end for it gives you insight for the Author's inspiration for whom she was thinking about when she wrote this.

"The Force of Such Beauty," written by Barbara Bourland is an addictive and compelling reading experience. I really enjoyed reading this from the very beginning to the last page. The plot was masterly executed and the character development was just stunning.

Anybody who loves running or ran in any part of their lives will enjoy reading this. It chronicles Caroline Muller who grew up in Africa who had an early career of running at an early age and winning the Olympic medal and holding the record for an amount of time. She started running in South Africa when she was a young girl of eleven years old. She ran with a friend of hers named Zola who was older than her. She ran many miles and as she progressed she entered other races among many which included the ultra marathons which are held in today's culture

When Caroline and Zola first started out running together they would always start in the back of the group with the males in the front. Caroline and Zola always quickly outran the males and the rest of the group ending up leading being first to finish. That Caroline as a child started at the end of the pack of behind the males gives me wonder if this was the Author's foreshadowing how Princesses always walk behind their husbands and always wait to eat after their husbands.

Caroline meets Finn at a rehabilitation center which is fictional and she and him strike up a kinship that later in the novel results in her finding out that he comes from royalty. When she and him run into each other again there is no denying their chemistry and attraction for each other. He is from a fictional monarchy location and there is much described with atmospheric and vivid detail. They are at this upscale resort having both getting physical rehabilitation for both of them had been injured in accidents. Caroline will go through many surgeries but although she has gained a beautiful face, she is unable to run to compete as being unable to resume where she left off.

This reminded me of Allison Pataki's historical fiction based on the real life of Empress Elisabeth in many ways. Her book is called, "The Accidental Empress," which has a second novel called, "Sisi."
In this book Caroline marries Finn who rules with his mother a fictional country which her life resembles the real life of Empress Elisabeth and who was later in life becomes the Queen of Hungary for which she helped Hungary become a duel monarchy in the Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Empress Elisabeth was only sixteen years old and was Duchess of Bavaria when she married into a much more formal and regimented lifestyle for which like Caroline in this story both are ill prepared for the roles that they much play. Like Elisabeth, Caroline doesn't expect to be isolated from her husband so soon after marriage and to have a mother in law who takes control of her children. The instant expectation of the pressures of producing an heir is apparent in both Caroline and Elisabeth's lives. Empress Elisabeth was at odds with her mother-in-law because her new husband Franz Joseph was immediately always working soon after marriage just as Finn is in this tale. Finn allows his mother Amelie to have access to their first born daughter and even name her and take her from Caroline even when Caroline doesn't want her baby to be whisked away. Empress Elisabeth was similarly denied access to her daughters because Franz Joseph allowed his mother the Arch Duchess of Austria to take Elisabeth's daughters and raise them. Her first born daughter named Sophie was snatched away and named after the Arch Duchess Sophie, Franz Joseph's mother and Elizabeth's mother-in-law.

Both Caroline and Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary are not prepared to be expected to focus primarily on producing an heir to the extent that they both are denied to do what they enjoy because it might affect their pregnancies.

This was so similar to Empress Elisabeth of Austria except Caroline was an Olympic runner who won many races first prize. Both women are expecting to have more control over their destinies and the immediate pressure to get pregnant and live according to formal protocol for which they weren't prepared for. In Empress Elisabeth's case she was only sixteen compared to Caroline who was in her twenties.

Because this was so closely related to a historical factual monarchy I already knew except Caroline was not a Duchess like Elisabeth but had a very interesting career in running I was drawn to this as I loved to run myself. That she was injured and still wanted to pursue the running community in representing herself as a speaker for the Special Olympics and was denied her career was reminiscent of Empress Elisabeth's life changing dramatically. Both women were raised differently and found the restrictions of always attending royal affairs smothering and unappealing.


This was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to women who enjoy reading about independent strong women with a mind of their own who hold on to their identities despite being ill prepared to be thrust into a completely different lifestyle. I would also recommend it to anybody who was passionate about running. In the Author's Note she mentions how women's formative years are begun by playing with dolls and then dollhouses. Females are given the message that they are to grow up and find husband's. They may have been play acting in their youth's as Princess's. Is it any doubt that young women are excited to marry a Prince. Little do we know but have learned with watching with the rest of the world when Princess Diana and then Megan Marckle told the world their truths that life at court isn't so wonderful. This also has aspects of Jennifer Egan's debut novel called, "Look at Me," which I met her 22 years ago and thought of her quite humble and certainly lovely and quite beautiful and well put together. Sadly I no longer have her brand new copy of that signed First Edition that was brand new. After reading this I am very much thinking of searching for one as close to mine as I can get. The Author of a Pulitzer Prize winner's first book in a capacity in which I wish to attain can be more rare and more expensive than their subsequent novels, including the one which won them the Pulitzer. Just a little book collector trivia, for you. I am definitely going to purchase the physical hard copy of this one as well. I do wish the Author, Barbara Bourland, my very best wishes for she is surely a talented writer and I have not read her before, but am interested to pursue whatever else she has written or any of her future work.

Just a short few more words in this very long review. I am guessing that this fictional account draws similarities to the factual Charlene Lynette Wittstock, born on January 25, 1978 who is the Princess of Monaco by marrying Albert II. He is the reigning Prince of Monaco and head of the Princely House of Grimaldi. Princess Charlene was a former Olympic swimmer. She had tried to escape which failed and cried during her wedding.

I really think that this was a fabulous novel and not only did I love it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending was totally unexpected and shocked me. It left me feeling sad. I know it's fictional but I grew to love Caroline and I can't stop thinking about her.

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Barbara Bourland and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton-Dutton for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. PENGUIN GROUP Dutton-Dutton continues to publish high quality content in my opinion and all opinions are my own.

#TheForceofSuchBeauty #BarbaraBourland #PENGUINGROUPDuttonDutton #NetGalley

Wow! I was absolutely blown away by this unique and fresh story - that really shouldn't be so surprising to us by now, should it? Essentially, royalty sucks and though every little girl dreams of being a princess...it's actually a nightmare. Excellent work Ms. Bourland!

This book is really a character study but the main character is absolutely captivated. You’ll spend the entire book with an intimate glimpse to her life. At times provocative and at times heartbreaking, it’s an absolutely astounding novel. I would highly recommend this book!