The Head That Wears The Crown is a grown up, romantic, clean fairy tale. Annie, a woman with the South Philly attitude, finds out she is the heir to the crown of a small country. The country is beautiful but hurting for funds so Her Majesty Annelise along with her two sisters dig in to help change the coffers of the dutchy. Oh, and then there's Max !!!
I loved this story by Mariah Stewart and highly recommend it. Five stars.
My thanks to #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to early read this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoy Mariah Stewart’s books. The Head That Wears the Crown was different from the ones I have read and enjoyed so much in the past. I wasn’t sure about this book for that reason, but it surprised me and was a very fun book to read. The development of the characters throughout was wonderful and made me wish I could meet each and every one of them. I loved the strength of the women in the story and their desire to help rebuild the country of their heritage. The setting was beautiful and one I would love to visit. There was a little family drama, a mystery, and always romance in a fairy tale worth reading. I definitely recommend this book and all others from Mariah Stewart.

This book is a departure from Mariah Stewart’s usual style, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A bit of mystery, some drama, lots of fun, and romance. It has it all in a modern day fairy-tale. I wish I could visit the idyllic locale of Saint Gilbert! It was a fast and entertaining read, a perfect place to escape for a few hours!

Fast, light read about a woman who suddenly learns she is the Grand Duchess and ruler of a small European duchy, very much in the style of the Princess Diaries but featuring a woman in her 40s rather than a teen. Some of the plot points don't make a lot of sense (how are there absolutely no hotels in the country? Why is her daughter a princess if she is a duchess?) and there is no conflict to speak of, but it's cute. Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC.

What an amazing fairy tale come to life on the pages of this wonderful story. Annaliese and her family take on a journey to rebuild the beautiful country of their ancestry. A wonderful read

OMGOODNESS what a great book. Just true escapism and a modern day fairy tale. The main character Annie is in for a big surprise.. Annie thinks her life is all settled being a divorced mother of 2 children working her insurance job. Her 2 sisters also keep her on her toes. One day she realizes she is being followed by 3 men. Being a woman of action she confronts them and finds out they mean no harm. Quite the contrary. They have been looking for her because they believe she is the heir to the throne of the small nation of the Duchy of Saint Gilbert. Suddenly she is Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess Annalise Jacqueline Terese of Saint Gilbert. She has decisions to make. Should she accept and try to get the Duchy back in shape or decline and live her regular life. Whatever she decides will affect her entire family. The only complaint I have is I finished the book. I sure hope this is the beginning of a series! I want to go back to the Duchy of Saint Gilbert!

I love anything Mariah Stewart writes and this is no exception. It is a fairytale escape and i found it very enjoyable.

I absolutely could not stop reading this! I absolutely loved it! I could so see this as a movie. Love, love, loved this! I absolutely love the guess what your royal trope!
I just reviewed The Head That Wears the Crown by Mariah Stewart. #TheHeadThatWearstheCrown #NetGalley
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The Head That wears the Crown is a fun fairytale read. Annaliese is a divorced mother of two children Juliette and Ralphie. They live In Philadelphia. I enjoyed the many references to Philadelphia since I am from the area. She is next line to rule Saint Gilberti after finding out that her Great Grandmother was the Grand Duchess before the war. This is a cute read about family, being royal and some romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

“The Head That Wears The Crown- Mariah Stewart
This book is perfect for any little girl who dreamed of being a princess living in her own castle. This unlikely fantasy has come true, and is a surprising reality for Annaliese. When she discovers, at age 45, that she is heir to the throne of a tiny European country on a small island, she is frantic and overwhelmed. After she reluctantly visits the tiny kingdom, she is completely entranced. ..and committed to developing the country.

Mariah Stewart introduces the “mom turned Duchess” story line in the book’s summary. Stewart builds the story as Annalise must decide whether to visit the country and accept the throne, and how to inform her two teenagers, and two sisters. Her sisters are a bit jealous… wondering why one of them was not chosen.

The book starts slowly, but quickly picks up momentum when Annalise decides to accept the crown and become the duchess of Saint Gilbert. The action picks up and gathers momentum when she is in the kingdom, and working on many ideas for new business. Annaliese meets many of the people in the castle, and learns that there are malevolent forces working to unseat her.

In the absence of a royal leader, the country has been run by a male council, domineering and skeptical of the new leader. The male council is resistant to any changes coming from a “foreign woman”. But Annaliese recognizes that the country is struggling financially, and they are desperate for ways to attract tourism and business to Saint Gilbert. Annaliese grows stronger as a character, and finds new courage and determination, as she works to manage the hostile elements.

The novel describes some very creative “magical” touches when they are in the kingdom: a soap that makes everyone look younger, the best tasting coffee anywhere, and food that looks like magazine photos while it’s growing. There are many elements of fantasy and whimsey introduced, and author Stewart makes it all work.

If you have followed “the Royals” during your life…this book is for you. Live out every royal fantasy you’ve dreamed, every handsome prince you have imagined since you first heard about “Cinderella”. “The Head That Wears the Crown” is a true Cinderella story…complete with a handsome “prince”; aka, the dashing Captain of the Guard. For a wonderful escape from today’s complexities, this book is a refreshing breath of fresh air and creativity.

Shelley Portnoy

A glorious fairytale. Great characters who blend well together and a little bit of spice among the sugar. An enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such fun. It had some angsty moments and a little mystery. It’s so different from other royalty books. A lot of girls want to be a princess. Annaliese, however, is 44 years old, divorced and has two teenagers. It’s a wonderful telling of a woman navigating her family and a country she’d never heard of before and is now running. The writing is amazing and the characters are fun and have great depth. I highly recommend this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book. Not just because Annie and Max were amazing but also because I am from Philly and knew where everything was and experienced from there. So wonderful a book and a great combo of story lines and characters. Mariah has done it again. Read this book!!!

I really loved this story about Annalise, her children Juliette, Ralph and her sister Ceil and Roe. You just have to read this book . Annalise is about to become the Duchess to another country, Read about all she does with the help of a lot of people. There is suspense and a little romance involved. A really good story and good things.

This novel promises wish fulfillment and delivers… somewhat. Annaliese “Annie” Gilberti is a forty-four-year-old divorced mother of two whose financial troubles (and life!) are upended when discovers that her late grandmother once ruled a small European country. Annie is next in line for the throne, a revelation that launches her from South Philadelphia to the aforementioned European country, Saint Gilbert.

I loved the Princess Diaries premise, but the writing and plot execution leaves A LOT to be desired. The first chapter alone reads like character building exercise. Annie breezes through her 9-5 work schedule, yearly family vacation to the Jersey Shore, hostile in-laws, cheater ex-husband, basketball opinions, how hot her seventeen-year-old son is, how hot her fourteen-year-old daughter will be, how often they all eat Italian food, who cooks the Italian food…good details, sure, but who cares? So much of the text is bogged down with irrelevant details and side comments that the reader is left twiddling their thumbs until the plot clicks back into place.

And the plot itself? Fans of cozy reads might appreciate the lack of conflict, but I personally found it underwhelming. What makes Annie qualified to rule a country she’s never heard of? Not much, and the book doesn’t seem to care enough to convince the reader otherwise.

The overall reading experience was underwhelming with only a little potential for more.

From the moment I read the outline I had to read this book and I'm so glad I did. I couldn't put it down as I fell in love with Annaliese and her difficult choice of wither or not to be the next ruler of Saint Gilbert.

The book did remind me so much of The Princess Diaries. It's my first book by Mariah but I'm sure it won't be my last as this book is so easy to read. The setting, the characters that you can't help but will make the right decision.

This book needs a sequel. Its a stunning book that made me keep reading and turning the pages. I never wanted it to end so please a sequel Mariah

I love this author, so this was an easy win when I found this on here. Did NOT disappoint.
It’s fast and the characters you will fall in love with. It's all about family.
Annie is about to become monarch of a small European island. She goes on a journey to discover citizens, landscape and ancestry, and secrets.

Annalise divorced mother of two children is just getting along with a 9-5 job. Three men start following her and she finds out her grandmother was royalty and Annie is the next in line to wear the crown and become a Grand Duchess. Most of the book is about her two sisters,two children and her best friend trying to restore the country to greatness. It was a sweet read with a little romance. I very much enjoyed it.

This book is a delightful and clever tale that brims with affection for family. Annaliese Gilberti's life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers her grandmother's history, becoming the future duchess of a European nation. The captivating story of this South Philadelphia mother of two and her family as they embark on an unexpected journey had me hooked from the first sentence to the final word. It's a journey that nobody could have ever imagined as their future.

While I loved the concept, the relatively simplistic writing/storytelling and lack of conflict made this book drag. There was too much attention to specific things (every single item of clothing) and less on tension or development of moving the story forward. Also, as someone who lives in Dubai - enough with the 'human trafficking comments' - we're just a regular city!

Ultimately a DNF for me.

I received this ARC via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.