I have to say I have a weakness for romance books. I am finding more and more that I am pulled towards Historical Romance as well so when Mills and Boon asked me if I wanted to be part of this tour I jumped to it!

This book ticked all the boxes for me when I am looking for a Historical Romance, well any romance really. It was easy to read and follow, we had some angst thrown in, there was a Princess AND the main character is strong and independent.

I believe this is the first book I have read by Julia London and I am excited to go back for more of her books. They are extremely well written romances that literally have you swept off your feet into the world and falling in love with the male lead but the female main character as well.

Eliza Tricklebank is a strong independent woman, she unfortunately has not always done what society has said, she has given her love to someone previously and this has meant that she is now a fallen woman. The thing is she has been brought up to be smart and independent and not only concerned about her looks. (Winning already for me here).

Eliza and her sister are writing a gossip newspaper and getting the information from their well connected friend. The thing is the Prince of Alucia has arrived and they get invited to the Masked Ball and that’s where things don’t go to planned.

I love the interaction between Eliza and Prince Sebastian. There is something honest about it which I adore. Yes there were sparks flying from the start and you know the Prince had to be brought down a peg or two by Eliza as well.

The one thing I find utterly compelling about these books is that ordinary girls fall in love with Royalty.. I mean where’s my prince! I loved the imagery of the ball and all the beautiful ball gowns as well. What I enjoyed most about this book was that it was also a murder mystery as well as a Romance. It added new depth to the characters and more to the story instead of Prince finds girl and falls in love. This element I enjoyed more in the book as it added a little bit more of an edge to the book.

I found the way they met and interacted was charming and the character growth and buolding of tension was utterly delicious. As I said I do love a romance book that has not only the female character being swept off of her feet but the male character too.

Definitely a quick and sizzling read if you want to imagine yourself dancing with a Prince in an delicious ballgown. I am looking forward to seeing more from the author and for this series!

I started reading this book before Christmas but then had to put it down for several weeks while real life got in the way. However, as soon as I picked it up,again I was easily able to get straight back into the thick of the action as it is so well,written. Eliza and Sebastian are really likeable characters and the little details of Eliza’s world were fascinating. I especially liked the introduction to each chapter from Honeycutt’s Gazette, they really set the amusing tone which made the book so enjoyable.

A story that has made me fall in love with the historical romance genre all over again, THE PRINCESS PLAN by Julia London is everything you could wish for in a novel and more.

​After being disgraced in society ten years ago, Eliza Tricklebank is content with her life, helping her blind father with his work as a judge, and assisting with her widowed sister's gazette that is making waves in society. Eliza has learned the hard way that she must be true to herself and not try to fit into anyone's opinion of what a lady should be, and while her blunt honesty and lack of airs and graces may seem uncouth to some, Eliza no longer cares about other's opinions. But when she stumbles across the path of an Alucian prince, Sebastian, it will set off a chain of events which will find Eliza investigating the murder of Sebastian's closest friend, and taking every opportunity for happiness with Sebastian, who beneath his demanding exterior has a heart of gold that connects to her soul. Even though heartache is guaranteed when he must return home with an English bride from the upper nobility, Sebastian cannot resist Eliza who is unlike anyone he has ever met. And as they get closer to catching the killer, will they be able to walk away from each other forever?

I devoured THE PRINCESS PLAN in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. The female characters are fresh and feisty, unwilling to dim their intelligence or their needs for anyone and I loved that, and their relationships with each other are joyful in every way. Sebastian is a little demanding at the beginning but the more I got to know him, the more I fell in love with him alongside Eliza, and I desperately wanted them to find a way to be together. There is danger, betrayal, sizzling chemistry, and a connection that is off the charts and the setting came alive on every page and I felt immersed in the time period at all times.

THE PRINCESS PLAN by Julia London is simply perfect and I cannot wait for more from my new favourite author.

Well who doesn't love a book filled with scandal, murder, treason and High Court Princes? I certainly do and this booked ticked all the boxes on the Royar romance front, that's for sure.

Now where do I start when describing this delectable book? I'll begin by saying the writing was an utter highlight, it's charming delivery drew me in but it's witty retorts made the pages turn themselves. The warm welcome I received on opening the first page made me feel very much at home and it was a true delight to read each and every word.

Our heroine Miss Eliza Tricklebank was joy personified. Her tenacity, strength, and sheer wit stole each and every scene and I do believe that she was the shining star in this performance. I cheered at her complete disregard for society norms and I loved her all the more on learning her sorrowful story of her first dalliance in the world of love. If you need one reason alone to pick this book up then Miss Eliza is it.

What added to my joyful reading experience was the amusing articles, from Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion and Domesticity for Ladies, that laced their way throughout the chapters of this book. They not only enhanced the plot, but added a sparkly burst of delight at the beginning of each and every chapter to entertain the reader.

You would be forgiven for thinking that this book offered only romance of the royal kind. But in fact the narrative boasts murder, intruige, treason and an impressive dalliance into the world of sleuthing to make the story jump off the pages and keep your attention. I was addicted to the chemistry between our two amateur detectives and crossed my fingers for that sort after happy ending.

The Princess Plan is so much more than a love story...it's passion personified with a side order of sleuthing thrown in for good measure. I was hooked from the opening moments and didn't want this royal romance to end.

I voluntarily read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this
Loved the characters and in particular Eliza's sassiness!!
Loved the romance elements and loved the mystery elements - I thought they went really well together

I would say the only drawback for me was that although the book is set in Victorian Britain, there was an awful lot of Americanisms, which I do understand as this is maybe written more for the American market, I did find it distracted me

In all, a great read though and I would recommend for any historical romance reader and another Great Julia London book - an author I absolutely love

SPOILER ALERT!

Thank you to Mills & Boon for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Whenever I hear about a book that focuses heavily on royalty, court, period romances, or masquerades, you should know that I'm absolutely here for it. There's just something about those novels that gives you a sense of nostalgia for a time you never lived in. Even though this is probably an accurate depiction of what the aristocrats and the upper class were doing in the Victorian era, we also know that Victorian life wasn't really all that great, what with all the misogyny, homophobia, and racism. Somehow, the sense of nostalgia for court intrigue draws us in, anyway.

In The Princess Plan, London manages to combine masquerades and court romances with a murder mystery and detective plot. It's an interesting combination, certainly one that's been done before, but with decidedly less steam. This book had its fair share of steamy sex scenes. Usually, I find those glorified and unnecessary and while it still felt that way a little in this, there was still at least a solid foundation to the relationship and they didn't happen too often (unlike a certain YA assassin fae series).

In terms of the characterisation, I liked it for the most part. At the start, I really wasn't a fan of Eliza -- who I imagined as Philippa Soo, courtesy of my obsession with Hamilton -- as she was pretty much a wild, out-of-character woman who felt out of place in the Victorian era as a whole. Eventually, she grew on me, particularly as she became more useful in advising Sebastian -- who I imagined as Chris Pine, courtesy of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Their dynamic was wonderful, although difficult to read in a good way because of the angsty slow-burn (which you all know is one of my favourite tropes!)

There were a few moments of modernisation of the Victorian era. Each chapter opens with an excerpt from Hollis' (Eliza's sister) gazette which contains both tips for maids, daughters and housewives, as well as not-so-subtle hints in the form of gossip. I call this a modernisation only because each excerpt felt more and more like the ending to an episode of Gossip Girl, which made me even more excited to continue reading.

Above all, I think it was the murder mystery element that really hooked me on this book. There were only hints of it amongst the romance (as expected), but what we did get was interesting. I would've liked a bit more focus on trying to find out who the killer was and, even though the reveal was predictable, it was reasonable and a decent enough twist.

Furthermore, while I liked the way it ended I would also have liked an American Royals type ending, where everything is up in the air. It would have been interesting to see an open ending, to have a sequel that explores the potential of them getting together while he courts someone else, or something to that extent. Still, the ending we got was expected but exciting to read. From what I've heard about the sequel, I'm not sure if it's something I'd be fully interested in. I would've liked more time with Sebastian and Eliza, but the sequel focuses primarily on Caroline and Leopold. We will see closer to the release date if I'd be more interested!

Such an absorbing, intriguing romantic read. Eliza is a delight, independent, intelligent and indelibly imprinted on your mind, as her unusual romance with a sexy, troubled Prince plays out. The ethos of Victorian society is captured well. Eliza, her sister and friend are a redoubtable trio who enliven every page of this Victorian romance.

Danger and intrigue fuse effortlessly with passion and romance. Whilst, there are elements of 'Cinderella' in this story, the reality of what is expected of royal princes and women in society, tempers the fun and glamour. Full of witty dialogue, a murder mystery, political intrigue and romantic passion, this tale has something for everyone. The first in the series, I look forward to the next book.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I'm sorry I've given up on this one. Nothing wrong with the book just not what I expected. I dont whether its because they are fictitious countries but I couldn't get my head round it

Eliza Tricklebank is a contentedly scandalous spinster who spends her days caring for her father, repairing clocks, and helping her sister assemble a gossip gazette. She only goes to the ball for a lark; after all, how many chances would she have to meet a prince? Spoilers: she has MANY chances to meet a prince, because they're both trying to get to the bottom of who murdered a man at the ball.

I liked Eliza a lot. She's so practical and sensible that she rolls all the way back around to eccentric, and I found her very charming and caring. There's a lot going on with her family and her slightly unconventional household that makes me think I've wandered into the middle of a series, but goodreads says not. I did <em>not</em> like Sebastian, or his story arc about just needing to meet a woman who isn't impressed by his status. Admittedly, I think that he gave a bad first impression because the first scene from his POV has him sending people to fetch a party guest for him to sleep with like it's her <em>job</em>, but also... He's selfish and negative and <em>boring</em>, and treating a guest like a prostitute is pretty much indicative of his personality. Plus, for all that the book is supposed to have a mystery at its core, the solution to it is telegraphed from the very beginning without even a single red herring.

<em>The Princess Plan</em> is fine if you keep your expectations tempered, but I did spend the entire book yelling that Eliza deserved better.

[This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley]

The Princess Plan is written by Julia London and published by M&B Historical Romance. Eliza Tricklebank doesn’t care what anybody thinks about her, says what she is thinking and runs the local ladies gazette with her sister, Caroline, whilst caring for their father who tinkers with clocks. She first meets Prince Sebastian of Alucia, who in the UK in order to negotiate a trade deal, at the Ball held in his honour. After this his private secretary and close friend is found murdered. As the local gazette received an anonymous tip off he needs Eliza’s help to solve the crime. Slowly he falls for her outspoken nature.

Though the romance between Samuel and Eliza was the central theme of the novel, crime, intrigue, mystery and murder made it more multi dimensional in appeal. There is lots of enjoyable banter between all the characters. This is the first Historical romance novel I have read where ther have been explicit sex scenes.

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley

3.5/4 Really enjoying reading this! I loved the friends group and their relationship with each other and with their dad. the romance was slightly rushed but still a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Net Galley, julia London and Mills and Boon for The Priness Plan. After reading so much crime and murder this historical romance made a pleaasant change. It was an enjoyable plot, a bit different, but there were some strange phrases used, like the word knackered for example. I'm sure Caroline would not have said a word like that. Or, the judge saying he went for a pint with the lads. This vernacular would not have been used by someone of his class. Its a shame because it pulled me out of the story but The Priness Plan was a light read that I enjoyed.

I've never read a romance like this before - a lot of it wasn't entirely to my taste, especially the sex scenes - but overall, I found it very readable, with characters you can root for and a great ear for dialogue. I will add that the sense of period was pretty unconvincing - especially considering that the author doesn't seem to be familiar with how members of the aristocracy were actually addressed e.g. a daughter of a baron is not 'Lady Eliza'...

The Princess Plan was an enjoyable and easy read. It had more plot than just a romance novel, but the romance between Eliza and Sebastian was the core to the story.
I liked Eliza’s character and found her to be relatable and endearing. Sebastian the prince starts off a little arrogant and I wasn’t sure that I was going to like his character, but as the story unfolds and you begin to see Sebastian as more of a human, you couldn’t help but like him.

The Princess Plan was quite the enjoyable read. It is the kind of historical romance that I have come to love, with it having a strong and feisty heroine in the shape and form of Eliza Tricklebank, she is a most memorable character. She is a spinster that is old enough to not care about what anyone thinks of her, and with having a strong and willful mind, she often says exactly what she thinks to anyone. When she first comes face to face with Sebastian the Prince of Alucia, he has no idea that her willful mind and way of plain speaking will be his undoing and becomes the reason for his his attraction to her.
I really liked that the story had a good plot with plenty of romance and intrigue, but also that it has a sub plot of a murder that together they try to solve. The story kept me interested and I really like the author's style of writing as it was easy to follow.

Entertaining historical romance, with charming, charismatic characters, and a real sense of the period.
Prince Sebastian wants to modernise his kingdom and trade with the UK; and in order to save it from the machinations of his war-mongering relations, he needs to take a wife. Eliza comes from a more modest family, caring for her father and helping her sister to write a gazette, along with caring for her father and keeping occupied doing clock repairs.

She inadvertently meets the prince while attending a ball, and becomes intrigued with his dark good looks and status. The dialogue and interaction between characters is well written and described, with Eliza’s engaging wit and humour coming through, adding fun and entertainment to the book. Though Prince Sebastian seems stiff and uninteresting at first, his character gradually develops as the story unfolds.

I found the first few chapters to be a little slow, with little happening, and it takes a while before the pace increases, but as Sebastian and Eliza become more involved, the story comes alive becoming a lively, humorous adventure. The interaction and dynamic between the characters, Eliza and Sebastian, and the sisters and brother make an excellent, enjoyable read, and I would love to read more books featuring these characters which are so well written by this fabulous author. Highly recommended.

Eliza Tricklebank having faced heartbreak once has happily resigned herself to helping her blind father with his duties as a judge rather than hoping for marriage.Along with those duties her widowed sister keeps her busy with the production of a ladies Gazette.

Prince Sebastian of Alucia is visiting England to secure a trade deal as well as an advantageous marriage. Eliza finds herself thrown in the mix when she is given the opportunity to attend a ball in his honour, along with her sister and her social butterfly friend Caro (Caroline).

Unfortunately tragedy strikes when Sebastian’s closest friend is found murdered after the ball. Sebastian decides to not wait for the police to get around to it and he sets about attempting to uncover the culprit. Eliza finds herself caught up in the mystery thanks to her sister’s Gazette and her best friend’s curiosity. Although at first Sebastian finds Eliza rude and disrespectful and she finds him pompous and arrogant it's not long before their opinion’s change. The two find themselves in the middle of an intriguing mystery as well as a whirlwind romance that can surely only in heartbreak.

This was a fun read and I liked the characters especially the banter between Sebastian and Eliza. Eliza’s father is caring and witty and though only a background character he wedges a spot in your heart. Caroline is fun and sassy and everyone has a friend that can relate to. Even the character Poppy is heartwarming. You get a sense of the clique that Eliza surrounds herself in and it makes for some funny conversations and laugh out loud moments. I could easily be a friend in this group and be content!

There is a little bit of steam but nothing to hot that you can’t read it in public! The characters have great chemistry all around. It is quite its own Cinderella-like tale only based on Victorian times.

This is a book that can be read easily and I enjoyed it well enough that I finished it in a day. I'd recommend for someone looking for an easy read that you can pick up where you left off. For me it wasn’t overwhelmingly great but I was happy to have read it so I would push more for a 3.5 star rating.

Disgraced spinster Eliza Tricklebank decides she wants to meet a prince, so endeavours to manufacture a meeting with Alucian Crown Prince Sebastian when he visits Queen Victoria. When Sebastian’s secretary is murdered in his bed, Eliza and Sebastian find themselves working together to discover the culprit. Love blossoms, but how will Sebastian achieve his Princess Plan - to find a wife who will provide Alucia with influence in England?

The Princess Plan is a romantic novel with a difference - there’s murder and crime involved! With the best of both genres tied together, the end result is a gripping story that kept me involved from start to finish. It kept me guessing as to the identity of the murderer, and even the solution to the Plan was a surprising turn of events.

A good story, even for those less interested in romantic tales.

This is a historical romance which sees a prince and a commoner team up to solve a murder mystery. Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in Britain for trade talks when his private secretary (and friend) is murdered after a ball.  Eliza Tricklebank helps write a popular gossip sheet and receives a tip off about who committed the crime.  She is probably the only person in the country who doesn't really care about Sebastian's rank (for Reasons).  Soon the two of them are investigating what happened - with Eliza digging in the places Sebastian can't go, while he investigates at court. And as they work together, they develop feelings for each other - but how can a prince marry a nobody - a spinster firmly on the shelf and with a scandal in her past? You know they'll find a way! I read a lot of historicals - but not many that involve royalty - and this is really quite fun. The mystery is twisty and although I had the culprit worked out very early on, I didn't work out how they were going to fix the Happily Ever After.  Lots of fun and it's the first in a series.

This book was a delight to read. It really went into such great detail in each setting of the chapters, that you truly felt you were actually there with the characters.

The Princess Plan was a feast for the senses, and each character was so eloquently written, that you were really invested in the storyline. It had a true Cinderella feel to it. A highly enjoyable read.