The Princess Plan

I loved how this book started. Eliza Tricklebank, lives with her father a blind Judge, and having been dreadfully disappointed in love before, is happy being a spinster, looking after her father, fixing clocks and helping her widowed sister produce the ladies gazette. She is very excited as she is going to a ball and is hoping to meet a prince, although she isn’t hoping to be swept off her feet by him. She is happy to see it as a exciting opportunity to dress up, drink champagne and meet royalty,

Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in England, to secure the future peace and prosperity of his nation. He believes a trade agreement with England will help to avert a constitutional crisis and potential war with a neighbour. His father the king has also recommended he find an aristocratic bride.

He bumps into Eliza at the ball, and is momentarily interested in the masked stranger, then his faithful confidante and private secretary is found murdered, and he is on a mission to uncover the murderer and potential conspiracy. The Ladies gazette publishes some rumours which stir the controversy and prince Sebastian is determined to investigate the owners himself.

Eliza completely disregards his rank and his formality, and refuses to fawn over him or treat him any differently. She is quite happy with her life, and isn’t looking for an HEA, which is refreshing in a historical romance. Sebastian is infuriated and then fascinated by Eliza, they are pulled together into the mystery, and grow closer, but how can the respectable commoner marry an eligible prince. She can’t hope to compete with the aristocratic beauties being lined up for his perusal. How can Sebastian uncover the killer and find his HEA?

This was really well written, and I enjoyed how the author developed Sebastian’s character. He was an uptight and formal person at the start, and relaxed and softened in a good way over the course of the story, Eliza was a delightful character who made me smile a lot.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Recommended.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel.. The characters of Sebastian & Eliza were well written, as were the secondary smaller characters and the initial interactions between the leafs were very amusing.
My only small gripe, which is the same for all American authors is the use of American words rather than English ones eg sidewalk.
Really enjoyed it. Thank you for allowing me to read a preview copy. I will definitely be reading more by Julia London.

The Princess Plan is the first book in A Royal Wedding series by Julia London.

If you like your books to be suspenseful, exciting and of course to have a fabulous romance, then this book ticks all those boxes. The romance is between Prince Sebastian and Eliza Trickleback. He is from Alucia in Europe and is looking to broker a trade deal with England. He also needs to choose an English wife for political gain. He should be choosing from the wealthy aristocrats but from the minute he meets Eliza he is smitten.

Eliza is the daughter of a judge, they aren't poor, but they aren't of the class necessary to hope a Prince would ever even think of crossing their threshold. When Sebastian does just that, they are shocked to the core. Initially, he visits their house to discuss an article printed by a magazine owned by the judge. It hints strongly at who may have committed the murder of Sebastian's friend and secretary. That is where the suspense starts because not only are the police looking for the culprit but Eliza and Sebastian join forces to do their own investigating.

The excitement of the chase, the danger that Eliza may find herself in, and of course the suspense as they come closer and closer to finding out who the murder is was fabulous. As for the romantic aspect of the story, oh my, our couple fights the good fight, their attraction being almost palpable, but when they give in to that first kiss...WOW...it was the most memorable first kiss I have read in a very long time. Their whole relationship is bittersweet because there is no way that Sebastian can get out of marrying one of the women chosen for him for the sake of their country. Or is there??

I really enjoyed Sebastian and Eliza's story and I happily recommend it.

I do adore a royal romance and this one is really quite up there with the best of them. I Really enjoyed this story and especially both Characters, Sebastian and Eliza. I can't wait to read more from Julia London