The Swedish Prince

I think Karina Halle has officially broken me. I’ve been trying to write my thoughts on this book since I finished reading it a few hours ago but I can’t find the perfect words so I guess a really short review will do.

Have you guys seen Roman Holiday? If you have and loved it but didn’t love the ending then this book is for you. The Swedish Prince is a modern twist on that story and there’s a plus! The characters get their happily ever after!

Everything about this book is fun and fluffy and romantic. Even the way Maggie and Viktor, our main characters, meet is hilarious — let’s just say one of them is very, very naked and the other is very, very embarrassed. Their relationship is something some people still crave, the whole thing where Prince Charming sweeps you off your feet and suddenly everything is better. I sure wanted that when I was younger and dreamt of kings and queens and castles. It was great to relive that fantasy all over again.

As always, I cannot recommend Karina Halle’s books enough. This book is impossible to put down. I think this is Karina’s longest book to date and somehow it felt like the shortest because I had the best time reading it. And did I mention it is a royal romance?? That’s one of my favorite tropes and if y’all have never read a book about a prince/princess romance then this would be a great book to start with.

Shel: I absolutely love that Karina Halle is always trying new things, giving us new stories and characters, and showing us all the various facets of her writing. I love that I thought I had an idea of how The Swedish Prince would go and found that I was really surprised and happy at how wrong I was. This novel was a modern day fairy tale with nods to all the features we've come to recognize in the classics: a handsome prince, a strong and resilient heroine, family and drama and sometimes family drama, and lots of fun helpers to get these two together along the way. Maggie and Viktor are such a wonderful pair to read--passionate and funny and fun and such great partners for each other.

Shel: Additionally, Halle's attention to detail in bringing the various locales to life on the page is always something that draws me in and never fails to have me adding her settings to my travel bucket list (who wants to take me to Sweden?!). It's also her ability to tap into her characters' hearts and minds producing such poignant and thoughtful lines that will always keep me trying her latest works.

Shel: This fun, sexed up, heartfelt modern day Cinderella story is the perfect weekend romance to escape into and I'm selfishly hoping Pike or a certain Norwegian gets a book or two out of this too!

When Karina Halle spoke of her inspiration and muse for this story, it got me all excited. Roman Holiday with Armie Hammer? Yes, please!

Maggie meets Viktor under unusual circumstances. Their attraction simmers until Maggie finds out who Viktor really is. Two people with heavy responsibilities on their shoulders get to let their hair down for a few days. Amidst their fun, they really get to know each other and bonded.

Karina Halle really knows how to write characters who are hurting and emotionally vulnerable. You feel their struggles, rejoice in their road to the elusive happily-ever-after. Maggie is such a strong character, determined but lonesome. Her sense of responsibility is so strong, she is willing to do anything to provide for her siblings. Viktor on the other hand, was leading a carefree life until he was placed in a responsible position. Whether by choice or circumstance, both struggle while dealing with their losses.

The Swedish Prince is whimsical and romantic. The prologue sets a sober tone for the first few chapters. It is told in dual POV which really works for this story. I love the family connections and secondary characters as well, especially Viktor's good friend, Prince Magnus, who is larger than life.

5 Moose stars.

The Swedish Prince by the outstanding aithor Karina Halle is a standalone, full length romance novel.
Maggie McPherson is a young woman with a lot of baggage. She works very hard to make ends meet and is guardian to 4 of her 5 siblings. She had to leave college to care for them and now she works as maid in a hotel. Maggie carries a mountain of responsibilities.

Victor is the swedish crown prince. He's on incognito vacation in the US and guest at Maggie's place of work. Somehow he lands in Maggie's house and life. Both develop feelings for each other, but they're not only from different sides of the track, they're from different worlds.
But love conquers, they say.

The Swedish Prince is a extremely well written romance novel with lovable characters. I easily connected with them and I can't express how much I love the heroine. She suffers and keeps going and going. Maggie is the true hero in this story.
The Swedish Prince is a very romance novel of royal proportions. It's a witty and fun read and I had a great time with Maggie and Victor. I recommend The Swedish Prince and give 5 stars.

5 “Herdy schmerdy bork bork!” stars!!

I love this book. I love this book!!! I laughed so many times out loud and each time my husband asked me what I was laughing at. I highlighted so many amazing parts in this book - I honestly think this is the most I’ve ever highlighted in a book period.

Everything about this book is perfection. Viktor and Maggie are two broken characters just trying to survive their lives. They meet in a very non-traditional way, more than once, and form a bond that isn’t like anything they’ve ever experienced or anything you’ve read before.

This book isn’t just funny; it also has some pretty angsty and intense moments, but those are what make this book so amazing. If a book can make you laugh one moment, then break you the next, you have a book about real people and real situations (even if one of the characters is royalty).

I have read all of Karina’s romance novels and I have to say that The Swedish Prince has now topped my list of my all-time favourite romance novels. Now “go and get those Swedish meatballs, girl!”

There was one royal story that popped into my head while reading this; THE PRINCE and ME with Julia Stiles - I mean that movie is the perfect for viewing on a couch day. And I saw similarities between Edvard and Viktor. As well as Maggie and Paige. And I flashbacked to Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter is Dead with the siblings. I adored these characters.

What I always say in my Karina Reviews is that the SETTING is it’s own character. And I love that. It envelops you. It beautiful, sexy and romantic. Sweden is lovely.

Viktor, the Crown Prince, needs distance as he battles with himself and his family. Maggie, taking care of her siblings wants to have alone time. They meet and things between them escalate. These two are magnetic. The draw they have to each other can be felt on each page.

Karina Halle is not afraid to shatter your heart. She lays everything out. She takes risks for Maggie and Viktor.

This book is also completely swoon-worthy and romantic. Maggie and Viktor were stellar.

Some fairytales are worth it.

I always look forward to reading a new release by this author because she acquaints us with such wonderful characters, and this book is no exception. The people who populate her novels are most always complex, interesting, and basically good people trying to do the right thing, and this is certainly true of Viktor and Maggie.
I was a little leery of the premise of this story, and there were so many ways it could have gone horribly wrong - veered into the melodramatic or the just plain cheesy. But the author never took the easy route with the plot; rather, she created a narrative that was true to the personalities and circumstances of her characters. You can tell when some authors “phone it in” with a predictable plot line. This was a perfect combination of unpredictable twists, but ones that were consistent with the way I would expect these characters, whom she draws so meticulously, would behave.
At heart it is a contemporary version of a fairy tale, but done right. Another readable, lovely story from this author.

The Swedish Prince is the sweet romance you've been waiting for. It's got comedy, heat, romance, and tears all rolled up into a fantastic package. Karina surprised me with this one, as I was expecting something totally different that what I got and I loved every second of it.

A rags to riches story without any kind of gold digging involved, Maggie isn't looking for love but finds it when she walks in on Viktor naked in his hotel room. It's ok, she's the maid.

Great storytelling and fantastic banter with a beautiful look into Sweden, The Swedish Prince to life and I loved every second of it.

All swoon for his Royal Highness, Prince Viktor. I am a sucker for royal romances and when the opportunity to read THE SWEDISH PRINCE by Karina Halle presented itself, I could not resist.

I quickly devoured this story that had my attention from the start. Maggie is ready to take on the world, a student in college with her whole life before her. Then tragedy trikes and she finds her self back home and in charge of her younger siblings. Overwhelmed but determined to make things work she finds employment at the local hotel. Little did she know that a chance encounter with tall, dark, and very much naked would turn her life around.

Viktor is far away from home, trying his best to forget his painful past so that he can move on with his destined future. While on his forced sabbatical he makes a careless mistake which lands him in Maggie's capable, yet unwilling hands.

When ensues next is moments of hilarity tinged in mutual sadness that seal a bond between both characters. Believe me, you will get all the feels with this novel as Viktor and Maggie embark on a whirlwind romance that will steal your heart.

The Swedish Prince is presented as a revamped Roman Holiday with a twist and I completely agree. Anyone that has seen Roman Holiday has always wished for a better ending than the movie ever portrayed and Karina does not disappoint.

All Romance lovers know and love some version of a movie, or fairy tale, that features a Prince and a commoner. I loved The Swedish Prince, a story based on a beloved and well-known movie, Roman Holiday, but with a twist; this story stars a Crown Prince instead of a Princess. And luckily for us there’s so much more to this story than the movie version which was very chaste since it was filmed in 1953. With dual POV, and filled with amazing secondary characters, this story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat and loving the HEA ending. And as with the Royal family motto, this story is: “Always more, never less.”

Prince Viktor of Sweden had always known he was the spare in the royal “Heir and Spare” hierarchy. His older brother, Alexander, was the Crown Prince and Viktor was happy living his semi-carefree life, without the pressure of the position weighing heavily on his shoulders. But when Alex dies, leaving him as the heir to the throne, his life takes an unexpected twist. Crown Prince Viktor of House Nordin is now his official title.

It’s been a month since his death and Viktor still can’t come to terms with the obligation, even with weekly therapy, he’s not happy knowing he must assume a position he’d never wanted or been prepared to take. When the Royal physician recommends he take some time off to relieve some of the stress, as part of his therapy to come to terms with his new position, his parents agree.

“You’ve gone your whole life knowing you’d probably never sit on the throne, never having to worry about anything beyond just showing up for photos. Now you’ve had to re-route. Your freedom has been stripped. That’s why you’ve been having a nervous breakdown.”

He’s given a passport with a fake name, Johan Andersson, strong medication with a warning to not drink after taking it, and he heads off on a cross country adventure to America. Just an anonymous Swede on vacation.

“I pick up the passport, slowly flipping through the pages. The pages are blank and waiting. A clean slate.”

Maggie McPherson’s had to forget her dream of graduating from NYU, and become a journalist; she had to return home immediately after her world was turned upside down overnight. Only twenty-one she became the legal guardian of her 5 siblings and has been stuck in her hometown of Tehachapi, California, working as a housekeeper in a La Quinta Inn for the last year. When she’d left to go to school she thought she’d left for good. Funny how life doesn’t go as planned. She doesn’t have the luxury of running away and escaping for a day, much less a month, this is her new reality.

“I want that. I want that freedom to drop everything and just run assay. Run away like a coward but at least I would feel the wind in my face and hope under my wings.. At least for a little while I could live under the pretence that anything can happen until the guilt and shame and responsibility would drag me back home.”

When these two cross paths, in his hotel room while he’s buck naked, they never imagined where life would lead them. After Maggie later comes to his rescues, the story takes off on a mad dash, dragging us on a passionate and whirlwind adventure that leads all the way to Sweden. And what a trip it is! Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

And they all lived happily ever after…. Who doesn’t love a great fairytale? I certainly do and Karine Halle delivers with a modern day sweet love story.

Maggie’s world is turned upside down with one phone call. Her parents are dead. Her life of being a student and chasing her dreams have been ripped from her. She now needs to step up and care for her five siblings, while drowning in her own grief. Not many people would cope with something as life changing as this but when you have no choice you will be surprised what you can cope with.

One year later and it would be fair to say that Maggie is just in survival mode. She does have good support and help from her 18 year old brother Pike but there is a fine line between being a sister to her siblings and parenting them. She is working six days a week to put food on the table and cover all the school expenses. She is swimming upstream and and just trying to stay afloat. Meeting the family financial and emotional needs is a tough ask for a young girl but giving in is just not an option.

Viktor is heir to the throne of Sweden, his life was not meant to be filled with royal duty but when tragedy strikes his family his future life plan is mapped out for him and he has no choice in the matter. He is on a one month sabbatical to wrap his head around what he now has ahead of him and finds himself in a small town in California. Bad luck or fate? When he crosses paths with Maggie he is in complete awe of the sweet, compassionate, beautiful girl.

Maggie works in housekeeping at a local hotel and this is where she meets the Prince. It would be fair to say that their first meeting was very ‘confronting.’ The second encounter is just as memorable. She obviously makes a lasting impression on him and they find themselves spending lots of time with each other for the duration of his stay.

‘I sit down, both loving and hating the feeling of him doting on me. I’m so used to doing everything all the time that to actually just sit and be served food like this makes me feel like I’m royalty here and not the other way around.’

Viktor is enamoured with Maggie and loves getting to know her siblings, I loved the interactions he has with them, especially as the Swedish chef, lol! It becomes apparent to him that there is a connection between them that he cannot deny or understand. He just wants to sweep in and make Maggie’s life better for her and her family. She is focused on looking after everyone else but who is looking after her? However, they both know that this love story has a time limit. Or does it?

"My skin feels tight and hot and the nerves in my stomach dance in a constant conga line. Every part of me feels alive. The fact that I think I’m falling for him doesn’t scare me but what does scare me is what happens after that."

This was the perfect weekend read for me, swoony, sexy, funny and full of love!

Sweet and smexy story about a housekeeper and a prince, sorta like Cinderella but without the evil stepmother and stepsisters. The author’s take on the story was lots more fun because the housekeeper has five siblings and they are all adorable.

Maggie McPherson was studying journalism in New York. She escaped her little town of Tehachapi, California as soon as she could. She loves her new life in New York even if finding boyfriends is difficult. She misses her parents and siblings, like an ache in her heart, but she was done with the little town. Until one day when she was hanging out with her girlfriend Sam and she got the phone call from hell. Her parents were murdered at home.

Fast forward one year, and Maggie is surviving. She took over her mother’s job as housekeeper in the town’s sole hotel, and with her brother Pike, who is the next oldest, she’s managing their household and siblings as best she can. She was their legal guardian and had to step into her parent’s place so fast, she hardly had time to grieve. Her brother Pike is helpful, the eleven-year old twins are also helpful. But her fourteen sister April is in the hormonal throes of teenage doom and is giving her a hard time. Likewise, the youngest, Callum, at seven years old, is a holy terror but so cute, inquisitive, innocent, and smiley that it’s hard to get angry at him. Throughout the book, a frequent phrase is : shut up Callum.

On the other side of the world, Prince Viktor of Sweden is having a meltdown. His brother, the Crown Prince, died a month ago, and now he’s being groomed for the position of Crown Prince. After a lifetime of being the spare prince, he’s enjoyed a lot of freedom. Now, he’s required to attend numerous meetings, galas, dinners, etc., under the watchful eye of the world and worse, the press. He hasn’t had time to process the pain of losing his brother and is succumbing under the pressure of his pain and the obligations of his new position. His parents gave him a month of vacation and send him undercover to the United States with instructions to get his head right and get ready to step into his assigned role. Passing through town, he meets Maggie when she entered his hotel room and found him strolling the room stark naked; later on she found him conked out at a bar, totally unconscious. She took him home because it would look bad to take him to the hotel, and the morning after situation was a riot. Imagine waking up with a hangover and facing three inquisitive kids and a suspicious older brother.

The next parts are sweet, funny, and sexy. Viktor finds himself enchanted with this beautiful, strong girl who in the midst of hard times, rises up to the challenge and does the best she can. She inspires him, made him fall for her. His challenge is coming clean about who he is and find out how he can carry out a long-distance with his beauty who can’t leave her job or her siblings.

I found the first part a normal love story, not very mesmerizing. However, the second part of the book, where Viktor and Maggie have a lot of obstacles to overcome, got very interesting. I love angst in my stories! The parts where the Crown Prince of Finland, Magnus, are hugely entertaining.

I devour all of Karina's contemporary romances. She's my sure bet, one click purchase, top 3 favorite authors; she's given me some of my best reading moments. With that being said, I wanted this to be a 5 star like all her others, especially because of the Royal storyline. I am a little obsessed with real life royal romances. This just was missing something. I'll start with the good, though, and then take it apart. Possible spoilers ahead.

What was great? So much. Part 1, for instance. All of part one. Then there's His dirty talk. YES!!! The inclusion of his Swedish terms of endearment. Never have I spent so much time in Google translate and I loved it. Also...That one scene with the light choking. I freaking lost air and saw stars and he didn't lay a hand on me. Karina also made an unbelievable plot very believable. The editing: ON. POINT. Few things annoy me more than lazy editing. So there's the good.

Starting backwards with things I didn't like: A glimpse of their future was missing. The story is about an average American girl becoming a princess but we don't actually see her become a princess nor do we get a good idea of what their new, blended lives are really like. So much of the story was devoted to her tension about moving and yet we don't get to see her life after the move. And the scenario that begins the epilogue? ::Insert eye roll:: Lame. Also missing: a continuity of heat. Viktor and Maggie's first sexual encounter/the whole trip was HOT. Dear Lord, the one scene where he gets really rough. I read that part a half a dozen times. But their chemistry dictated more scenes like this should have been present and I just wanted more of that, too. Throughout. Of course there are sex scenes throughout but they aren't as hot or descriptive. Another element missing/incomplete: What does Maggie do? Again, this goes back to a glimpse of their future being missing. She's a housekeeper and now what? Just a fiancée? What about him? Other things that were Problematic: The kids' storyline was cheesy at times. Their abrupt end of communication. Was their love really that strong if they can't even make time to text?! And weeks or months go by where the letters are missing and he doesn't follow it up? The "missing each other in the air" chapter wasn't believable nor needed. Parts 1 and 2 felt disjointed--part one was incredible (!!!) while part 2 never peaked. Also, it took FOREVER for their romance to actually begin; come on already!! And the book was incredibly long. (Though I appreciate one long book over two books released weeks or months apart.)

I wish I could have fallen in love with part 2 like I did part 1 or like I did in her other books; I mean, I certainly fell in love with Maggie and Viktor. But when the epilogue was over I literally said aloud, "That's it?!" I also found myself wondering if there was another epilogue, maybe one the reader would have to subscribe to Karina's newsletter to receive a copy of. Without that added view of their future, this incredibly long story felt incomplete and was disappointing. But well-written and engaging nonetheless.

As a side note: I really hope Karina is able to take legal action against the "trusted ARC reviewer" who leaked the book and tried to gain financially from it. I'd give my left foot to ever receive an ARC and yet someone who obviously is used to receiving them breaks the law, hurts Karina financially, and forces thousands of readers to endure an even greater wait for this much anticipated book. Just dirty!!! ...And not in a good way.

4 ‘Always more, Never less’ stars (Alltid mer, aldrig mindre)

The Swedish Prince follows Maggie Mayhem McPherson and Viktor Nordin from House of Nordin, aka Crown Prince of Sweden through a journey of lies, love, deception, tragedy, drama, anguish and heartwarmingly tender scenes between two families trying to learn to live again.

After an anguishing tragedy, Viktor finds himself in America for some down-time to find himself again. Here, he isn’t the Crown Prince of Sweden, he’s Johan Andersson (aka Mr. Körkort Sverige, funny story in and of itself with this name). Viktor finds himself on a cross-country road trip in his vintage car. Unfortunately (or fortunately), his car breaks down in Tehachapi, CA.

Maggie has also had a horrible tragedy thrust upon her and her family. One minute, she’s living the life of a carefree college student at NYU, next she gets a call that will change her life forever. One year later, she is now back home in Tehachapi and finds herself working as a maid to make ends meet, as she is the guardian to her five siblings. At twenty-three, this is a huge responsibility she faces.

“Callum is only seven. I’m his guardian for another eleven years. Tehachapi is my prison until then.”

She is cleaning rooms one day, when through a series of mishaps, she walks in on a blond Viking demigod. Oh yeah, Mr. Viking is naked and all Maggie can do is stare at the family jewels. Needless to say, Maggie is dumbstruck and hightails it out of there as soon as she can with as much dignity left in her body as she can muster. Through a calamity of errors/fate, Maggie comes face to face with Johan at the local bar where she turns into his knight in shining armor/guardian.

The Swedish Prince is a dreamy and sweet (with some heat) romance, that’s light-hearted despite having moments of emotional anguish. I adored the two main characters that Karina wrote about. Despite being about a girl finding her Prince Charming, it still had grounding emotional issues that made it real.

“I could kiss you for a thousand days and it still wouldn’t be enough,” he says. “I could gaze at you for a million days and it wouldn’t be enough. I could touch you, taste you, be so deep inside you that you’re fused to my skin, do this forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. Forever with you isn’t enough.”

Viktor is sweet, lovable, dreamy, a romantic who is going through a tough patch. Maggie was an unbelievable heroine. She displayed strength in character, despite not enjoying her job she was a hard worker, had an incredibly big heart and sheer bravery to do what she needed to do as a guardian. The secondary characters were scene stealing, especially Callum. That little devil?…BORK, BORK!! If you end up reading this book, pay close attention to location 69. Maggie is having a conversation with Sam, her best friend she met in NYC. They are talking about being ‘rick-rolled’. Absolutely hilarious!

Overall, I will gladly recommend this book to others. It may be a fantasy romance read, but in between the lines of fantasy there was so much reality, all you had to do was look. On the surface, you see two people from two entirely different backgrounds, yet if you peel back the layers of each character, there is a mutual incidence that brings them together. Viktor as the prince had everything he ever wanted except he was lonely and needed love. On the flip side, Maggie displays that all you need is love. Despite financially having nothing, she had the love of her siblings. If you’re looking for a good, sweet romance, pick up The Swedish Prince. ❤

“Mitt liv, mitt allt. Always and forever.”

Reviewed on behalf of The Book Boyfriend Addict. A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

“You’re the prince that every girl had a fantasy about but you’re more than that, because you’re real.”

Maggie McPherson was following her dream, studying journalism in NYC when tragedy struck and she was forced to return to her small hometown in California. Now, at the age of 23, she’s taking care of her five younger siblings and working as a housekeeper at a local hotel. While working one day she accidentally walks in on the most handsome man she’s ever seen. Despite their awkward encounter, she can’t stop thinking about him, which is why when she sees him again and it looks like he needs some help, she can’t walk away from him. When she finally gets to speak with him, she thinks he’s just a very handsome, wealthy businessman just passing through but she soon discovers that he is actually the crown prince of Sweden. And he’s turning out to be the epitome of every Prince Charming fantasy she’s ever had. It doesn’t take long for them to fall for one another but their reality is that she has responsibilities that tie her to CA while he has to return to Sweden. Will their love be able to survive the distance and the pressure of the spotlight once their relationship is discovered?

I thought this was a sweet story. It certainly had a fairytale-like feel to it. Viktor was full of swoon and pretty much what you would expect when you fantasize what a prince would be like (thanks, Disney!). When we first met him I was expecting him to be a bit of a bad boy prince, but he wasn’t like that at all. There was very little scandal and he was not a playboy at all. In fact, pretty much all of the drama in this book stemmed from Maggie’s situation or her reactions to what was going on. I was a little hot and cold when it came to Maggie. I felt bad for the situation that had been thrust upon her but I didn’t always agree with how she handled things, pertaining to her siblings and also a few things as they pertained to Viktor. She was lucky that Viktor was as smitten as he was with her because I’d think most men would have just said forget it. But when she wasn’t fighting him, I thought they were very sweet together. Viktor definitely pulled out all the stops when it came to his Miss America and he was quite adorable. There were some parts that seemed like a bit of a stretch in terms of believability but if you keep the fairytale mindset they were pretty easy to overlook. If you’re looking to lose yourself in a fairytale-like romance then you should check out this one!

“I’m so happy I walked in on you naked,” she says and I laugh.
“I’m so happy you liked what you saw.”

Despite never having watched Roman Holiday (I know, I know) I was ridiculously excited to read The Swedish Prince because, you know, new Karina Halle book! It did take me a little longer to finish this book than it normally would, but that had nothing to do with how much I was enjoying it. ApollyCon had me pretty well distracted and busy, so my reading time was pretty much nil for several days last week. But, when I did get a chance to read, I couldn't wait to get back into Maggie and Viktor's story. It had Karina's trademark mix of sexy, angsty and swoony and delivered some pretty big feels along the way. 

The Swedish Prince wastes no time before jumping right into the heart of the story. The prologue basically broke my heart and I needed the rest of the book to put me back together. It totally did, too. There was something special about Maggie and Viktor. Of course, I am also a total sucker for Cinderella-ish stories, so this one was right up my alley. I loved the pacing and the feels between them and everything just felt so REAL. This book definitely has some heavy and angsty moments, but there were plenty of smiles and swoons to be had as well. I shipped Maggie and Viktor so freaking hard. I desperately wanted, no needed, them to figure out a way to make things work. 

As always, Karina's words are just so damn gorgeous. I love her writing and the way she basically pours her heart out on every page. I think that's why her characters always find a way under my skin and into my heart as well. Viktor and Maggie — and her siblings, for that matter — were no exception. I know this is a standalone, but I wouldn't be sad to see more from these characters down the road. The Swedish Prince was more than just a romance. There was a focus on family relationships and obligations and growth. It was a great read and one I'll be thinking about for a long time to come.

So thia book gets two different ratings. For the first half I would say a strong 3 stars there were a lot, and I mean a lot, of literary cliches used and the writing isn't amazing but it's put together pretty well and the meet-cute is kind of funny. (Note* it's Mojave not Mohave a simple Google search of the area you're writing about would prevent mistakes like these.) Even with these problems the story flowed well and the characters were worth reading about.

Unfortunately, the other half of the book has to happen.... And I was honestly all about this book until about 50% though and there were two arbitrary senseless scenes where out of no where they're smoking pot. What? Why is this important? When was this part of either of their personalities? It just made no sense just hanging out there. The author seemed to add this out of nowhere like: pot is legal in the state that this story takes place in so let's just add a scene or two of that because.....why?

This so turned me off that I just couldn't get back into the story line or the characters because they were flat and their toting on and on about responsibilities and how overwhelmed they were just didn't fit in with random pot smoking. And really motherly Maggie actually smoking pot with her younger brother? That doesn't fly with her stickler attitude from page one.

I had a hard time getting back into the fantasy of the story. I would give this one a pass over all.

A delightful fairy tale romance, when a prince is gonna meet his match in the middle of nowhere.

Once upon a time a prince was too pressured from his responsibility as royalty, decided to go for a trip, far away from all his duties and living another life just for a while. What he didn’t expect was to find love in the way, someone who was definitely not princess material but a queen who’s going to find her way to his heart.

Maggie McPherson was at a point in her life when she had to be a mom, a sister, taking care of her family without having time for herself. Raising her siblings, being misunderstood by the teenaged ones, working and trying her best to keep them safe.  She didn’t believe in fairy tales and when they met the first time, let’s just say that it was kinda memorable. Damn the Swedish charm!

Viktor was looking for a place where he wouldn’t feel oppressed, where he could be just himself not the future king, without having someone tracking him... nd landed in Tehachapi, drowning his sorrows, trying to forget until the moment he met the feisty Maggie, who making his life easier, more enjoyable and so more interesting.

An inspired roman holiday romance, refreshing and entailing, not that light-hearted that it seemed to be. They were both missing something in her life, finding someone who they could bare their soul to. Some awkward encounters later and secrets revealed, Maggie and Viktor connected so fast and deeply, something just totally insane for people who have just met. Being together made them stronger, someone who could support the other one, sharing their deepest fears, and standing by each other side when needed.

And when they were together, sparks would fly, and I liked it very much. There was so many things, obstacles to overcome, from the place to their lifestyle, things that would separate or tear them apart. The more they were together, the more their love grew for each other.

I enjoyed this romance with royal proportions, it was more than swoon-worthy, enchanting and super hot. I was definitely in the mood for love, being for a while transported into their story. A bit of sweetness with so much naughtiness and witty banter. I adored it!

After reading Karina's North Ridge series and really enjoying them, I was a little on the fence about reading this one, mainly as it was down as being a remake of a fairy tale, which I don't particularly enjoy, but reading the blurb I was really intrigued and decided to give it a go.

Viktor is the Crown Prince of Sweden, but after a family tragedy he needs to get away for a break and so travels around alone for a month under the pseudonym of Johan Andersson aka Mr. Körkort Sverige. His car breaks down in a small town and he ends up staying in a small local hotel while it is being fixed.

Maggie had dreams of being a journalist until her family was ripped apart, and she ends up going back home and being the legal guardian of her five siblings. She, along with her eldest brother Pike, manage to keep the household going, just about, but its not an easy task. She works at the local hotel as a maid to earn extra money, which is where she meets Viktor, in a compromising position in his hotel room!!

I must say I really enjoyed the storyline, much more than I thought I was going to!! It was romantic, sweet, intense, heartwarming, steamy with a little bit angst. I loved the characters, the chemistry between Viktor and Maggie was hot and sexy and really added to the story. Viktor is fabulous from the start - sweet, funny, charming with a very domineering side in the bedroom!! Maggie is sweet and caring, always trying to do the best for her family. Maggie's siblings' characters was great, each one individual and added that little bit extra to the story, making me laugh out loud in several places with the antics they got up to!!

All in all a lovely read from start to finish, it really pulled me in and had me sat turning the pages as quick as I could. Definitely worth the read!!

Sometimes you just need a sweet love story that of course would never happen in real life, but you just roll with it and let it envelope you. That was this book. Don't overthink it. Maggie is forced to drop out of college and come back to their poor childhood home to raise her five younger siblings. She's doing the best she can, money is always tight, she works her fingers to the bone as a hotel maid, and she's just surviving. I felt her stress and her struggle. But her luck would change when she accidentally walks in on a Swedish god strolling nekkid through his hotel room. Yes, all I pictured was Dolf Lundgren from his younger days. (Ahem, give me a moment.) Maggie and Viktor couldn't be from more different backgrounds. He's a friggin' Swedish prince, for Pete's sake! But Maggie doesn't know this right away, so she gets the chance to know the real Viktor, not the facade portrayed to the public. Viktor and Maggie get hot and heavy, but I felt their love and need for each other to a believable degree. Viktor could have easily flashed his money and made her troubles go away, but he didn't do that. He also wooed her - I mean, c'mon! WRITTEN. LOVE. LETTERS. Now, Maggie's young age of 23 definitely came out several times, some that were just cringe-worthy. Sometimes all the siblings almost felt like they got in the way, but also brought some levity to the vastly different lives these two led. I loved the references to Prince Harry and Meghan Merkal :) Cute fairy tale of a prince finding love with a commoner.

The Swedish Prince by Karina Halle is a standalone contemporary romance which she based on the Roan Holiday film. It was sweet and light romance.

Maggie does not believe in fairy-tales and happy endings. As the oldest child of six, when her parents died, she needed to step in and raise her siblings. At twenty-three. Now she is trying to keep her family together and functioning as best she can. Then she met Viktor.

Viktor seemed like your typical businessman going about his business. But he is hiding a secret. A big one. You see, he is really Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden. He is running from who he is temporarily, while he takes a much-needed break.

Maggie is charmed by Viktor, but they are from very different worlds and she knows fairy-tales are not for her. Who would ever expect to meet a prince in their every day life! But after they met, they spend time together and begin to fall for each other. But each was struggling in their own way. With so much standing in their way, having their happily-ever-after seems impossible.

I loved Maggie. She was strong, determined and worked hard to care for her family, even if it meant putting her dreams aside for a bit. Viktor was smart, charming, sexy and could be cocky, but he also had a sweet side. Though at first, I struggled with the book, I did enjoy it and just let myself just get lost in the story. With light angst, this was an overall sweet romance.

Happy reading!

This book and story was not what I was expecting...and that’s good.

The Swedish Prince is a romance where a royal meets and falls in love with a commoner. But that is where the typical royalty romance stops. With this story we have great character depth and development. And the story line does not progress as one might expect.

Maggie McPherson is a young and up coming NYU student when tragedy strikes and forces her to return home to her family in a small town in California. She is forced to reevaluate her life and accept responsibility for the care of her siblings.

While working at the La Quinta Inn as a housekeeper, Maggie stumbles into Mr. Andersson. But what she doesn’t know is that Mr. Andersson is actually Sweden’s Crown Prince.

“Mr. Andersson” or rather Prince Viktor has been hit with a recent tragedy himself and forced to accept his new role as heir. Viktor finds himself driving across the US as an attempt to reclaim his sanity before stepping into his new responsibilities.

I truly enjoyed this story. I personally would not want to be in Maggie’s shoes. The sacrifices that she is forced to make to ensure the livelihood of her siblings is extremely honorable.

The character development of both Viktor and Maggie is well done. These are both two very dynamic characters and it is reflected well in the storyline.

And Maggie’s Family is hysterical, frustrating and enduring all at once. I personally loved her little brother Callum.

Maggie was living the life of a college student in New York City after leaving behind her five siblings and small town life. Until the night her parents are murdered and her dreams of a journalism degree disappear. There is no choice other than to go back home and take on raising her siblings. Ironically she takes her mom’s old job as a housekeeper at the local La Quinta. In her mind, her life is over at least until her youngest sibling comes of age.

Viktor Nordin is the Prince of Sweden living a Prince Harry life. Due to the tragic passing of his brother, Viktor is now thrust into living a Prince William type of life along with all the responsibilities and pressures that entails. Not at all what he had imagined for himself. Add the grief to this emotional powder keg and it all becomes too much for the Prince. He runs away from home.

A prince with unlimited funds and yet serendipity leaves him in Tehachapi, California. Strolling out of the bathroom, naked in all his magnificent “nether region” glory just as Maggie is coming in to clean the room.

Karina Halle based The Swedish Prince on the classic movie Roman Holiday. She's given us a funny, angsty, a little heartbreaking and absolutely red hot sexy kinda read. Of course, the road to love does not run smoothly and there are a few big bumps in the road. Bottom line - I love how Karina leads us through this contemporary romance. I read the last page with a smile on my face. I think you’ll feel the same.

I always adore a good royal romance and Karina Halle doesn't disappoint. I loved Karina's twist on what has become the classic royal romance troupe these days...she decided to go Scandanavian. I feel we get a ton of British royalty romance or a totally made up country but Sweden was a new country to explore. This book was a light hearted but emotional royal romance that was sexy and kept me smiling the whole read.

Maggie is a student at NYU, trying to figure herself out and just starting to get her footing and a terrible tragedy sends her home to take care of 5 siblings. She doesn't question what she should do and she powers through each and every day never complaining until....one day she walks in on a handsome stranger at her job as a maid at La Quinta Inn.

Viktor, the Crown Prince of Sweden, is in America and pretending to be someone else. He needs to escape. Things at home are not going well and even his parents knows he needs the break. When he meets Maggie, he feels normal...she sees him as just another guy and he loves every minute of it. These two are from completely different worlds but have more in common than either know and as they get to know each other, you can't get enough of them falling in love.

This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read. It wasn't overly angsty but had a ton of sweet romance and hot moments.

Surrounded by RomCom movie moments, I was quickly taken in by this story. Thinking a sweet tale of falling for a prince was awaiting me, I was quick to find out it was tinged with heartbreak and loss. These two elements being factors in the connection made between both characters. Knowing loss, living through it and surviving were at the forefront. Movie moments like scenes from The Proposal, Maid In Manhattan and every other movie I could watch on repeat any given Saturday...found their way into my heart and kindle.

My only hesitation was the total connection. The "meet" was hot, and I was fully connected to what Viktor was sporting under his suit pants. But I never fully resonated with the love. I knew it was there because they told me, not because I was completely feeling it. That is not to say I didn't root for these two love lorn kids to find their way to each other but the full "want" for me wasn't solid. The one I did end up falling for pretty hard was Viktor, I adore it when a man never wavers and screws like a bull in a china shop.

I always love me a Ms. Halle story and this one did it's job. Now I am going to moonlight as a maid and hope I find my prince as well. Just don't tell the hubs.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS - Super cute love story with the kind of realistic family dynamic that will make you bust out laughing and/or burst into tears. Maggie is all set in NYC in journalism school when her parents are brutally murdered, putting her instantly in charge of her four siblings back in California. She takes over her mother's old job cleaning hotel rooms & gets a eyeful of a tall handsome stranger, one that keeps crossing her path. They are instantly attracted to each other - Miss America and Mr. Swedish Driver's License (Maggie didn't translate his driver's license very well). They both are financially in totally different places but their responsibilities keep them locked at home with miles of ocean in between them. I love how her troublesome siblings come through for her in the end & give her the romance of a lifetime while taking the fresh start they all desperately need. Young troublemaker Callum cracks me up every time he greets Prince Viktor by imitating the Swedish chef from the Muppets. :) "It means, you are my life & you are my everything & you are my love. You have shaken me to my very soul, rattled the bars around my heart, and I am yours, Maggie, I am yours."

I've always been fascinated by the whole royal world so when I found out that Ms.Halle was releasing this book I freaked out! That prologue pulled me in and from that point on I didn't want to put it down. There were many heartwarming, sexy as sin, emotional, and humorous moments throughout that I enjoyed. This story pulled on my heartstrings and made me blush the reddest of reds. I liked how I could picture all of it in my mind as well.

Maggie and Viktor meet in one of the most unconventional ways. They are from two very different worlds. The heart has a mind of it's own though and that's when things get royally complicated.

Move over Prince Harry, Viktor has stolen my heart. There was so much more to him than meets the eye. I admired Maggie for how she stepped up to the plate when it came to her family. I liked how these two brought out different sides to each other. My heart broke for both of them at times.

The Swedish Prince was the feel good kind of read that I needed! Ms.Halle created such an fantastic novel! I can't wait to read what she comes up with next! (:

*I volunteered to review a Copy of this book from Social Butterfly PR/the author*

I absolutely love the Cinderella trope! It never gets old for me. In this latest release by Karina Halle, the story is a cross of Cinderella and a modern take of Roman Holiday. Maggie gets tasked to be guardian of her 5 siblings after the tragic death of their parents. Viktor is the Prince on a secret Holiday in the US, grieving after the sudden death of his brother. They meet and sparks fly, yet their HEA has a few obstacles to clear.

This is a delightful and super sexy romance that will totally entertain you for the afternoon! It took me away to a happy fantasy of Princesses and castles, leaving my heart content.

This is told in dual POV. The plot line is simple. There’s a strong family dynamic with themes of loyalty, sibling love, and grief. Some conflict existed between the characters - especially between siblings, but nothing too over the top. The focus always tended to circle back to the budding romance between Viktor and Maggie. Filled with lots of exposition of Viktor and Maggie’s discorded feelings, it built explosive chemistry between them!

3.5 Happily ever after stars

I have this love for royal things: couples, weddings, their history, etc. Whether it’s a fictional story or reading up on the latest of real life royalty, I love it! I enjoyed this story greatly. It was sweet, cute, witty, sexy, with a touch of angst and drama to keep me happy.

Maggie was a strong female lead. She’d been dealt a crappy hand in life and she pulled her big girl panties on, doing what she felt was right for her family, even at her young age. Not many could’ve done all that she did, but she managed. Yes there were times I wanted to shake some sense into her, but that’s where the drama came in and kept me reading.

Viktor was the perfect prince all girls imagine when growing up. He was honorable, sweet, gentlemanly, sexy, strong, protective, and a bit alpha (especially in the bedroom- for the adult imagination of princes lol). I did google the Swedish words he’d use, so hopefully they were the correct translation since I loved them!!

I will definitely be getting this in paperback to have Karina sign it later this year!

Loved this book! These two characters have both been through their own family tragedy and must uproot their lives due to family duty - in very different ways - but duty all the same. In typical Karina fashion, you will laugh, cry and swoon with these characters. Viktor is the "spare" to the Swedish Crown, when his brother dies suddenly and has a hard time adjusting and grieving. Maggie is a college student when her parents are brutally murdered, leaving her the guardian of her five younger siblings. Would love to see this turn into a series with the siblings getting their own books, especially Pike.

Read the forward where Karina talks about how she was inspired by the classic move Roman Holiday (in reverse), so if you've never seen it, give it a shot. It's an old black and white movie with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (he is smoking hot-seriously). The Swedish Prince has a much better ending, though :). Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors. I can always count on her to write a smart, believable (even with the whole royal trope), heartwarming book.

4.5 Stars

Halle brings us a “real life” fairytale that I found myself completely wrapped up in. The Swedish Prince was an exciting and enchanting journey, and I didn’t want it to end.
Viktor swept me off my feet. He was charming, sweet, and much like Maggie, a bit vulnerable as well. Maggie was so strong and giving. I just loved her. I thoroughly enjoyed their courtship and the way they grew closer. I was so worried about what would happen once the truth about Viktor’s identity was revealed. I couldn’t stop reading, I was so invested in these two.
While this story did have a bit of angst, I felt that there was much less, compared to past books I’ve read from Halle. I loved that although this story did deal with some serious issues, overall, it had a much lighter and almost whimsical feel to it.
I absolutely adored this book, and the characters within its pages. I was sad to say goodbye to Viktor and Maggie but I look forward to what Halle brings us next.

I have never been someone who loved the books about Royals. I love a good fantasy, but a Royal just always seemed way too far to reach for even in reading. Of course Harry and Meghan have changed that. Just like I was totally enamored with the Royal Wedding I was enamored with the characters in this book.
The hero Viktor is complex and flawed, like all the best heroes are. It would be easy to fall back on the fact that he is royal, rich, good looking and make those his most compelling personality traits. I have certainly read my share of those books. But our Prince here is so much more than all of those things. Karina Hale does an amazing job of humanizing this royal and making you understand the life he is living and what makes it so hard. In this trope (royals) I often find myself mumbling "pooor little rich boy", But that wasnt the case here at all. I really enjoyed getting to know him and rooting for him.

Maggie is wonderful. She is strong and scared and doing the best that she can in a completely shit situation. I really really loved her and rooted for her from the very first page. I wont spoil things here but the beginning of the book starts with you getting to know her just a little, then something happens and she is thrown into a completely different situation. In doing that you learn so much about her as a character. As you move through her life with her it becomes 100% easy to see how Viktor can fall in love with her.

If you enjoyed the movie The Prince and Me but wanted a bit more from it then you will ADORE this book! I did!

I actually looked for this book after reading "The Wild Heir". After seeing these characters pop up in that book I just had to know their story! I was not disappointed! This is not your average "commoner and prince fall in love and live their HEA" story. These two each have background stories that bring on a wealth of complications, but also lead to some really beautiful moments. Most of all I love this book because it has some amazing erotic scenes but also had me laughing out loud many times while reading. The story was amazing, the characters were fully developed and wonderful - every last one of them! The Swedish Prince and The Wild Heir are stand alone novels but there is a small overlap of main characters. Now I'm off to find out what else this wonderful author has written!

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

One delightful, emotional and pretty much amazing story from Karina Halle! She made my week with this book since I was very sick and wanted something good to get me through the tissues and the running nose...and the busted ear.

Maggie's and Viktor's stories were sad and very aching. I believe that Maggie deserves a statue for all her efforts to keep he family together. I loved little Callum and Pike and even April despite the 'thing' she did. And Viktor? Yum...just yum!

Following Karina's Instagram was a very agonizing waiting seeing all these amazing pictures! And I think that there is a chance for more stories on the secondary characters in the book!
I totally recommend it!

Another touchdown for Karina Halle!
The Swedish Prince is a Standalone Romance and it's a modern twist on The Roman Holiday.
We have two characters from two different worlds:
Prince Viktor,under certain circumstances,is now the heir of The Royal Throne and Maggie finds herself giving up her life in NY to become the guardian of her siblings.
None of them is where they want to be. Both of them carry burdens heavier than the ones they can take.
This book has its sad parts but most of all is funny,entertaining,sexy!....Karina has a way with words and you can always feel exactly how the
characters are feeling.
And the way they both meet? That was something!
I really recommend this book because I loved it. The characters are so lovable and unfiltered.
It really was a Romance Novel of Royal Proportions.

First, I looooved Karina Halle books and eagerly await her new releases with this book being no exception! Plus Roman Holiday is one of my all time favorites! That being said, this book failed to hold my attention and it took me a week to finish it. I think the problem was that I didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters. Also when Maggie gets upset after the "incident", I felt like she was a different person. Spoiler alert! The willingness to just leave left me dumbfounded especially after reading all her inner dialogue throughout the book. I felt the last hurdle was just manufactured by the author.
I still enjoyed the book overall but it was more a 3.5 star book than a solid 4 star. I hope she writes about the other side royalty characters like Magnus and King Aksel.

This is where as a reader/reviewer I should write something amazing and profound about this book. I've been thinking about this review even before I finished the book. How would I put into words how breathtaking this book was??? But the words are not coming to me. IT WAS THAT GOOD!!!

So....I'm going to take a quote from the many many many highlights I made....

"I could kiss you for a thousand days and it still wouldn't be enough" he says. "I could gaze at you for a million days and it wouldn't be enough. I could touch you, taste you, be so deep inside you that you're fused to my skin, do this forever and it still wouldn't be enough. Forever with you isn't enough."

See what I'm talking about???? This book was absolutely stunning from start to finish. READ IT NOW!!!

Maggie is one of those characters that are just lovable, and her thoughts were so unfiltered, "...then he takes out his earbuds with his hands, leaving his ***k to hang freely. Don’t stare, Maggie, don’t stare. Instead, I gawk. That’s one hell of a ***k." When there's a language barrier you know its going to be a good read especially if Viktor doesn't get half the American sayings, "he frowns quizzically. “You have a very nice ***. Not at all like a horse.” There are times Viktor and Maggie aren't really quiet, "a voice clears by the door and Maggie and I whirl around to see my father and mother standing there. Judging by their faces, they either clearly just heard what we said about being naked, or they disapprove. Or both." I liked this book, I loved these characters.

THE SWEDISH PRINCE was such an easy story to fall into. This charming, romantic story had beautiful writing with well-developed characters. Maggie and Viktor have amazing chemistry that translates well both in and out of the bedroom.
The royal aspect of the story is very much present, but there’s so much more depth that goes past that. The two characters are from entirely different worlds and the pain, confusion, and inner struggles that they both deal with allows the reader to connect. I really appreciated the points of view that were given. It certainly helped me to engage with both of them much better.
You can always see and feel the passion behind the words that Karina puts into her stories. I love how much heart she puts into her books, and this one went above and beyond!

The Swedish Prince is the story of Maggie and Viktor. Maggie is an American girl that has not had the easiest life. Maggie is the guardian of her siblings and is drowning trying to raise and provide for them. Maggie is a tough cookie and deserves to be swept off her feet. Viktor is the prince I've been dreaming about since I was a little girl. He is such a hottie with an accent. I might have equally have fallen for his best friend and fellow prince, Magnus. I really hope we get a Magnus book.

The Swedish Prince is a standalone, royal romance inspired by Roman Holiday with a gender reversal. I was super excited to read this book. I grew up on the Disney classics. Traveling is something that I love to do. I followed Karina on her research trip. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this book.

Loved this book! These two characters have both been through their own family tragedy and must uproot their lives due to family duty - in very different ways - but duty all the same. In typical Karina fashion, you will laugh, cry and swoon with these characters. Viktor is the "spare" to the Swedish Crown, when his brother dies suddenly and has a hard time adjusting and grieving. Maggie is a college student when her parents are brutally murdered, leaving her the guardian of her five younger siblings. Would love to see this turn into a series with the siblings getting their own books, especially Pike.

Read the forward where Karina talks about how she was inspired by the classic move Roman Holiday (in reverse), so if you've never seen it, give it a shot. It's an old black and white movie with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (he is smoking hot-seriously). The Swedish Prince has a much better ending, though :). Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors. I can always count on her to write a smart, believable (even with the whole royal trope), heartwarming book.

I loved every freaking second of this book! So good. I love the story line, I love the characters, and the secondary characters as well. Well written, well researched, and you could tell the author loved what she wrote, it bleeds though the words on the page. I love that this wasn't cut and dried, and love that these characters had to work for the love life that they wanted.
This was a great story, and I could picture everything so clearly in my head. What hooked me was the cover, the look on his face is priceless. a great HEA, and all around story, you won't be sorry you picked this one up. Told in dual pov.

4.5 Stars

Halle brings us a “real life” fairytale that I found myself completely wrapped up in. The Swedish Prince was an exciting and enchanting journey, and I didn’t want it to end.
Viktor swept me off my feet. He was charming, sweet, and much like Maggie, a bit vulnerable as well. Maggie was so strong and giving. I just loved her. I thoroughly enjoyed their courtship and the way they grew closer. I was so worried about what would happen once the truth about Viktor’s identity was revealed. I couldn’t stop reading, I was so invested in these two.
While this story did have a bit of angst, I felt that there was much less, compared to past books I’ve read from Halle. I loved that although this story did deal with some serious issues, overall, it had a much lighter and almost whimsical feel to it.
I absolutely adored this book, and the characters within its pages. I was sad to say goodbye to Viktor and Maggie but I look forward to what Halle brings us next.

I have fallen in love with this author. The Swedish Prince was actually the second book I've read by her, the first having been The Nordic King. I started out of order, but since each is a stand alone novel, I shrugged and moved on.

These are phenomenal stories. Throwbacks to class Hollywood romance and fairy tales. The characters aren't above experiencing trials and tribulations, but they cling to their love. These books are not about insta-love, which is refreshing.

The Swedish Prince was a classic Prince meets commoner romance. Their relationship builds and grows as they get to know each other. He's the spare who is thrust into becoming the heir. She gives up her scholarship and education at NYU to move back to CA to raise her siblings after the tragic loss of her parents. They certainly had a lot to overcome, but it was so fulfilling to see them do it without all the angst.

This was a tale of true love of the fairy tale variety. And it was superbly done.

I have never been someone who loved the books about Royals. I love a good fantasy, but a Royal just always seemed way too far to reach for even in reading. Of course Harry and Meghan have changed that. Just like I was totally enamored with the Royal Wedding I was enamored with the characters in this book.
The hero Viktor is complex and flawed, like all the best heroes are. It would be easy to fall back on the fact that he is royal, rich, good looking and make those his most compelling personality traits. I have certainly read my share of those books. But our Prince here is so much more than all of those things. Karina Hale does an amazing job of humanizing this royal and making you understand the life he is living and what makes it so hard. In this trope (royals) I often find myself mumbling "pooor little rich boy", But that wasnt the case here at all. I really enjoyed getting to know him and rooting for him.

Maggie is wonderful. She is strong and scared and doing the best that she can in a completely shit situation. I really really loved her and rooted for her from the very first page. I wont spoil things here but the beginning of the book starts with you getting to know her just a little, then something happens and she is thrown into a completely different situation. In doing that you learn so much about her as a character. As you move through her life with her it becomes 100% easy to see how Viktor can fall in love with her.

If you enjoyed the movie The Prince and Me but wanted a bit more from it then you will ADORE this book! I did!

I actually looked for this book after reading "The Wild Heir". After seeing these characters pop up in that book I just had to know their story! I was not disappointed! This is not your average "commoner and prince fall in love and live their HEA" story. These two each have background stories that bring on a wealth of complications, but also lead to some really beautiful moments. Most of all I love this book because it has some amazing erotic scenes but also had me laughing out loud many times while reading. The story was amazing, the characters were fully developed and wonderful - every last one of them! The Swedish Prince and The Wild Heir are stand alone novels but there is a small overlap of main characters. Now I'm off to find out what else this wonderful author has written!

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

One delightful, emotional and pretty much amazing story from Karina Halle! She made my week with this book since I was very sick and wanted something good to get me through the tissues and the running nose...and the busted ear.

Maggie's and Viktor's stories were sad and very aching. I believe that Maggie deserves a statue for all her efforts to keep he family together. I loved little Callum and Pike and even April despite the 'thing' she did. And Viktor? Yum...just yum!

Following Karina's Instagram was a very agonizing waiting seeing all these amazing pictures! And I think that there is a chance for more stories on the secondary characters in the book!
I totally recommend it!

Another touchdown for Karina Halle!
The Swedish Prince is a Standalone Romance and it's a modern twist on The Roman Holiday.
We have two characters from two different worlds:
Prince Viktor,under certain circumstances,is now the heir of The Royal Throne and Maggie finds herself giving up her life in NY to become the guardian of her siblings.
None of them is where they want to be. Both of them carry burdens heavier than the ones they can take.
This book has its sad parts but most of all is funny,entertaining,sexy!....Karina has a way with words and you can always feel exactly how the
characters are feeling.
And the way they both meet? That was something!
I really recommend this book because I loved it. The characters are so lovable and unfiltered.
It really was a Romance Novel of Royal Proportions.

First, I looooved Karina Halle books and eagerly await her new releases with this book being no exception! Plus Roman Holiday is one of my all time favorites! That being said, this book failed to hold my attention and it took me a week to finish it. I think the problem was that I didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters. Also when Maggie gets upset after the "incident", I felt like she was a different person. Spoiler alert! The willingness to just leave left me dumbfounded especially after reading all her inner dialogue throughout the book. I felt the last hurdle was just manufactured by the author.
I still enjoyed the book overall but it was more a 3.5 star book than a solid 4 star. I hope she writes about the other side royalty characters like Magnus and King Aksel.

This is where as a reader/reviewer I should write something amazing and profound about this book. I've been thinking about this review even before I finished the book. How would I put into words how breathtaking this book was??? But the words are not coming to me. IT WAS THAT GOOD!!!

So....I'm going to take a quote from the many many many highlights I made....

"I could kiss you for a thousand days and it still wouldn't be enough" he says. "I could gaze at you for a million days and it wouldn't be enough. I could touch you, taste you, be so deep inside you that you're fused to my skin, do this forever and it still wouldn't be enough. Forever with you isn't enough."

See what I'm talking about???? This book was absolutely stunning from start to finish. READ IT NOW!!!

Another fantastic book by Karina Halle. The Swedish Prince is heart warming, entertaining, romantic, sexy and enjoyable. It so well written and I was hooked from beginning to end. It has a modern day fairy tale concept with a unique and refreshing plot that left me smiling, starry eyed and giddy at times.

Viktor and Maggie's story is beautiful, passionate and seductive (those bedroom scenes....HOT DAMN). However given their different social classes, their relationship was quite challenging at times. I fell in love with Viktor immediately! He's so charming, romantic and regal. Maggie is courageous, sweet and down to earth. They are such a loveable couple. Maggie's siblings are hilarious and they stole the show so to speak.

I would recommend this swoon-worthy book to everyone!!

Maggie is one of those characters that are just lovable, and her thoughts were so unfiltered, "...then he takes out his earbuds with his hands, leaving his ***k to hang freely. Don’t stare, Maggie, don’t stare. Instead, I gawk. That’s one hell of a ***k." When there's a language barrier you know its going to be a good read especially if Viktor doesn't get half the American sayings, "he frowns quizzically. “You have a very nice ***. Not at all like a horse.” There are times Viktor and Maggie aren't really quiet, "a voice clears by the door and Maggie and I whirl around to see my father and mother standing there. Judging by their faces, they either clearly just heard what we said about being naked, or they disapprove. Or both." I liked this book, I loved these characters.

THE SWEDISH PRINCE was such an easy story to fall into. This charming, romantic story had beautiful writing with well-developed characters. Maggie and Viktor have amazing chemistry that translates well both in and out of the bedroom.
The royal aspect of the story is very much present, but there’s so much more depth that goes past that. The two characters are from entirely different worlds and the pain, confusion, and inner struggles that they both deal with allows the reader to connect. I really appreciated the points of view that were given. It certainly helped me to engage with both of them much better.
You can always see and feel the passion behind the words that Karina puts into her stories. I love how much heart she puts into her books, and this one went above and beyond!

The Swedish Prince is the story of Maggie and Viktor. Maggie is an American girl that has not had the easiest life. Maggie is the guardian of her siblings and is drowning trying to raise and provide for them. Maggie is a tough cookie and deserves to be swept off her feet. Viktor is the prince I've been dreaming about since I was a little girl. He is such a hottie with an accent. I might have equally have fallen for his best friend and fellow prince, Magnus. I really hope we get a Magnus book.

The Swedish Prince is a standalone, royal romance inspired by Roman Holiday with a gender reversal. I was super excited to read this book. I grew up on the Disney classics. Traveling is something that I love to do. I followed Karina on her research trip. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this book.

The Swedish Prince

**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Karina Halle always has an interesting story to tell and this one is no except. She brings together two people who are facing tragedies and trying to make there way through them and along the way they find one another. I love that this book takes it’s time also, they don’t rush everything and pretend that it all works out. They both have to come to terms what their lives are changing into and have to make decisions apart before they can make them together.
Vicktor and Maggie will be faced with more challenges once they are together but will they be able to face them together or will they give up there chance of a new beginning together.

Karina has taken a different angle with her recent books and stepped away from the angst and is writing lighter romances with humor. The Swedish Prince is a take on the Cinderella trope and apparently has a bit of Roman Holiday which I now want to see. Maggie had been a journalist student but a family tragedy brings her back to her small town taking care of 5 younger siblings. She is a hotel house cleaner to make ends meet. Viktor is the new heir to the Swedish throne after a family tragedy. He takes a trip to the US under a false name for a bit of freedom and to get over his loss. Maggie and Viktor might be from different backgrounds but they have a lot in common.

This story did slow for me in places but the humor and the beautiful words made up for this.