Suddenly Royal (The Royals)

No this is not an action packed book as insinuated by my title but I am not a reader and this book had me in the palm of its hand and I finished it in a mere two days. I really enjoyed the read and became very sad when it was over.5 stars!

This book was sweet but felt a bit rushed it took most of the book to see some action and then it all felt rushed at the end I'm thinking there will def be a sequel buy the sounds of the epilogue maybe a novella I'm not sure but it was a sweet romance and the supporting characters were lovely as well 15 + up I think

I found the book to be okay...it was a little long. I kept waiting for something to happen in the story. I did really liked the main characters in the book. I did not like the sex scenes...they were not very romantic I would describe them as a bit raunchy for me.

Dumb--don't bother I need 18 more words. I would suggest Catherine Coulter (not the FBI series); Susan Elizabeth Phillips; Susanna Kearsley; and Nora Roberts. They are well-written,romantic and great escapism.

I honestly bought this book because of the cover and since I love Kate Middleton and it had a good average rating, I thought I would give it a bash. Very rarely am I unable to finish a book, this falls into that category. I sulky, petulant female character, extremely immature and a shallow plot made this book to me...ridiculous. I tried reading it twice thinking it may have been my mood. How this book is rated so highly makes me shudder as I cannot rely on the reviews on the store if the general concensus is this poor. I am not a book snob, I actually read and enjoyed the Twilight series so fanciful plots and less than A-grade writing style is ok with me. I will read anything if it's enjoyable or good. But even the style of writing failed to capture me. My apologies to the author for the harsh review but this book was very obviously not written with "me" in mind. However, if you are in your late teens or early twenties, or in college or just out, don't mind a thin plot with a fanciful read...then this book is for you.

This is an improbable story about a rough around the edges PhD tract student studying raptors who suddenly discovers that she is the only remaining member of a royal house in a small but wealthy country in Europe.
For a variety of reasons she ditches her academic life to become a duchess. Surely she could have waited until she earned her degree, but no, off to Europe she goes, driven by a desire to save her dying father's life (because the European doctors are sooo much better than U.S. Oncologists) And Samantha (the graduate student) is attracted to crown prince Alex (also known as "Prince Yummy). From that point, on the book becomes a chronicle of will she or won't she because she doesn't understand the protocols of royal marriage. When Samantha finally gives into her desire for Prince Yummy, we, the readers are subjected to the worst erotica I've read yet in the chick lit genre--cliche after cliche after cliche. The couple's second sexual encounter is pretty off-putting--a rather creepy description of anal sex,which seems so counter to our heroine's strong will, but apparently Prince Yummy is just impossible to resist.

An encounter with the paparazzi, which would make Alec Baldwin proud, leads us to the end of the book when true love (made extra valuable because of the royalty involved) transforms Samantha into a royal nebbish. My advice to readers: ignore the low price of the kindle book and run the other way! My advice to the author: if you really want to give erotica a go, then read some books by Freya North and see how it is done tastefully and properly.

I read the last few pages a couple of times thinking I must have missed something. Ok ok it's a setup for a sequel..I get it now. At least it was subtle. And I guess if there really is no sequel I'll just assume hea.
Overall not a bad story. Just when I was about to forget what "time" the story was set in, the witty banter brings me back. Hopefully a sequel will let me redeam the story from the three stars into five..but for now that's really all I can muster.

I was a few chapters into it when warning signals started going off in my head that maybe this book would end up not being clean so I came back here to read some reviews. I only found a couple that hinted at it not being a clean book. I decided to skim a little bit because one thing I hate is getting engaged in a story and then having to stop because it becomes X-rated. I am glad I did that because it definitely does. I shut my kindle off and returned for a refund.

I'm disappointed I don't think stories need scenes and details like that to be entertaining.

Loved this! I love everything I have read my Nichole Chase! She brings a whimsical element to her stories I just love. This book had me laughing, crying, and swooning. Nichole Chase is a story teller and she doesn't toy with your heart strings by using a bunch of relationship angst. Not sure if you will ever read this but if you do THANK YOU! Thanks for reminding me of how I once dreamed of being a princess. Thanks for not ruining my idea of prince charming! I love how Alex can be sexy knight in shining armor with out being a douche bag. (Sorry couldn't think of a better word... this is why you are the writer and I am not). Thanks for writing a strong-willed female lead. I just finished this book and it is already added to my re-read list. Thank you :)

PS- I Also loved Flukes! :) Can't wait to see what is next!

Oh ya, to anyone reading this review to decide if you are going to buy this book just one-click already. You know you want to cuddle up on your couch or favorite reading nook and relive your childhood dreams of being a princess too. This story is unique and entertaining and well worth the money.(less)

FYI: Swearing and sex scenes. Wish I had known before I started. If you don't mind those things, then it's fairly predictable. Skimmed to the ending after the offensive scenes and language. Just not my style.

I was excited to read this book. I enjoyed The Princess Diaries movies which have a similar plot line and this book certainly has received many glowing reviews. On the positive side, there was great chemistry between the heiress and the prince. Unfortunately, the book became for me too much of a slog to finish. I might try again later though -- perhaps I'll jump back in more toward the end of the book.

You know how sometimes you just have these moods where nothing you pick up can keep your interest. Suddenly Royal is broke that streak for me. A generation of The Princess Diaries readers has grown up and this is the book for them.

From the beginning, I was charmed with Samantha and her saucy down to earth personality. Suddenly Royal manages to be sweet, sexy, and poignant. The romance story line is everything you'd want it to be (no spoilers!) and is perfectly balanced by the heartbreak and guilt of the dad's portion of the plot (no spoilers!). I *literally* laughed and cried with this book, a true feat in my opinion. Frankly, every expectation I had for Suddenly Royal was exceeded. It will be a book that I return to and reread for sure if only to spend more time in Lilaria and with the smexy Prince Alex. With summer around the corner, I cannot think of a better beachy, fun, easy read to take with you to the surf, the sun and the sand.

Overall: A

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

The Duchess and Crown Prince of Lilaria have just arrived in town and everyone is making a big deal of their arrival. So imagine Samantha’s surprise when she’s invited to dinner with them! She thinks that it’s a dinner to get donations for the bird program she is a part of at her college. However, her life is turned upside down when the Duchess informs her that she’s from a long lost family of Lilaria and that she’s the Duchess of Rousseau. They want her to go back to Lilaria and reinstate her title and claim her family’s property and money. She has some serious thinking to do, and Prince Alex makes it hard for a girl to think when he uses his charms on her. But she can’t fall for Alex, it would only lead to a very public heartbreak.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book or not. It seemed like a Princess Diaries kind of storyline, a bit cheesy and way to sweet and innocent for the likes of me. Imagine my surprise when I finished this book smiling like an idiot. It was a sweet (and enjoyable) read. I’ll be adding the rest of the series to my ever-growing TBR (To Be Read) list.

I thought Sam was a decent enough lead character. She didn’t blow me away by any means, but seemed like a down to earth kind of girl. I’m not sure I would have believed I’m part of some long lost royal line quite as quickly as her though. I’d probably be a bit skeptical of Alex’s intentions as well, I’m always looking for that ulterior motive, which I really thought he had.

Alex was fun. He didn’t knock my socks off, but again, he was enjoyable. And, I loved his beast of an ego. He is a prince after all, I think it goes with the territory. I love the friendly banter between Sam and him.

“You mean you prostituted yourself out to the masses? To draw them away? That was sweet.”

Although he seemed just a little too perfect. He has a passion for birds like Sam has, he’s a great cook, handsome, etc. There was that whole scandal with his ex, but it was really a non-issue overall and was quickly explained away. I think with a little more dimension in the characters, I could have liked their romance even more!

“I love you.”

I traced his cheek with my fingers. “Can you tell me again when I’m not on pain medicine?”

“I’ll tell you every day.”

“Maybe twice a day?” I felt my eyelids growing heavy.

“A hundred times a day.”

The secondary characters were entertaining, especially Jess and Bert! I could see being friends with them myself! They’d bring a lot of fun to anyone’s life. And, Chadwick was quite the hoot as well!

This was a decent fun read that isn’t going to make you think too much, but was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of days.

Samantha's earning her masters in wildlife biology and working at her college when she's whisked away to a fancy restaurant and told by a queen and a prince that she's suddenly royal. Or a duchess of a fake country that i can't remember the name of, to be exact. The media immediately finds out and from then on becomes obsessed with her. The prince pressures her into visiting her "homeland" and officially getting her title and inheriting lands and a fortune etc (because who would want all that?).

I found this book too predictable. I'm kind of surprised i finished it (or okay i think i somehow got through like 90% of it on audio). The writing isn't terrible nor is Samantha a terrible heroine, but i didn't find this story to be particularly compelling and i'm a little surprised by all the gushing reviews. I'm usually a sucker for a Cinderella story, but I guess this wasn't really a Cinderella story so maybe that was the problem?

Sam and the prince seem to pretty much instantly fall in love (despite the fact that he's supposed to be some kind of playboy) but for no good reason, Sam acts like they can never have a long term relationship. She isn't at all convincing about it because really, there is no real reason why they couldn't be together. It's also ridiculously obvious that they will be together. There is some drama added in there because Sam's father is basically dying of cancer, but it was again, predictable and not very convincing (i would elaborate but i don't want to spoil it in case someone doesn't find it as predictable as i did).

This book reminds me of the prinsess diaries so much. This story was really similar. I was worried that I wouldn't like this book because of that. But I really did enjoy it! It was an easy read. The characters where really interesting.

What is this book all about
Well we've all seen the princess diaries didn't we. Well this story is like the movie. On day the queen and prince of an European country are visiting a college in the states. But not just for any reason. The queen is looking for families that have fled said country hundreds of years. Samantha's family is one of them. Alex, the prince of said country, meets Sam and they are attracted to each other. But because the media is following him like a hawk messing around isn't something that's on the menu. After some persuasion Samantha agree's to visit the country, learn about it and learn about her duties.
So not only is samantha moving to a country she didn't know exist, learn a new language, figure out her new found status and her duties, but also figure out her 'relationship status' with Alex. Yeah what could go wrong right ;)

What did I like about this book
This book was really entertaining. I enjoyed every minute of it. Well not every minute because Sam is into birds and works with owls and I have literally nothing with birds. I don't really like them, so on that level I didn't connect with sam at all. Except that I thought she was really interesting. She was funny, smart and wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. An Alex was also a very charming character. He was the perfect gentleman but also quite the ladies man.
If you're looking for an entertaining read, this book is for you

This was a really nice surprise. I actually bought this book as an impulse at Book Bash, I saw it, I remembered it was on my TBR list so I thought “why not?”.

This book is a really light read, I finished it in two days and really enjoyed it. Well yes, this book is a lot like The Princess Diary, but it has it’s particularity in it’s characters, their personality and their story that got me hooked from the start.

Suddenly Royal is the story of Samantha Rousseau, a wildlife biologist, who’s worked hard to get where she is. Her mom died a couple of years ago and the only family she has left is her dad, her best friend and her best friend’s boyfriend. Or at least that’s what she thought. After getting an unexpected invitation to dinner at the most popular (and expensive) restaurant with the Duchess and the Prince of Lilaria, Samantha’s life took a complete new twist. Now, she has to face the paparazzi, the press and the unknown. Oh, and Alex of course, the gorgeous prince she can’t stop thinking about.

I absolutely loved the characters. Sam is this sarcastic girl who has no filter when it comes to saying what she’s thinking. She just wants to be herself and do what she loves. She won’t take crap from anyone, which is something I liked, and she’s as good as it gets, stubborn, but good.

Alex, well… he’s beyond sweet. This prince is something to dream about. From the very first moment there was something that pulled him in. I could see how much he wanted to be a part of Sam’s live, it wouldn’t matter who she was or where she came from, he was mesmerized with her since the moment he met her. I loved the way he treated her, how considerate and sweet and honest he was with her. I just love him.

If you ever get the chance to read it, you might want to give it a try if you’re looking for something fun, light and sweet. This might be a good read :)

This was just the type of sweet, easy, read I was looking for. It gave me the feeling of an an adutl version of The Princess Diaries and I loved it. There were so many I wanted to say "Let's add a tiara!" at Sam when she found out she was the Duchess.

Characters:
Sam was stubborn and sweet amd when presented that she was the Duchess of a country it was a normal reaction. I loved how real she was, despite the major life changes she had to go through. But along this journey of being a Duchess she found some new friends and fall in love with a very persistent guy.

Now when Alex tames Sam's apprehension about the details of being a Duchess and wants her. Sam speaks her mind, loyal and loves her family. Alex persistent to get to know Sam despite her fighting the attraction between the two of them. I respect for leaving the bal in her hands and let her decide which made him me fall in love with him just as Sam did. Literally every time the two came together in the page, I squealed.

Final Thoughts:
It was a fun, easy book that showcased a realistic girl being out of her comfort zone as a Duchess who falls in love at the same time falling in love with her new situation.

Ugh, I’m so upset I didn’t read this book sooner! I loved it so much! To be honest the cover threw me off and I won’t lie I didn’t know it was a new adult book either. Suddenly Royal is about Samantha Rousseau, a normal girl working towards her master’s degree in wildlife studies, until a dinner with a duchess of a small country, Lilaria, completely changes her life. Samantha decides to learn about her ancestors and do the whole “Duchess Rousseau,” she moves to Lilaria and learns what her new life has in store for her. There for her through her entire uprooting of her life is the prince, Alex D’Lysnal, also known as Prince Yummy. Samantha has to learn how to deal with the extremely different life and fight off her feelings for the Prince.

I love love love this book! I just hugged it so much after I finished it. I totally regret not reading it sooner, Samantha was so much fun and Alex was just so yummy. So Samantha was just having a normal day working with birds when she is asked to have a dinner with the duchess that is in town. When she gets to the restaurant you get to see her first bit of sass when maître d didn’t believe she was actually there to have dinner with the duchess. That very moment is when I knew Samantha was going to be a very fun character, and that assumption was correct. Then at that dinner we meet Prince Yummy, I mean Alex, and he’s all smoldering, eye linger, smooth talking prince.

Then we get to Lilaria and get introduced to my favorite supportive character, Chadwick, I want a Chadwick, and he’s Samantha’s assistant. That’s another thing with this book, I loved everyone and wanted to get to know them more, which I can’t wait to get my hands on Reckless Royal. The entire time Samantha fights her feelings for Alex; terrified of a public break up, he’s next to take the thrown, and that she won’t be enough for him. How she fought him off is beyond me, I swooned so hard for him, puppy dog eyes and all.

If you’re a sucker for romance go pick this up, totally do it. And while you do that I’m going to go and get Recklessly Royal.

Sometimes you read a book and you're like "Damn, this is a me book." Then you finish it and you're like "oh, so not a me book at all." That is how Suddenly Royal was for me. It had everything I wanted. A prince, a sarcastic girl who was not interested in being a princess. I mean, in all seriousness, The Prince and Me is my movie (mostly cause of the Wisconsin part of it.) Yet this book consistently was lacking something that made me want to devour the book.

Samantha is living her small town college life until one day she finds out she is the distance relative to the crown. The crown of a very small country, which depends on family, and since she is family she should just pick up her life and come to the palace. While Samantha was living comfortably, her mother had died recently and her father was not in the best of health and Lilaria has some of the best health care in the world that could assist him in getting better. Small world right?

So, Samantha decides to take them up on their offer, what is the worst that could happen?

Nothing really. Samantha fits right in Lilaria. Between Lilaria and the United States she is called "America's Princess" and loved by all. Including Prince Alex, who is Samantha's help getting accustomed to Lilaria. He is a notorious playboy, or so Samantha believes and she refuses to be a one night stand, so matter how hard Alex tries. Of course Alex is not the playboy that Samantha is so sure about. And slowly the begin to know each other better and know how good they could be together.

However, one of the things that didn't work for me no matter how much I tried were the random pop culture references that were thrown in. They just didn't work. It jarred me out of the story I was trying so hard to stay in. I felt that Chase was saying hi to some of her friends and they weren't subtle, but painful to me. It brought this story from being a three star to me, to a two star.

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase
Steph's Rating: 4 stars
Overall Rating: 4 stars

Steph's Review:

*FYI, this is a New Adult/Adult novel, for those sensitive to the genre*

Suddenly Royal is a light and flirty read for fans of contemporary romance! This is one of the books I won in the Molly McAdams Pranktacular Giveaway, and I was immediately drawn to this book above all of the other prizes as soon as I read the synopsis. I just knew this was going to be a fun read for me.

Samantha (Sam) Rousseau is a grad student wildlife biologist at a university in Minnesota. She's busy with her degree, her work, and taking care of her stepfather, and doesn't give attention to many things outside of that. When a Duchess and Prince arrive at the university and ask to meet with her, she automatically assumes she will meet with them in place of the department's director to discuss a donation to the school. Upon meeting the royalty of Lilaria, she is flabbergasted to find out that Duchess Rose and Crown Prince Alex were there for one reason--her--to tell her that her family is descendant of Lilarian royalty, and that it is time for her to claim her title.

It's hardly an easy decision. In Lilaria, fame, wealth, and status wait for her, and Prince Alex is starting to show her signs of interest... She will never have to worry about her financial security and rent again, but is a crown worth putting the pressure on her family and friends and leaving behind her dream career?

I actually expected there to be more political backstabbing and "royal" drama in this book as Sam has to adjust to her new life dubbed as "America's Duchess", but I feel like it was half about her moving into Lilaria and half about her relationship solely with Alex. It isn't an action packed or suspenseful story, just a cute contemporary romance to brighten up your day. Even though it didn't have a lot of the elements I usually look for in my choice of books, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Suddenly Royal.

And of course, part if that is because of Alex. He has been added onto our Book Boyfriend list. He is that utterly perfect Prince Charming with an added hint of sexy and ego that will make every lady around the world swoon on their feet. I really liked that Nichole Chase took the time to grow his and Sam's relationship too. At first he was just interested, but mostly there to help Sam adjust, at least until that grew into something more for both of them. You won't be finding much insta-love here!

Sam isn't lacking either. She has a sensible and collected exterior (mostly--you will probably get mad at her at one point though ;) ), but still has the undercurrent of fire and feisty-ness that will get her through her sticky situation. In otherwords, she's a girl with a tough backbone.

Obviously, I'm not royal, so I can hardly say if Nichole Chase's view on royalty and what they deal with is accurate, but I still love her take on them. I'm sure you will hate journalists and reporters by the end of this book :).

If you've got space on your shelf, be sure not to miss this modern-Cinderella story! I will be on the lookout in March for Recklessly Royal, which features a story about Cathy, Alex's younger sister. So glad I found this author!

--Steph and Dani @ A Walk on Words

Title: Suddenly Royal

Series: Suddenly bk 1

Author: Nichole Chase

Genre: Contemporary

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

Thoughts: When I received this book it sat on my kitchen table for at least just looking at me. I wasn't completely sold on the cover, which is probably why it took me so long to actually pick up the book and read it. Add in the fact I really don't like first person pov, but I'm getting used to it.

This book really took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, which is always a good thing. Both Samantha and Alex are likable characters whose main conflict is that because of who they are they have to be very careful in their actions, especially once they reach Lilaria.

I could totally appreciate Samantha's feelings about everything that was going on with her. In just a few minutes her entire world is turned on it's side and she has a new reality that she must embrace and forge her own path in. At the same as falling in love with a prince.

If I had one complaint, and it's the same one I have every time I read a first person pov book, I would have loved to seen Alex's pov through out this, especially as he has some demon's of his own. It wasn't a big enough deal however that it bothered me at all until I'd finished the book.

Did I mention I read it one sitting? It was that good that once I picked it up I couldn't put it down, and then as soon as I did I went looking for the next book in the series.

Nichole Chase is a new to me author and with this book she's earned a spot on my auto-buy list.

Grade A
Review by: Heather
[...]

I am going to try not to gush and fangirl over how much I loved this book.

SQUEEEEE! I LOVED this book. (Ok, in all seriousness now.) What an absolute fun read! Isn't it every girl's dream to wake up and realize you're descended from royalty? That is exactly what happens to our protagonist Samantha (Sam). She is a graduate student working toward her degree and by chance, she receives an invitation to have dinner with the Duchess of Lilaria. Thinking she is going to discuss the possibility of a grant for her program, she is blind-sided when she finds out the real reason behind the chance meeting.

I loved Sam's character. She is down to earth, witty, and not afraid to be herself. She has no desire to wear fancy clothing, attend dinner parties, or flaunt her new status. She cares about taking care of her sick father and getting him the help that he needs to overcome his sickness.

However, the Duchess of Lilaria did not make the journey to America alone. She brought the crown prince of Lilaria, Alex, with her. Alex is flirty, charming, and confident. Sam can't help but be attracted to him. As the two spend more time together, Sam realizes that she needs to put some distance between them, as she wants to focus on learning about her family and becoming an important part of Lilarian society. She tells Alex she wants to have a friendship with him, but how long can the two fight their ever increasing feelings for each other?

Alex's character was amazing for me. He cares about Samantha and wants to make her transition from the US to Lilaria as easy as possible. He promises her he won't 'throw her to the wolves' and is willing to do anything just to be near her. He recognizes her strength and her ability to succeed when she has doubts and is constantly supporting her. He is persistent and refuses to give up on her. I do love that he did back away and give her her space also. He knew the decision to advance things between them needed to be hers, but damn that boy knew just how to pull her in.

I also really liked Alex's sister, Cathy. She was sweet and helpful and jumped at the chance to befriend Sam. I would love to see Nichole do a book about her in the future!

Overall, this book had everything I loved: great characters, an enjoyable storyline, a steamy romance, and a solid ending.

*A big thank you to KP@ InkSlingerPR for sending me an e-copy of this book to review! I received this book in return for a fair and honest review.*

Suddenly Royal is The Princess Diaries meets The Prince and Me. I'm a fan of both, so it's no surprise that I absolutely adored this book. Samantha aka Sam is a down to earth girl. She's in school, working hard on her master's degree, takes care of her sick father, and in general has a laid back attitude. All that changes when she learns she's the long lost heir to a royal line in Lilaria.

If that doesn't complicate her life, then Alex D'Lynsal will. He's the crown prince of Lilaria. He's come to town with his aunt in hopes of locating Sam and convincing her to come back with them. But it's definitely lust at first sight with these two. Sam has every reason not to trust this playboy prince, but she can't seem to help herself, and I can't blame her! However he turns out to be much more as he helps her navigate her new life.

Suddenly Royal is a great book to curl up with, have a cup of coffee and read over the weekend. It's funny and romantic. I loved getting lost in the pages, and I hated when I had to put the book down. The only downside is the next book in this series doesn't come out until March 2014. So if you're looking for a good book to read this holiday season, you should definitely try this one!

Suddenly Royal is a fairytale romance from start to finish - a gorgeous read with a love story that warmed my heart.

The last thing Samantha Rousseau expected in her life was to be discovered as a long lost descendent of the Royal family of Lilaria. Working hard to complete her master's degree and care for her father who is battling cancer, Samantha can't understand all the fuss when the crown prince of Lilaria, Alex D'Lynsal and his aunt visit Minnesota. Well that's not entirely true, she is female after all and there are many things about Alex worthy of note, beyond his princely title. When invited to dinner by Duchess Rose Sverelle of Dollange, Samantha anticipates a donation to the raptor program she interns at but instead what she gets is dinner with Prince Alex and his aunt and all the details of her family lineage, right down to the estate and fortune she is set to inherit.

Samantha was such a fabulous character. Down to earth, snarky, funny. The last thing she wanted in life was the lime light so she seriously struggled with becoming "Americas Princess". Right from their first meeting there was a spark between Alex and Sam. As the story progresses and Sam grapples with her new, very public, role Alex is the one constant she can rely on. Their feelings develop, despite Sam's resistance and it is a delight to watch their relationship unfold.

Alex was gorgeous, gorgeous. His nickname "Prince Yummy" was most fitting and he was the proverbial knight in shining armour for Sam on more than one occasion. The banter between the two was wonderful to read and added a true sense of normalcy to their relationship.

What I really loved about Suddenly Royal is that there was no angst filled drama. It was a light read - a love story in the true sense of the term. It was also a bit of a rite of passage story for Sam as she navigated her new responsibilities and sought to reconcile those with her 'old' life. A key message throughout the story was the importance of family and Sam's love and respect for her father was clearly evident. There was also a very strong familial bond between Alex and his sister Catherine and both characters were really not what I expected as a prince and princess.

If you've not read Nichole Chase before you are definitely missing out. I absolutely loved her Dark Betrayal Trilogy - which was a very different style to Suddenly Royal. She has a hypnotic writing style and creates characters that you can't help but fall in love with. There are so many characters in Suddenly Royal that I really want to know more about and I'm thrilled to see that Catherine will get her story told in Recklessly Royal. But don't let the prospect of a second book put you off, there is a start, middle and end to Suddenly Royal that will not disappoint you.

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Adorable. Witty. Fun. Perfect for a quick, light summer read. With a sequel out recently, it’s just in time! Reminiscent of the Amanda Bynes movie, “What a Girl Wants” or Anne Hathaway’s “The Princess Diaries,” what girl wouldn’t want to wake up and find out she’s royalty (or the closest thing to it)? Although entirely implausible, it’s fun to dream. And if dreams came true, this one was written to be fairly believable.

Samantha is the total down-to-earth, borderline tomboy, grad student who studies wildlife biology with a focus in falconry (being an Animal Science major, I totally clicked with this). Her best friend is her continual link to style, gossip, and the outside world in general. Alex is the proposed Royal playboy, who is currently staying out of the lime light due to a recent sex scandal started by an ex. His interest in Samantha begins because 1- she has no idea who he is, or what he’s supposedly done, and 2- his country is known for falconry, and he appreciates the shared interest.

The main thing I didn’t like was Samantha’s total reticence towards the whole relationship with Alex (because he’s true royalty, while she’s only considered nobility). She tried to talk herself out of it for then entire book, despite the obvious mutual attraction, and his constant reassurance that her arguments were baseless.

Once she got over her hang-ups it was a pretty decent story. Can’t wait to catch up on the next two in the series!

Rating: 4

HEAT Rating: Mild

Reviewed By: Daysie W.

Review Courtesy of: My Book Addiction and More

I loved this book. Do you hear me???

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

Where do I even begin?

I don’t even… How do I…

Phew! Okay, I’m calm.

So, I started reading this after DNFing a “highly anticipated” novel by one of the “most successful authors of our time”. I stumbled across it on a whim, saw it was 99 cents and thought “What the hell?”

Best. Move. EVER.

I needed this book. It came along just when I was beginning to become truly cynical. It took me completely by surprise, slapped me in the face and reminded me why I LOVE reading.

Okay, brief synopsis: Samantha is an American grad student who finds out she’s the long lost heir to a duchy in (fictional) Lilaria, a small principality similar to Monaco that also has some similarities to both the UK and France. One of the kingdom’s duchesses and the heir to the throne come to fetch her.

Enter the leading man: His Royal Highness Alexander Patrick Fitzwilliam, the Duke of D’Lynsal and heir to the crown of Lilaria. What a mouthful huh? (heh heh)

He’s one of the most attractive leading men that I’ve come across in a long, LONG time. He’s charming. He’s suave. He’s caring, devoted and gawgeous. He’s chivalrous without being overbearing or an “alpha”.

Oh, and he’s a frigging PRINCE. Need I say more?

He and Sam have this electric chemistry from the onset that literally had me chewing at the bit for them to hook up. I don’t know how many times I selfishly thought “Just hump already!!!”.

And when they do finally get together? Let's just say it was worth the wait.

Sam is easily one of my favorite main characters of the year. No joke. She says things like “Meh” and “Eat-s***-and-die”. Her favorite genre to read is paranormal romance (STFU, me too! Besties!), she’s not a Mary Sue and she isn’t an emotional mess. She was so likeable that I have pages of reading notes about the funny things she said and did. We have a total bromance going on. But for girls. Homance? Nope, bad connontations. Hermance? Hmmm… I’ll work on it.

She was totally believable in her role as a surprised, semi-reluctant duchess. Not only was she believable but the logistics that it took to set her up in that role were too. I feel like Chase put a lot of effort into making the transition from average American college student to European nobility as accurate as possible and I really commend her for the sheer amount of stuff she managed to cram in without making it seem like an overload of information.

She also shows a lot of the downside to being a royal, complete with fortune hunters, awkward public appearances and crazy photogs. You hear things about how celebrities are hounded by paparazzi but I don’t think it really sinks in just what they’ll try to do for a picture. This novel makes you sympathize with the people that have finally lost it and punched a pap in the face.

Best part about this book?

NO PETTY HIGH SCHOOL STYLE RELATIONSHIP DRAMA.

I was nervous the whole time I was reading it because I thought there was no way I’d be able to make it through a contemporary, fairy tale-ish romance without some stupid misunderstandings on the part of the main characters or at least some self destructive behavior. I’m here to tell you, worry not! Neither of the characters are emotionally crippled, neither are crazy jealous, neither need constant reassurance from the other…they just…I mean. GAH!

This book was one part The Princess Diaries, one part gigglefest, one part tear jerker and a whole bunch of schmexy. Oh, and the ending left me craughing.

You should totally read it!

Suddenly Royal is a predictable story. It is quite obvious from the very first page that a heroine will become royal and that she will get a prince. But, that does not mean that it is a boring story! On the contrary, Suddenly Royal was a fun and satisfying read.

The plot and premise of Suddenly Royal is very simple. Samantha Rousseau (the heroine) is a poor student with a sick father. She is fighting to keep her head above water. Suddenly she finds out that she is of royal descent. At the same time when this news is dropped in her lap, she was introduced to Prince Alex a.k.a. Prince Yummy. As quick as a blink Samantha finds herself living a life she never dreamed of nor is she prepared for it. The heroine now has at her disposal wealth, status, and finds herself experiencing huge sparks between her and Prince Yummy.

Suddenly Royal has two intertwining stories. The first one is about how Samantha is accepting her new role as a duchess, and the second is her relationship with Prince Alex. Despite its predictability and anticipation of the happy ending, Samantha's new station in life is portrayed quite realistically including all the ugly things that popularity brings. Besides that, this story features great and realistic characters. Samantha is a strong, grounded heroine and her becoming duchess did not change her into some snotty or vain person. Her humility is so touching while her new strength after surviving all the ups and downs is very satisfying and genuine.

Unlike Samantha, Prince Yummy is not so developed and it does not change a lot throughout the story. Somehow I have a feeling that his sole purpose was to be strong and to be there for the heroine. Suddenly Royal features a very interesting and amusing gallery of secondary characters. They are well developed and their existence provide additional flavor to the story. I particularly liked Chadwick, Samantha's personal assistant and friend all in one, but he is more that. For me he was really something special in this story.

Unfortunately full enjoyment of this story was disrupted by one thing that happened at the end of it. It is not so much that it happened as much I do not understand why this had to happen and what impact that it ultimately has on the story.

Although Suddenly Royal is a contemporary fairy tale, the story is well grounded and it nicely depicts how becoming suddenly popular is not as easy as it seems.

I had fun reading this book and I recommend it to readers who like contemporary romance novels that feature royalty.

Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews

I picked this up at the RT convention at the Avon party and am kind of glad I didn't spend my money on it. It was a nice weekend read but the characters are not as fully developed as they could have been. I did not like the fact that the heroine left her ill father in order to move to a foreign land and take up her position as a royal duchess. She walked away from her life and didn't seem to look back. It also seemed she and the prince moved immediately to love. If she were truly overwhelmed about what happened to her, she should have had more on her mind than the prince and what he was doing.

Everything went the heroine's way from the moment she learned she was a duchess (with the exception of her father's issue) - I would have liked to see more of an adjustment to her new role- a misstep or two but she was poised and perfect immediately. Her first speech was off the cuff and was perfect- she was not a character who seemed realistic at all. Everyone loved her and accepted her from the beginning. There was some scandal with the prince and a former girlfriend that could have been explored more- a nemesis of a sort for the heroine would have been nice.

It was a mindless read and no surprises- A quick read for a Sunday afternoon if you don'd mind shallow, picture-perfect characters.

Sam is a grad student who is working hard to get her masters degree in wildlife biology, she specialises in birds of prey and she loves her studies and her job working with rescued birds at her university. When she is invited to dinner with a Duchess from Lilaria she assumes it is something to do with the program she helps run and hopes to secure a donation. The last thing she expects is to find out that her family not only came from Lilaria but that she is the heir to a title and the queen wants her to return and take up her inheritance. The one thing that tempts her to visit is the fact that they have superior medical treatment that could offer a cure for her sick father but it also has the advantage of allowing her to spend time with the gorgeous prince yummy. Alex is the crown prince of Lilaria and has had his heart broken too many times by women who are only interested in his title and his money. He is trying to keep his head down and stay out of the limelight for a change and the last thing he wants is to get entangled with a woman that the press is desperate to get a glimpse of. That was before he met Sam though, she isn't like most of the women he knows, she doesn't care about money or the latest fashions and is reluctant to accept her own title let alone start dating a prince. He promises to be by her side every step of the way if she returns to Lilaria with him but can he win her heart and get her to stay there with him?

My friend loved this book so much that she convinced pretty much everyone she knows to join in a massive group read of it (there were 16 of us in total!). She had told us that Suddenly Royal was a fun, light hearted read with a Princess Diaries feel to it and no unnecessary relationship angst and I couldn't agree more with that assessment. I picked this up when I was in the mood for something light, something that would make me laugh out loud and leave me smiling and that's exactly what I got. In fact I think the smile was pretty much glued to my face the whole time I was reading. Yes, I'll admit that the story was a little predictable in places but how many romances have you read that aren't? I for one would be most disappointed if I picked up a romance and didn't get a happy ever after (or at least a happy for now) at the end of it! I started the story planning on reading a couple of chapters but before I knew it I was over 200 pages in and that to me is a sign of a good story.

Sam was a likeable heroine, a normal every day girl and the kind of person any of us would be friends with. She had good friends, a loving father and she cared about people and animals. She was thrown into the public spotlight when she found out about her title and inheritance in Lilaria but she never let it go to her head, in fact she tried really hard to carry on with her life as normal. Not that she had much of a chance at doing that when she was being hounded by the press every five minutes and couldn't even open her front door without having her picture taken by photographers but she didn't let that stop her carrying on with her everyday routine at college. Her life does change rather dramatically when she agrees to visit Lilaria but rather than sit around complaining she does her best to get on with things. I loved the fact that her reaction to everything going on around her was so normal, her behaviour felt realistic and that just made me like her even more.

Alex was a fabulous hero, he was cool, confident, compassionate and caring. He went out of his way to make things as easy for Sam as possible and he respected her opinion on things. He never once tried to force her into anything she wasn't comfortable with and he took the time to make sure she was OK with everything that was happening. It didn't hurt that he was sexy as hell and happened to be a prince too - don't all little girls have a prince charming fantasy at some point in their lives? I know I did! Sam is determined to resist Alex's advances because she doesn't think she could possibly be a queen and she assumes he is only interested in a temporary affair. She knows it would be too easy to get her heart broken if she gave in to temptation but she can't deny the chemistry between them forever, especially as Alex keeps proving to her over and over again that he will always be there for her.

Suddenly Royal is such a fun book to read with a fantastic couple at the centre and some wonderful side characters who never failed to entertain me. If you're in the mood for something light and fluffy then you can't go far wrong with this and I'm definitely going to be on the look out for more from Nichole Chase in the future - especially now I've found out this is going to be the first book in a series!

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess. Well and her and Ariel (and it just so happens the author wrote a book about Mermaids too titled Flukes). Suddenly Royal is a grown up princess fairytale.

Samantha Rousseau is a simple girl working hard on her education while taking care of an ailing father and struggling to pay bills. She's taken by surprise when invited to meet with Royalty that happen to be visiting her college campus. You will fall in love with Sam when you see how she handles the pompous maitre d' and waitress at the posh restaurant the Duchess choose. To her viewing pleasure, Prince Yummy, also known as Alex, is there to join them for dinner. He has all the cool grace and charm, not to mention manners and extreme good looks you would expect of a Prince Charming. He has Samantha thinking he would make her man replacing toy wholly inadequate.

After a quick history lesson from the Duchess, Samantha is invited to take her rightful place as Duchess Rousseau in Lilaria. Not only is Sam Royalty but she has rights to land and money that have been kept in trust for the Rousseau heir. The Queen of Lilaria has been searching for years for the royal families that had been missing. Sam is torn about having to leave when she's so close to finishing her degree. But the choice becomes simple when the Duchess mentions possible treatment for Sam's step father who is dying of cancer.

Prince Alex is such a flirt. Sam can't deny their immediate chemistry either. Her best friend/roommate Jess tries to encourage a relationship between Sam and the Prince but Sam can't see how it would be possible and she's not interested in a fling. So with all the arrangements made, Samantha is on her way to Lilaria. Her father plans to join her after finishing his current therapy.

I was giddy with all of Alex's flirting. Samantha tries to resist but the sexual tension between them gets crazy. Her sassy tude comes in handy with a few undesirables around the palace. I loved the Queen and Alex's sister. You will also love Chadwick who is appointed as Sam's personal assistant. He's perfect at helping her adjust to her knew responsibilities and he has some real flare ;) Of course Alex not only brings the heat in this story but the gifts too. This reminds me of one of the gifts he gives Samantha.

Alex works really hard to convince Samantha that she's more than "just Sam". The harder he works the harder she falls. I swoon every time he says the sweetest flirty things. It takes a good talk with Chadwick and a little alcohol, maybe more than a little, for Samantha to give into her desires. And oh how deelish can you imagine things get now. It killed me when Sam calls out "Oh, God" and his reply is "Alex. My name is Alex, not God. I want to hear you say my name." The morning after was just as good. And OH MY HEAVEN the kitchen counter thank you very much.

Now you know all great stories have to have a bit of sad so you can recognize just how amazing the happy ending is. So yes, this is a great story but I'm not going to tell you what sadness will come to who. Alex proves his love and Samantha the "American Duchess" really gets a happily ever after. I loved Suddenly Royal and say it's a Must Read.

I love princess stories - and when I saw this book, I knew I had to check it out. It has all the great princess story elements - hot prince, down-to-earth commoner, a neat country, and snappy dialogue.

I really enjoyed Samantha. She was a believable character - a grad student, a devoted daughter, and a good friend. I wish that her relationship with Dave was explored more, though - especially as it looks like he'll be the main guy in the second book, I wanted to see their interaction and friendship. The only mention was when Sam was saying goodbye to her grad-school office buddies, and there was a line in there about having known them for a couple of years.

I liked Alex a lot - I particularly enjoyed how he didn't chase Sam, but gave her the space to to figure herself out. He was cocky enough to make me laugh (and I believe that of a man as good-looking and wealthy as he was) and vulnerable enough to make me love him.

This was a fast read, and I was happy with everything in the story except one element.

****SPOILER ALERT****

I didn't like the lack of time spent with Sam's father. His death could have been written with so much more emotional intensity behind it, but it just fell flat for me, and that's what made this book a fun, easy read. I would've given it 5 stars if it was a fun, emotional read, but there really wasn't anything in it to smack me in the chest and cheer at the end.

All in all, I recommend this book as a great escape from reality. It's fun, flirty, and Alex is definitely swoon-worthy. I give it four stars.

(Disclaimer: I was provided an digital copy from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review.)

Also, here's my review!

A review copy was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am a gigantic fan of the Princess Diaries, and that is what I was reminded of while reading the synopsis. I was immediately hooked and knew I had to have it, and I was so luck to get on the blog tour. I was definitely not disappointed by this amazing book. It had everything I love: a strong girl, sexy man, and a swoony romance!

Samantha's life is thoroughly uprooted when she learns that she is an heir to an estate in a foreign country, which comes with a whole new set of responsibilities and problems. As if learning this is not enough, she has an instant connection to the crown prince of Lilaria. With her father really sick, can she really leave him to go to Lilaria? And if she succumbs to Alex's charm, could she really run a country?

Samantha really was a wonderful heroine. She is just a regular girl trying to get through graduate school and life itself. She's the most down to earth girl, and even inheriting a huge estate and a lot of money did not change that. She never cared about titles and whatnot and wanted to see people for who they are despite their title. She always thought of what was best for her ailing father. She is also very feisty and never backs down and always speaks her mind.

Alex, also known as Prince Yummy, was so amazing. He's so caring and sweet, but he also has his bad boy ways. He excels in chivalry, flirtation, adorableness, and protectiveness. Basically a perfect man. AND he has a sexy accent. I swoon hard over Alex. I love how he treats his family and Sam.

Jess, Sam's best friend, was so freaking hilarious. She was the one who originally dubbed Alex Prince Yummy. I loved every scene she was in. Chadwick, Sam's personal assistant, was such a great friend. I hated what Sam's dad was going through but he was so supportive of Sam. What an awesome dad. Cathy, Alex's sister was one of my favorite characters. I'm so stoked she's getting her own book! Woohoo!

I completely adored the plot. It's kinda every girls dream to find out they are royalty, so I just had the best time reading the story. I appreciated everything about the story and the plotline. It was just great. I loved being in Sam's head, and it was so interesting to hear her inner dialogue of the conflicts of all the decisions she has to make. I felt for her, but she made all the right decisions. Now for the romance. Alex and Sam are clearly attracted to each other right from the start, but it progresses wonderfully. It was not rushed at all, and I loved when Sam let go of all her reservations about being with a prince. I mean, he's a prince. I'd have no reservations. :)

This NA book is seriously top-notch. I literally can't find anything bad about it. Well done Mrs. Chase. Well done.

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: One of his hands moved to cup my cheek, tilting my face upward. Our eyes stayed locked until his warm lips touched mine. It started out slow and tender, our breaths mingling while we touched with feather light brushes. I was putty in his hands, my body no longer under my command. I ran my hands over his chest, tracing the muscles I had caught hints of through his shirt. Eventually I tangled my fingers in his hair.

Rating: 4.5/5 Tar Heels!

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase was just the type of book I needed to get me out of the reading slump I have been in lately. With a feisty main character, a Prince Yummy, and all this royalty business, it was the perfect mix of romance and a modern-day fairytale.

I absolutely love the character of Sam! Sam faced a lot of tough situations in this story before AND after finding out she was part of the royal family and through it all she had this spunk to her. She wasn't afraid to put people in their place and if something bugged her she would call someone out on it in a highly entertaining (to me) way. But Sam was more than just a feisty character, she was also so sweet, insecure at times, and extremely loyal to those that she loved (this is most evident in Sam's relationship with her sick stepfather. Their relationship both broke my heart and made me incredibly happy at the same time). I especially loved how all of these personality traits made Sam seem like a real person to me. She faced all these crazy situations with a consistently fun personality and by the time I was finished reading this book it felt like I had made a new friend.

I especially like what Nichole did with this story. Suddenly Royal is like a mix of The Princess Diaries and The Prince & I but she also added her own little spin on it. For one, the characters are older which made me happy because us older girls want to be princesses too! When Sam finds out that she is a descendent of the royal family from a small European country, it takes her a long time to come to terms with it. Finding out you are royalty is most definitely deserving of a freak out session or two so her resigned acceptance of it made the story seem just that much more believable. Sure the money and fame would be cool but there are also drawbacks to being in the public eye at all times so it was great to have a main character that was very cautious of that. I also liked that the one thing holding Sam back from truly embracing her title and her budding romance with Prince Yummy was herself. At times she was too scared to give in to her feelings and other times she was a bit insecure which made her very relatable. It also allowed Sam to grow and learn as a character which made me all sorts of happy to see!

To help Sam through the many adjustments from transforming from a grad student into royalty is an awesome set of characters a.k.a. the staff that works to keep Sam and the rest of the royal family safe and on task. I absolutely ADORED meeting them all; they added so much fun to this story, each one having a quirky personality. I especially LOVED Chadwick! Chadwick, Sam's assistant was hilarious and supportive of Sam but was also an equal match to her stubbornness so it made for some entertaining encounters between the two. You could see the friendships budding between Sam with a lot of these characters and it was fun to see.

And what's a princess story without a little romance? Prince Yummy a.k.a. Alex had me swooning from the beginning of this story. Yes he is a prince, yes he has an accent, yes he is hot, and while all three reasons are GREAT reasons to swoon all over the place, those are not the only reasons why I loved Alex and his relationship with Sam so much. Alex, although he has a past that hints at his flirtatious, woman-loving ways, what surprised me immensely was his devotion to Sam. Their relationship started out slow with the two of them being just friends despite the obvious attraction between the two. Alex noticed that Sam had a lot of hesitations and worries and didn't seem to mind waiting for her, letting her take the time to adjust before progressing their relationship further. I liked that Nichole took this approach to the relationship because not only did it allow all the feelings to grow between both characters but it also seemed realistic considering Sam has so much else going on in her life. Throughout the whole transition from rags to riches, Alex is there for Sam either offering her advice for the spotlight or stealing her away for a few hours to get her mind off of all the craziness. Alex, with his charm, humor, sweetness, and of course the accent, will likely have you swooning too!

If you are looking for a totally adorable romance, a snarky main character, and a modern-day fairytale to carry you away for a day or two, I suggest picking up a copy of Suddenly Royal!

3.5 "Stubborn" Kisses

Please don't think that being stubborn is a bad thing in this context - it's not. I call myself stubborn with my head held high and the fact that the heroine in this book is stubborn is a trait I happened to love/love to hate. So, who doesn't love a good fairy tale? I'll be honest, I'm a Disney junkie...I love the princess stories. Give me a knight in shining armor any day of the week. But `Prince Yummy' ...he's a step above the rest.

Samantha Rousseau is normal. Just a regular graduate student, she's a wildlife biologist specializing in raptors - she loves her birds, she keeps busy between school, work and trying to make sure her ailing step-father is taken care of, she's got her hands full. Well, it's her lucky day because she just got handed the opportunity of a lifetime when she is told her deceased mother was part of a family of royals who fled the country in order to save their lives. She's not Samantha Rousseau anymore, she is Samantha, Duchess of Rousseau. This is when you expect the candid cameras to pop out and say "HA! Fooled You!"...it doesn't happen.

`'There are two things you must never forget. One, you are a Rousseau and you should always be proud of that. Two, family always comes first. Always.'

Sam has an incredibly difficult decision to make. Leave behind her dad, her school, her friends, her life or turn her back on a great opportunity to live up to the potential she never knew she was capable of. She gets lots of awesome advice...from her dad, from her best friend, but ultimately the decision is hers. What's the worst that could happen, right?

`Jess and the undergrads had been wrong. He wasn't yummy, he was delicious; a feast to be savored. Dark blonde hair hung a smidge too long, eyes so blue it was like looking into the heart of a glacier. Built like the statue of David; the contours of his suit hugging every delicious muscle. Laugh lines around his mouth and eyes brought him into the realm of humanity, and gave him personality.'

His Royal Highness Alexander Patrick Fitzwilliam, the Duke of D'Lynsal and heir to the crown of Lilaria, doesn't make this decision any less...challenging. He's a distraction, a particularly delicious distraction, but like Sam needs anything else to complicate an already complicated situation. The press, the pressure, the choices...it's enough to make any girl a little loopy, but adding the royal bits to it, just make it ten times worse. I'll give Sam credit though, any girl that can persistently stonewall `Prince Yummy' deserves an award of some kind.

`His eyes starred down into mine and I felt entranced. There was some kind of emotion swirling behind that ice that I didn't understand. I had a feeling he wouldn't have promised to just anyone.'

I'm faced with another book that while it does have romantic aspects to it, that really wasn't the main focus of the book for me. This was about Samantha's journey...we learn more about her, all that she is having to go through as she embarks on filling the royal shoes she never knew existed. She has a lot going on. It's not that she doesn't want Alex, but there is the fear element that keeps her away. Even with her continued resilience to him, Alex never gave up. God love him for it...he really is Prince Charming.

`"All good things are worth the work. And what we could have would definitely be good." He threw my words back at me and I had no response.'

Suddenly Royal was a super sweet and cute story, reminded me a lot of the Princess Diaries but more grown up and refined...and I wanted to hump the Prince :-) The ending was perfect and as with most books I read, I will always cross my fingers for continuation of the characters. I did fall in love with Alex's sister Catherine and would love for her to have a story.

Deserves 5 amazing stars!

Wow, this book caught me off-guard. A first I thought it would be like the Princess Diaries but holy molly, I was so wrong. Suddenly Royal is way much better. First because the main characters - Sam & Alex are more mature and the author did a great job with the amazing story line and have I mentioned the love scenes? Wow, those were pretty hot...haha! This is a cute, romantic story and I found myself so engrossed with it that I just couldn't put it down until I reach the final page.

Well the blurb says it all. Sam thought that she's just an ordinary student trying to finish her master's degree and enjoying being a wildlife biologist while taking care of her sick stepfather. She's smart, feisty and speaks whats on her mind. Her world changed one day when a Royal Duchess from a country named Lilaria, informed her that she has a royal blood and the last descendant of a long lost royalty. Of course, she freaked out who wouldn't! The magnanimous money, fame, properties and freaking heir to the throne in an instant. So freaky right!

Then she met HRH Crown Prince Alex aka "Prince Yummy"' and she knew she's in trouble because she couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him. What more? The feeling is mutual. But of course, them being together was not that easy with all the crazy paparazzi's hounding them every day on top of the new responsibilities Sam has on her shoulders.

I loved that the author developed Sam's character in a more realistic way. The initial reaction and the reluctance she felt that time she found out about the truth about her identity, every scenes were written perfectly and made me feel like I was there with her confused and afraid at the same time. One more thing is that the way Sam cared and loved her stepfather, it was so admirable and that "one scene" really broke my heart. Her stepfather was one of the reasons why she accepted her royal title, for him to be brought to Lilaria and have the best healthcare in the world...

I am totally smitten by Prince Alex and he's definitely swoon worthy. Well aside from his drop dead gorgeous looks, he's polite, caring, charming and very very sweet. I loved that their relationship here has blossomed slowly despite their instant attraction towards each other. Their relationship was not rushed because of course there was Sam's refusal and I completely understood why. With all the drama and craziness happening around her, a relationship with a crown prince would be the last one on her list. Besides, she has a sick stepfather to take care of and I admire Sam for that. In this story, the author made an emphasis on the importance of family - by making them the top priority always. But did Sam put up that wall around her that long? Well you have to read it to find out...hehe!

Well rounded supporting characters such as Jess - Sam's bestfriend, Chadwick - Sam's assistant in Lilaria and Cathy - Alex's sister, made the story more interesting. They have brought a lot of hilarious moments in the story. I also loved Sam's stepfather because he truly loved and cared Sam as if she was his own child and the selfless love he gave her, it touched my heart. Their scenes together made me teary-eyed.

Suddenly Royal is an amazingly refreshing story, not filled with so much drama with the right mix of humor and romance. You'll find yourself smiling a lot while reading this book.

How I wish was there would be a sequel because I don't want to say goodbye to Sam & Alex's story yet.

Definitely A.MUST.READ!

Originally posted at Melissa's Bookshelf.

Soooo... Can I tell you how much I LOVED this book? I read over half of it one evening and then put off work the next morning (good thing I work from home!) to finish it. Okay, now let's just go ahead and get this out in the open: no, the premise of Suddenly Royal is not exactly original (think The Princess Diaries, but steamier). However, in my opinion that absolutely does not take away from what an incredibly fun and engaging book this is! For me, I think that's in part because I'm one of those girls who always had that secret little dream inside of discovering that she is actually a princess. I'm not ashamed to admit that in the least! Come on, I know there are more of you out there...

I read most of this book with what was probably a very goofy grin on my face. I was hooked from page one. How could I not love Samantha?! She is smart, sassy and unafraid to speak her mind, yet at the same time vulnerable and just so real. And while far from perfect, Alex certainly made for a pretty dreamy prince. It probably didn't hurt that Chase had mentioned she envisioned Chris Hemsworth as Alex. I'll take that visual any day! Prince Yummy, indeed... ;-) But in addition to these engaging lead characters, Chase does what she is so very good at, providing a well-rounded and well-written supporting cast. Between Sam's personal assistant, Chadwick, her best friend Jess, and various members Alex's family and other Lilarian royalty, there is a great variety of people who each add something special to the story and the events that unfold. Without a doubt, the lovable (and even the less-than-lovable) characters are the other big reason why this story just worked so well for me.

What may be most telling: I loved this story so much, I would rather not even call attention to the handful of typos I came across, but fairness dictates that I have to at least mention them. I believe they were all cases where apostrophes had jumped into words where they didn't belong -- probably from some of the words that were missing them... Those pesky apostrophes! Even they could not mar my enjoyment of Suddenly Royal. I laughed, I even got a bit teary, and by the time I turned the last page I sighed in complete contentment.

Looking back, it's funny to think that had I not worked with a young lady who knew Nichole Chase and just happened to mention her Dark Betrayal trilogy to me in conversation one day, I might not have discovered her books -- at least, not as soon as I did. Suddenly Royal is easily now my favorite of Chase's books and if you have read the rest of her works, I think you will see how much her writing and storytelling have grown. The earlier mention of The Princess Diaries aside, this book really did play out like a movie in my head as I read, thanks to Chase's descriptive and easy-to-read writing, which enables you to just immerse yourself in the story as if you were a part of it. I think anyone who had dreams of becoming a princess or their own happily-ever-afters would enjoy this book. And, well, if you don't happen to be one of those girls, then you might just enjoy it for the smart characters and the steamy romance that develops between Sam and Alex.

*It should be noted that due to adult content, Suddenly Royal falls into the New Adult category, not YA like Chase's Dark Betryal trilogy.

Read this book...
If you ever had dreams of being a princess
If you have read any of Nichole Chase's books
If you enjoyed the Princess Diaries

3.5/5 stars.

Going in to SUDDENLY ROYAL, I was hoping for a quick, fun and entertaining read that would have me smiling a lot. I'm happy to report that those qualities are in abundance. Samantha is a quick-witted, sarcastic and sometimes infuriating character who I very much enjoyed reading, and Alex fully lives up to his nickname of Prince Yummy. I found this book extremely engaging, and very much enjoyed my time spent in its pages.

Anyone reading the summary is probably struck with some similarities to THE PRINCESS DIARIES or THE PRINCE & ME, and there definitely are things that that are the same between those titles and this one. However, I liked that the "princess" (she's actually a duchess) in this book is an adult; she's a Master's student who's had to deal with the death of her mother and her father's struggle with cancer, so she's already had to deal with some difficult experiences. This makes Samantha a character with a lot of depth, and an interesting back story that very much influences her actions, thoughts and feelings, not only toward Alex, but the whole idea of reclaiming her Lilarian title. I very much enjoyed reading about her personal journey as she struggled with her place in this new and unknown world.

Alex is described as a playboy in the summary, but that didn't really come across so much in the book itself. I liked that he was thoughtful and caring, and willing to help Samantha through her struggles. I liked the way he slowly brought her around to the idea of a relationship, and very much liked that he didn't push her and was willing to go at her pace and only move forward with her permission. This is so often not the case in books today that I couldn't help but find the slow growth of their relationship all the more satisfying. If you're tired of books where the guy and girl immediately fall into bed with each other, then this will be a refreshing change!

SUDDENLY ROYAL also had a lot of depth to it. The world of Lilaria, the customs the people follow, and the royalty who dominate the upper echelon of society were all well-crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see this world through Sam's eyes, particularly her smiles and gasps of astonishment as something new was revealed to her. The descriptions were first rate and really helped place the reader in the narrative. Some of my favorite parts were when Sam got to experience the city and surrounding countryside (and I am SO jealous of that bookstore!). I also liked that this wasn't just a "cute" read. Sam goes through a lot, experiences a lot, and it really helped keep the book grounded. I liked the inside look at all that being a duchess entails, and everything Sam was going to be responsible for. In a "cute" read you don't always get to see the struggles, and I very much liked that those were included here.

While the premise behind SUDDENLY ROYAL perhaps isn't the most original, there is enough within the book's pages to keep anyone engaged in the story. The two main characters are wonderfully drawn and constructed, and are surrounded by a fabulous supporting cast, all set in a unique world that's described so perfectly you can see it in your mind. It looks like this is the first in a new series, and I'm really excited to see what's next for Sam and Alex (no drama, please!). If you're looking for a fun, summer read, do give this one a try!

~A copy of this book was provided by Inkslinger PR for blog tour purposes.~

I'm still trying to get over how amazing this book was.

What I was expecting to be a light-hearted, fun read, soon turned into something much more emotional and I found myself on a rollercoaster ride, laughing one minute and sobbing my eyes out the next.

There were so many amazing characters in this story, and it wasn't difficult to connect with each and every one of them. They were all very well-written and well-rounded. By the end of the story I felt like I had really met each of them.

Sam was a great MC. I could relate to her in many ways. The fear of getting into a new relationship, and the risk of having her heart broken...okay, so I've never been pursued by a prince, but the fear is still very much there, but I can only imagine how much harder it was for her!

Alex! WOW! Alex! I loved him. He was gorgeous and wickedly charming. He didn't mince his words and his directness was HOT!! I felt giddy whenever he and Sam were near each other. They were so exciting together! There was just no way in hell that they weren't meant to be with each other.

The sexual tension between them was smoking, and I couldn't stop reading until I had the pleasure of seeing these two characters together. And then I couldn't stop reading because they were so fantastic together!

Sam was one lucky girl. Not only because of her newly discovered royal status and the fact that she had Prince Charm...I mean, Yummy, knocking at her door. Sam had a great wealth of amazing people around her. Jess was adorable, as was Cathy. They reminded me of my two BFFs.

I loved Chadwick. He was so much fun! He had this somewhat serious side to him but he was a real softy. He seemed to immediately warm toward Sam, and his "pokes" at her often made me smile.

Sam's stepdad was the only real family she had left, and she cherished him. It was great to see how close the two of them were, even though he wasn't her real father.

My heart shattered towards the end of this story! I could physically feel the pain Sam was in, having been through a very similar experience myself. I cried until I had no more tears to cry. Chase captured Sam's heart ache and devastation perfectly.

This story kept me prisoner from start to finish. It flowed really well, and I enjoyed every moment spent with Sam as she adjusted to her new life. I only wish it had no ending!

I was pretty iffy about this book at first because it sounded a lot like The Princess Diaries and The Prince & Me but a few chapters into the book I found myself insanely engrossed that I forgot all about my doubts. Simply put, this book was amazing. It was cute and really engaging!

The thing that really captured my interest was Sam herself. She's really an interesting, well-rounded character and she was written so well that I felt that she was real. It wasn't hard to like her. Her experiences made her strong and she's definitely one tough cookie. I like that despite Alex's past and the many women he was linked to, Sam didn't let her jealousy get in the way. She didn't even say how jealous she was. She just thought about it and let it go - and that just shows how confident she is.

I especially loved the romance between her and Alex a.k.a Prince Yummy. This is probably the thing that kept me reading so fast! He was just. So. Swoon worthy!!! I loved the banters between Sam and Alex and I loved how it wasn't insta love. Sure, the initial physical attraction was there but Alex waited till Sam was completely ready to give in (and boy did she). And when Sam did give in, it was hot and sweet all at the same time. I couldn't get enough of them, they were so good together!

The secondary characters were also very enjoyable. They weren't just characters delivering lines, they really added to the story! I enjoyed Sam and Jess' friendship, Sam's dynamics with Chadwick and her relationship with her father. It was refreshing to read something that didn't simply focus on the main character and her love interest. All of the characters in the book felt alive.

Lastly, I liked that this is a New Adult novel mainly because I belong to that age group. Ha! Seriously though, I liked seeing the story through Sam's eyes who had tons of responsibilities at home (graduate studies, her dad) but chose to live in Lilaria and take up more responsibilties. It isn't just light and fluffy because Sam's older (20-ish) than the usual female protagonists in a princess story. I felt that there was more depth to it.

If you're looking for a fun and insanely swoon worthy read, go for Suddenly Royal. You'll be grinning like crazy from start to finish (like me. Heh!). ;-)

Come on a fabulous ride of life changing experiences, scandalous headlines and swooning women with Alex and Samantha as they deal with royal protocol, romantic gaffes and annoying paparazzi. SUDDENLY ROYAL is a nifty, fresh twist on princess fairy tales. When Samantha Rousseau suddenly finds out she is from royal ancestry, her world turns upside down overnight! The author, Ms. Chase, cleverly handles a comical, enthralling, smart romantic/royal adventure. The characters have depth with their own unique quirks, which sets this story apart from the usual fare. Ms. Chase has a gift for concocting exasperating scenarios and witty one-liners, which garners genuine laughs as Samantha learns to adapt to her new life of dealing with the paparazzi. Why anyone would be interested in her is overwhelming. The story also contains a serious, sensitive side as Samantha’s dad deals with cancer. The story has a lovely human factor as I was brought to tears a couple of times over the cancer treatments he endures. Nichole Chase is one smart lady because she delivers a story that has it all; compassion, seduction, empowerment and heady emotion. SUDDENLY ROYAL is one to treasure! Heartbreaking, enchanting and undeniably irresistible!

Suddenly Royal was a sweet story. I have to say that this book reminded me of a college version of The Princess Diaries, which I happens to be a movie I love. So for me, it felt like a modern day fairy tale. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters.

Samantha is a goal oriented type of girl. She's a devoted daughter and student. Samantha is focused on completing her degree and taking care of her father. So, when royalty comes to town, not only do they get in her way, but she learns some truths that shock her. Plus, there is a yummy royal who has all the girls on campus drooling and has Samantha distracted. So, yes, there is a romantic element to the story, but I felt like the book was more about Samantha's journey. She's learning a lot about her family and herself. It was endearing to watch.

The best part about this book for me was Alex. I absolutely loved him and couldn't wait for scenes that included him. He's sexy, sweet, and a bit funny. He also sees Samantha for who she really is. While he's trying to be cautious, he can't help his feelings and his attraction to Samantha. I enjoyed watching their game of cat and mouse. And I have to say that there are some heated scenes between the two later on in the book, that rocked my socks off.

Overall, I enjoyed Suddenly Royal. While there are some important issues that Samantha faces within the book, generally it was a light, sweet story to read. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a break from the angsty NA romances that are so popular right now.

Favorite quote:
~"Put down the knife, Samantha."

"Why?" I hadn't realized I was still holding it. My voice had been too high; excited. This close to him my brain was turning to mush. His blue eyes pierced down into mine and I felt small and feminine.

"Because I'm going to kiss you and I don't want to be stabbed when I do it."-Loc1124/ARC

Loved, loved, loved this book. It's a charming read chock full of the most wonderful and lovable set of characters.

We are introduced to sassy Sam, as I like to call her. Sam finds out that she is the only living Rousseau left, who hails from a royal family in Lilaria. A Duchess and Prince come to the states to tell her the news. Prince Yummy, I mean Alex, is every girls fantasy. I was expecting Alex to be a turd and full of himself but boy was I completely taken by surprise. Nichole writes us a story with the 'perfect prince' in my mind. Every girls idea of what a prince should say, act and be. He definitely lives up to the name Prince Yummy. He has eyes for Sam right off the bat. The sparks between Sam and Alex are undeniable and evident from the very first scene together.

I absolutely love Sam and her sassiness. She kept me laughing and I loved she wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. This is one of the things that Alex appreciates and loves about her.

I also love how Nichole instill's the importance of family. Sam's dad is sick with cancer and she makes a point to make sure he is taken care of. You could feel the love that she has for him.

There are so many characters in this story, that make a place in your heart. Chadwick the assistant to Sam that we meet in Lilaria, Jes the best friend to Sam, Cathy, the sister to Alex, the Duchess and last but not least Sam's dad. The man that unselfishly raised and loved her as his own.

I laughed and I cried my eyes out while reading it. Just writing this review brings all of those emotions back to the forefront and brings tears to my eyes.

A fantastic book that will capture your heart, make you wish that you were the one in Sam's shoes and make you want to read it all over again. I told Nichole we needed another story to follow Suddenly Royal.I am certainly not ready for closure with these characters and need so much more. Here's to hoping that my wish comes true.

Oh and Nichole, I told you so! ;)

3.5 - 4/5

This was such a charming read! I thought at first it was sounding very Princess Diaries-ish, and in some ways it is, but it is so much more than that also. We are taken on a ride full of emotions throughout the course of the story. We watch a young woman realize she is far more capable than she ever thought before. She learns about herself, and gains confidence in the life she chooses.

I can't imagine going about my normal life, and then suddenly you find out about your family and their history that has been forgotten over generations. Your normal life is suddenly flipped and you have to make one of two decisions, both changing your life forever. Sam undergoes this. She has her ups and downs, moments of doubt, and moments of happiness. How she copes and reacts to the changes in her life is very believable. I think most of us would behave that way.

I like our Prince Charming. He is smart, quirky, and caring. He is there for Sam, and determined to the very end. I do think there could have been more to his character. He did not seem as lively as Sam and I wish he did, because he was a great character.

Over all this is a cute, fun, and charming little book. It is an easy, lite read that is very entertaining from beginning to the end.

If you love reading about your Prince, then read this!

Wow! Let's break this review down into separate sections, shall we? Perfect! Let's talk about the cover... I'M. IN. LOVE! This cover captures the main character, Sam in all of her perfection!

Characters. I've been a fan of Nichole's ever since I read her book Mortal Obligations (Book 1 in the Dark Betrayal Trilogy). She lets the characters grow into themselves. None of her characters ever feel as though she's forced their growth, attitudes, or persona. The main characters in Suddenly Royal are the same. Sam is fun, loveable and very much her own person. While reading this book, I often pictured Sam's facial expressions in my head and giggled.

Storyline. I'm always a sucker for a book about Princesses (I wanted to be one when I was younger), but I also harbor a healthy bit of skepticism when diving into one. Usually, it's the same old story... just "reworked". NOT WITH THIS BOOK! The storyline is a fresh, new take on this old tale. Sam is the girl that any girl would want to be and the girl that any man would want for his own. An absolute love story for the masses. The only complaint I have about this book is I wish that I could read it again for the first time! It's that darn good!

Samantha Rousseau never imagined she would be a Duchess. But one night she gets invited to dinner by a Duchess, and a Prince and is told she is the royalty they have been looking for, and they want her to take her place in Lilaria.

Sam, is a wonderful character. She's very down to earth, and she doesn't let people push her around no matter who they are. The only downside to this book was her reasons why she wouldn't let a relationship happen with Alex. I mean it was seriously very stupid, and almost made the book less than what it really was because of it. She thinks that she wouldn't be able to marry him because she is just an American. The whole time she does this I was thinking, "you are not just an American, you are a Duchess, what is wrong with you?"

Sheesh, but it got annoying. Otherwise, I loved the story, and really loved Alex. He is totally an alpha man, who is also a prince. He was the perfect character for Sam, and I loved the relationship between these two.

I can not wait for more books about them. I want to see them get married, and see how life is. I do recommend this book, but just a warning you may have to put up with a crazy heroine at times.

Suddenly Royal says it all. It is the cutest story of a normal hound lady getting to live a fairy tale! It's not the typical prince steals poor girl away... It's much better than that. It's about discovering your past and making your future!

I have to say that this book made me smile, was super sweet, hot, and a great read. Nichole Chase does a great job writing, and my fav things is how she makes references to current books (Inhale, Exhale by Sarah Ross and the Elemental Mystery Series by Elizabeth Hunter.... I loved that series!) it just made it real.

There are all kinds of emotions within this book: living, death,happiness, fear, loss, growth, freedom, and so much more! If you are looking for a book that is like a modern day fairy tale for grownups with a twist... Suddenly Royal is the book for you!

A review copy was provided for an honest review. Suddenly Royal is such an irresistibly charming and enchanting novel! Right away I could already tell I was going to love it. The leading lady Samantha Rousseau is a feisty character and she has courage, inner strength, and a brain to boot--not some simpleton that needs help at every turn. I think people are going to make a lot of comparisons with the Princess Diaries but then totally realize this book is nothing like that one. While it's similar in some ways it feels like its own. I thought the story was very enjoyable, I laughed a lot, I even teared up at one point, and there was some gasping too. I took this book to dinner with me and didn't put it down until the next day when I finished it. It was super fun to read, and an utter page turner from the start. I've already read some of Chase's other novels and they were just as great so I knew that I wasn't going to be left disappointed. The love interest Prince Alex is absolutely mouth watering and swoon-worthy - I thought him and Sam were incredibly amazing together. I can't say that there was a character that I didn't like, they all had something special about them.

Samantha Rousseau is your typical college girl on her way to becoming a wildlife biologist. All is right in her world until she gets a mysterious invitation from the Duchess of a country called Lilaria. She's skeptical as to why a royal would want to speak to her let alone invite her to dinner. What the Duchess tells Sam will forever change her life and make her take on a responsibility greater than she has ever known. Meanwhile the Duchess' nephew crown prince of Lilaria, Alex D'Lynsal is eager to get to know Sam and she realizes that she may just be in way over her head. The heavy weight that's placed on Sam's shoulders is enough for her to go running the other way but with a gorgeous prince in her life she may just be willing to carry it.

This was overall a highly enjoyable novel that's geared towards much older teens and adults as their is some steamy sexual content. Most definitely a great book to cuddle up with on a relaxing day. The romance is the perfect mix of cute and sexy with no love triangles in sight. I liked that it didn't absorb the story but fit in nicely with it; and the character developments were excellently done. I've always loved a good royal fairytale-esque story and this one really delivered and I felt elated with how it all came together. Nichole Chase did a great job engaging readers and has written yet another wonderful story. New Adult fans will have no trouble falling in love with Suddenly Royal. It's sweet and quirky with a feel-good romance that will make you smile and laugh.

Royal love stories never fail to excite me. Most of us did fantasize that we are royal ourselves, though most wouldn’t admit they did. Well, this story by Nichole Chase will bring back those memories again. It’s a fast, easy and fun read. This also reminds me of The Princess Diaries but in a racy and exciting way. I like the way the main characters are developed at the start though they do turn flat towards the end because of their predictability. Some characters also aren’t explored enough which make them unconvincing and unimportant. There may be a few gaps and inconsistencies in this book, but it allays this with the exciting royal set-up and steamy scenes. I recommend this book if you’re into royal plots with a sexual twist.

I've read many books based with royals before and while good, each book seemed to have parts where the story dragged on. Not the case for this goody read!

I liked that Sam was hard headed and didn't have any problems voicing her opinion. I also like that Alex was never forceful toward Sam in her feelings to wait for a relationship with Alex.

One of the best parts about Suddenly Royal was that the lead male character didn't have a dark mysterious past. In fact, Alex's past was brought up earlier in the story but was never part of the big focus points. I was expecting the big reveal that was going to shock Sam about Alex past, but instead it was really not an issue to dwell on throughout the book. It was refreshing that the male lead didn't have a secret to hide. His only secret was his feelings for Sam. That's it - just a man in love.

It was nice to get caught up in a love story and not get hounded by an over abundance of foul language and sex (although the latter does make an appearance or two and done without being over the top). I would definitely recommend this book and author to my friends.

This felt like The Princess Diaries, all grown up! Although it does deal with an ordinary young woman discovering she is a long, lost royal from a small European country, it tackles some deeper issues like adjusting the the celebrity of it all, letting go of some dreams while accepting new ones and taking responsibility and accountability along with the privilege of a title and wealth. It does all of this with humor and wit and just a little but of angst. Oh, yeah... and there is a fantastic, toe-curling love story. So if you liked Princess Diaries, but wished it wasn't so "Disney", then this is the read for you!

The Inadvertent Thief (The Thief)

I felt this book was flat. It wasn't the characters, although there really wasn't much depth to them. It wasn't the plot, although it did need some spicing up. It was the location and concept.

Lilaria. Where is it located? When was it founded? Language? Customs? Culture?

I grasp the idea of creating a new land, but for goodness sake, ground it next to something real. Give the reader a place to picture, a people to get to know, a culture to be believable. I felt like I was twelve and playing make believe.

Perhaps I'm just not willing to suspend my disbelief enough.

First, I will get it out of the way and say that Nichole Chase has once again stole my heart! First in Flukes with Mena and Blake, now she has me again with Samantha and Alex. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. How can any reader not love Sam and her personality? How can someone not fall in love with Alex when he is more than what meets the eyes? What girl, at one point in her life, didn't daydream about being a real princess and having her prince find her? For Sam that happens. She is a grad student, studying to be a wildlife biologist and then a Prince and Duchess change her life. Sam is thrust into the world of royalty, having to learn the rules and the way her life is no longer completely hers. Sam faces many challenges, love, happiness, loss, grief, while trying to stay who she is. Lucky for Sam she has the right people on her side, especially Alex, Prince Yummy! Sam, Alex and all the other characters are the kind you fall into a world with and stay for awhile. If I were ever to be a real Princess, or even royal, I'd want to be just like Sam! Though Nichole Chase has never said anything about making this a series, a girl can always hope for more! <3

There's too much winking in the writing to convey the intended punch of sassiness/flirtiness. So that detracted from the writing for me. Plus, a bit of a reach with characters and plot. Didn't feel like a fresh plot or fresh characters. Still, I read it to get my HEA (not like that's a spoiler if you read romances).

Every girl (or thirty-something woman - whatever) loves a good princessy, royal story, right? You know, like Princess Diaries or The Prince and Me...those types in which an average girl learns she's from descended nobility or a handsome young Prince falls in love with her and spirits her away to a far away land in which she awkwardly learns the royal ropes while charming the masses. Though I've never been a Princess type, I've always liked that sort of story. In fact, I nearly wore out my Princess Diaries DVD when I was pregnant with my oldest.

My point is, I was looking forward to Suddenly Royal. A lot of my friends enjoyed it, the cover is cute, and I like a lot of Avon books. (Which, by the way, I don't think I've read an Avon book with such a sweet and mostly innocent tone.) I think I've become broken over the last few years, because it seems I'm just not into the sweet-long-lost nobility-story anymore. I was surprised, but I just didn't get into Suddenly Royal like I anticipated.

I liked that Sam was a wildlife biology major. My husband is a wildlife biologist -specifically, a fish biologist by profession (sexy, right? Stand back, he's mine), so I thought I might relate to that in a way because I should have an honorary degree by osmosis and tag-along field trips. It seems that this angle was covered pretty well, though I could have honestly done with more royalty and less raptor talk. And let me just stop to say that if me talking about birds and hawks and such is confusing you, because -shouldn't I be talking about cute princes? - I'm going on and on about this because all of this is in the book a lot. A lot.

And now that I think about it, I think I focused on the realities and science *shudder* because I couldn't focus on the royal aspect. Now, I can get down with vampires (BDB!) and some really unrealistic plots, in my paranormal, but in reality, I like for details to make sense. It bugged me that the home country is fictional (but I get why) and that it's smack in the middle of Europe, on top or underneath of Germany or something. It reminded me of that episode of Saved by the Bell when Jessie's dad was marrying that woman from Lichtenberg. I'm just...I get cranky about geography, okay? I worked really hard on memorizing all those teeny tiny countries and I need for that to make sense. I'm sorry. I won't even bore you with my thoughts on the feudal-type system going on in Lilaria or why it took sooooo many years to locate Sam's family.

You know what? I'll just say this: If you are into modern day, super sweet fairy tales, you'll probably enjoy Suddenly Royal a lot. It was a charming story, with very little friction, besides the awkward-ish love scenes that came out of nowhere. (I'm sorry! ) Because this was very reminiscent of other Surprise-You're-A- Royal stories, I pretty much knew what was coming the entire time. Every character was perfectly pleasant and everything pretty much went according to plan. I know I've had a crankypants tone throughout this review and it honestly wasn't intentional. I honestly thought I was still into this trope and I guess I'm not, at least not without more drama or in a different category. This book is very popular, and I can see why, for those who enjoy this type of story. Suddenly Royal was a nice story, in my opinion, which results in my overall good rating.

Favorite Quote:

"Put down the knife, Samantha."
"Why?" I hadn't realized I was still holding it. Mu voice was too high; excited. This close to him my brain was turning to mush. His blue eyes peered down into mine and I felt small and feminine.
"Because I'm going to kiss you and I don't want to be stabbed when I do it."

I adored this book more then i can express. Samantha is a sweetheart and a beautiful girl inside and out. She is the typical american girl until one dinner changes everything. Alex is a prince that has a past. The past caused him to travel to America to try to help find Samantha. The two instantly have an attraction to one another but one is scared but the other wont give up. We watch as Samantha adjusts to her new life as a royal while trying to make sure she doesn't lose herself. I loved this book and could not put it down and was so drawn in i felt a part of their world.

Prince Alex and Sam are an amazing couple. I wasn't sure about the whole bird involvement cuz I'm not a huge bird fan but they really weren't the story just something the couple had in common. It's definitely not anything I've seen in any other book so that part I did like.

I felt like this was a true love story. There was no antagonist to speak of, even though I kept waiting for one. Alex and Sam were completely in love and faithful to one another from the beginning even when Sam didn't know she loved Alex.

Thank you Mrs Chase for giving me a fantastic love story to read and enjoy.

Awww I LOVE THIS BOOK, it exceeded my expectations is everything from cute, funny sweet and very close to a normal things that happens to everybody. Wish we had gotten more of their story but *sigh* it was a lovely end for a wonderful book <33 I could't put it down. Alex, is a sweetheart and I like his confidence without been cocky and everyone needs someone like Chad too keep us steady, I want him as my best friend :)

I hope, with all my heart, that someday we get a sequel because I'd never get tired of reading about Sam and Alex it ended too soon, but it was so worth the hours spend reading it.

It's so hard to find a good modern-day Royal story and this one was really great!

It was a bit like the Princess Diaries, The Prince and Me, and What a Girl Wants (that movie with Amanda Bynes where she finds out Colin Firth is her father and he's a British royal) mixed together. When I started I was a bit 'eh' but I ended up really enjoying it. It didn't really go the way I thought it would but I liked that. I really hope there's a sequel! The way it ended had me thinking there could be, Sam still has A LOT of stuff to do/deal with that we could read about.

To say I inhaled this book would be an understatement. From the very start I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Thankfully I had a free day to read and devoured it within a few hours total. There are no words to express how much I truly loved this book. And if Ms. Chase thinks that she can get away with this being a one book deal, she has another thing coming. I was introduced to these awesome people and I know that the rest of them have a story to tell. There is more romances to write and Ms. Chase better get to writing.

I have never read THE PRINCESS DIARIES but I have seen the movies. And they are great. The storyline of SUDDENLY ROYAL is similar but Chase gives her special touch making it all her own. So if you love the books or the movies, you guys are going to love, love SUDDENLY ROYAL. Just think of it as a NEW ADULT version...but so much better. Seriously, so much better. We are talking tubs here people. And not normal tubs...large, royal tubs. Oh gosh. Now I need to go reread it again. *Fans self*

Alex D'Lynsal. Whoa. Let me tell you a little about him. He is confident but not cocky. Sexy but not arrogant. And it doesn't take long for him to fall for our girl, Sam. From the moment he lays eyes on her, he is smitten as a kitten. Alex is one of the good guys. He is a Prince, but definitely one of the good guys. I just hate that it took Sam so long to see that. Good thing he is a persistent.

Samantha Rousseau. Is this girl ever saucy. She has a good head on her shoulders but isn't one to keep her opinions to herself. In fact, she will call you on your BS if you are out of line. So learning to be a Duchess is going to be a huge task for her. Thankfully she has a little help from Prince Yummy. From the time she meets Alex she feels things for him. But he is a Prince for crying out loud. What could she possibly offer him? Alex is going to have his work cut out for him trying to convince her she has everything to offer. And he ain't stopping until he gets her.

The pace of the story flows easily and as you're going along you think it's just a light, romantic read. But then the end nears and there is a scene that nearly broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I won't get into what happens, but it hit so close to home for me that I had tears in my eyes. It was truly a hard scene to read but it was the perfect fit for the story. Some scenes just have to be written and Chase nailed it. Even though it was emotional for me, it was written really well.

I really hope you will give SUDDENLY ROYAL a chance and I think once you do, you will fall as hard as I did for it. It was such a great read and I would love for Chase to write more and make this a series. I could never get enough of her books and stories. Pick it up today!

With a storyline like this you pretty much see the HEA before you even start reading it. The important thing is how the author make that happen. I really enjoyed it. I liked Sam. And Alex was to die for, OHMYGOD. Their chemistry was over the roof. I was almost annoyed with Cathy. Her character was quite bossy but not to the point where I wouldn't read the next book.

This was an enjoyable novel. Sam was very and outgoing and independent, and I really enjoy that in a character. The chemistry between Alex and Sam was certainly undeniable. I know I would blush like crazy with Alex's blue eyes gazing upon me.

Alex.. Oh what a handsome fellow. He was incredibly down to earth, loving and kind. The way he was with Sam made my heart melt, and some of those scenes with them two were HOT! I am happy this is a series and cannot wait for more.

Smart, funny, witty, sexy. Suddenly Royal is the perfect antidote to a train of similar romance novels. This one knocked my socks off with its originality and fun. The characters were likable and the story was cute. A modern day fairy-tale, it made the both the little girl and the grown woman in me come out and enjoy the story. I can't believe I didn't know about this book sooner! Definitely a must read author for me now.

I started this book and could not stop.. I stayed awake all night reading... what a beautiful romance.. like a fairy story. Samantha From the USA finds out that her family are royal family and thst makes her a royal from Lilaria ... The paparazzi refuse to leave her alone and when she falls in love with Alex the Crown Prince of Lilaria things start to become even more beautiful.. I love this book Was so sad when it finished.. 100% recommend to all Romantics out there

If you are a woman who thinks cussing makes you sound tough, that anal sex is romantic, that the US has terrible healthcare, and that all men who see a woman at a club dressed in a sexy provocative dress should know she is not available, then this is the story for you! And the sex scenes! Hahaha! They sucked! Nothing romantic about "are you on birthcontrol? Are you clean?" And her response, "nothing since my last boyfriend!) -all while undressing. I hated the whole riding the horse scene. Samantha keeps repeating she has ridden a horse....blah blah. Then we find out that she really can't. It's trail riding at a walk. And the stables have three horses. TWO are stallions and one a mare. So Samantha and her prince go riding together on their stallions. As someone with horse knowledge- you would never send two idiots on a trail ride on stallions! LOL! I obviously could not relate to the Lead character. She was not a strong female who is comfortable with herself or that grows during the story. I feel like she was just swept along by people around her. To sum up the story. 'College girl finds out she's royalty, moves to the country where her ancestors are from, falls in love with the prince who has the hots for her since he laid eyes on her. Her step dad is dying and finally dies...boohoo. She gets over it and marries the prince. The end. I found this to be incredibly boring....I was hoping for a new development or something to be added to the story but it was very predictable and just dumb and boring!

I won SUDDENLY ROYAL when it first came out from a Rafflecopter giveaway on a blog. I was thrilled! Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to read it when I first won it. Then, a while back, I came across it on my Kindle and excitedly opened up and began reading, ready for a sweet getaway. I'm here to tell you---not so sweet.

SUDDENLY ROYAL is definitely not a book that I would want (or let) my teen daughter read. I'm giving it one star because of the language and sex scenes contained within. I was completely expecting something sweet, more mature than PRINCESS DIARIES, but definitely not the overly graphic content we receive within its pages. I have to admit, the cover was a bit deceiving, for me anyway. I was expecting something a bit more wholesome and likable.

So, this is just a word of caution. If you don't like coarse language or graphic sex scenes, better to look for a different princess. I'm a little sad I won it, but grateful it was free.

What a lovely, lovely book!! There's just so much to love about it: witty, stubborn and delightful female lead, check! Intelligent, gorgeous and absolutely delicious prince, check!! An incredible well-crafted story, terrific secondary characters, fun, drama, angst and true love all thrown into the mix to make the most delightful of reads!!
Thank you so much Nichole Chase, for crafting an amazing world and wickedly entertaining characters!!
You rock!!

I LOVED IT!!! This book was great! It was sassy, flirty, fun, and charming all wrapped in one package. Alex and Sam had such great chemistry together and their banter was so fun. The whole being a Duchess and the father situation with Samantha was a nice integration into the story of the Sam/Alex love story. It made it something other than just another chick lit love story. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

I decided to read Suddenly Royal because it looked like it would be a fun, romantic, short story. It was both sweet and funny but it also invoked the feelings of a modern day fairy tale. I fell in love with Samantha and Alex immediately and couldn't wait to see how their attraction would work itself out.....The fact that I knew that it would made the story a little predictable but still an enjoyable read.

What a fun read! I'm from Minnesota so it was surprising to read about our Raptor Center. (It's real and they to amazing work). In addition, she didn't make Minnesotans out to be hicks with a 'Fargo' accent--thank you Ms. Chase. There's no love triangle, no cheating, not a lot of angst. Just a charming heart warming romantic story.

This was such a great read! I finished it in two days. The plot and characters are very well thought out. I felt for Sam through everything she went through and loved Alex, his sister and especially Jess. And now having read the book, I have to say that the cover photo makes me giggle every time I look at it!

I highly recommend this for a light, fun, quick read!

I fell in love with these characters. The writing had me enthralled and I couldn't put the book down. The only downside was that it ended. It was one if those stories that you just want to keep reading so you don't have to say goodbye to the characters. My second disappointment was checking and finding that the next story in the series isn't out yet! Can't wait!!!

I really needed this story, after reading so many books with a a promiscuous bad boy hero it was refreshing to fall in love with a sweet prince.

This book tells the story of Sam a lowly grad student who discovers she is actually a duchess. From there her world is turned upside down and she is learning to cope with it all. Alex is only to happy to help if she'll let him.

This was such a beautiful HEA story with a few tear jerking moments but will leave you smiling. Doesn't every girl secretly dream of being a princess? Well I definitely do now I've met Prince Alex.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was very cute and a light read. The story brought every emotion from happy, sad, and angry. The build up of the story was well written,b but I felt the ending was a little rushed. I would have liked to see more of what happened in the end. All in all an enjoyable read.

I want to be a duchess! This is a sweet and sexy book about a young woman who finds out after years of just being a normal girl that she actually a duchess of a small European country. Then enter Prince Yummy and watch the sparks fly! I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a light hearted fun read with a happy expected ending. However it lacked depth for me. Honestly it was a bit boring. Princess Diaries with the perfect prince who was a little bit to perfect for me.

If you like modern fairy tales, this one is awesome. I love the idea of a commoner becoming royal. The main character is believable and so lovable. The relationship develops in a realistic way. Love the characters and the story. You should buy this book!

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a twist on the girl meets Prince story. I liked getting to know Sam. I also liked Alex, and getting to know him and his country. I want to read the other books in this series.

This book had exceeded all my expectations. It was written very well. The story was interesting and so romantic. I could not put this book down. It was quirky and funny, I giggled and smiled throughout the book. Samantha's Character is amazing and so lovable. Would highly recommend this book.

Okay so you expect Cinderella type of story fall in love With Prince live Happily ever after. Okay that happens but it's a full twist, with love tragedy and a lot of sarcasm. I love it, because it wasn't cookie cutter there was a story behind each character made you want to become the duchess at the end of it all. There's a backbone to it that grabs you and it did just that to me . . Prince && Duchess ❤❤

Super cute. This is a more mature version of a fairy tale. What girl doesn't dream of falling in love with a prince? I loved the avian aspect with the falcons, it was unexpected and a refreshing change up to a storyline

It has been a long time since I read a book that I couldn't put down and this one did just that. I loved that the characters were witty and lovable and the storyline charming without having a lot of unnecessary drama. I look forward to the next book.

This book is beyond great! If you are looking for a true romance with laughter, steamy love scenes that aren't disgustingly pornographic, and characters that are well written... then this is your book. It was the perfect length and had very few errors. I think it belongs on the best-seller list for sure! This author has true talent and I can't wait to read more. Just when you think there is nothing good out there you find gem like this book. Wow!

This is the type of book you read and expect it to be sugary sweet but I was surprised to find it held a good deal of true emotion. I believe the way Sam reacts from finding out you're royal to being scared of the press are normal reactions. She along with her quirky friends all felt like long lost friends of mine that I was catching up with.

THE GOOD:
The story:
This story has been labeled as a grown up "Princess Diaries". However the only real similarity for me, is that Samantha discovers she's related to royalty in a small foreign country. Sam's story is much more focussed on her struggle with the media & her relationship with Prince Alex.

We follow Samantha as she travels to Lilaria with Alex to take on her new life as a duchess. However the media make her transition anything but easy. She's followed wherever she goes and is afraid to start a relationship with Alex in fear that it will only get worse. She discovers there are a lot of responsibilities in being a duchess, but Alex and her fabulous assistant, Chadwick are there to help!

The characters:
Sam was down to earth and a very relatable character. Although she didn't like the media and having to have body guards with her, she didn't whinge, she just gets on with it and tries to do her best at adapting to her new life.

Alex comes across as a very carefree and confident guy, however, he's been hurt in the past and with that comes a more sensitive side. He trusts Sam, because he can see that she likes him for him and not his title. While we do get to see the sweet side of him with Sam, I also loved his cocky attitude - it gave him an extra spark!

The romance:
Sam & Alex's chemistry is evident from their first meeting - oh my how the sexual tension burns! At first Sam tries to deny her feeling to the ever persistent Alex. She's afraid of the the media attention she'll get & also the fact that if things worked out between them, she would become Queen - something she doesn't feel she's capable of. However she can only resist him for so long (I personally wouldn't have been able to resist him as long as she did *swoon*). When they finally get together, things get oh so very steamy (I think my Kindle fogged up at one point - um...the kitchen scene...wow)

The Writing:
Chase knows how to write a steamy romance, and also balance it out with a solid story! The story moved along at a steady pace and the secondary characters where well developed and added another element to the story. The romantic scenes were sexy & passionate, in contrast to the more serious subplots - the relationship between Samantha & her ill father was heartwarming.

THE BAD:
Um...let me think...nothing???

FINAL WORD:
Who doesn't have dreams of suddenly discovering they are royalty or falling in love with a prince (well Sam didn't I guess!) This was a fun & sexy story, with just the right amount of depth to the story to make it interesting! With engaging characters and some steamy scenes this was an excellent story & I can't wait for the sequel to get me some more Alex!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: strong / descriptive sex scenes
Violence: mild
Language: medium / occasional f word
Drugs & alcohol: mild

More reviews at The Reading Realm Blog

Imagine waking up one morning your typical college grad student that is struggling to pay the bills, only to be told later that day that you are actually a descendent of a royal blood line and are a duchess. Well that is what happened to Samantha (Sam). Finding out she is of royal blood and is actually rich with her wealth and responsibilities waiting for her in another country, she also has inherited what seems to be a very interested prince. Alex is one of the most eligible and wanted princes in the world. Gorgeous and known as somewhat of a player, Sam is hesitant to acknowledge her feelings for Alex or take his advances seriously. However even though her brain is telling her to stay away, her heart has already committed to this man she is trying so hard to resist. Sam has a lot to learn about her new country while she is worrying about her sick father back home in the states. Torn between her new responsibilities and her desire to take care of her father, Sam is finding her only solace is the time she spends with Alex. This is a great story that will make you laugh and maybe even tear up a little. I absolutely loved reading it.

Yummy!! Soooo yummy!! I just love this author and the stories that truly flow from her mind. They make delightful reads in which one feels transported to another land...as all good fiction should do! Thank you!!

Everything is just so nice-nice. There is all the usual mispreceptions, followed by the slow revelations of the truth leading to the usual love story. In that way it was refreshing. Woman does have difficult choices to make, but she doesn't really have much of a chance to think for herself. Don't worry, almost everything works out lovely.

I enjoyed this book and how the characters developed. Especially the Prince who went from your stereotypical handsome-playboy to someone with a more substantial character. It was believable and a fun, entertaining romance. Recommend.

Who doesn't love a good fairytale? Going from a grad student to a Duchess, meeting a handsome prince and living in a beautiful foreign land, Samantha Rousseau had quite the journey. I thought it was sweet and romantic, with a lot of humor thrown in too. I got swept away with every little girl's dream, although I don't think I'd say Sam shared that sentiment. But, like all great fairytales, the happily ever after was worth it. I really enjoyed the writing, and I thought the story flowed nicely. All of the characters were great, including the supporting roles. There was a lot of depth to this story, and it was great.

This story surprised me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how involved I became with the characters. When an author can bring me to tears, I know I've been reading something special. There were amusing moments, frustrating moments, and even a heartrending moment or two. Definitely a well written, beautiful story.

To say I inhaled this book would be an understatement. From the very start I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Thankfully I had a free day to read and devoured it within a few hours total. There are no words to express how much I truly loved this book. And if Ms. Chase thinks that she can get away with this being a one book deal, she has another thing coming. I was introduced to these awesome people and I know that the rest of them have a story to tell. There is more romances to write and Ms. Chase better get to writing.

I have never read THE PRINCESS DIARIES but I have seen the movies. And they are great. The storyline of SUDDENLY ROYAL is similar but Chase gives her special touch making it all her own. So if you love the books or the movies, you guys are going to love, love SUDDENLY ROYAL. Just think of it as a NEW ADULT version...but so much better. Seriously, so much better. We are talking tubs here people. And not normal tubs...large, royal tubs. Oh gosh. Now I need to go reread it again. *Fans self*

Alex D'Lynsal. Whoa. Let me tell you a little about him. He is confident but not cocky. Sexy but not arrogant. And it doesn't take long for him to fall for our girl, Sam. From the moment he lays eyes on her, he is smitten as a kitten. Alex is one of the good guys. He is a Prince, but definitely one of the good guys. I just hate that it took Sam so long to see that. Good thing he is a persistent.

Samantha Rousseau. Is this girl ever saucy. She has a good head on her shoulders but isn't one to keep her opinions to herself. In fact, she will call you on your BS if you are out of line. So learning to be a Duchess is going to be a huge task for her. Thankfully she has a little help from Prince Yummy. From the time she meets Alex she feels things for him. But he is a Prince for crying out loud. What could she possibly offer him? Alex is going to have his work cut out for him trying to convince her she has everything to offer. And he ain't stopping until he gets her.

The pace of the story flows easily and as you're going along you think it's just a light, romantic read. But then the end nears and there is a scene that nearly broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I won't get into what happens, but it hit so close to home for me that I had tears in my eyes. It was truly a hard scene to read but it was the perfect fit for the story. Some scenes just have to be written and Chase nailed it. Even though it was emotional for me, it was written really well.

I really hope you will give SUDDENLY ROYAL a chance and I think once you do, you will fall as hard as I did for it. It was such a great read and I would love for Chase to write more and make this a series. I could never get enough of her books and stories. Pick it up today!

Smart, funny, witty, sexy. Suddenly Royal is the perfect antidote to a train of similar romance novels. This one knocked my socks off with its originality and fun. The characters were likable and the story was cute. A modern day fairy-tale, it made the both the little girl and the grown woman in me come out and enjoy the story. I can't believe I didn't know about this book sooner! Definitely a must read author for me now.

I fell in total love with this book. I’ve re read it three times. If you are hesitating about buying it, don’t. This book will warm your heart best served upon a stormy day. Think rain snow fireplaces hot tea or wine