|
A
Royal Kiss & Tell
A
Royal Wedding #2
Julia London
HQN / May 19, 2020/ ISBN 9781335136978
Historical Romance
A
Royal Kiss & Tell by Julia London is the latest
of two books that show why she is “Queen of the
Banter,” writing family-focused funny and endearing
tales with snappy, witty, and teasing dialogue between
the hero and heroine.
A Royal Kiss & Tell has some very
funny moments as the hero, Prince Leopold, and heroine,
Lady Caroline Hawke, argue and confront each other.
For example, Caroline says to him, "given that
your feathers have flocked together with his. I'd rather
be vain than ill-mannered like you." His response,
"I am unaccustomed to being so completely contradicted
every time I speak. Do you treat every gentleman of
your acquaintance in this manner, or do you reserve
this behavior solely for princes? As evidenced, Prince
Leo becomes appalled that Lady Caroline cannot hold
her tongue, conforming to societal norms of the time.
"I
wrote Caroline as a dressmaker. She is beautiful and
is not humble about it. I love this about her. She can
be aggressive but does wonder if people love her for
who she is as a person. She can be self-centered, vain,
but also spirited, confident, and sophisticated. I wanted
her to stand up for herself. It is OK for male characters
to be like an alpha, but when it's the female character,
it upsets people. Why? She has every right to be as
sure of herself as her brother and the prince."
This
is the backdrop as both return to London where he and
Caroline's brother, Beckett, become best friends. The
prince is returning partially to investigate a human
trafficking ring, which he was told about. Unfortunately,
as he secretly talks to maids to help them escape, wrong
intentions are implied. This is where the mystery begins,
how is he to expose those involved in sexual slavery
and save the girls? He has no other choice then to turn
to Caroline for help who completely goes all in. In
addition to working together to free the girls, they
realize that they have more in common, and a secret
budding romance begins.
Caroline's
ability to be the center of every man's attention allows
her to use her assets to find the girls but also draws
Leopold into her charms. She can be selfish, shallow,
and self-absorbed, but also vivacious, charming, and
self-assured. The Prince feels sorry for himself, being
the second son who sees himself as useless and unappreciated.
But when approached to help, he acts and shows that
he has a backbone.
"I
based Leo on Prince Harry ten years ago. It had been
reported he had enjoyed being a partier and was not
sure he wanted to be part of the Royal family. I thought
how all the attention is given to the Crown Prince.
I wanted to have Leo unsure what he would do with his
life. In the beginning, he is snobbish and a non-conformist,
but then redeems himself."
This
story includes tenderness and humor throughout. There
is a love/hate relationship, passion, and characters
somewhat at odds with societal norms. The snappy, sarcastic
dialogue moves the story along, allowing readers to
laugh, smile, and cry with the characters.
www.julialondon.com/
Elise
and MyShelf.com would like to thank Julia
London for both the review and interview.
|
