A theme park "princess" meets a single dad…who
turns out to be a real prince!
Lacey found her dream job: playing a princess character
at a popular fairytale theme park in sunny southern Florida. Her diamond tiara
might not be real, but the smiles of the children she meets every day certainly
are. It's just too bad that her ex-boyfriend was never impressed with her
career choice.
Henry, the crown prince of Bella-Moritz, is trying to
fulfill his young daughter's birthday wish: to be a normal girl with a normal
life. That's why they're pretending to be ordinary tourists at an American
amusement park. Henry lost his wife four years ago, and he's been going through
the motions ever since. But could a meeting with a make-believe princess lead
to real love?
This was a fun and sweet book. Lacey is a theme park
princess, Princess Sweet Pea, who loves her work, especially the smiles on the
faces of the children she meets. When Lacey was a little girl, her mother
became very ill, and Lacey spent a lot of time at the hospital with her. The
theme park princesses used to visit the children, and Lacey grew up wanting to
be one of those princesses. The only downside is that Lacey's boyfriend and his
mother aren't impressed with her choice. That comes to an end when Lacey calls
it quits on their relationship after one too many put-downs.
Henry is the crown prince of a tiny Mediterranean
country. His wife died four years earlier, leaving him the single father of a
little girl. Henry struggles to give Rose as normal a childhood as possible,
frequently over the objections of his mother, the Queen. Finally, with a
critical royal event coming up and Rose fighting her part in it, Henry decides
the two of them need to get away for a few days. Rose's seventh birthday is in
a few days, so Henry takes her to an American amusement park. The first day
they arrive, they go to the park incognito, pretending to be an ordinary dad
and daughter.
I loved Henry and his determination to give Rose as ordinary
a life as possible. He remembers his childhood loneliness and wants something
better for her. I enjoyed the scenes where he stood up to his mother and
insisted on public school and again when he informed her of their trip.
I loved the first meeting between Lacey, Henry, and Rose.
Henry took Rose to Princess Sweet Pea's tea party, and when Lacey made the rounds
of the tables, she and Rose immediately bonded. Henry was a touch cynical and
mocking and soon found himself called upon to dance with the princess. Lacey
thought she'd show him up, and instead, he blew her away with his dancing skills,
not to mention the electricity that zapped between them. Lacey thought she
wouldn't see them again - until the following day when she discovered that
Princess Sweet Pea would spend the next few days escorting them around the
park!
The days at the park enhance the connection between Lacey
and Rose, who bond over all things princessy. Rose is adorable in her enthusiasm
and hero-worship of Lacey. There's a heartwarming scene where she sees Lacey
interacting with a girl in a wheelchair and can't help reaching out herself. Meanwhile,
Lacey and Henry discover how easy it is to open up to each other, and the
sparks between them continue to grow. I loved how Henry shared his worry over
Rose's new fear of riding her pony and the brilliant way that Lacey found to
help. Henry didn't want to say goodbye to Lacey and impulsively invited her and
her friend Ava to come to his country for the Flower Festival and Ball. His
argument?
"The royal ball?" she sputtered. "A real royal ball."
Henry gave her a half-shrug. "We've danced in your castle. It seems only
fair that we should dance in mine."
Lacey is equally excited and terrified to go to Bella-Moritz.
She knows in her heart that there's no way a commoner and a prince can be anything
more than friends, but that doesn't stop a tiny spark of hope. Henry and Rose
are visibly happy to have Lacey there, though the Queen appears less so. Henry
takes great delight in showing Lacey around, and it's easy to see where his
heart lies. Lacey experiences a few awkward moments, especially around the Queen,
but her enthusiasm remains high. Her innate kindness and ability to think of
others lead her to a couple of terrific "Lacey to the rescue" moments.
I ached for Lacey when a pre-ball disaster struck, leaving her heartbroken. Help
came from an unexpected source, setting Lacey up for an incredible
Cinderella-like moment. Henry's big moment was fantastic.
I enjoyed the secondary characters almost as much as the
main characters. Rose was adorable. She wasn't too good, given her resistance
to the pony thing, but her heart is just as big as her dad's. I loved how she
connected with Lacey and the fun they had together. I also liked Henry's
bodyguard, Ian. He is just as much friend as bodyguard, and he immediately notices
the effect Lacey has on Henry. Lacey's best friend, Ava, was fun. I liked how
well she knew Lacey and her support after Lacey's breakup. She was almost as
excited as Lacey about their trip, and even more so once she laid eyes on Ian. Finally,
the Queen was the biggest surprise. Her early appearances in the book made her
seem stiff, cold, and autocratic, especially when it came to Rose's schooling.
I worried a little at her first reaction to Lacey. But as the visit went on, I
saw a different side to her. In the end, I thought that her heart was almost as
big as Henry's.
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