reviewsbyerin | "Once Upon a Prince" by Rachel Hauck

Susanna Truitt's life is finally about to come together. Her boyfriend of 12 years, whom she has waited for through his multiple military tours, is back on U.S. soil and is taking her for a walk on the beach. This will be the moment. Except instead of proposing, he breaks up with her and sends her heart and mind into a tailspin.

Right away I loved Susanna. She and I both love plans, and plans are our forte. I could thoroughly relate to her need to have a plan and stick to it. As ex-boyfriend Adam gently explains as he's saying goodbye to Susanna, "...You learned to wake up braced for anything. War or peace. You hated waking up in the morning not knowing what kind of a day you'd face so you became a planner. Even as a kid." That's me, too. My parents enjoy the unpredictable, often-and-abruptly-changing life, and that works for some people. As a child who needed stability, I learned to create that stability within myself. Creating stability is still a major driving force in my life today. Just like Susanna, when it comes to life I have to balance my desire for a plan with finding God's will for me, which often goes against my plans but in ways more wonderful than I could ever imagine.

Prince Nathaniel of the fictitious country of Brighton has come to Georgia for a holiday and to make an appearance at a distant cousin's function. He meets Susanna when she is stranded by a flat tire just minutes after her break-up. Nathaniel is immediately captivated by this beautiful, hurting woman, and introduces himself by the name he went by in college, Nate Kenneth. Not knowing that he's anything other than a guy on vacation, Susanna lets Nate into her life for a few weeks, not expecting anything more than some good company before he leaves. The prince, however, has fallen for our heroine in a deep way.

Before he can tell her his true identity, Susanna uncovers the secret quite randomly. Of course she is upset, and Nathaniel makes it worse by presuming she is ready for a relationship - much less a serious relationship with a royal - after only a couple weeks of knowing each other. When Nathaniel is suddenly called home, neither are sure they will ever have any contact with the other again.

As Nathaniel's coronation approaches, Nathaniel's mother and brother see that he has lost his heart and scheme for a way to bring Susanna to Brighton to show that she would never fit in. Will their plan succeed or backfire? Will the delicate political situation in Brighton survive the new leadership of this young king? What is God's plan for Nathaniel's life, for Susanna's life, and for the whole country?

As much as I identified with Susanna, this book didn't really resonate with me. The political intrigues were not that intriguing, and some of the minor characters were annoying. I was afraid that one of the plot lines was going to resolve in a dues ex machina manner, and I wouldn't say it didn't. I did not dislike the book and it certainly held my attention, but in my opinion the author has done much better in previous releases.

I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.