Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: In Search of a Prince
Author: Toni Shiloh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Smut Rating: 0/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For…: Christian, romance, contemporary, royalty
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Genre: Christian Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (romance, religion, death, grief, slavery, depression, gore, HP content)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in the book, but there is no smut. There are some light kissing and it would be defined as “clean”. The book is religious and religion is very entrenched in this book. There are mentions of death and some grief is shown in the book. There are a couple of mentions of slavery and the oppression of Black people. There are a few mentions of depression and some slight gore involving vomit and blood. There is also one HP reference in the book.
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha’s Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops the mother of all bombshells–Brielle is a princess in the kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, is failing.
Distraught by her mother’s betrayal, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before assuming the throne or the crown will be passed to another. Uncertain who to choose from the council’s list of bachelors, she struggles with the decision along with the weight of her new role in a new country. With her world totally shaken, she must take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring.
Review: I really liked this story! I thought the book was absolutely beautiful and I loved the Princess Diary feel of the book! The book would be perfect for someone who is looking for smut-free romance and is wanting something that’s not white-centered. The premise is intriguing and I just had to know what was going to happen next. The book had a great story and the pacing was on point. I liked the character development and the world building was fairly well done as well.
However, I did have a couple of issues with the book. I did find one mention of HP in the book, which is a huge no-no in my reviewing process because of JKR’s stance against trans people, her active campaigning against trans people, and other issues the author has that is problematic. I also didn’t realize how religious this book was as a whole when I picked it up. The book does have progressive moments, which I highly appreciated and it made for an easier read for me, but there is a lot of religion in the book and it would be classified as a Christian Romance.
Verdict: It’s good!
Excerpt:
“Your Majesty, I am afraid the news is not good.”
Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, king of Ọlọrọ Ilé Ijọba of Africa, closed his eyes and lowered his chin to his chest. But even that slight movement was enough to bring a cough to his lips. His shoulders shook with the effort to expel the phlegm that did not seem to move from his lungs. He wiped his mouth, using a handkerchief embroidered with the kingdom’s crest, as his chest ached from the exertion.
“How bad is it?” he rasped.
The doctor sighed, lines furrowing his brow. “I am afraid there is nothing more that we can do, my king. The chemotherapy has been too taxing on your body and ineffective against the cancer.” He shifted on his feet. “All we can do now is make you as comfortable as possible.” His pause stretched heavy in the room, the only sound the king’s struggled breathing. “Dare I suggest, Your Majesty, that you present an heir to our great country?”
Yes. Of course. The time had come for the nation to know his heir—
heiress. The granddaughter Tiwa had never met. He had wanted to remedy the situation, but regrets and pride had lengthened the time since his gross mistake and expanded the distance.
Tiwa wiped his mouth again. “You are right, Dr. Falade.” He rose unsteadily to his feet. “Rest assured, the kingdom will continue to thrive after I am gone.”
Review:
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