Thursday, April 03, 2008
The Royal Treatment
***½ The Royal Treatment by MaryJanice Davidson. Contemporary romance.
I thought I was reading this for the February (yes, I read it in February--that's how far behind I am!) TBR Challenge, then realized I'd misread the challenge dates, and that the bird on the cover was for March, not February. Ah, well. It was a fun read, and who knows when I'd have gotten to it otherwise?
The Royal Treatment is an alternative history story, with the main difference being that Alaska is its own country, with an eccentric royal family.
Christina Krabbe is... well, she's a bit outspoken, let's say. Unfortunately, that trait has lost her her job on a cruise ship, and left her stranded in Alaska. She's also not the most practical person in the world, as she spends her last $50 to go on a fishing trip, though that turns out pretty well, as she meets "Al," who invites her home with him.
"Al" turns out to be King Alexander, and he's not just being nice--he's matchmaking. Crown Prince David needs to marry and beget an heir, but David's more interested in his penguins, and anyway, women throw themselves at him--he doesn't need to go looking for one. Besides, it doesn't matter who he marries, as long as she's healthy enough to give him an heir, right? (aside: this didn't seem as goofy to me as it might have. Until I met Carl, I thought a long-distance marriage would be a good thing, as I couldn't imagine wanting to spend that much time with one person)
The Royal Treatment is typical MJD. A funny, feisty heroine whose mouth gets her into trouble, and lots of laughs. The chapters all begin with excerpts from a future history book, which is both entertaining and provides some context and backstory. And I enjoyed the idea that Christina would be a benefit to the royal family, rather than just being a Cinderella.
But I had trouble believing the romance. All I could see from Christina's point of view was that she was physically attracted to David, and that's not enough for me. It was fun seeing her wear him down, but I'd have liked to see a little more love in the romance.
I believe I have The Royal Pain, the next book in this series, in my TBR pile.
Categories: Books, 3.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
