To Win a Prince is the sequel to In Search of a Prince, and is Toni Shiloh’s second romance set in the fictional island nation of Ọlọrọ Ilé, off the coast of Africa. To Win a Prince is a standalone romance, and you don’t have to have read In Search of A Prince to read this, although it will introduce the main characters and some of the background.
We met both the main characters in In Search for a Prince.
Fashion designer Iris Blakely is the best friend of Bri, the new Queen of Ọlọrọ Ilé, and is starting her own fashion label to employ local women and help lift them out of poverty.
Prince Ekon Diallo was found guilty of conspiring to undermine the line of succession to the throne. His punishment is to be stripped of his title and to undertake community service.
It’s always a challenge for a writer to take the antagonist from one novel and turn that character into a sympathetic hero in the next in the series, and to make that believable for the reader. Toni Shiloh has done an excellent job of that with Ekon, and it’s a definite strength of the novel.
What I liked most was the fact Iris and Ekon had a relationship of equals.
Iris is an intelligent and independent woman, but one who recognises her limitations. Ekon, despite his arrogance and life of privilege, does have valuable information to contribute to Iris’s business. Equally, Ekon also has limitations, and learns to ask for help. That’s a solid foundation for a lasting relationship, and it’s good to see.
Another strength was the natural way faith and prayer flowed seamlessly from the narrative.
It never felt forced, not even when Iris and Ekon went to church. I liked the way their relationship developed. Iris had found Ekon attractive, which made their developing relationship feel real and not forced. I also liked the fact that she deliberately tried to distance herself from Ekon emotionally once she found out he wasn’t a Christian.
Ekon was a well-written character. He was suitably arrogant and unpleasant at the beginning of the novel but softened as the story progressed. This gave their relationship an additional sense of realism.
To Win a Prince is an excellent contemporary Christian romance which will appeal to fans of royalty romance, or people looking for romances set outside the USA.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a fee ebook for review.
About Toni Shiloh
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.
She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.
When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, making jewelry, and spending time with her family.
About To Win a Prince
Can she stop herself from falling before she’s too far gone?
As a fashion aficionado and best friend of the queen of the African island country Ọlọrọ Ilé, Iris Blakely dreams of using her talent to start a sustainable clothing line to help citizens in impoverished areas and honor the country’s resources. But when she discovers that Ekon Diallo–the man who betrayed her best friend–will be her business consultant, the battle between her desires and reality begins.
Ekon Diallo has lost everything: his princely title, his material possessions, his friends, and the respect of his fellow Ọlọrans. To pay for his actions against Ọlọrọ Ilé, he’s forced to assist the charismatic Iris Blakely–but he can’t allow his heart to distract him from regaining his status.
Though they come from vastly different worlds, Iris and Ekon are both determined to reach their goals, and the only way to do that is to work together–if they can just keep their hearts from getting in the way . . .
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