Melissa Hanson has been living with her aunt in Los Angeles for the last ten years, since her mother died and her father’s short trip to the small Asian island Kingdom of Andelar turned into a permanent role as US ambassador. She’s shocked when her father invites her to spend the summer in Andelar as a guest of the royal family while her father negotiates a new trade deal.
Missy accepts both to reestablish her relationship with her father, and to hopefully connect with the Chinese part of her heritage. She meets Aiden Waverly on the flight to Andelar, and they bond over the challenges of growing up in a biracial family.
But Aiden has a secret.
He’s actually Rupert Spencer, the unknown Crown Prince of Andelar. Now it’s time for him to make a choice: take on the mantle or royalty, or abdicate the throne so he can continue traveling and volunteering for charities around the world.
Royalty romances can feel contrived at times.
The reader has to be prepared to suspend disbelief and allow for an imagined constitutional monarchy that meets most of our expectations for a modern monarchy while still having the history and flexibility to allow for a story that probably wouldn’t happen in a real-life monarchy. While I was willing to suspend disbelief and accept a created Asian kingdom in the South Pacific, it was a little harder to believe no one outside the Royal Family knew of Rupert/Aiden’s existence. (But I got over that.)
I enjoyed the developing relationship between Missy and Aiden as they explored Andelar, and I especially enjoyed the way both Missy and Aiden genuinely prayed about their problems. Their relationship developed in a natural way, which made for an easy and enjoyable read. I did find the last quarter didn’t match up to the promise of the first three-quarters. It was a little slow, and a little too predictable … which was a shame, given the original setup.
The Cost of the Crown is both a romance and a search for identity.
Both Missy and Aiden have to consider how their biracial heritage has impacted on the people they are, and consider how that will affect the choices they make about their future.
If you enjoy stories like The Princess Diaries or Toni Shiloh’s brilliant In Search of a Prince and To Win A Prince, then you’ll want to read The Cost of the Crown.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a free ebook for review.
About Joy Crain
Joy Crain was adopted and raised in southern China by an American missionary couple. At an early age, her fondness for books and vivid imagination gave her a genuine love for storytelling. Joy started writing her own stories as a teenager and the journey has just continued from there.
Joy’s novels contain strong romantic elements with inspirational undertones which will make you fall in love if you’re not careful. And Joy feels that if a reader doesn’t walk away from her novels with a smile, she hasn’t done her job.
Currently, Joy lives with her sister and her toy poodle, Raisin. When she is not traveling internationally, she spends her time teaching English and pursuing her passion for writing.
You can find Joy Crain online at:
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About The Cost of the Crown
Missy Hanson never dreamed of falling in love and living happily ever after. In fact, she doesn’t know what she wants to do after she graduates from college; nevertheless, she’s content working as a journalist for her local newspaper and assisting at her aunt’s California bakery. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity emerges for her to visit the southeast Asian country of Andelar, Missy is thrown into the world of royalty as the special guest of the king and queen—and it’s clear she doesn’t belong, despite her family ties to the area. But the royal family isn’t without its mysteries. Rumors abound that a secret prince is hiding amid Andelar’s society, and Missy is determined to find out who he is.
Aiden Waverly never wanted a crown or a title. He craves a normal life, but being a secret prince of biracial background is difficult enough and would create chaos amid the tabloids if the press learned about his parentage. After years of traveling the world to help those in the greatest of need, he’s faced with a life-altering decision: take his place as crown prince or walk away as a commoner. With no clear path that will satisfy him and the royal family, the tug between following his heart and doing his duty to Andelar becomes harder every day.
When a chance encounter throws Missy and Aiden together, neither of them are prepared to challenge what they thought they knew about themselves. And when an ancient royal law threatens to tear them apart, they must decide how much they are willing to risk for love.
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year.
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