I will admit the first half of this book was okay. I did enjoy it, but it did not wow me. I thought the book overall had very slow pacing and it took me awhile to feel totally connected to the characters but by the end of the book I was totally engaged and loved the characters. I really did liked the reality tav show element and also the over the pond adventure. Dusty took a while to grow on me. I found the end to be such a fun suprise and it def made me enjoy the book a lot more. I would even re-read this book again. I hope to read more this author in the future. ( )

I will admit the first half of this book was okay. I did enjoy it, but it did not wow me. I thought the book overall had very slow pacing and it took me awhile to feel totally connected to the characters but by the end of the book I was totally engaged and loved the characters. I really did liked the reality tav show element and also the over the pond adventure. Dusty took a while to grow on me. I found the end to be such a fun suprise and it def made me enjoy the book a lot more. I would even re-read this book again. I hope to read more this author in the future. ( )

Full Review: Thank you so much to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for giving me the chance to read and review this super cute novel by Stephanie Kate Strohm! What an adorable book about a younger sister dragged along to Scotland for her sister’s wedding to a Scottish lord, which, to her dismay, is being filmed for a reality TV series “Prince in Disguise.”

Gosh, I just loved the chemistry between Dylan and Jamie. From the first moment they meet, they have this really natural, cute, nerdy vibe that works so well. You feel like you’re spying on two regular teens falling in love. Sometimes in books, this feels rushed. But I loved the way that while on this little Scottish get-away, their interactions, whether hiding from the cameras or going on real dates felt genuine and full of the sort of bloopers you can expect in real life. Jamie was sweet and just the sort of hero you would want to fall in love with, and I like that Strohm made him loveable but not so over the top that he seemed like he wasn’t real. Just perfect.

And I especially loved the relationships within Dylan’s family that we got to look at. Before I forget, it was really nice to see Strohm write a really tall girl! It seems like I’ve read a lot of very petite heroines lately, and it’s lovely when we see heroines that come in all different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, sexual orientations, etc. So having Dylan be six feet tall and on eye level with her guy was a brave and lovely choice! I liked the exploration of all the relationships Dylan had with members of her family (won’t say too much since I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I thought that was well worked out and brought story arcs to a nice conclusion.)

This was a super cute read that’s perfect for cuddling up and enjoying on a cold rainy day, or listening to (that’s what I did) when you’re not feeling well. It’s light-hearted and full of funny reality-TV moments that if you’ve ever watched “The Bachelor” will make you roll your eyes.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.

Please excuse typos. Entered on screen reader. ( )

I won’t deny that this book was entertaining and fluffy but it was also a little too much. Too much drama, too much reality TV, everything felt too exaggerated and unrealistic... but I guess that’s the point.

I liked the romance of Dylan and Jaime. They were very sweet together and were the realistic of the bunch, not pretentious or fake. And I do love a boy who likes fictional friends more than actual ones and can bring Bronte into a conversation, but when he starts quoting Dylan Thomas, EE Cummings and Yeats, it just went too much over my head.

It’s still a cute love story that you can enjoy on a rainy day with a cup of hot chocolate. ( )

"Now was not the time for casual necksmelling, even if someone smelled tantalizingly of cinnamon, like a manly Christmas cookie" (pg 91).

STORY:
Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Strohm (320 pages) is about Dylan's country bumpkin, beauty queen sister getting married to a lord (but prince sounds catchier! hence the title). Unfortunately, this forces the rest of the fam onto a reality TV show. Poor Dylan would just like to pass by un-noticed except network television is not having that!

First, I'm sorry (not really), but I'm tired of those cliche American vs. British jokes. You guys have fish and chips? Oh you, Brits! You guys deep-fry everything? Oh you, Americans! That's about 75% of the book right there. Please stop! It's cute at first but then it just gets grating.

hidden pregnancy or the sacrificial reality-tv lamb storyline. Surprisingly the deadbeat dad plot was actually fun. I enjoyed that part.

"Now, I knew romance could be perfect stillness" (pg 96).

Jamie and Dylan liked each other rather quickly. Still, that's the basis for a crush, right? Instant attraction. A few lines about poetry and the girl's hooked.

CHARACTERS:
The characters are fine. Heaven's got the most personality for me (and I really wanted to know more about her beyond being a best friend).

Dylan's the ugly-duckling who is actually not ugly but just overlooked. Apparently, she plays sports, likes books, and has never been kissed. I didn't really feel for her because beyond hating the reality show, liking Jamies, and feeling resentful toward her sis, there was nothing distinct about her.

Dusty, the beauty queen sister, has a little depth to her that makes her cool.

I liked Jamie but come on! He was written to be super likable as if there was a sign attached to his head saying, "Hey, like this guy! He spouts poetry references and likes Frozen!"

OVERALL:

"Perhaps that's what happens when you meet someone you really quite like [...] You both feel a bit as though you've tricked the other person into liking you" (pg 198).

A sweet relatively wholesome story with some cute moments ("You missed, Dylan ... " AWWW) though too predictable for anyone not interested in a light-hearted read. This is by no means a bad story; it's just I may have liked this more when I was younger. Still, I definitely recommend this for Hallmark movie lovers. ( )