Monday, May 05, 2014

Review: Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

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I received this book for free from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Royally Lost by Angie StantonRoyally Lost by Angie Stanton
Published by HarperTeen on May 6th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Source: HarperCollins
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Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

Well so freaking adorable! While perusing reviews it seems like more than a few of my friends disliked this one, and I admit that it’s not perfect by any means so I get it, but it’s exactly the kind of fluffy fairy-tale-esque read I was in the mood for on a rainy weekend. It’s the type of romantic adventure that is both idealistic and exotic; perfect for fans of Jennifer E. Smith.

What I didn’t like:
-Insta-love ruined some of its charm for me. It was unnecessary and did more harm than good on how I felt about the book. There was not even a built-up to it, suddenly they were just declaring their love. Well okay then!

-These kids are both 18 years old – legal adults – yet both are still being ordered by their parents as if they were 14. No kidding, the prince got hunted down by his parents’ security team, taken back home by force and grounded. Do adults with parents have no freedom rights in this fictional country? Although, Becca who’s American was also dealing with needing permission from her father (her AND her older brother of at least 19 years) and eventually got grounded as well, so this made no sense to me.

-Nikolai sounded very American to me. I didn’t feel he was written very European-like, in terms of dialogue especially.

-Becca’s hate towards this trip was a bit much at times. It could have been toned down while still communicating the fact that this ruse of being this perfect family was a drag. I didn’t see it as her hating Europe like some, though, just that she hated being stuck under her father and stepmother’s heels. But still.

What I did like:
-The atmosphere is fun, light, and I found details on European history quite compelling – which is saying something coming from a not-a-history-buff-at-all person like myself. With that said I can’t say how accurate all the details are, but it really brought the setting to life.

-Aside from the insta-love aspect, the romance is adorable and yes, cliché at times, but fluffy in a way that made me smile. Like reading a too-good-to-be-true-but-fun-nonetheless fairy-tale. Also, I’m the type who finds themselves fascinated by celebrity lifestyles and what it means to be in the public eye every second of your life, and him being a Prince trying to hide-out gave it that extra zing.

-The growth in Becca’s character. Being in a foreign country and having been through a very… interesting vacation, she seemed to really find herself. She ends up figuring out what she really wants in life. She also doesn’t let heartbreak turn her into a mess, but rather uses it to drive her forward and I found that wonderful.

-The HEA ending, because sometimes we just need them.

So this may not be a perfect novel where everything is to be praised, and the characters are depicted more for the purpose of the book than anything, but it’s one of those fun beach reads that pauses life for a few hours in a fool’s paradise.

three-half-stars
3.5 Hot Espressos


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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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21 Responses to “Review: Royally Lost by Angie Stanton”

  3. Nick @ Nick's Book Blog

    I’m with you, Giselle. Sometimes these fluffy HEA romance reads are perfect. I tried reading this one, but Becca’s hatred towards her whole trip was choking me a little and I ended up abandoning it after a while because I’d rather spend my time reading something I enjoy these days than struggle through a book with a character who annoys me. I’m happy you loved it though and you had a relaxing time with it.
    Lovely review! 🙂

  4. Nara

    Wow, first positive review I’ve seen for this book!
    I think I’ll probably still stay away from this one until I’m in the mood for a super fluffy book, though. Otherwise the instalove might annoy me too much 😛

  5. Vivien

    I feel like I should have known about this book already!! It sounds fantastic. Every now and then I NEED something light and fluffy. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for this one!

  8. Mary @ BookSwarm

    I thought it was cute, though I didn’t love it. The insta-love…meh. But I liked how it almost felt like one of those cheesy Disney movies that I *ahem* don’t ever watch. Nope.

  9. Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook

    I read one of Angie Stanton’s books before and I wasn’t a fan. And I’ve also not heard great things about this book. But, I kind of want to read it anyway, and your review just convinced me 🙂

  10. S.Huston

    I’m glad to hear some positive things about this one. I really, really want to like it but I’m also going into expecting it to be a fluffy fun read so that should help keep my expectations low. Great review!

  16. Christianna

    I’m so glad someone liked this book! I have to admit that I called it quits after 12% myself. I couldn’t stand Becca’s voice or the writing style. Also, she wasn’t enjoying her trip and the descriptions seemed to be lacking. But needless to say this was a fantastic review.

  17. Jessica @ Rabid Reads

    I’m torn, Giselle! I’m really not a huge fan of Jennifer E. Smith, but I’m a sucker for in-love-with-a-prince books, and will make allowances where I ordinarily wouldn’t . . . it does sound really cute though. Okay, fine–Yes! 😉

  19. Vi

    I try not to expect too much from light and fluffy reads. They’re just good to pass the time and leave you feeling content/happy and peaceful. Hoping I get a chance to read this during the summer bc it feels like it’d be perfect for it.

  20. Lisa @ Lost in Literature

    I could go for a fun, light story that has a HEA ending. 🙂 I’m pretty darn excited to read this myself, to be honest. I’m a huge contemporary fan, so this is definitely my type of book! 😀

  21. Heather King

    I’ve been waiting for this one! It sounds like the perfect summer read! Thanks for the great review and giveaway!:)