Very sweet fairy tale type of romance. Reese is struggling to make ends meet at her inn. Several years earlier she'd had to leave school, giving up her dreams of becoming an artist, when her father died. His death brought secrets to light that devastated her mother and made it difficult for Reese to trust another man.

Alex shows up at the inn one night, expecting to be able to stay in the room he had reserved. Unfortunately, there had been a mix-up and there were no rooms available. In order not to lose his deposit, Reese put him up in her room until one became available for him. Alex is in New York to try to head off a scandal involving his older brother and an ill-advised marriage. He is attracted to Reese and finds her infinitely fascinating, but knows there is no chance of a relationship between them. Alex has spent most of his adult life paying very close attention to his duty to his family and country and ignoring anything that would be strictly for himself. He also refuses to allow himself to fall in love, having seen his father's devastation after his mother's death. Alex comes up with the idea of asking Reese to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to draw the paparazzis' attention. He doesn't expect to start to have feelings for her.

Reese liked Alex before she found out who he was. He was attractive, nice and fun to be with. She wasn't so happy when she found out his secret, as she'd had enough experience with deception thanks to her father. When Alex begged for her help in order to protect his brother and his home, she couldn't say no. She knew that there was no chance that their deception could become real, but her heart was harder to convince. When he took her home to his Mediterranean island she was entranced by it. The things they did together as part of the deception were a lot of fun, and she found herself falling deeper for him. Just when she thought there might be a chance for them, things fell apart and she fled for home.

I loved the way that the author used How the Grinch Stole Christmas to show Alex the price of devoting himself solely to duty. He had to learn about the importance of love, and when he did, he did it very well. I loved his "go big" moment, and the epilogue was very sweet. ( )

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'A Princess by Christmas' is a lovely romantic fairytale, perfect for curling up by a crackling log fire on a winter's afternoon.

Reese is an independent but emotionally vulnerable heroine. Alex is a dashing prince who turns up at Reese's family inn, incognito. A teenage mistake that led to family tragedy rules Alex's adult life, making him live by a duty first maxim.

I loved the traditional qualities of this gentle story, the importance of family, loyalty and helping others. All of these were conveyed within the modern setting of a city based inn and a dreamy Mediterranean kingdom.

The chemistry between Alex and Reese is the smouldering kind. Circumstances and proximity combine and result in steamy passion delivered in a sweetly romantic way, in keeping with the story's fairytale world.

Reese is an easy character to like as she struggles with inherited debt and her mother's emotional collapse. Alex is touched by her plight but also by her tenacity and willingness to put others, including him before her own comfort. She is no sugary, sweet heroine, which makes her refreshingly realistic. She can be controlling and impetuous but given the obstacles she faces, this isn't surprising.

Do Alex and Reese have a fairytale 'happy ever after'? Read this delightful story to find out. It has the perfect 'will she', 'won't she' magical ending guaranteed to keep you reading. You won't be disappointed.

I received a copy of this book from the author.



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