Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans grew up believing that she was a simple village girl raised in Kent by surrogate parents. That simple life vanishes when she discovers she’s actually a princess in hiding— especially as the first order of royal business is to marry a war hero she’s never met.
Captain Luke Bannock wasn’t trying to become a hero—and even less so, a husband. But he shows selfless courage in a fierce Naval battle and the Crown offers him a reward for valor. His chosen prize? The hand in marriage of an obscure princess, living in exile. The reason? Revenge against his sworn enemy.
What begins as an arranged marriage between a village girl and a cynical captain evolves into dance of passion and self-discovery. As Luke helps Dani reckon with her secret royal blood, his thirst for revenge is replaced by desire for his new wife. The shock and hurt burn away, and an all-consuming love sails this fated couple into their happily ever after.
PJ's Thoughts:
Charis Michaels never fails to deliver an immersive reading experience with atypical settings, multi-layered characters, and intriguing, original storylines that keep me engaged from start to finish. Her newest book, Claiming the Princess, concludes her Hidden Royals trilogy with a story that pulled me in and refused to let go until I had turned the final page.
I do love a tortured hero. Enter Captain Luke Bannock, smuggler, part-time courier for the Crown, and reluctant public hero. Luke has one goal: to rescue his surrogate father from French captivity and avenge the brutal deaths of his crew. The key to accomplishing both? An exiled French princess living in a small English village. He's certain she will be thrilled to be returned to her rightful, pampered position in French aristocracy. I mean, she's a princess, right? Poor Luke has no idea what he's actually signed up for or all the ways in which this unexpected woman is going to impact his plans.
Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans is English to her bones. A young woman from a small village in Kent, Dani's primary concerns are her adoptive parents, her friends, and saving her village from unscrupulous men with too much money. Dani has no idea that she's a princess. She doesn't even know that she's French. And, why in the world would the King even be aware of her existence, let alone insist she marry a national hero? An attractive, intelligent, appealing, bent on revenge, national hero?
This book checked all of my happy reader boxes. I love the slow-burn romance between Luke and Dani, first as they get to know one another in Kent, then through their letters while they are apart. The letters are an especially effective method of allowing feelings to deepen as they gradually open their hearts and minds to one another. I loved watching them slowly discover not only their love for each other but also the path each is destined to follow. Their engaging journey from strangers to love is brimming with emotional depth, sparkling banter, unexpected surprises, action, danger, and a hard-won happy ending. I was with them every step of the way.
Michaels has crafted a supporting cast who only add to the richness and complexity of the overall story. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy seeing Dani reunite with her siblings while also celebrating the found family that means so much to both Dani and Luke. They all contributed to laughter, tears, and several tugs on my heartstrings.
While I enjoyed all three books in this series and am happy I read them in order (I'm weird about that), those new to the series need not worry about beginning with Claiming the Princess. All three books stand well on their own and all have my enthusiastic recommendation.
What a shock it must be for both of them to realize she is not who she or he thought she was. It would be such a shock having to rethink your life and why it all happened the way it did. It certainly altered his plans. Thanks so much for the review. I, too, like to read a series in order, but it sounds like this could be enjoyable on its own.
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