Royally Lost in We Stand-Alone Reading Challenge

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Jan 06, 2014 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chick-lit, 5-stars, favorites, young-adult, arc, contemporary, kindle, new-adult, edelweiss, read-in-2014

Review Posted on Reading Lark 4/4/14: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2014/...

I have been reading a lot of dark and serious stuff lately. It seems even the fantasy novels I have been reading have had some dark edges. Its always nice to cleanse the reading palate with something totally different and when I am in the mood for something happy I always reach for a contemporary romance. I have been excited to read this one for awhile, but I had no idea I'd love it so much that I would polish it off i Review Posted on Reading Lark 4/4/14: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2014/...

I have been reading a lot of dark and serious stuff lately. It seems even the fantasy novels I have been reading have had some dark edges. Its always nice to cleanse the reading palate with something totally different and when I am in the mood for something happy I always reach for a contemporary romance. I have been excited to read this one for awhile, but I had no idea I'd love it so much that I would polish it off in a span of about 24 hours. Royally Lost is the perfect read for warmer weather.

Traveling to Europe isn't really in my budget at the moment, but it is something I have wanted to do since I was a teenager. I was initially intrigued by this novel because of it's European setting. When time and money do not allow for travel, a book is always a great compromise. I loved getting to spend time in cities like Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. I was pleasantly surprised that there was also a good bit of history littering the text. Unlike one of the main characters, Becca, I love history and was super jealous of all of the tours she was going on with her family.

In addition to the setting and history, I really enjoyed the characters. I wasn't sure that Becca and I were going to be on the same page at first, but she quickly grew on me. I stopped seeing her as a whiner and started to understand that she just craved a little freedom to decide who she wanted to become. I also loved her relationship with her brother, Dylan.

I also adored Nikolai; he is certainly a literary guy worth getting to know. Nikolai is the prince of Mondovia, a small European country. He has no desire to become King, but his parents refuse to listen to his thoughts on the issue. They keep forcing him to make public appearances and begin to talk of forcing him to join the military. Nikolai just wants to be an average guy with a normal life, but that seems impossible due to his royal blood. He can't handle the pressure and strict rules so he takes off on a European adventure. Along the way, fate entwines his path with Becca's and a sweet summer romance ensues. Interestingly enough, the fast connection between these two didn't irk me the way "instalove" typically does.

In addition, I couldn't help thinking about the movie, The Prince and Me, as I was reading. There are a few similarities between Royally Lost and the film, but Stanton does a nice job of setting her story apart from the one I previously loved on the screen. There were no direct connections between these two other than the ones my mind naturally made on its own. I loved that movie as a teen so it's no surprise to me that I also loved Royally Lost. Who doesn't want their own Prince Charming?

The romance between Becca and Nikolai captivated me. I stayed up much later than I typically would during the week because I didn't want to stop reading. I loved spending time in Europe with Becca and Nikolai; I could easily see myself rereading this one. This wasn't a life altering read, but it was a highly enjoyable one for me. It's nice to have lighter reads from time to time; this one is pure fun.

One Last Gripe: I found it difficult to believe that Nikolai never learned Becca's last name in all of their time together. There were a few frustrating moments like this one, but I chose to ignore them and not allow them to keep me from enjoying the story.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: I loved the romance; it's also a fairly chaste romance even though these characters are venturing into New Adult territory in age. The scenes with the locks made me swoon.

First Sentence: Crown Prince Nikolai forced a print-worthy smile as he exited the antiquities museum.

Favorite Characters: Becca and Nikolai

Least Favorite Character: Visar
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Jan 15, 2014 Nicole rated it it was ok

2.5/5

Instalove, terrible dialogue, and flat characters make this a sad disappointment. Some of my favorite corny romance movies are based on finding love while on a European vacation and this was very much like The Prince and Me, but this didn't come anywhere close to those movies. I really wanted to love it, but I pretty much skimmed the later parts to get to the end. ...more

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Mar 22, 2014 Gaby marked it as to-read

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