- robindanielswriter
Review: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm
I grabbed this book off the shelf from B&N for a Christmas book exchange. I thought it looked cute and luckily my mom ended up with it so I took it from her shelf, even though it was...gasp...in paperback. You know a book is intriguing when I'll read a physical copy. LOL.This one is traditionally published, so it's kind of pricy, but if you're willing to splurge, it's worth it. GET THE BOOK HERE.
Summary - Someday I want to live in a place where I never hear "You're Dusty's sister?" ever again. Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network's crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV. As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty's maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises—including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan's family isn't good enough for her only son. At least there's Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan's stress . . . if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality show sensation.
What I Liked - Okay, first of all, I know the summary might make the story sound kind of obnoxious. But it's really not. I haven't read a book in quite a while where I felt like the MCs had really good chemistry, and this one totally did it for me. It's largly in part to the hero, Jamie. First of all, he's English. The author does such a great job using the UK vernacular that I can just hear his adorable little accent when I read. Also, he's so witty and smart that I found most everything he said or did entertaining. Dylan, the female MC, is really sharp. To me, she's super likable. All of the sweet and funny conversations had me caught up in their moments with them. I also enjoyed the supporting cast. I got a really good sense of each character's different personalities. I appreciate this writer's use voice. Another thing I liked was her setting and description. I've never been to Scotland but I could totally picture the scene, again making me feel like I was in the book. This story was a little far fetched, but that's what made it fun and fairytale-esque. It had lots of cute/funny parts, a little bit of drama and a sweet family relationship.
Appropriate For - There was very little swearing and minimally descriptive kissing. The only thing that I would say might be a "mature theme" is...SPOILER...that there is an out of wedlock pregnancy. But this occurs with an adult side character who's already engaged to the baby-daddy and they are very excited for the baby. Nothing is spoken of in an obsene, descriptive or vulgar way. But if your're sensiteve to pre-marital 'relationships', then be warned. It's clean enough for me that I gave it to my 7th grader.
About the Author - Stephanie Kate Strohm grew up on the Connecticut coast, where a steady diet of Little House on the Prairie turned her into a history nerd at an early age. After graduating with a joint major in theater and history from Middlebury College, she acted her way around the country, performing in more than 25 states. Although she was born in New York, she currently lives in Chicago, and doesn't discriminate against any type of pizza. When she's not writing, she loves baking, walking her dog Lorelei, taking dance cardio classes too seriously, and playing board games with her husband.