Contemporary Romance published by Montlake 10 Oct 23
It’s been quite some time since I’ve read Mariah Stewart (not for lack of not wanting to, just too many books, as we all know!), and the title of this one intrigued me. I’m glad I made the right decision to read it. This is a fun story that takes you away to Saint Gilbert, where fairytales do come true.
Annie Gilberti is a typical divorced mother trying to make ends meet and keep her kids safe and happy. One day, after noticing some well-dressed men following her, she discovers she’s next in line to be the Grand Duchess of a small European country. Her grandmother, whom both she and her sisters remember, would have been next in line years before if war had not interrupted, forcing the heir’s parents to send her the United States to keep her safe. Now the council and people of Saint Gilbert are ready to be led by the Grand Duchy once again, and Annie is it.
She has her doubts, of course. But in the end that fairytale takes over and she, her kids, and her sisters head to Saint Gilbert. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make the country competitive to bring in money, and there’s plenty of resistance from the men on the council, despite theird supposed want/need to be led. To advise her, Annie has found friends in Claudette and her son Max, who is head of the castle guard, as well as handsome, elegant, and fascinating as can be. Annie and the girls move forward with terrific ideas to make Saint Gilbert a success, despite the naysayers.
While I do like a bit more romance in my…romances, this story has so many charming and engaging characters that I was pretty happy along the way before things began to get interesting between Annie and Max. This is just a feel-good story, no need to pick it apart as some reviewers have done. It’s fantasy, It’s a fairytale, as I have mentioned a few times just to keep the idea in the forefront. Nearly every woman’s dream, whether a little girl or looking for that something later in life.
Grade: B+
Summary:
Annaliese—Annie—Gilberti is a divorced South Philadelphia mother of two with a nine-to-five job when a shocking discovery turns another average day upside down: her late grandmother was the exiled ruler of a small European country, and Annie is next in line to wear the crown and restore the monarchy. The would-be grand duchess of the Grand Duchy of Saint Gilbert has vacation time coming, enough to take a quick trip to check it out.
It’s easy to fall in love with Saint Gilbert’s villagers; its mysteries (why does everyone look decades younger than they claim to be?); her family’s ancestral home, Castle Blanc (so many hidden rooms and passages!); and maybe—just a little—with the dashing Maximilien Belleme, the captain of the castle guard. Never one to walk away from a challenge, Annie steps up, determined to be worthy of the crown that’s been offered. As she, her sisters, and her children work to bring Saint Gilbert into the modern age, Annie discovers a legacy of courageous women and that no threat is too great to deny the grand duchess’s right to the throne.
No excerpt available.
