This one was just okay. The ending was just too easy and unbelievable, though. Almost silly. But I liked Karl and Serena. Theirs was a sweet love story. ( )

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The protagonist of "The Accidental Prince" was one of the characters on the previous book on the series, and on that book he discovered that, contrary to what he has always believed, he wasn’t the rightful heir to the throne of Lohenberg, he was the king’s bastard son. His mother, who I got the impression went mad, exchanged him with the legitimate son. Not having read the previous book, I don’t know many of the details, but I could gather that the rightful heir showed up and reclaimed his position and Karl was removed to a small property on the kingdom’s border.

The problem is that Karl has been raised as a prince and that is all he knows how to be, so he decides to execute a desperate plan: to kidnapp the princess heir of Badenstein, Serena, to whom he has been promised, and convince her to marry him before the news of his new status reaches Badenstein and therefore securing his future status as king consorte.

Serena plans to take advantage of her father’s absence to run away from home and from the life she has not chosen nor wants for herself. But when she is intercepted by the prince she is promised to marry, she has no other choice but to accompany him until she has the opportunity to go on her way, since she has no intention of carrying on with the arranged marriage.

Karl takes Serena to the island of Vertraumen, territory of his father’s kingdom, and where he used to go as a young boy. Karl soon realises that the island is in great difficulties after consequent years of floods, with a collapsing economy and with its population leaving in search of a better life.

The proximity between Karl and Serena makes them see each other (and themselves) from another perspective and if Karl’s interest at first was only on the title and the position that Serena would guarantee him, he ends up realizing none of that really matters to him after all, and what’s most important is to guarantee her happiness and safety, even if that means losing her forever.

As for Serena, she ends up conquered by the man and not by the prince, but she is determined to walk away from her old life and to live a simple and common life, a life she is convinced Karl cannot be a part of.

There are some funny situations, like when Serena has to adapt to not having maids, which forces her to spend her first night in Vertraumen awaken and sitting in a chair because she can’t remove her corset, or when Karl bets that she cannot live as a commoner for 3 days, which also give us a series of funny episodes.

And in the middle of all this the protagonists of the previous book arrive, Karl’s half-brother and the rightful heir to the throne of Lohenberg and his future wife, sent to the island not only to help its population, but also to resolve the delicate diplomatic situation caused by Karl when he kidnapped Serena.

Before they can dream with a future together, they both have to settle the score with the past, Karl has to come to terms with his new situation, and Serena must find the strength to face her father, with no fears, and to break with what was expected of her.

A good period romance, with strong and believable characters, for whom we can’t help but root that they will get their happy ending. I read an advanced reading copy with a few continuity problems, but it’s likely they have been solved in the final version. ( )

Excellent book. Serena has suffered terrible abuse from her father for years. She is finally ready to get away from him and start a life of her own. She has also been engaged to Karl for years, but wants nothing to do with a marriage that puts her under the thumb of another man. She is dismayed to find her plans preempted by Karl who whisks her away to an isolated island to convince her to marry him immediately.

I really liked both Karl and Serena. Serena has amazing strength of will for someone who has been so badly abused. She has planned and plotted her escape, trying to think of everything that she would need to make a successful escape. All she wants is the ability to lead her own life. She is not at all happy when Karl intercepts her and takes her to the isolated island of Vertraumen. She tries to convince him to let her go, but he refuses. I loved the way that she tries her best not to show her fear and stands up for her own wishes. She is also amazingly resourceful as is shown in the wager she makes with Karl. Because of the abuse she has suffered she is very slow to trust anyone, especially a man, but she soon realizes that Karl will not hurt her. It also takes her awhile to realize that his touch doesn't make her afraid, but exactly the opposite. He makes her see that in order to be free she will have to confront her father. Karl wants to help with that, but once she realizes she loves him she wants to make sure he is safe and refuses his help. The conclusion had a very nice twist to it.

Karl has a problem. He has been disinherited and if he doesn't get Serena to marry him before she finds out he will have nothing. Having spent his whole life preparing to be a king, he is fully prepared to do whatever it takes to get his way. He doesn't expect to find Serena willing to do anything to give up her role as princess. He is also dismayed by the way that she cringes any time he gets close to her. This puts a real crimp in his plans to seduce her into marriage with him. I loved the way that she constantly surprised him with her adaptability - she wasn't anything like he had expected. I loved the way that he was so gentle with her and how he was able to build her trust in him. I also loved the way that he slowly got her used to the idea of being close physically. The chemistry between them built slowly but was very strong. He also learned that she had good ideas and instincts regarding people and being around her caused his way of looking at things to change. I loved the way that he wanted to protect her and gave her the strength to stand up for herself. The conclusion was very satisfying and I loved the way that things came together for Karl. ( )