Terrific conclusion to the series. After all the twists and turns of the previous books, the role of King of Alma has come to rest on Juan Carlos's shoulders. Determined to bring peace and prosperity back to his country, at his coronation Juan Carlos promised to put his people and his country first. Then a glimpse of a beautiful woman at his coronation turned his heart upside down.

I loved Juan Carlos and Portia. I had my doubts about him in previous books, as he seemed uptight and sometimes unsympathetic to his cousins' difficulties. However, he won me over quickly in this book. His love for Alma and its people was evident in his thoughts during the coronation. His immediate fascination with Portia was a surprise to him, as was the way she took over his thoughts. Portia was as drawn to Juan Carlos as he was to her. But she was burned in a previous relationship with a high profile man and had no intention of getting involved with another one.

I loved the development of the relationship between Juan Carlos and Portia. He was adorable in his "love at first sight" determination to win Portia over. The rumors of the missing art treasures gave him the perfect opportunity to spend more time with her. Portia was wary of the attraction between them. Her attempts to fight it were a losing battle, though she tried hard. One of my favorite things about Juan Carlos was how down-to-earth he was. The time they spent together during the search was almost like any regular couple as they got to know each other. The connection that grew between them was more than a physical one, and it wasn't long before they admitted their love.

But as Portia prepared for their wedding, she discovered a family secret that changed everything she thought she knew about herself. Devastated, she broke things off with Juan Carlos, unwilling to bring scandal to his fledgling monarchy. Hurt by her inexplicable actions, he tried to change her mind, until she was forced to confess the real reasons she left. I wanted to shake Juan Carlos at this point because his reaction was to lash out with anger and distrust. I loved the enlightening conversation he had with a friend, and how it gave him a new perspective. His big moment at the end was fantastic and perfect for who and what he was.

I loved the search for the missing art treasures. Juan Carlos's determination to find them and make them part of the new Alma was wonderful. I could feel their frustration as their searches turned up empty time after time. I was very impressed with the cleverness of how they were hidden when they were finally discovered. It was a very emotional scene. ( )

A Royal Temptation by Charlene Sands is a 2015 Harlequin Desire publication.

This is a short contemporary which features an American businessman, Juan Carlos, and the beautiful Scandinavian Princess, Portia Lindstrom.

Their eyes locked across a crowded room and Juan Carlos was smitten. Portia, however, has been burned and is not keen to jump into another high profile relationship. But, Juan convinces her to stick around in order to find a cache of valuable art. Can Portia deny the feelings that are growing between them? Maybe not, but a shocking secret about Portia's past could nip their romance in the bud.

This was a sweet and sensual contemporary romance filled with adventure, family secrets and glamor too. This book is not all that long, but I really enjoyed it and thought Juan Carlos was super dreamy, despite his moments of doubt. He was never an over the top jerk, and come through in the end with a trailblazing grand gesture. A very enjoyable romance.

4 stars ( )

Juan Carlos Salazar was orphaned as a little boy and grew up in America only to learn a family secret put him first in line to become king of Alma, a small country! He learned that his cousins were overjoyed that they were off the hook, but he loved Alma and its people and gladly took the reigns. A bitter dictator had almost crippled his beloved country, but as king he vowed to restore it to its formal glory! Then his eyes settled on a gorgeous woman in pale blue, and he forgot his name...............

Princess Portia Lindstrom had vowed to keep a low profile once she was no longer the press' favorite after her disaster with the king of Hollywood's talk show! It almost cost career and passion of art. It took her three years and a lot of sweat so there was no way in hell that she'd let another man get close to her...............

WOW, Charlene Sands pens a hot yet tearful story about two orphans that were fated to unite, but once Portia discovers her dirty family secret. How can she recover and what about Juan Carlos and their budding new love? ( )