A Royal Christmas

July 31, 2023
Carlson (Second Time Around) puts a charming, Christmasy spin on a rags-to-royalty Cinderella story that takes cues from The Princess Diaries. Adelaide Smith has been churning out lattes at a coffee shop to put herself through law school when she receives a letter inviting her to visit the tiny European principality of Montovia and meet the country’s king—who a DNA registry search has revealed to be the father she’s never known. Adelaide thinks it’s a scam until her late mother’s best friend recognizes the king’s name, which belonged to a man she and Adelaide’s mother befriended on a summer trip to Europe during college. When Adelaide arrives in Montovia, the prime minister’s attractive nephew Anton Balazs whisks her away to the castle to meet her father—who’s dying of liver cancer—and fills her in on palace intrigue involving the shrewd queen who’s scheming to elevate her son to the throne. As Adelaide learns about the romance that briefly bloomed between her mother and the king, she becomes enamored with the country’s holiday spirit—and with Anton—and contemplates staying in Montovia, even as the queen works to scramble those plans. Readers will cheer on Carlson’s spunky, earnest heroine as she attempts to acclimate to her fairy tale reality and find a happy ending in time for the Christmas season. It’s ideal for those seeking a clean and cozy holiday escape.