Tegan Wren

I read this in one night. It was a very quick and easy read, and I fell into the lives of Hatty and John from page one. I've read enough royal romance books that I appreciated that this followed the couple after marriage into an area that I don't believe had been explored in fiction before: which is, the incredible pressure to produce the heir and the spare soon after marriage.

The first part of the book follows Hatty and John's courtship (actually called that by John, thanks to royal tradition), and maneuvering the trials and tribulations of keeping their relationship a secret, her balancing her budding journalism studies and career with potential conflicts with John's family, and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy amidst everything. This is stuff that is old-hat for anybody who has read another fictional royal romance, and I can't help but compare it to The Royal We, this past year's big royal family fictional hit. But then Wren takes it further.

The bulk of the book follows the couple post-royal-wedding, and focuses on their being unable to have a baby. This failing becomes political with the rest of the royal family, and gossip fodder for the tabloids.

Wren treats Hatty and John's trials with infertility in a compassionate and completely believable manner (which becomes clear why when I read her author's bio at the end of the book). And I loved that the book didn't end neatly and that she didn't take the easy way out. Instead, I appreciated that Wren (view spoiler)

A truly enjoyable read that I'm glad I got the opportunity to review.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley… (mais)

Hatty and John meet in a bar on karaoke night.
Hatty is a journalist intern and John is a prince, the future heir to the thrown.
They fall in love and things get complicated. Hatty is not the kind of girl you'd expect to marry a prince, and depending on who you are in this story that is either a compliment or an insult.

The first sections of the book are about Hatty and John falling in love and getting engaged.

The final chapters are about Hatty not being able to get pregnant.

I'll admit, I wish there was a bit of the middle here. I'd have loved to also read the part of the book when they were happily married before the infertility issues came to a head.
I guess my only "criticism" is that I want more of the story :)

Poor Hatty, I felt sad bad for her for all the terrible pressure she dealt with. A royal not being able to have a baby is a scenario I never thought about. Wow. What a stress that would be!

I loved the ending!… (mais)