Thank you netgalley and the publisher’s for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did not realize this was a sequel but it was enjoyable nonetheless

I am enjoying this series. It is very predictable, but with enough action, twists and romance, makes for a pleasurable read. I enjoy most of the characters and like watching them evolve.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I’ve had this book for quite a while and didn’t have much interest in reading it because I wasn’t impressed by the first book in the series. I’ve since learned not to request a sequel book for review unless I’ve already read (and enjoyed) the previous book(s). That said, I did like this book more than the first, at least.

In terms of writing, this feels like a middle grade book. I don’t know why exactly—perhaps because I feel like middle grade books are, overall, written more simply than books geared towards older readers. There’s a lot of “tell” instead of “show,” and I admit I just don’t find myself drawn into the story much. Of course, that’s not the case for all middle grade books, but I think it’s a trap this one falls into. However, the characters are not middle grade—they’re young/new adults of marriageable age, two of which are betrothed. And so the characters and story conflict with the writing style, in my opinion.

On to the characters. Cecily and Rory, the two main characters, are best friends—Cecily is a princess, and Rory (who is unusually strong despite her small size) is one of her guards. To be honest, I found Cecily to be selfish, somewhat vain, naive, and self centered. I rarely liked her. However, I did like Rory, who was loyal, determined, and fiercely protective. Supporting characters were hit and miss, with some being rather one dimensional and others being given more development. Muriel and Gene were some of my favorites, though I did also like Tom.

The twists in the plot were rather predictable, and some characters’ motivations remained a bit murky at the end. But, of course, another book follows this one. I am enough satisfied with the ending, though, that this is where my

Note: Maybe a little swearing.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Thanks to Netgalley and Pikko’s House for giving me this book to review.

A Stolen Crown is an enjoyable fairytale fantasy book which is relatively light but does have some dark elements. It has adventure, romance, and secrets and was faced paced but predictable. I really liked the idea of the friendship between Rory and Cecily but it was not shown in the book as they were either ignoring or arguing with each other.

Cecily is insecure and naïve but is also selfish. Rory is hiding a secret, but also feisty and confident but cannot express her emotions.

The thing which disappointed me about this book was that the ending was very fast and not that satisfying. However, I did like this book and am looking forward to reading A Stolen Wish. I would recommend A Stolen Crown to those who enjoyed the first book A Stolen Kiss and those who are fans of fairytale books.

Delightful and well connected plot. It was a nice satisfying read, filled with adventure, romance, and friendship.

I received an ARC from netgalley.

When Princess Cecily Degalt travels south to wed a prince she's never met, she's ushered into a strange new world alongside her best friend and bodyguard, Rory Castille. With an MIA fiancé, his handsome twin brother, and a kidnapping gone wrong, life in Myrzel isn't quite what Cecily expected. 

Rory will do anything to keep Cecily from harm--but when Rory's darkest secret comes between her and Cecily, the greatest danger to the princess might be Rory herself.

Torn apart for the first time, each girl will have to think like the other as she faces not only the darkness of Fangralee Forest, but a dangerous enemy closer to home.- Goodreads

This book was way better than the first one but still had some issues for me. What I liked about this book was the genuine feeling of love between characters. You knew it was there; you saw it, felt it and was just rooting for it throughout the entire book. This was the sole focus of the book. The love/friendship between two girls and how they handle their worst possible situation. 

But I had issues. Rory and Cecily are both thoroughly annoying together and apart. Rory completely babies Cecily and bother have this really whinny tone when they speak with each other. 

For best friends, they made a lot of bad assumptions about each other and it was almost as if they didn't know each other at all. To me, Rory was justified in hiding her secret, however, Cecily didn't trust Rory and she was a butt. Rory fought for Cecily but the effort wasn't the same for her. This was repeated more than once throughout the book. it really shouldn't take someone telling you that you're a crap friend, more than once for you to actually go be a friend. And in all honesty, it is a big circle of who said what, and internal arguments. 

The story is straight forward to a certain extent. There are some twists but you see where it is going once it starts. There was good fighting in this book. Rory is hotheaded, so she isn't as strong as she could be, which was disappointing. 

As previously mentioned book two, is a step up from the book one. The pace keep me interested and invested. Although I wish for more magical elements, this was a decent read. 

3 Pickles

Princess Cecily is sent to Myrzel as Prince Rakesh betrothed. She is Prince Humphrey’s sister. Rory is Princess Cecily’s best friend and personal bodyguard. She’s a girl gifted with strength. Prince Ephraim is Prince Rakesh twin brother who always fall in love who is also Tom’s brother, a sorcerer. Daegan is one of the servers at Myrzel, who is also Rory’s master.

As you’ve read how those people above connected to each other, you’ll already have an idea how twisted this story might be. A Stolen Crown is a unique concept. For me, this book is refreshing and entertaining. Princess Cecily’s insecurity about herself represents how women are unsatisfied with their body. I like how her companions give opinions about her body size when Princess Cecily became so anxious about it. I am speechless at Rory’s bravery and persistence, and her helplessness when she was controlled. Actually, I like how A Stolen Crown’s character presents their selves because there are strong and weak points.

Moreover, maybe I only got three predictions correct in this book. Like the first book (A Stolen Crown), there are so many twists that I did not anticipate. I enjoy book that makes me think and surprise me at the end.

A Stolen Crown is full of humor, twisted twists, but what really fascinates me are spells such as Love at Kiss, Love at First Dance, Love at First Fight. Additionally, how spells work. While reading, it makes me want to explore the world of sorcery or witchcraft. This book is well-written, and I highly recommend this book for those readers looking for YA, fantasy, magic, and romance.

So BASICally....

Cece is a princess and has to marry this foreign prince...aka every story known to man. There are some differences though; Rory is her best friend/bodyguard/and a girl, Cece is full-figured, and the characters and likable. When Cece and her friends get to the country, the prince she is supposed to marry is AWOL and as she learns more about her new home from his brothers, she runs into some trouble. Cece is a pretty strong character and becomes even stronger towards the end of the novel.

The book lacks depth and world-building but as long as you know that going in, you should be fine.



Body Image/Feminism/Friendship

-I love how we have female characters who are more fuller-figured or not the "typical" heroine look in recent novels. This reminds me of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, where the heroine was fuller figured as well. I like how the author creates Cece this way but can we get some fuller-figured heroines who are proud of every curve? Yes, it is rough to look different in a world where you are supposed to be perfect but c'mon, I don't need to read pages after pages about it.

-Yay! Feminism is here! There are a bunch of smart and strong female characters and I loved Rory because she was so tough. She does have a "gift" that allows her to be stronger but she still trains and is determined to have her voice heard in her male-dominated world. She wants to change how men view women in the military and teaches Cece how to fight, which is necessary in many parts of the novel. We do have one super whiney, shrieking violet female character but every one in the novel rolls their eyes at her dramatics  instead of feeding in the idea of female's being helpless.

-The novel begins and ends with Cece and Rory's friendship. I loved it. Yes, there was romance in the novel, but it primarily focused on the two girls and how even despite their differences and the drama that occurs, that their friendship still stands strong. I love it. We need more novels with girl-friendships that are not the typical bitchy, jealous ones. And I love how the romance is not the focus–its mostly from Cece and Rory's perspectives in the novel.

<Here, I will ramble about all the unanswered questions that are still confusing to me>

Magic

-I still don't understand the entirety of the magic in the world: Are all humans born with the capability to wield magic? Why are sorcerers different? Do they and humans share a common ancestor? Do they need a wand? A book? Why are their love spells? Like c'mon.

The World

-So like the country is strange because people go to the beach naked?  Why is there a Foul Forest? Why are those monsters there? Has this always been going on? What is with the shapeshifter? Why do they need a master? So, they are slaves? Why can't shapeshifter have curly hair?

Romance

-So, a love spell was given to Cece, is her romance with the prince even real or not? That was barely even acknowledged?!

-The romance between Cece and the prince (notice how I don't say which prince) is... okay I guess. I can see why they like each other and I guess it is slow building but I just don't understand how people can fall in love with each other in a few weeks.

OVERALL,

This book is no about depth, but more about light-reading. If you want an easy, fun book to read this summer, I would recommend this one!

This book is about Princess Cecily that travels to Myrzel to marry the prince, Rakesh. She takes her loyal friend and guard, Rory, Gene and her ladies Muriel, Doreen, and Gayla. In Myrzel, they make new friends and Cecily has to make a tough decision like never before, in order to become a Queen.
A Stolen Crown is a sequel to A Stolen Kiss, the first book of the Stolen Royals series. I read the first book last year but I don't remember much of the details of the plot, just the overall story. Nonetheless, I was able to enjoy this book. 
Still, if you haven't read the first book, don't read this one. Even though they have different stories and focus on different characters, it has some spoilers for the first book.
With all that said, let's dive into the actual review of A Stolen Crown.
First, the characters. Cecily was an okay main character. She wasn't like the rest of the defenseless ladies and I liked her for that. She could protect herself. Rory, her best friend, was intriguing, she had a big secret and a rich back story that made me love her. I adored her relationship with Gene, another of Cecily's guards. From the characters of Myrzel, Tom was the one that stood out for me. He's the youngest brother of the prince and I felt bad for the things he went through. From the twin brothers, I preferred Rakesh, Ephraim was just a fool.
Now, the plot. The books of this series have a rather simple plot. They remind me of fairy tales, there's a princess looking for a prince but they're different from the fairy tales we all know and love. The plot and lightness of the writing style kept me reading until the end. The twists weren't mind-blowing but it was nice to have some suspense mixed in with the plot.
It is a heart warming story and I'm glad I picked it up. I don't know when the next book is coming out but I'll make sure I'll have it as soon as it is available.
So, if you like fairy tales, I recommend trying the first book of this series, A Stolen Kiss.

I read the first book in the series, A Stolen Kiss , last year and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw that the second book was about to be released I was sure I had to get my hands on it. You don't need to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one, although you'll definitely appreciate filling in some of the blanks in characters' lives through the ones you meet here. A Stolen Crown is definitely a mature book that is perfectly capable of standing on its own two legs. Packed with adorable characters, witty humor and a captivating story, this was one read I could not put down.

I have to say, I love this author's style! Kelsey Keating somehow manages to weave together several different storylines without ever getting you confused as to who's who and what exactly is going on in that world. Now, I am most definitely not the intended target audience, but I still giggled through most of the book thanks to her fabulous humor. I read this book almost entirely during a long trip, and it managed to put a smile on my face despite the disastrous delays in public transport. If that's not enough recommendation for you, then I really don't know what more to say...

[IMAGE]

Okay, okay, I'll give you some more...

True to the spirit of the first book, the characters were adorable! Their flaws, their fears, their strengths are all incredibly realistic, so much that you could almost forget that we're talking about an imaginary princess and her friends. This book keeps making fun of itself and its genre, referencing fairy tales and cliched romances in a very smart way. I also enjoyed how the author introduced some delicate themes inside the story: Princess Cecily is very self-conscious of her body image, and keeps thinking she will be judged on the fact that she is not "skinny enough". Seeing how important this issue is to girls and boys everywhere, I am glad to see it inserted in a fairy tale-esque story, where the princess is not an unattainable ideal of ethereal beauty, but a real girl with a love for food. Also, there is some serious girl power going on in this book, so bonus points for that!

[IMAGE]

The setting was also on point. We're given just enough information to understand what life in Dellsby and Myrzel is like, without having to wade through pages and pages of endless descriptions. Of course, if you like lengthy descriptions, that's perfectly fine! It's just that I personally sometimes get bored with them and end up not really taking in what I'm being told... Here, on the other hand, I could almost see these places in my mind, and that just makes me happy.

Overall, I liked this book just as much as the first one: it maintains its light mood while at the same time touching upon very delicate themes, such as friendship, love and grief. Great characters combined with a good plot make for a very enjoyable read indeed. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for a new book in the series!

The Listed books below I didn't finish because I either lost interest or didn't like them to finish them! Plus my library didn't have the first book in the story so I can't read this one!

I never read the first book, but I saw reviews that said I didn't need to, which turned out to be true. Yes, there was some confusion at times, which probably wouldn't have happened had I read the first book, but overall, most concepts and basic stories were explained enough that I was able to follow along without a problem.

The characters were for the most part nicely developed, except for some instances where I felt they meshed together where their characters should've diverged - just to be cute. Nothing to put me off, but it was an eyeroll moment.

Overall, I enjoyed the clichéd storyline and romance. It was fun to read, even with the darker parts.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a young adult fantasy series, and this is the second book in the series. I have not read the first book in the series, but I didn't have an issue keeping up with what was going on in this sequel. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the book while reading the first few chapters, it seemed like it was going to be a cutesy princess story with magic, and that's not something I've ever really enjoyed. The princess is leaving her kingdom to marry the prince of a neighboring one and will become queen someday. Oh no, their carriage is held up by ruffians at the border who want to capture the princess for ransom, what will we do. I was seriously contemplating putting the book down at that point, but it got much better. I can't say much because there would be huge spoilers and trust me this is one book you want to go into knowing as little as possible about. There are quite a few tropes in here, but somehow they seem to work and are actually pretty enjoyable. It's a quick read and more along the magical realism lines than high fantasy. I thought it was cute and a good book for escapist reading.

Did not read the first book but this book sucked me into this wonderful story world. Character development great, story line wonderful - now I must go back and buy the first book

Whew, I made it! This book was really, really cute. It revolves around two girls, Cecily and Rory, and their friendship through many tests (men and magic and secrets included.) This read like a movie, almost like a Disney-esque movie... it is fast-paced and incredibly dialogue heavy, but in a good way. You can really hear their voices and feel what they are feeling.

So much happened in this read that your head can be left spinning, but it is darker where it needs to be a light-hearted through the majority of it. Cece and Rory are both very strong characters, though not without their flaws (which get called out over the course of the book.) At times Cecily shows her age and immaturity, as she should. And Rory for all her wisdom, cunning and confidence as Cece's bodyguard, is also prone to hurting her friend's feelings.

While the main tale seems to be that Cecily is on her way to get married, and adventure ensues along the way, the real story is between the girls. And that makes it very likable.

A Stolen Crown is the second book in the Stolen Royals series, by Kelsey Keating, in a planned trilogy. You do not need to have read the first book to be able to enjoy the second. While both books take place in the same world, they can be treated as standalones otherwise. That being said, the first book is worth a read as well. I think this is perfect for mature middle-grade readers or young adults who enjoy classic (and slightly fractured) fairy tales. It is definitely not historical fiction, the dialogue is really modern in places, which lends itself fine to the age. Basically, it's not to be taken too seriously, it is just a fun fairy tale.

Thank you to the Swanifide Publishing and NetGalley for this reader's copy in exchange for a review.

I am constantly on the lookout for books that will engage young readers and this is a great one. This will appeal to many different types of readers due to its range of characters. The story has friendship, magic, a prince and adventure. It has a good story and will certainly have readers going back to pick up the first in the series. While this is the second in the Stolen Royals series, it is a perfect stand alone book. I am anxious to see how the kids like it once we have them on the shelf.

Never read the first book, but I loved book. Unconventional heroes. Unexpected romance. Enduring friendship. & the plot twit OMG!! didn't not see any of those coming!

"A Stolen Crown", the second book in the series by Kelsey Keating was an enjoyable and entertaining read. It's a fun fantasy with strong and intelligent female characters as well as endearing and likeable men. The action is fast moving and engaging, making it a quick read.

In the story, Princess Cecily and her loyal BFF Rory, who is also her magically powerful bodyguard, travel to the kingdom of Myrzel for her royal wedding to Prince Rakesh. However, as soon as they cross the border a chain of events unfolds putting more than just Cecily's happily ever after in jeopardy. The girls must rely on their friendship, loyalty, and the help of some devoted friends to survive.

Keating has created a charming and lively world for her characters. The descriptions are in vivid detail and add to the magic. The characters are relatable and likeable in their strengths and flaws. The emphasis on the relationships between the characters adds a depth to the story and allows the reader to connect more with each character. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone wanting to be part of a fun adventure.

I wanted to LOVE this book. I thought it was right up my alley but it just didn't keep my entertained. I found myself putting it down and coming back to it expecting something else .... expecting more but the story and the characters didn't enchant me enough to keep me reading. I stopped reading around page 40 but I imagine it will be a perfect read for others.