Oh boy! Julia London has surprised and delighted me with her latest story, The Charmer in Chaps, a contemporary small town romance and the first in a new series.
This book is set in Three Rivers, Texas and stars Ella Kendall, a survivor of the foster care system, and the stunningly handsome and utterly charming Luka Prince. With her mother in prison and having endured some unspeakably awful foster situations, Ella has always tried to do the right thing, including studying finance and accounting at college. Having inherited her grandmother’s run-down farmhouse, Ella is forever struggling to repair one thing or another, or to feed the various itinerant animals that seem to live there. She has also been in love with Luka Prince since she first met him in high school.
Luka has led an outwardly charmed life as son of the ostentatiously wealthy Charlie Prince. The family ranch is a sprawling and opulent affair, and he has his own loft in San Antonio as well as his stunning good looks and money to burn. He’s renowned for changing his women as often as he changes his socks, but he’s hiding an embarrassing secret. At the age of 30, he still can’t read.
This story grew on me very early on. Packed with Julia London’s trademark wit, it is utterly entertaining. There is so much going on, both on the surface where we are able to witness and enjoy two people falling in love in spite of their social differences and at a deeper level, where so much more is taking place.
The Charmer In Chaps highlights social issues that many of us either ignore or of which we are unaware. What is it like being the child of a prisoner? How does that affect the way you behave? How does it feel to bounce from one foster home to another and perhaps to either witness or suffer things no child should be exposed to? And what about being born dyslexic? How does that affect you? And how does society treat you? All of those questions ran through my head as I absorbed this story, making it a more thought provoking read and delivering a greater level of satisfaction when I reached the end.
As I mentioned, this is the first in a new series and I was lucky to find the first chapter of the next story tacked on at the end. That one too looks like an utterly entertaining read. From what I’ve seen so far I can’t recommend this series highly enough.

A beautiful story about overcoming your challenges and seeing others through theirs. We all struggle. I enjoyed this very much and recommend it to anyone who likes a well told tale.

I wanted to love this one but I didn’t. The heroine kind of ruined it for me mainly because I didn’t like the fact that she held Luca on such a pedestal. Even all these years later and she still thinks of him as God. Then in the beginning with all their encounters, she somehow expects him to recognize her. And he doesn’t. Once the initial awkwardness ends, the book was okay. I never felt the connection between the two even though I tried.

3.5 stars, but really just for Luca. I just couldn't get into Ella, I understand growing up they way she did she'd have issues but she was just didn't seem the type that would allow herself a HEA, especially without some sort of therapy or talking to someone. It seems hard to believe that they would actually make it.

I really enjoyed reading this book - the pacing was good and the story was fresh. I particularly enjoyed the timeline in the book: unlike other romance novels, Ella and Luca don't fall in love in a day and get married instantly. Luca and Ella spend time together and apart working on their issues before finally getting their happy ending; the reader is along for the ride and gets an interesting look at how foster care and dyslexia can impact every aspect of life an individual's life while they're growing up and as an adult. I'm excited to find out more in future books.

Oh my goodness, I have a soft spot for Luca Prince a mile wide. Just when you think you know who somebody is, they prove that you cannot judge a book by its cover. He was the epitome of a rich, carefree playboy without a care in the world. Little did anyone know the depth of his passion for his cause, the yearning he had for a soulmate, and the struggles he faced all his life with his disability.
I had a little bit of trouble falling in love with Ella. She was fun and funky and I love that she just wanted to make a home in her dilapidated farmhouse with her menagerie of animals. Her hot and cold routine with Luca got a little old though. I understand because of her growing up she had a rough time trusting, but Luca did all he could to prove he was worthy of her lowering her walls. As a whole I adored them and I adored this book.

Wickedly smart, fast paced dialog...entertaining, witty, oftentimes wry banter, and colorful characters. There is a unique perspective that flows throughout the story...a heartfelt and prevalent message of adult literacy, as well as the need for better stewardship of land use and conservation. These messages are done in such a manner that they are meaningful and impactful, as well as eye openers.

The author has introduced a wonderfully dysfunctional family, who are sure to steal your heart. As both Luca and Ella learned to overcome their insecurities, I found that an emotional attachment had been formed to where I couldn’t put the book down as the couple fought to overcome the barriers blocking the self imposed paths to their HEA. I am looking forward to reading more stories about the Princes of Texas.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This is a fun romance and is first in a new series. It is a cinderella story if the prince was a cowboy.

Ella is our Cinderella. She is a sweetheart and an accountant in her home town. She had a really hard life growing up in foster care and her grandmother left her a rundown house she lives in. Luca Prince has had everything handed to him, except he has a very painful and shameful secret.

He sees Ella as they are neighbors and he pretty much chases her. She thinks thatno way is she good enough for the prince, but he tries to convince her that she is perfect for him. This was a fun, well written and enjoyable story and I loved the Cinderella story.