A Princess for Christmas is sweet, charming and steamy holiday romance!!

*Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this to read/review.

A steamy Hallmark Christmas book in a nutshell. More importantly, most Christmas Royal stories it’s always a Prince. Some commoner ends up falling madly love with the Prince.

I’m so glad Jenny went a different route and gave us Princess Marie. About time I read a Christmas Royal story where the Princess gets the love story.

Jenny Holiday usually writes deeper romances and this book is no exception. This is not just a Hallmark light and fluffy story. There’s a good amount of grief and coping for both Leo and Gabby (who lost both their parents) and Marie (who lost her mom). The depth of grief that surrounds this love story is bittersweet. For the King, his grief has changed his entire personality. He is now Your Royal Grumpiness. For Leo, he gave up his whole world to take care of sweet Gabby. Marie revisits things her mother loved to feel close to her again. And Gabby, as a child is still just trying to figure out how to cope.

As a non main character, I just want to side rail this review, for how much I loved Gabby. I can completely imagine this little book talkative nerd and her character adds so much to the story.

Princess Marie meets Leo in such a non- meet cute way that is completely unglamorous and I loved that. Leo and Marie are like two people lost until they found each other. There’s only the huge issue that she’s a Royal and he’s from the Bronx.

The Christmas European palace scenery will whisk you away straight to Hot Chocolate Festival land and will have you dreaming of a winterland palace Christmas Vacation.

This was such a fun Christmas romance - even if you're not reading during the holidays! Looking forward to the next one from this author.

If you’re already longing for a Hallmark movie marathon (but with a little more heat), you’re in luck! Jenny Holiday’s A Princess for Christmas follows Leo Ricci, who dropped out of college after his parents passed to raise his 11-year-old sister. Princess Marie of Eldovia is in New York City on diplomatic business for the holiday, and after Marie hails down Leo’s cab, she asks if he’ll be her personal driver while she’s in town. As the avenues fly by, the two grow closer, until Marie can’t imagine spending Christmas without Leo and his sister.

Readers who enjoy the grump/sunshine dynamic, royal romances, and preciously delightful kids adding humor to it all will find a lot to like here.

A cute story. I love anything that is fairytale themed, not to smaltzy, and fun to read. This checked all the boxes. I loved Marie, Leo and Gabby and enjoyed their trip to Eldovia. It did have some explicit sex in it (just a warning) but all in all a nice holiday read!

Like a Hallmark movie but with steaminess! In this gender-swapping Cinderella story with a modern spin, New York cabbie Leo Ricci meets European Princess Marie when she frantically hails his taxi outside the UN after giving a well-received speak on the refugee crisis. Over the course of a weekend in which she hires him to be her driver, he plays tour guide and treats her as he sees her, a lovely young woman with brains and beauty who is still grieving the loss of her mother a few Christmases past. He, too, lost his parents at Christmas and has been trying his best to parent his young sister, Gabby, while worrying that he’s screwing it up.

I love that Leo is unabashedly himself, a working-class Italian from the Bronx who sees Marie as more than a pampered princess. With him indifferent to her title, she is able to be herself and find the strength and courage to stand up to the pressures of her position trying to force her into a future she doesn’t want. The beauty of this story is that two people from disparate upbringings can find common ground and imagine a life beyond the limitations imposed by their circumstances. From the magic of NY at Christmas to the fairy tale kingdom of Eldovia, Leo and Marie’s relationship begins to blossom, but will her father, the King, stand in the way of their happiness?

If you’re looking for a delightful, delicious (can you say Cocoafest?) Christmas romance, pick this one up. It has much more depth than most books in this genre, and there’s the added gift of the next in the series, Duke, Actually, featuring their two best friends. The gift that keeps on giving!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday is a contemporary romance that is set at the Christmas holiday season. On the outside this one looks to be a sweet holiday romance however I would warn to those who would not be expecting it that things do get to be quite steamy in this one.

Leo Ricci works hard to take care of his little sister, Gabby, and would normally be happy to do anything for her. However, when Leo is off duty in his cab with Gabby in tow she sees a lady trying to hail a cab that Gabby claims looks just like a princess and wants to pick up. Leo hesitates but then decides to go ahead and give the woman a ride.

Princess Marie of Eldovia isn’t normally out trying to hail cabs on her own with the fate of her small country left in her hands so she is thankful when Leo does stop. Marie decides that what she needs is to hire Leo for the rest of her trip but what neither expected was to be attracted to one another. Before Leo knows it he and Gabby are headed to Eldovia for Christmas with the princess.

The story in A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday isn’t exactly one that is new as I have seen others that are very similar myself. This one almost felt like it could be another Hallmark movie for the most part with just some extra spice with all the nice. The characters are likable with little sis Gabby sometimes stealing the show and that made me like Leo all the more for taking care of her. In the end this is definitely an author I’d come back to in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I tried to read this one twice, and I sadly couldn’t get into it! I’ve read a Jenny Holiday book before, and I will have to try out more of her other ones.

If you are looking for a romantic and entertaining story for the Christmas season, this would be the book to read. It’s a good example of a modern fairytale. Since I read mainly “sweet” romance, this one is a little bit steamy for my taste, but if you like to read romance novels, you’d love this book. However, I loved the characters and this author’ writing style.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

🍷🍷🍷.9 #Review of A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday
Linda's Thoughts

Since I’ve enjoyed Jenny Holiday’s stories previously, I was excited to pick up her newest release, A Princess for Christmas. I enjoy Christmas reads year-round and can be reliably counted on to swoon during fairy tales which feature a handsome prince or lovely princess falling in love with a commoner. I’m happy to report that I found A Princess for Christmas to be a heartwarming tale with delightful characters.

Leo Ricci fills the shoes of our jaundiced Bronx cabbie hero and Princess Marie of Eldovia is our enchanting heroine. Leo gave up everything after his parents died around the holidays to take care of his younger sister. He’s a good man who takes his responsibilities seriously. He doesn’t complain about his responsibilities, but time for dating or for a relationship is non-existent.

Marie has been betrothed to a friend since her birth so she knows that true love is not in her future. After losing her Mom around the holidays, Marie has been taking on more royal responsibilities to cover for her dad, the King, who has never recovered from the loss. She is a smart, caring princess who has great ideas to help her country, but her father won’t consider them leaving her frustrated.

The initial 40% of the story takes place in the Bronx which holds its own special charm. The rest is set in Eldovia, a tiny watch-making country tucked away in the vicinity of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany. Eldovia’s views are majestically picturesque; the accommodations are cozily plush; the people are friendly; and daily life is laid-back. AND, there’s chocolate galore in Eldovia!!!!! They even have soap that mimics chocolate and looks good enough to eat! I want to vacation there. Heck! I want to live there.

As the story begins, Marie has just given a speech at the UN, and now must quickly make her way to a dreaded party. But her car service has cancelled at the last minute. Then, fate intervenes, and a cab pulls up with a driver, a preteen girl, and a dog. The cabbie is Leo Ricci. He’s having a difficult day, but his sister is adamant that they help this woman (Marie) who looks like a princess in a white party dress. Marie makes Leo an offer he can’t refuse. And another… and another… Sparks fly from the get-go and we embark on a wonderful romp reminiscent of a Hallmark movie but with dirty talk AND sex! Ooh la la!

I would be woefully remiss if I didn’t mention a few supporting characters. First, there’s Gabby, Leo’s lively and precocious eleven-year-old sister. She’s a bundle of energy and totally steals many scenes. Then, there’s Dani, a close almost-family friend to both Leo and Gabby. I’m betting we’ll see her again in a future book. AND, finally, we have two characters named Max. One is a lovable pooch and one is Marie’s betrothed and a Duke-to-be. I’m thinking the second Max may feature in a future book too. I hope my predictions aren’t proven wrong because Dani and Max-the-almost-Duke deserve their own stories.

Also, I’d like to commend the author for interweaving a humanitarian movement into her story. The Princess champions a cause dear to her heart, the European refugees’ crisis, at the UN and in multiple situations later. She strongly believes that Eldovia needs to step up and help alleviate the catastrophe. Her overtures are educational and touching.

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from A Princess for Christmas:

“Girls need love, not braids.”
---

“He did not want to escape. So he surrendered to this madness, this beautiful madness. This wanting. Let himself melt, as heat shot through his body despite the cold. It had been so long since he'd kissed anyone, and having that heart-shaped mouth under his was so improbable and, frankly, it was making him crazy. So was the no-holds-barred enthusiasm with which she was returning his kiss.”
---

“Christmas is big business in Eldovia. We have an annual Cocoa Fest on Christmas Eve day. Restaurants and pubs participate, and so does the palace. We make big cauldrons of different kinds of cocoa and serve them outside on the grounds.”
“Are you kidding me?” Gabby demanded.
Marie laughed. “I am entirely in earnest. And there’s a Cocoa Ball in the evening—though that’s not for children.” She wasn’t sure why she added that qualifier. It wasn’t as if Gabby, whose eyes had grown comically wide, would be around to be told she couldn’t attend the ball.
“Oh my god, you are from a fake Hallmark country,” Leo deadpanned.

In the book’s acknowledgements, Jenny writes that the book will be one of three. I was able to confirm with her that she doesn’t consider the trilogy to be a series – so there is not an official series’ name – but there will be a set of three loosely-connected stories. As long as we get more books like A Princess for Christmas, I’m in!

A Princess for Christmas is a well written page-turner. It is entertaining, magical and romantic with oodles of delicious adult moments. I can’t wait to return to the Bronx and Eldovia with Jenny Holiday next year.

A sweet and steamy rom-com that could be a Hallmark movie. I enjoyed the dialogue between the main characters.

Sometimes you read Christmas books at Christmas, and sometimes you read Christmas books on MLK Day. Either way, this was the perfect holiday romance. Leo (our male lead) makes several comments about Marie’s (our princess) “fake Hallmark country,” and this was exactly like an R-Rated Hallmark Christmas movie. I loved it! Leo is grumpy, Marie is prissy, and the secondary characters are super fun. Check this out if you’re already missing your Christmas tree!

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the fun banter between Leo and Marie. I appreciated that they had both lost loved ones and were looking for a way to move on. The book did get steamy towards the end, so it definitely moved out of the Hallmark category. I am looking forward to it to follow up book next Christmas!

A Princess for Christmas
By Jenny Holiday

Who doesn't want to be a princess - and for Christmas that is... I love royal anything and this sub genre is just something I obsess about. So when this book came in the mail, I could not help but squeal a little - ok fine a lot! I did enjoy this amazing read and a little steam too. Leo and Marie were the perfect characters for me to start this holiday season with. I also enjoyed the dual POV's which allowed me to learn about the characters more and did I love them both. A quick and easy read I loved and enjoyed. Highly recommend.

This is my first novel b y Jenny Holiday and it completely surprised me. True "A Princess for Christmas" sounds like your run of the mill cable network Christmas movie. But, WAiT! The witty banter between Princess Marie and the common New Yorker, Leo is wildly entertaining and exciting. Not to mention the tension between the two is palpable and the steamy interludes are wonderfully crafted. The dynamic between Leo, Gabby (Leo's little sister), Leo's closest friend, Dani are perfectly intertwined as a beautiful family. Add a flight across the ocean to Eldovia, Princess Marie's kingdom, love, heartache, loss and throw in all of the magic of Christmas you will find this eloquently written story. This was a welcomed holiday romance novel for the holiday season and found myself curled up by the fire reading long into the night.

If you're looking for a Hallmark movie-esque book, but with some steam, pick this one up! I loved the characters in this book, and the tiny kingdom of Eldovia totally gave me Princess Diaries vibes. It was a fun little escape of a book, with characters that are transported to a hot chocolate heaven (seriously, Eldovia has a hot chocolate festival). I thought Marie was a cute character, and I loved seeing her meet Leo as her cab driver & then seeing how their relationship progressed. I'm excited that this will be a continuing series, as I want to get to know some of the other characters! This was a perfect Christmas time read.

Thanks to Avon Books for my review copy. All opinions are my own. I loved this book from Jenny Holiday. It was one of the few holiday romance novels I’ve read in the past few months. The charming setting of Eldovia in the snow with its various festivities made for a wonderful Christmas read. I wasn’t expecting such a steamy book based on the description. While I loved how the romance between Marie and Leo progressed, I didn’t feel their chemistry as much during the love scenes. Oh well! It still made for a lovely read. 3 stars.

I love Jenny Holiday books. I admit, royalty isn't normally my jam, and neither are christmas books. But, I love her books so.... I gave it a go. It was very sweet, very hallmark movie-ish, nothing wrong with that at all. It was light and fun.

Sometimes 3 stars means meh or barely impressed, and other times it means I liked it but it wasn't amazing but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it if you like XYZ - and this book is the latter rating. this is why we need half stars goodreads, because this is definitely 3.5 stars. It was cute, a little steamy, enjoyable enough, and I would definitely recommend if you like christmas books or hallmark movies.

Between the cover and the synopsis, this book sounded fantastic! While it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be, A Princess for Christmas was still an adorable and sweet Christmas story. I really loved the characters. For me, that was my favorite thing about it. Sadly, I found myself being bored with the actual story. It dragged on me. Overall, it was a good book.

Slow start but when the steam ramped up I was fully invested!!! I loved how this was just like a hallmark Christmas movie but way steamier!