I wanted to like this book, but it didn't work for me. I probably would have abandoned this book early on under normal circumstances, but felt that it was only fair to fully read before reviewing.

I don't want to bash this book because I know many people enjoyed it and people have different tastes. I do want to be honest though. I struggled finding motivation to pick up this book. The main reasons I struggled was because I wasn't and couldn't get invested in the characters, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters- it actually felt awkward to me, and the term "like a Hallmark movie" was used far too many times, which was off-putting. This book has too much swearing and sex (which I actually don't usually mind) to be a Hallmark- movie-turned-book which was disappointing.

Despite my feelings for the book, I still thank and appreciate Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers the opportunity to read this in exchange of an honest review.

Leo Ricci is navigating life as best as he can. With the loss of his parents a few years ago - he's not quite sure if he's doing the parenting thing right with his little sister Gabby. When Gabby and Leo accidentally stumble upon a real life princess who needs a cab lift and Leo happens to be driving his cab he reluctantly says yes.

Princess Marie has her own issues to worry about. After making a UN speech in New York she's on some "unofficial" business for her father, the King of Eldovia. This is her chance to shine, her chance to finally prove to her father that she is also a good businesswoman as well as a princess. Marie finally gets Leo to agree to escort her around New York while she is there on business. Will their unlikely business transaction turn into something more?

I adored this sweet and sexy romance between Leo and Marie! I've seen this book described as a sexy hallmark movie and I would completely agree. The chemistry between Marie and Leo was so believable and sweet. The sexy times were smoking hot and I loved our dirty talking hero!

Although this romance comes across as cute and sweet, there are also a lot of deeper issues that were discussed. The loss of a loved one can emotionally devastate a person and both Leo and Marie were trying to balance their losses in their own ways. The way they understood these feelings in each other was so sweet and another reason why I was rooting for these two to end up together!

Overall, I really enjoyed A Princess for Christmas and can't wait to read the next book in the series (I'm hoping it's Dani & Max!).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you @avonbooks for my gifted copy of this adorable and extremely entertaining read 🎁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Imagine driving down the streets of New York and the Princess of Eldovia waves down your taxi cab. Leo Ricci had no idea what to expect when Marie hails him down and eventually hires him to be her driver. Between caring for his sister Gabby after the tragic loss of their parents, being a driver, and being his Bronx apartment’s super, Leo has a lot on his plate. Meanwhile, Marie has responsibilities of her own: after her mother’s death, her father became extremely depressed and the country of Eldovia is now her responsibility. Two people from different lives come to together in this adorable novel as they discover that maybe they have more in common than they think and maybe the wrong person for you is exactly right. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💭 this novel is funny, clever, witty, and has all the wonderful Christmas vibes that you would expect from a fun and light Christmas read. Both characters Marie and Leo are very endearing as we got to know them more. I also thought the Eldovia castle felt like a Hallmark fairytale. To me, this novel was just okay. If you’re looking for a fun Christmas read that is quick and gives you all the holiday feels, this one is for you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A NY City cab driver named Leo randomly meets a princess named Marie when she hails a cab one night. Leo is in the car with his sister Gabby and she pretty much has to beg him to actually stop. After a few days of driving her around the city, Marie invites Leo and Gabby to her home country for Christmas so they would not be alone.

I enjoyed this book. I listened to about 75% of it on audio and then read the last bit so I could so I could finish it. I think I’d describe it as a Hallmark movie with spice. But I just don’t think I really connected with the characters. I don’t know if it was because I had a crazy week but I was kind of just ready for the book to be over. I think my favorite character/small story like was Gabby and her relationship with Marie’s father, the King.

This was very much a modern fairy tale with Princess Marie of Eldovia and taxi driver Leo, who is raising his kid sister just trying to get through the holidays.

I really enjoyed this Christmas romance! It had the feel good Hallmark style story I love this time of year with the steam I want in a romance. Although the steam didn’t come until later on in the book, it was good! Leo was the perfect mix of sweet and grumpy, while Marie grew so much from beginning to end it was wonderful to see.

I also loved how they traveled from New York to Eldovia. The description of her country was picture perfect (like I was watching a hallmark movie) and I was just so happy to see Leo put himself out there for Marie and her open up to him as well!

I did feel their romance leaned a little more on the insta love side... but again with Hallmark style Christmas stories that’s usually how it goes so I don’t mind it so much!
Thank you Avon Books for the gifted copy for an honest review!

This was a fun twist on a holiday tale. Loved the princess traveling and then also going to be able to go back into her country. The romance and relationship was really well done. It was funny and sweet. A great Christmas read.

This was an excellent brain break for the weeks leading up to Christmas during a pandemic. Leo lives in The Bronx and is his little sister's guardian. While driving off duty in his cab one night, his sister convinces him to pick up what looks like a princess. Spoiler alert: she is. They chat, there's goose bumps, they go to a small European country for Christmas, etc. Etc. Etc.
I genuinely liked this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for standard Christmas-y romance fare.

This book is like a Hallmark movie, except in Hallmark movies it is usually a female civilian who crosses paths with a handsome prince. This book has a grumpy tax driver who winds up in a romance with a princess. It was a light-hearted, however predictable read. I do enjoy a good romance here and there but it's not my favorite genre. However, I adore Hallmark Christmas movies.

Overall a good way to spend an afternoon in front of a fire with a cup of coffee.

I wanted to like this story but I sadly didn't like it. It was a boring book. I didn't like any of the characters.
There was harsh language, the f word was tossed in the book a lot. I definitely didn't like how Leo talked. There was a lot of Sexual content

I figured this book was going to be a clean romance books but it definitely was not.

I loved this book so much! It was so cute but also quite naughty! (In a good way! I love the steam!) I was cracking up out loud at Marie’s proper way of saying things during... those steamy moments! I could picture the palace and the little hallmark movie town perfectly! I CANNOT wait for the next book!!

3.5 Stars

Sometimes the only word to describe a book is delightful. And A Princess for Christmas was utterly delightful - like a Hallmark movie, only without over the top cheesiness and the added bonus of sex and swear words. 😁

Leo Ricci, a 25 year old taxi driver from the Bronx, has spent the two years since his parents died doing his best as surrogate parent to his 11 year old sister, Gabby. They’re managing things just fine, but finances are always tight. So when Leo picks up the princess of a small, unknown European country and she offers him an exorbitant sum to be her chauffeur for three days, he can hardly say no.

Her Royal Highness Marie Josephine Annagret Elena, Princess of Eldovia, is not in New York for a vacation. She has a speech to make at the UN and the demise of her country’s financial security to avoid. Making friends with a random taxi driver and his younger sister wasn’t on her itinerary, but quickly became the best part of her trip. So when her time in New York is over and she’s not ready to say goodbye to her new friends, she does the logical thing: invite them home to her country for Christmas!

For a book that was completely predictable in its storyline, it managed to be entirely unpredictable in its execution. The characters were thoroughly charming and their banter hilarious. Leo’s relationship with his sister was heartwarming and his desire to be an engaged “parent” was endearing. Gabby was the perfect amount of precocious, but also completely believable as an 11 year old. And Princess Marie was an excellent balance of proper - as you would expect of a princess, and naive - as you would expect from someone who lived a sheltered, privileged life. This book managed to have ALL the cliches you'd expect when royalty mixes with commoners without seeming the least bit cliched. Which is quite the feat.

Things got a little bogged down towards the end once the Ricci’s trip to Eldovia was coming to an end (and really, I think this book was about 100 pages longer than it needed to be...not that I have any suggestions for what I think should have been cut from this 400 page book filled with heartwarming fluff). I would have liked to see more heart-to-heart conversations between Leo and Marie instead of the steamy times. Well, no, I take that back...in addition to the steamy times.😁 But in usual Hallmark Holiday Movie form, there was very little angst and hurt feelings weren’t hurt for all that long. The story ended in true fairytale fashion with everyone living happily ever after.

Who doesn’t want that for a fun holiday story?

* thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I'm a sucker for a princess Christmas story! So cute and everything I was hoping for at this time of year. All in all a great read!

If you know me, you know I love anything royal. It’s probably one of my favorite subgenres/tropes used in book, especially romance, because I’m just obsessed. I spoke a bit about it on Read It Or List It, but it just makes it feel a bit more magical and raises the stakes.

So, I knew A Princess for Christmas would be on my holiday TBR. I read it on Thanksgiving and it was such a fun read, plus it surprised me by getting pretty steamy!

Thank you to Avon Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

Synopsis: “Leo Ricci's already handling all he can, between taking care of his little sister Gabby, driving a cab, and being the super of his apartment building in the Bronx. But when Gabby spots a princess in a gown outside of the UN trying to hail a cab, she begs her brother to stop and help. Before he knows it, he's got a real-life damsel in distress in the backseat of his car. Princess Marie of Eldovia shouldn't be hailing a cab, or even be out and about. But after her mother's death, her father has plunged into a devastating depression and the fate of her small Alpine country has fallen on Marie's shoulders. She's taken aback by the gruff but devastatingly handsome driver who shows her more kindness than she's seen in a long time. When Marie asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her trip, he agrees, thinking he'll squire a rich miss around for a while and make more money than he has in months. He doesn't expect to like and start longing for the unpredictable Marie. And when he and Gabby end up in Eldovia for Christmas, he discovers the princess who is all wrong for him is also the woman who is his perfect match.” —From the publisher

What I Liked:

The Self Awareness—This book openly pokes fun at the “Hallmark” nature of Marie’s small (and made up) European Kingdom. A book can get away with a lot for me if it recognizes how ridiculous it is.

The Festive Setting—Hot Chocolate contest in a snowy village? Sign me up!

The Steam—I don’t know why but it was so refreshing to have such a steamy Hallmark style book. it was very satisfying for it to take the extra step!

What Didn’t Work:

The Miscommunication Plot—I don’t love this and find it overused and not believable

The Insta Love—Leo and Marie have an instant attraction that very quickly grows. I get its necessity, especially for a book like this, but it’s still just not my favorite.

TW/CW: Loss of a parent to cancer, loss of a parent in a car accident

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Steam Rating: 3.5/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I had totally passed this by as not my thing until friends were raving about it, and thank goodness for them because I absolutely loved this book! It really is a hallmark movie in book form and so sweet and steamy I couldn’t put it down!

This was both super cute and quite sexy, which doesn’t sound like it would work but somehow it really did. Think Hallmark movie, but with sexy times and dirty talk, if that helps.

Leo Ricci looks after his little sister Gabby after their parents died. And he put his own dreams on hold to make sure she has everything she needs. He drives a cab, is the super of their building, and is basically trying his best to hold it all together for her. But when he ends up with a real-life princess in his cab one night, his whole world is flipped upside down.

Princess Marie’s world is falling apart a little too when she meets Leo and Gabby. Her domineering father has been hell to be around since her mother died, and she’s trying to hold things down for the two of them, not to mention her whole country. But she’s lonely, stressed, and has dreams of her own she’s had to put on the back-burner to take care of everyone else.

I don’t want to give you any spoilers, but this was just the fun, flirty Christmas book I needed.

I never fully warmed up to the princess, although I liked her well enough, but I loved Leo. He has zero shits to give and won’t be anything other than himself, but he’s also caring, considerate and insightful. Plus I found him really funny, which is always a quality I value in a man. If you’re in the mood for a good holiday read, definitely check this one out.

Dear Hallmark, please buy the rights to this book and make it a movie immediately- although some of it will have to be edited because there was a little more steam than expected.

Marie is the Princess of Eldovia and Leo is a cab driver and guardian to his younger sister. They meet cute in New York outside the UN and then romance blossoms between them. It is a little of a slow burn at first but it has all the great elements of a romantic comedy- including great supporting characters, especially Gabby.

I do hope there is more in the world of Eldovia, I would welcome more.

"This Hallmark movie is about to get a lot more interesting."

Having read Mermaid Inn & Paradise Cove recently, this was an obvious must read holiday title for me, I could not wait to read it!

If you’re a rom-com lover, odds are you’re a big fan of the classic Hallmark Christmas movies and this book gave the perfect mix of dreamy Princess vibes + the steam you hope for in your happily ever after.

One of the things I loved most about this book was we met Leo & Marie in New York and then traveled to Eldovia so we got to know both characters in their comfort zone and on the other's turf. This book really packed a lot of punch with detail and events that helped us feel like we were there in the cab, and later attending Cocoa Fest (which, HELLO, I was impatiently waiting for my invitation!)

The swearing + steam may be off-putting for some, but it didn’t bother me, just made their characters more relatable. I loved how both of our protagonists struggled in their own ways but were also so quick to support each other. The dual POV was easy to follow, and I loved getting to know them both as the story progressed.

With endearing secondary characters, I was SO thrilled to find out this book is a series at the end, already looking forward to Duke, Actually. Holiday gave me exactly what I needed to read with this one, another quick and easy read I thoroughly enjoyed!

This book came out at the beginning of October so it is a NEW 2020 Christmas book and is absolute perfection! As it refers to itself throughout the story - it is kind of Hallmark-ish but a little more steamy.

Leo Ricci of the Bronx is just trying to get by - juggling trying to be a parent to his 11 yo sister Gabby after their parents passed away with driving his cab and being the super of the building they live in. One day as they are driving home, Gabby spots someone who looks like a “princess” dressed in a gown trying to hail a cab - Gabby begs Leo to pick her up and help her out. As much as Leo really doesn’t want to and just wants to get home and move on with their day, he finds himself pulling over.

Marie is the Princess of Eldovia who is trying to pick up slack for her father, the king, as he has given up some of his duties since her mother died 3 years ago. That’s how she finds herself in New York, on the side of the road, her dress only half tied, trying to hail a cab to get to the yacht she is supposed to be on in time.

Marie then asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her time in New York because she enjoys how blunt and straightforward Leo is and how he doesn’t treat her like a Princess - it’s a nice change of pace for once. Leo finds himself taken aback when he realizes he’s beginning to like being around Marie and looks forward to seeing her. Next thing he knows… he and Gabby are on their way to Eldovia for Christmas! But there’s no way he can have a future with the Princess… he’s just a guy from the Bronx - or can he??

I truly loved this book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!! It was such a great beginning to my Christmas reads for the season. Full of romance and bickering - two people not getting along and falling in love… the best type of story!

I highly recommend giving this book a read this Holiday Season!

*I got this book from the publisher from Netgalley to read and provide my honest review*

This is a Hallmark movie type tale. It is a sweet romance with a princess and a cabdriver. It is very fluffy and the reader will have to suspend reality for the time it takers to read it. BUT in times like these suspending reality and escaping into a sweet warm world where people are kind is a lovely thing. So read this and enjoy the escape.

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon
General Fiction (Adult) | Romance
Pub Date 13 Oct 2020

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday holds the magic of a Hallmark Christmas movie and the adult content that Hallmark leaves to our imaginations.

A Princess for Christmas is a story of Leo, a young man who drives a taxi in New York to support his younger sister after their parents die. Leo meets a princess (from what he calls 'a fake Hallmark Channel country') and the magic begins.

This books is wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I was filled with hope & joy. I loved the swear words (they bring me joy!). This is NSFW because those scenes are steamy!

I really hope this becomes a series because I love the world Ms. Holiday created and I can't wait to visit it over and over again!

I'm so grateful to Jenny Holiday, HarperCollins Publishers, Avon, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.