The Title/Cover Draw:
The cover is so minimalistic but super cute. I really needed a holiday read so I am happy for this one.
What I liked:
This book takes place in both America and Eldovia, which was fun because that meant that they experienced each other’s lives as a common dude and a princess. The story was fun and cozy.
What I didn’t like:
Sometimes this book was sappy, sometimes it was steamy. And honestly sometimes it was steamer than it needed to be. Some people like that so it’s not a bad thing necessarily. Also there were some parts that weren’t as original as they could be.
What kept me reading:
I really wanted to see these characters happy. They came from such deeply passionate but also hurt places.
The Characters:
Leo and Marie are characters with so much feeling, and that is expressed in this book very well. My favorite character was Gabby as she provided a lively counterpoint for the dramatic part.
The Ending:
The ending is broken into 2 parts of 4 months each, which seemed a little too much for me, considering part is like a sex scene. Otherwise, it was a satisfying ending!
Consider if you like:
Hallmark christmas movies. Apparently this is what the author was going for when she wrote it (as stated in the acknowledgements) and I think it was definitely successful in that!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, then you'll love this book!

This has all of the Hallmark vibes with the addition of a heated romance! 🔥 Princess Marie Eldovia and Leo meeting is the best thing and Eldovia is basically the perfect Hallmark country lol. They take their Christmas seriously and their hot cocoa festival sounds amazing!

I love Christmas movies and rom coms so for me this was the perfect read!

If you ever wanted a dialed up romance in a Hallmark Christmas rom com movie, then this is the book for you!!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins,, and Jenny Holiday for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

I'm honestly not a huge fan of books about royalty, but A Princess for Christmas was just the lighthearted romp I needed this month. It's a book full of sweet characters who don't take themselves too seriously, even joking that their lives are like something out of a Hallmark movie.

Princess Marie of Eldovia is extremely out of Leo Ricci's league. She's the heir to the throne of a small country in Europe which specializes in making luxury watches. He's a building super and some-time taxi driver in NYC who abandoned a career in architecture in order to take care of his little sister after their parents died. The two meet by chance when Marie is desperate for a cab in heavy traffic - and they're instantly smitten.

Marie's purpose in coming to New York is ultimately to prove herself to her father. The King of Eldovia has been surly and somewhat depressed since the passing of his wife a few years earlier, and Marie is anxious to make her father proud by securing contracts with their important customers. On a whim, she hires Leo to chauffeur her around the city on her errands, as a way to help out the cabbie who did her a favor, and to enjoy more of his company. Even when some business visits end on a sour note, Marie enjoys the time with Leo, and he uses his downtime to pick her up little local New York treats. It's easy to like these two - Marie is a bit like a puppy, always eager to please, while Leo is a faithful companion making sure she doesn't get trampled.

Soon enough, though, Marie's time in New York with Leo and his sister Gabriella comes to an end. Then on the cusp of a tragic parting, she decides to invite the Riccis back to Eldovia for Christmas;  New York is only full of sad memories of their parents, while Eldovia will be  lonely with just her and her father. To the displeasure of the king, Leo and Gabby show up and lend a relaxed air to the tense palace dinners. Yet no reader will be surprised as the king's icy heart starts to melt, and Marie and Leo's relationship starts to flourish, all amid the backdrop of a Christmas in the Alps.

While it would be very easy for a book like this to stray into sappy or outright cheesy territory, Holiday does a good job at walking the line. A Princess for Christmas has an obvious fairytale-like quality about it, as no real head-of-state would be abandoning their contracted car service to cozy up to a random cabbie for the week. (At least, I assume not!) But Marie and Leo are such sweet and lonely people, it's easy to see the bond of friendship grow between them in a way that feels real, even if it is a little unbelievable.

The time in Eldovia was where things got dicey for me, as events begin to reach a dramatic crescendo involving the surly king, Marie's long-expected engagement to a family friend, and a slightly drunken Leo ready to save the day with a marriage proposal of his own. The first half of the book really worked for me, when Marie and Leo were just a boy and a girl who liked each other. Throwing in Eldovian politics takes away from that central romance.

However, A Princess for Christmas ends on a strong note  when Marie and Leo manage to diffuse the drama and find a happy ending without an over-the-top Grand Gesture.  This turned out to be a fairytale, Christmas romance novel that was just self-aware enough to avoid the worst of the Hallmark stereotypes, and instead comes as a lovely escape from everyday life. It's a satisfying holiday romance from Holiday. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
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My cheeks ache from smiling through this book. I’m so ready for Christmas!!! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Definitely gives off some hallmark vibes, but that's not a bad thing. It's a story about people who are outsiders in the worlds they inhabit. But when the come together they find the family they've always wanted. Just the sort of book to curl up with in a cozy chair.

This was my first book by Jenny Holiday and it will not be the last! This story was so cute. I loved Leo, Marie, and Gabby. If you are looking for a cute holiday romance, pick this one up!

This book was the definition of aggressively fine for me and part of it has to do with my own issues I bring with me but part of it was definitely the book. My issue is around that once again breast cancer is in the background for these characters. Admittedly, it plays a small part but it looms large over the entire book as it’s what killed one of the protagonist’s mothers. And really me reading a book with breast cancer during breast cancer awareness month is just asking for trouble!

I enjoyed Leo and his little sister, Gabby, and their relationship throughout the book. They have to maneuver life without their parents and I appreciated the realistic approach to that. Leo and Marie bond over their dead parents, which is...something, I guess?

But the part that bothered me the most is Leo’s discomfort with his little sister’s period. I get that he’s a man and the subject is uncomfortable and I could see one instance of discomfort but it’s repeated a few times. To the point that he says something along the lines of can people stop mentioning tampons and my sister to me? I just really dislike this trope.

Beyond that, everything was fine. Aggressively fine. I disliked her father so much I couldn’t get past it. The romance was fine. The HEA was fine. The audio was great, with excellent narration.

CW: Parental death in the past, breast cancer in the past

As the author indicates in notes, this is very much like a Hallmark Christmas Movie. However even though it reads like that in the beginning, it is so much more sexy-sensual than any Hallmark movie I have seen. Yes this book could even get a 5+ rating on the sex scale. It is a fun if unlikely story, almost a reverse “Cinderella” story with poor, cab driver Leo and the Princess Marie of Eldovia. I did like Leo and his devotion to his orphaned kid sister. In fact there is not anything to dislike about Leo. The princess was devoted to her country but was reluctant to marry Max, her childhood friend. An unlikely HEA results but it is a fun holiday read.

3.5 Stars

Admittedly, royal romances aren't my thing but I just couldn't pass this story up after hearing someone call it a Hallmark worthy romance with sex and swears!! Which is a perfectly fitting description for this story. If you're looking for a fun, sexy holiday romance and you enjoy the royal/commoner trope, this is the perfect story for you!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

This is your regular cheesy cute HEA romance. She's a princess he's a cab driver from the Bronx. He saves the day for her and then the stereotypical romance begins. They both lost a parent/parents and they bond over this.



**********Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.******************

A sweet, slightly insubstantial read from contemporary darling Jenny Holiday, A Princess for Christmas is frothy holiday fare with an odd undercurrent of angst. Content warning for parental death: Leo's parents died in a car accident and Marie's mom died from breast cancer. Honestly, the pacing might be my biggest problem with this. Roughly half of the book are fluffy NYC touristy scenes, which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but wasn't what I was expecting from a fish out of water royal romance.

This story is charming and fun. It's a Hallmark Christmas movie, but with more heat.

Marie and Leo come from two completely different worlds. She is princess of Eldovia and he is a New York City cab driver who cares for his younger sister, Gabby. Despite their differences they connect and spend time together while she's in New York. I loved how supportive and encouraging he was of her. Marie invites Leo and Gabby to Eldovia for Christmas and the spark between them only continues to build once they arrive.

Marie and Leo were so sweet together. She needed someone to see and understand her and Leo, as an outsider to her world, was perfect for the job. Things are bumpy at times, but, like any good Hallmark movie, the happily ever after is worth it.

Do you love Hallmark Christmas movies? Do you ever wish for one in book form - perhaps with the steam dialed up a bit? A Princess for Christmas may be your wish come true!

Leo is an off duty cab driver in NYC driving his little sister home. They see a woman frantically hailing a ride and his sister convinced him they have to stop to help her. She turns out to be Princess Maria of Eldovia - in the city to give a presentation at the UN and conduct some other business dealings. Leo immediately tells her that Eldovia sounds like one of those made up Hallmark countries.

I really enjoyed this book - picturing Leo as a young Danny from The Mindy Project. The romance was great and I really sunk into the Christmas details - a Christmas Eve Cocoa Fest? I’m in!! Really looking forward to the next books in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy.

What a fun read! I love Hallmark movies and this would be perfect to air on tv, The characters are likable, the settings beautiful, a princess and a nyc cabbie fall in love and there is even a cocoa festival! It does have some sex scenes you won”t see on Hallmark btw.... This book made me happy and I am going to recommend it to my library patrons.

Jenny Holiday is still a fairly new author to me, but I had the chance to read A Princess for Christmas, which was a very sweet, romance, reminding me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Leo is a cab driver who picks up Marie in his hometown of New York City, while she is in town for business. He is the brother to the lovable and chatty Gabby, who lost their parents around the holidays. He would do anything for her, including inviting a woman who reminds her of a princess, which ends up being true! An unlikely friendship blossoms between Gabby and Marie, and a desire for Marie captivates Leo’s attention. This cute, holiday read is for anyone who is looking to get lost in a Christmas story and getting lost in their fairytale.

A Princess for Christmas is perfect for Hallmark movie fans who want a little bit more steam 🔥

Honestly, what I liked most about this book was its predictability. Sometimes you just need that in a book, ya know?

I liked that we got to spend some time in New York City then headed to Eldovia for Christmas.

I definitely wasn’t expecting any sex scenes since it took the full first half of the book to get there, but I suppose they were a nice touch.

The main thing I didn’t like was the portrayal of Marie and Leo as characters. Marie was the typical princess who has two sides to her. I felt like she came off as very...stupid, for lack of a better word, very often. More than just naive. Like despite growing up watching America tv shows and traveling often to the US, she just had zero idea how to be a real person? And of course, Leo was the quintessential touch guy from the Bronx with a soft spot.

Overall, this was a sweet book with some sexy time and serious matters thrown in.

This book was so charming❤️ Reading Marie & Leo’s story felt the same way watching a hallmark Christmas does— cozy and indulgent

My favorite part of this book was probably Marie🥰 her inner monologue was utterly charming, and sounded almost like a regency heroine (all that good breeding I suppose!) I also loved that she had passions and goals beyond just being a princess— she had ideas for how to improve her country economically and through humanitarian efforts

I did think it was a ~titch~ long, but that’s just me!

Jenny Holiday is bringing the Christmas spirit and this was the perfect book to get me in the holiday mood! A Princess for Christmas is everything one would expect from a Christmas themed romance: it's filled with cherry, deliciously funny, and completely charming! This is a hallmark movie in book form and I loved reading it! I actually loved it so much that I went ahead and bought the paperback! So yes, I would recommend it!

4.5 stars - Loved it! Would re-read.
From the beginning, this acknowledges the obvious comparisons to a Hallmark Christmas movie (although the book is far steamier than anything Hallmark would show) with the princess of an obscure country and all. And I loved every page of it. The characters are terrific and have great chemistry. There's no lying or secret identity issues. The conflict stems from the characters' differences in status and follows the usual beats of the Hallmark-esque story. I thought this was delightful. The epilogue is a nice wrap up while teasing a second story which is hopefully in the works for the 2021 holiday season (although I would absolutely read it sooner if it's not a Christmas story). (Language, sex, TW: grief)

A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS – Jenny Holiday
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-295207-3
October 13, 2020
Contemporary Romance

New York City and the Eldovia – Present Day

Princess Marie, future queen of Eldovia, is in New York City to give a presentation at the United Nations. Her scheduled ride breaks down, so Marie, against the advice of her two escorts, flags down a taxi. It’s kind of full—not only is there the driver, but he also has a little girl beside him, along with a dog in a cage—but she convinces him to take her to her destination.

Leo Ricci has his hands full raising his sister, Gabby, while driving a taxi to support them. Picking up Princess Marie one night, he is at first annoyed by the fare because he was headed some place else, then intrigued by how grounded she is. The two hit it off on friendly terms, which ends with Marie hiring him as her personal driver for the next couple of days while she’s in town—throwing in a generous monetary compensation. As Leo drives her around, they begin to connect, and leads to her inviting him and Gabby to her country for Christmas, which is in a few days. Will their friendship turn into something more in Eldovia?

A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS is a cute, holiday romance that will tug at the heartstrings of readers. Marie just wants to be treated as any normal person, despite the fact that she is the future queen of a country located in Europe. As the only child of the king, she is being pressed into marrying the man her father has chosen for her—but it won’t be for love. Leo shows her a side of New York that she had never seen before, which is why she decided to reciprocate by inviting Leo and Gabby to her country for Christmas. Of course, for Gabby, it is simply amazing to be around royalty and thinks of Marie as doing no wrong. Leo senses there is turmoil deep inside Marie. Will she confide to him?

Once in Eldovia, Leo finds it a whole different experience. He meets Marie’s father and a few of her friends, and quickly settles into enjoying the visit. He also spends time with Marie, and the two soon develop feelings for each other. At first, she only suggests that they have sex, a fling that will last until Leo and Gabby return to the United States. But soon, they are both craving more than a short fling. But can there be any future between a princess and an American commoner?

A romance that is both sweet and sensual, A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS by Jenny Holiday will keep you enthralled as you fall in love with Leo and Princess Marie, with the added affection for little Gabby. Don’t miss this engaging tale.

Patti Fischer

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