The entire time I read this fabulous book, all I could think of aside from how much I enjoyed this reading experience was how much I would love to watch this as a movie. This is a strong indicator to me that it is not only entertaining on the page, but will stay with me long after. The story, in itself, is absorbing in its transporting and escapist nature full of interesting and intriguing characters as well as deliciously described settings and plot events. I know this will be a huge hit with my patrons and I have already raved about it to many. I absolutely recommend this to the fullest extent!

I really liked this story! It has romance, a strong faith arc, and even a little suspense. It's a modern day marriage of convenience (my favorite trope!) with a twist. Though the beginning was a little slow for me, I read the last 2/3 in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I especially enjoyed watching Bri get to know her new environment and find her own, unique footing. Bri is a woman who's breaking down barriers in a patriarchal society, and I love that she sought advice from others and viewed the Lord as the ultimate authority in her life as she prepared to step into her new role as leader of Ọlọrọ Ilé. I also really, really liked the romance, though I won't spoil anything here - several men are presented as potential husbands once Bri learns she must be married in order to ascend the throne.

Overall, In Search of a Prince is a fun read, and I'm eager to return to the world of Ọlọrọ Ilé again. 4 stars.

I read this book while I was curled up in bed with the flu. It was the perfect read for a sick day: light, a bit fluffy with a touch of (at least for me) easily solved mystery. At the same time, there were hints of deeper issues: the history and legacy of slavery, colonialism, poverty and inequity. Shiloh did a great job creating her fictional West African country, respectful and accurate to the region, while avoiding accidentally misrepresenting a real place and culture. It also helped that Bri herself was an outsider, for the first time learning about the country she will one day rule. I liked how Bri's faith was a natural part of her life. Shiloh avoids making the story about a message and at the same time, keeps faith in God an integral part of Bri's story. Recommended for those who want a unique adult fairy tale.

This book is a modern day classic. A beautiful story that was executed perfectly. This book deserves attention and would make a gorgeous movie.

In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh

*** Warning, This Post Does Contain Spoilers ****

If you want a royal Christian romance that has diversity, this is your book. I loved that it was different from the other takes of Christian romance I have picked up in the past. It was set in a world with culture and great characters that draws you in.
The story begins with the king of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, finding out that he is in the last stages of lung cancer and now must reach out to his one and only heir to his throne. The problem is though that the heir doesn’t know that she is a princess to begin with. Her name is Brielle and she was born in America where she was kept hidden from her grandfather and knowing her true identity.
As the story unfolds, you see Brielle go to Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, with her best friend Iris to meet her grandfather and there she would decide if she would take his place at the throne.
As she stays there, she starts to learn the culture of the people and Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa. She falls in love with the people and the country and eventually after much prayer, agrees to be the crown princess to ascend the throne.
But there is a catch. A law was written that if a woman wants to descend the throne, she must be married. And she must be married before her grandfather dies. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much time for that.
With a list provided by the council she goes through a list of contenders and realizes they are not the one for her. She did eventually find a man that could be her prince that she felt led by God to pick. You see them go through obstacles to live happily ever after.

What I felt this book could be stronger in:
Well when Brielle found out about being a princess, the way it was done reminded me so much of the Princess Diaries. Everything about it in regards to her finding out she was a princess, it felt like I was reading something on repeat. Fortunately, once you get past a few chapters, this story becomes its own and thoroughly enjoyable.
Another reason I feel this book could be stronger was the ending. It was like a hot flash that was there one minute and then gone the next.
She spent a lot of her time building a relationship with her grandfather. But once you read that she got married, he was not mentioned in the story and BAM he is gone. It was focused a lot on her new relationship. So it was shocking that it just suddenly happened. I felt like I didn’t get any closure on him and it left me sad that his character was ended without a forethought.
The dream that her newly married husband had. Did…not…make…sense….why it was put in there. It was suppose to have a happy ending and he just dreamed that Brielle had a miscarriage and that is when he chose to profess his love for her. It felt thrown in there and did not make sense in the story.
The whole time Brielle was in the palace, she was getting threatening messages about being an imposter and she needed to abdicate the throne. Gave the story some depth and I was curious who was threatening her. Well at the VERY end, it is revealed who sent them. No mystery or let me figure this out who is sending them throughout the read. It was so unexpected in a bad way. Personally I feel that the character chosen to be “the bad guy” was so out of character it was not really believable. It was BAM I am the bad guy and I am going to straight up tell you that and you by the way…give up your throne. Two seconds later I am going to threaten with a phone call I will make and was saved the day by Brielle fighting to take the phone away. In about two pages, it was over. Something that has been mentioned numerous times in the story…over just like that. This scene in this book comes across as a slight afterthought and I feel that it could have been better built in the story.
Also to say the least that the uncle in the story was built to be this bad guy who also wanted her to give up the throne. Again, at the end of the story, out of story and character he is like, I will never hurt you because you are my grandniece. Just like that…it was over. All the things that felt built up throughout the story felt very rushed in the end.

I did truly enjoy In Search of a Prince, I felt that this book was unique and had a good message. I do wish that some of the story plots were better written but overall this was an excellent read.

In Search of a Prince
by Toni Shiloh
Pub Date: February 1, 2022
Bethany
Thanks to the author, Bethany House, and NetGalley for the ARC. I enjoy reading and reviewing books before they hit our shelves. I was able to listen to Toni Shiloh talk on a podcast and she was great!
I would highly recommend this book as a spring break read! A charming read about romance, a culture. and laying all our decisions before the feet of the Lord. I loved the relationships, the twists, and the Princess Diaries feel.
5 stars

I would highly recommend this book as a spring break read! A charming read about romance, a culture. and laying all our decisions before the feet of the Lord. I loved the relationships, the twists, and the Princess Diaries feel.

This is such a fun contemporary romance. I love all of the royal protocols and immersing myself in the culture. The author did a tremendous job building the world of Oloro Ile. I wish it were real, so I could visit. The romance was perfect. The leading man was swoony, and the first kiss was worth waiting for. I also appreciated the faith elements, and how important prayer was to all of the characters. I can't wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended if you enjoy romance, especially fairy tales.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review.

In Search of a Prince was a sweet and endearing love story. The romance between Brielle and the hero was natural and believable. I loved how real the character of Brielle was, even when we met her in NYC, she was a natural princess at heart from the start but didn’t yet know it. Brielle’s character came alive when interacting with her best friend, Iris. If you liked the Princess Diaries movie, you’ll love the plot of In Search of a Prince. Such a great read!

There are so many things to love about In Search Of A Prince, and the gorgeous international setting tops my list. The fictional tropical island setting in West Africa was a lovely place to escape into a story. Brielle is the only daughter of a NYC doctor and she enjoys her life in the city. When Brielle learns her late father, who she never knew, was an African prince, and her paternal grandfather, the king, is unwell, she packs up her life and travels by private jet with her best friend, Iris, to the African tropical island kingdom.

The big complication in the story is Brielle’s search for a suitable prince to marry before her grandfather passes. The story is written in first person single viewpoint, and I was happy I picked the ‘winner’ early on who would claim Brielle’s hand in marriage. The romance includes a royal love triangle setup mixed with the marriage of convenience trope. Brielle must choose a husband and marrying for love is not necessarily at the top of her criteria list.

In Search Of A Prince also includes coming of age themes and explores the island’s culture. Brielle is on a journey of discovering her heritage and she quickly develops a close relationship with her grandfather. I loved the strong faith element that was an essential part of the story. Brielle practices her faith. She prays, reads the Bible, and seeks wisdom in her decision making. Brielle has humility and she understands the servant heart that’s needed for her to become a great queen who will lead her people as their head of state.

I recommend In Search Of A Prince to contemporary romance readers who enjoy royalty princess marriage of convenience stories with a strong faith element in a stunning tropical African island setting.

Many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

AWARD OF MERIT (A Rating)

Brielle Bayo is a twenty-something eighth grade Civics teacher living in New York and can’t wait to enjoy her summer with her mother and best friend. She never expects to find out that, not only was her deceased father a Prince, but she too is a Princess of a small country in West Africa. To make matters worse her grandfather, the King of Oloro, is ill and time is not his side. What is one to do when you are faced with all this news and on top of that you need to find a prince to carry out the wishes of your grandfather?

I couldn’t help but run to my computer when I was done with IN SEARCH OF A PRINCE by Toni Shiloh. Let me tell you; Ms. Shiloh does an outstanding job with this book. I loved everything about it, from the storytelling, the details, and the history. Most of the characters in this book are amazing. The fact that the book is set in a small fictional place in West Africa is just one of the many amazing things that blew me away. I must admit that I did not, at first, think I was going to connect with this story, but I fell in love with the character development, the plot and how Ms. Shiloh made the book feel like real life. The icing on the cake was that she made sure that faith was open and honest.

I fell in love with the heroine, Brielle Bayo, as soon as I started reading about her. I loved the fact that she wanted to share this whole new adventure with her best friend and how she had a real friend that was there for her and that she wanted to see her best friend succeed and vice versa. Between the way, she was raised by her single mother and her faith, she was destined for great things. Tomori Esesolua was not a surprise for me, but I like how he is sprinkled in throughout his book to be the possible love interest for Brielle.

IN SEARCH OF A PRINCE brought up all kinds of topics and feelings that should be talked about more often. Ms. Shiloh did a great job at creating drama, surprising me, and making me cry and swoon. I even laughed. I know I will be talking about this book to all my book lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

This is my first Royal romance book and I really did enjoy it. Brielle finds out she is a princess and her life is turned upside down. She is angry with her mother for keeping the secret and not sure she can forgive her. King Tiwa is her grandfather and is dying and he wants her become queen after he dies.
Brielle and her best friend Iris go to the island nation and meet her grandfather for the first time. She wants to take a couple of weeks to get to know the Island and the people while she decides if she will become a princess and eventually the Queen.

Being a Princess there will eventually be a prince but because that happens further into the story I will not comment on that here. I did love the story and seeing the Island from Brielle's perspective. Being a visitor she could see more than a royal would. I remember reading another book that talked about the slave forts and Toni had a fort on this Island which is set in the waters of West Africa. When they do a tour of the fort it brings up the past of slave ships and all the injustice and Toni tackles this in a sensitive way but also powerful.

The story deals with betrayal, unforgiveness and forgiveness in a way I thought was well done. Brielle feels so betrayed that her mother had lied to her all her life about her father being a prince and feels cheated. Her mother had her reasons and the way it is dealt with fits well with the story.

As most Royal stories are set in Europe it was interesting to see one set in Africa. I am eagerly awaiting the next story in the series.

This is a Christian fiction take on the movie ‘The Princess Diaries’. I LOVED the diversity and how immersive this author got into the fiction island kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé. I was completely transported into this world and enjoyed this book from start to finish.

I appreciated Brielle’s character and her serious approach to this role that was unexpectedly thrust upon her. It added to the believability element—in an otherwise unbelievable storyline.

Everyone needs a best friend like Iris-someone who is there for you, but not afraid to give you a reality check now and then too! The romance was sweet and perfectly paced to the story! I loved the conflict and had a hard time putting this down as I neared the end! This is my first book by this author and will be on the lookout for others!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

In Search of a Prince
By Toni Shiloh
Rating: 4.5/5

First, can we talk about that cover? I immediately knew I needed to read the story based on the book cover and that gorgeous dress! Stunning! Lol. I will judge a book by its cover if it’s that beautiful. Also…Representation matters. Seeing a black woman on the cover matters and is one of the reasons I wanted to read her story.

Second, Toni Shiloh is an incredibly talented writer who can suck the reader into her world and create such a lush environment that I want to visit. Her world building is brilliant with just enough detail to come alive in your imagination.

Third, Brielle…and a certain someone have so much chemistry that was dripping off the page. It’s the swoon worthy but sweet kind of chemistry that makes you sigh. The love story is written with so much heart and faith.

Finally, I love how the author is not afraid to weave her faith into this incredible story and share about who God is. Such a perfect display of His love and pleasure!

Don’t miss this clean, modern day fairytale set in a small African country with a royal family full of secrets.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Initially I did think this was going to have some Coming to America elements when I saw the blurb and wondered how the writer would bring something fresh to this but Toni Shiloh has done this brilliantly.

She tells the story of Brielle Adebayo a teacher in NYC who is transported into a life of luxury, royal protocol, family and political intrigue when she is told that she is the heir to Oloro lle a fictitious kingdom off the coast of Nigeria. and visits the kingdom to reconnect with her grandfather to learn more about her roots.

The writing is great, the descriptions of Oloro Ile captivating and evocative and I particularly like the writers attention to detail with the language used - which is Yoruba - which made it the story all the more effective in terms of place.
The friendship between Brielle and Tomori is authentic and engaging as it moves towards the romance.
Its a thoroughly charming and clean read and I enjoyed how the faith of the characters moved the story forward and influenced all the decisions they took.

Another great read from Toni Shiloh.

Why I Chose This Book

I was immediately intrigued by the cover. In Christian Fiction, we are just starting to see more diverse covers on the cover and in the stories. I like it when authors like Tori step out and include those diverse characters we need to have!

First Initial Thoughts

We start the novel with Brielle living in NYC as a school teacher and content with her life. She has a good relationship with her mother but one day her mother tells Brielle a secret that she has held for all of Brielle’s life. Brielle is the granddaughter of King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo. She is a princess. When Brielle is told this, she is shocked but I found it interesting that she didn’t take the news harder. She kind of took it with stride and was like ok, what do we do next? I found Brielle to be very independent, authoritative, but also laid back and easy-going. Brielle’s grandfather is dying and she is the heir to the throne.

Brielle decides to go but she can’t go without her best friend, Iris. So Iris tags along. I found Iris to be that one friend that everyone needs. She was such a free spirit and I think she helped Brielle be more adventurous. Brielle, I felt was kind of a homebody and Iris helped her go out and explore the country and learn what the culture could offer her. I loved Iris and I think we need to see more friends like this in novels!

Setting

While Oloro Ile is not real, it definitely felt real in the novel. I have been to Uganda myself, and the culture and way of life I experienced there also shined in this novel. I love that Toni not only showed the glamourous part of Brielle’s life but also the poor parts of Oloro. Uganda was much the same, there were parts of the city where they had more elegant homes but there were also defined areas of the city filled with poverty.

Final Thoughts

This story kind of reminded me of The Princess Diaries. Like Mia, Brielle had to enter royalty unexpectedly and fast. While I think Brielle was a little more ready and was more mature to do so. I do say while The Princess Diaries has its place, I think To Find a Prince brought its own twist with more emphasis on the culture, heritage, and family.

Brielle decides to accept the throne and finds out that she must marry before her Grandfather dies. So she needs to marry fast! While there are some handsome bachelors available, Tomori stole her heart. At first, Tomori was quiet and mysterious. He was a complete gentleman and was excited to teach Brielle about his culture and language. You could tell he had great pride in his country and culture. I thought that they complimented each other well. Their romance wasn’t this whirlwind romance which I appreicated. They shared a connection and it showed from the beginning.

While, I didn’t really like that she had to marry someone to be able to ascend the throne, I did like that Tori stood to the tradition of royal succession. However, it would have been neat to see a twist and Brielle being able to ascend without marrying.

Overall, this was a sweet story of a woman creating a new life for herself and finding out who she was meant to be.

Would I Recommend?

Yes! If you are looking for a novel that has a touch of fantasy and fairy tales, you will thoroughly enjoy this spectacular story!

I totally fell in love with the fairy tale story of Brielle and Tomori. Their love story and the beautiful landscape it takes place in is totally captivating! I read late into the night just to finish this in one sitting. This is a wonderful Christian Fiction that has a bit of mystery to it as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 1 February 2022.

What I think you should know:
In Search of A Prince by Toni Shiloh is contemporary Christian Fiction. introduced Brielle Bayo, an American middle school teacher who find out that she is the heir to the King of a Small African Nation, Ọlọrọ Ilé .

What you might need to know:
Brielle’s father died before she was born.
Brielle’s grandfather is dying.

What I think about this book:
I LOVE Toni Shiloh and have been excited about this book for months, it was worth the wait. Shiloh swept me away to the island country that is Brielle’s heritage. Brielle was such a wonderful character, my heart hurt for all that she had missed with her grandfather and struggled with some of the choices that her mother made. I enjoyed seeing her realistic feelings and struggle to come to terms with the new future that she faced. I love how Brielle’s faith helped guide her choices. Iris is the best friend that every girl needs, she was such a wonderful addition to the story. This was the perfect royal story for women who grew up watching the Princess Diaries, and want more than a teenager facing the unknown. I was not ready for it to be over, I loved the journey that Shiloh took us on and would love more of this beautiful Island.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh is a beautifully written story about one woman following the unexpected path God has placed before her. The setting of the story is well painted, the tropical beauties are easily envisioned. And the food! Oh, I would love to try some of the seafood!
I really enjoyed Brielle's character. There is an immense amount of growth for her in these pages, but I loved her absolute faith in God and her willingness to let His will guide her path. It was refreshing to see such a prominent spiritual theme as most of the country also holds Bri's faith.
Mori is quite the swoon-worthy hero. Not only was he handsome and strong, but he had such a tender heart. The way he encouraged Brielle from their first meeting had me cheering for him the whole time.
Overall, I enjoyed stepping into this life-changing experience with Brielle. I loved learning the culture, the government, and the people. And watching Brielle interact with others with her faith, warmed my heart over and over.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A surprisingly fun and entertaining read that was far more enjoyable than I expected!

Brielle Adebayo has a good life; she works as a middle school teacher in New York City where her mother works as a surgeon. She has never known her dad, who died before she was born. One day her mother takes her to lunch and tells her a secret she had been keeping all her life, Brielle is a princess in a kingdom off the coast of Africa. Her grandfather, the king, is sick and wants her to come meet him and prepare to assume her position to become Queen when he passes. Even with the shock of finding out she is a princess, Brielle decides to go and visit her grandfather and see the kingdom she is set to one day rule. Not everyone is happy Bri is going to be Queen; the Royal Council lets her know that she can’t become queen without a husband. First, she finds out she is a princess and now she learns she must find a husband quickly. With everyone judging her every move Bri must be careful she doesn’t make the wrong decision in life and love.

I must admit, I have never read a Toni Shiloh book before and am kind of kicking myself for it now. In Search of a Prince was a fun read that reminded me of The Princess Diaries which I have always loved. The way the story was written with Bri coming into a new country with many against her and the way she relied on her faith and friend to help her through the difficult transition helped move the story along. The tropical setting was beautiful and left me longing to put my toes in the sand and warm up in this warm and inviting country. Brielle isn’t written as someone that is perfect and comes in thinking she can do no wrong, she is nervous and really has a longing to prove she can learn and do what is needed to make sure she is the right person to lead the country. If you go into reading this as a fun rom-com you will get exactly what you want and enjoy a delightful read. It was a very inspiring story that readers will enjoy and leave wanting more from this tropical paradise.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.