One of the most incredible works of fiction I've read in recent years, THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY is exquisitely written. I simply could not put this book down -- it's an absolute must-read!

I’ve been into royals gossip long enough to remember the rumors about Princess Charlene of Monaco. Shortly before her wedding to Prince Albert, it’s said, the South African former Olympian had second thoughts and tried to leave the country. Her passport may or may not have been confiscated. Obviously, the wedding went forward, the couple had twins, and they remain married (though seem to spend a lot of time apart). Barbara Bourland clearly had Charlene in mind when she wrote this story, about a South African former Olympian named Caroline whose life is forever changed when she takes a nasty fall during a training session. Preparing to defend her gold medal in the marathon, Caroline instead shatters her hip socket due to osteoarthritis and hits her face hard enough to shatter a cheekbone and several teeth. In the exclusive rehab facility her Nike-esque sponsor sends her to for surgery on both her hip and face, the 22 year-old meets Finn, a handsome man about a decade her senior and they have an instant spark even through heavy painkillers. But they lose touch and Caroline lives as a “normal” 20-something for a bit, trying and in many ways failing to adjust to the way she’s treated when she’s no longer a top-tier athlete. When they reconnect, though, Finn and Caroline’s chemistry is undiminished and they become engaged after a whirlwind courtship. The first sign of trouble is when Finn’s icy mother Amelie sends Caroline for an invasive physical exam without warning, prompting her to try to leave the country before she’s stopped by the palace’s security staff. The wedding goes forward, but even gilding can’t disguise that the borders of Caroline’s life are actually iron bars and they’re closing ever-tighter around her. She’s an interesting character, Caroline, easy to get invested in despite her naivete but often frustrating, particularly as the story goes on. It is screamingly obvious that something is very seriously amiss, but Caroline doesn’t know what she doesn’t know and doesn’t ask the right questions…or even very many questions at all. The book is strongest at the beginning as her character is being established, with a sense of possibility for how it might unfold even as the broad contours of the story aren’t hard to see coming. It loses some momentum in the middle, I don’t know that Bourland’s choice to put a major plot development at the beginning serves the story as well as it could have. Some aspects of the plot seem overdeveloped, while others, like Caroline’s relationship with Amelie, felt like they could have gotten more focus to build up some less well-rounded aspects of Caroline’s character and circumstances. I did appreciate, though, her focus on Caroline’s body, the way it and the person residing inside of it are treated differently depending on her status: Olympian, regular girl, princess. Usually those ideas are left more to allusion but they’re foregrounded in a very thoughtful way. I think this book will be an engaging enough read for fellow royals watchers, and even those with more casual interest in royalty. It’s not great but it’s solid enough in most respects to be worth recommending.

Inspired by the lives of real princesses, The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland presents a picture that tarnishes the image of the charmed life of a princess. It brings out the rules, the requirements, and the constraints of royal life. It paints a very sad picture. Given recent news and requests for privacy, this book takes on a whole new meaning and relevance. The aspect of the book that is perhaps even more fascinating for being unexpected is the view on South African history and politics.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/03/the-force-of-such-beauty.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

4.5 stars, rounded up. Wow, what a mistake I made letting this linger on my shelves as long as I did. We know now what a gilded cage monarchy can be for the civilian women who marry into these families and cultures, and this book explores it in a truly enrapturing narrative. There are shocking reveals and twists throughout the story, and Caroline is a fascinating character, leaving readers wondering whether her naivete was exploited, or how complicit she was by entrusting her life to those who never had her best interest at heart.

I'd heard great things about "The Force of Such Beauty" and overall enjoyed this unique story. I thought the opening was very strong and was glad that we were getting some backstory. However, I do kind of wish it had been told with alternating timelines because it opened so strong and pulled you in (which is obviously the point), but while I enjoyed getting the context for the opening and seeing how we got there, it felt like we had to wait so long to get back to those current events.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was another book I had a hard time getting into but enjoyed once it got going. At the beginning the husband seemed like such a baddie I couldn’t imagine why she would have married him. But it made a lot more sense once I got into the story. A sequel might even be interesting, to see what the two children do with the knowledge they received from the manuscript.

I really wanted to like "The Force of Such Beauty", but couldn't get into it. Bourland's previous books made me want to read this one. However, I couldn't connect with the characters and didn't get past the first 1/4 of the book.

Caroline captured my heart a marathon runner a champion till a horrible fall that ends her running.As in fairy tales she marries a prince but her life is not happy after ever.I was totally drawn into this story sorry when it ended.#netgalley #dutton

Caroline is the world record holder as a runner. She knows what it feels like to be the best. Then her career and life are over after a tragic fall. She then meets a real-life prince and falls in love. But her fairy tale becomes a nightmare that she cannot escape. I really enjoyed this book and the character of Caroline. I was hoping that she would be able to escape her nightmare. Readers will have to wait until the end to find out what happened.

• ꧁༺ 𝓜𝔂 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽 ༻꧂

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓. 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋, 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓.

𝐓he woman had become so desperate that she would do 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to get away: for now, it was as good a time as any to escape her misery and torment, to flee with only the clothes, or rather, the nightgown, on her back. She had to run, even if it meant leaving her children behind. Her nightmare was a real-life event—a horror she would 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 survive if she stayed. She had it planned: she would wait, play the game, bide her time, and say and do all the right things; 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

The armed Members were human, after all. And they would need to sleep sooner or later. She would wait them out, wait for the sweet slumber to close their eyes and whisk them away to dreamland. And then she would make her move. Oh, how wonderful it will be—to be free, finally. Her children? She could always come back for them later. Right now, though, she had to leave. There was an open window of escape—just waiting for her to go through it. She could do it. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵. She could do it. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵. She would take that old, beat-up car belonging to one of her maids and flee. It's cold out, and she is wearing only a nightgown; her legs are bare, but she can barely feel the chill. Her coat is expensive, as is the scarf with the telltale insignia: surely, someone will recognize it and report her. Or will they?

Driving is a skill one never forgets. And the woman operates the stolen vehicle like an expert—driving it to the airport and parking it in a chosen stall effortlessly. She made it! It was too easy; she even chatted up the ticket agent booking her flight and boarded her plane to Riyadh before her layover flight to London. She had done it! She finally escaped! Her plane was now in flight, and she was leaving it all behind. She was leaving 𝘩𝘪𝘮 behind. Her nightmare made her look like a mess, but she could clean up later. She finally escaped. She was leaving it all behind, leaving 𝘩𝘪𝘮 behind. Or so she thought.

They were on the ground waiting for her when she exited the plane in Riyadh. The armed Members. They were 𝘩𝘪𝘴 troops. And they were there to escort her back—back to her prison. Back to her nightmare. Back to 𝘩𝘪𝘮. And because she was powerless to do anything about it, she succumbed without incident.

Dear reader, there is significant truth in the old idiom "Looks can be deceiving"—as the storyline on the pages of the tale currently under review so blatantly reveals. For as wisdom speaks, "Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife." Wisdom calls aloud to those who have ears to hear. But those who shut off their ears to her cries love to frolic with folly: to acknowledge the spirit of wisdom, in the end, is folly; but to discern it at the beginning is prudence.
Unfortunately for our leading lady, dear reader, she constitutes the former: for had she been willing to heed the voice of wisdom at the outset, she would have kept herself well from a life of torment and bitter regret.

With that, dear reader, shall we proceed with the analysis? Of course, we shall.

• ꧁༺ 𝓐𝓬𝓽 𝓞𝓷𝓮 ༻꧂

𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄— 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃.

Like the Florence Griffith Joyner, or "Flo-Jo," of Johannesburg, South Africa, 22-year-old Caroline Muller, a Gold Medalist and irrefutable Olympian, was dubbed the "Fastest Woman on Earth." Running was her passion, her mastered sport, her life source. And few could rival her. She had loved to stretch her limits, challenging her body to excruciating feats—all in a quest to be the best. And that Caroline Muller was: the best. But the human body, no matter how strong it may seem, has its restrictions, as it is prone to sickness, fatigue, pain, destruction, and decay. Caroline Muller neglected to remember that, and it cost her dearly: the sculpted body of the world's fastest woman, while running on course to break another one of her (own) records, suddenly collapsed from disintegration—landing her on the hardened surface of dirt, shattering not only Caroline's face but also the remainder of her dream, ending her illustrious career. It laughed in her broken face and at her broken teeth, fate. It had been cruel and malicious—destiny. It stood back and watched as Caroline achieved the unimaginable, peering at her honor and world fame with cunning eyes, smeared windows only slightly obscuring a soul full of scorn. And when an opportune moment arose, fate rose with it—taking the initiative to drop-kick Caroline Muller off her perch and snatch her down from her heights.

The once-great Caroline Muller can only reflect on her former life as she rehabilitates at the luxurious Scoria Vale—where top surgeons worked to rebuild her face and crumpled body. The saboteur of her career had a diagnosis: osteoarthritis. The debilitating condition gnawed away at her hips, and the effects of it came to fruition on her left leg, causing the femoral ball and her hip socket to part ways. In unison, her joints yielded, and her bones cracked—leading the way to devastation. Caroline insisted on pushing her body past its limits, and in a single day, it fell, osteoarthritis bringing an abrupt end to the running career of a woman who dominated the Sydney Olympics, completing the marathon in 2:12:08.
And now here she was at Scoria Vale, her all-expense-paid stay courtesy of her sponsor.

Caroline could give in to the temptation of depression, but she fights against it, if only weakly. The former athlete only knows where she's been; she has no idea where she's going. She's lost. If she can't run, who will she be? Caroline contemplates; she's in a reflective mood. Looking around her environment, she considers her fellow residents, or patients, mulling over their wealth and ease despite the injuries that landed them in Scoria Vale. He was among them. Tall, dark, chiseled, and solid in build. And he was handsome. Handsome and 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩. At the sight of him, Caroline's heart fluttered like a monarch butterfly; her eyes danced and twirled like the elegant ballerinas of Degas. Her attraction to him was undeniable, as was his to her. And immediately, the two patients in healing formed a bond of communication. His name was Ferdinand, "Finn," if she liked, and he took Caroline's breath away.
But that was all in the beginning when everything seemed so pure, innocent, sweet, and charming: the 32-year-old Finn was the perfect gentleman. He was so interested in 𝘩𝘦𝘳. He made Caroline feel special—as if nothing else mattered or was more important than 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
With time lust morphed into a love Caroline had never known before. And because Caroline Muller was nothing if not entirely impulsive, she leaped, headfirst, into his comforting embrace: for Finn was a man full of promise. And Caroline was a woman submerged in an ocean trench of bliss. 𝘏𝘦 was her knight in shining armor.

For Caroline, good times, except for the disease that ended her career, never seemed so good. But then, her new friend was gone. Finn had disappeared—as if he'd never been there at all. And now Caroline felt grieved and heartbroken.

𝐈'𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍-𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃; 𝐈 𝐆𝐎 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍-𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐄𝐒.

Life was quite lonely for the only child, Caroline Muller, which left her susceptible to neediness and emotional dependency. Her athletic career is now over, and she must move on. But where will she go? If she can't run, what will she do? Such thoughts occasionally visit her young mind to query, although she has no answer for them. She can't live at Scoria Vale forever: her sponsor is only willing to foot the bill for her lodge to a certain point; further, Caroline DOES NOT intend to return to her native Johannesburg. Her nurturing mother knows this and suggests Caroline travel to Portugal instead. Hanna, an old friend from childhood, has a place in Lisbon and has invited Caroline to live with her, according to Mrs. Muller. After some consideration, Caroline accepts the gracious invitation. At least she will have a safe place to heal and ponder her future.

The cosmetic surgery Caroline had to repair her shattered jaw has left her more beautiful than before, and she has now become a target of lustful, covetous men and jealous, envious women. Men once feared her body, with its height, strength, and power; now they salivate for it: they no longer feel intimidated; they have become emboldened.

A new woman with a new face and a softening, feminine figure, Caroline arrives in Lisbon to meet Hanna at the airport. Hanna, an average blonde and unapologetic bibliophile, is studying architectural history. But she loves to party; she loves her one-night stands, the worldly Hanna. And she can't wait to introduce her old friend, Caro (short for 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦), to her colorful, wild, rich, and spoiled circle of friends—beginning with her roommate, Raleigh "Rally" Griggs. The trio of women will share an enormous three-bedroom apartment in an old, imposing building owned by Rally's grandmother. The easy-going Rally can afford to live rent-free as her family, a clan that swims in money, is one of the greatest dynasties in European real estate. The employer of Raleigh Griggs is her own family. And it is on the family business payroll that she gets by on plenty of sand, surf, food, drink, and revelrous leisure.
In time, Rally, Hanna, and their small group of wealthy friends turn the former Olympian, Caroline, on to an empty life of pleasure, hobnobbing all over Europe, late-night rendezvous, wasting valuable time in only the best cafés, drinking parties, base conversations about boredom at universities, and whatnot. Caroline falls in step with the in-crowd, easily conforming to become one of them. And no one likes this trait better than the wealthy and handsome playboy, Christian, the first boy Caroline believed she was beginning to fall head-over-heels for. That was until his true spirit burst forth without warning.

With only so much money left to live on, Caroline needs to find a job—and fast. So she casually asks Rally if she might apply to work as Rally's assistant in the Griggs family's real estate business. But Rally chuckles at the question, brushing Caroline off, pretentiously kind but dismissive. When Rally instead hires another woman to assist her, with the excuse that that woman's Portuguese is more fluent than Caroline's, Caroline gets the message: Rally had no intention of ever bringing the beautiful Caroline into her family's business. To make matters worse, Hanna is incognito: she's content to leave Caro to fend for herself.

Here, hardened hearts concealed by smiling faces are dangerously deceptive combinations. So are envy and jealousy tucked behind a cloak of perceived hospitality. A person finds out who their true friends are when they're down—not when they're up.

Perhaps Caroline should have returned home to Johannesburg and taken that coaching job. No, her beloved parents forbade it: 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, they said; 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨, they both said. But if her parents only knew her situation, each would have probably relented.
Much like the affluent, spoiled, worldly, and unambitious characters portrayed in Anthony Minghella's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘳. 𝘙𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘺 (1999) are Hanna, Rally, Christian, and those members of their clique. And with friends like them, who on earth needed enemies?

Speaking of friends, Caroline could not stop thinking about one in particular: Finn. Would she ever see him again? Oh, she could only wish.

• ꧁༺ 𝓐𝓬𝓽 𝓣𝔀𝓸 ༻꧂

𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇, 𝐀𝐍𝐃—

She couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted the big, hulking man walk into the trendy restaurant with the famous blonde Australian songstress. It was 𝘩𝘪𝘮, her 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥. Celestial bodies stopped spinning on their axes to gaze down and gawk at them—Finn and the celebrated, slender woman on his arm. Such beauty and elegance Caroline felt were beyond her: the lipstick she borrowed from the jeering Rally did nothing to boost her confidence, a nutrient her self-esteem lacked. Worse? He didn't even notice her staring along with everyone else in the eatery. The world was his oyster: he was a royal, a prince, the heir to the throne of the predominant Fieschi Dynasty.

Her false friends teased her about the prince, assuming Caroline fostered a crush that would never amount to anything. But again, Caroline ignored their barbs: for they had no idea that she and the handsome prince were already acquainted: it was Finn who'd told Caroline that she reminded him of the great Frida Kahlo; it was Finn, the prince, who'd given Caroline Frida Kahlo's autobiography. But her narrow-minded false friends didn't have a clue: they were like the wicked stepsisters, jabbing, ridiculing, and seeking to discourage. And Caroline was like Cinderella—an outcast well on her way to becoming someone more esteemed than the former Olympian she was: a princess: 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘰.

If she, Caroline, only knew which hand the future held out for her. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸.

• ꧁༺ 𝓐𝓬𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮 ༻꧂

𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄—𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄.

Still young and full of life, Caroline knows there is something more for her to do in the world. Yes, her body will need time to heal, but her spirit is intact, not to mention her new, beautiful face. She would go on. She studied the life of Frida Kahlo, and she finally understood her. And like Frida Kahlo, Caroline would come to terms with her current predicament. She will learn to embrace her pain, physical and emotional. And she will accept the truth: her career-ending accident happened for a specific reason. Caroline Muller will soon learn that behind every dark cloud was the sun, waiting to shine brightly again. And so it did. It would be two years later before Caroline and Finn reunited in Shanghai for the Special Olympics—leading the way to a storybook romance.

Caroline — oh, how she wanted to string Finn, the handsome prince, along. And for a while, she was strong enough to subdue her wanting for him, her desperate need for him, her parched and thirsty desire; she could hold on to what power she had left within her until they met again in Milan. And when they did, Caroline's defenses gave way: Caroline Muller, traditionally a woman with her wits about her, lost herself. Over just a few dates, she asked the prince to marry her. Yes, 𝘴𝘩𝘦, not 𝘩𝘦, proposed. And the charming—and filthy rich—prince said yes. He even whisked her away to the finest jewelers (the same housing priceless gemstones once owned by royals centuries before) and the master furrier of Italy, particularly the House of Fendi, to spoil her with luxuries only a girl with princess fantasies could dream of. Added, Caroline's engagement ring, a stunning piece for which to die, is perfectly fit for a princess-to-be. Nothing is too big nor too small, Finn assuring Caroline that his caring for her was from now on. And with time, they were on his private jet en route to his family's royal estate, the Talon, situated along the opulent seashores of Lucomo. Oh, so newly in love, Caroline and Finn. So full of delight, Caroline and Finn—

The perceived state of happiness. It observed the lovebirds well before allowing them to enter its (illusional) rest.

Caroline may take pride in her dominance, but she also has a dangerous—and gullible—weakness: her inability to discern cliff edges ahead of her: for she is too hasty to leap before first looking over an escarpment to consider how steep and jagged its slopes are.

Here, the sea of Fieschi looks calm on the surface: beautiful and blue, royal and pristine. But lurking beneath that sparkling uppermost layer are many rip currents of hatred, envy, covetousness, and rage. And the bony but powerful hands of the felt but unseen itch to take hold of Caroline's ankles, that they may pull her under and out miles and miles from the shallow waters of the shore, where the once-prominent athlete will have to tread the deep to stay afloat—and alive.

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄, 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀.

Tradition has its place inside the majestic Talon. And as a consort, Caroline is given a selected accommodation: the Gloria Apartment. The massive and elegantly decorated apartment, filled with antiques and named for Gloria of Trieste, the founding mother of Lucomo's dazzling casinos and a member of the royal family, is now Caroline's residence. And the grandeur of it steals her breath away. Paintings hung in gilded frames of royal women preceding her: four succeeding centuries. And for Caroline, it was all heart could wish: it was a life fit for a princess-to-be.
Is there anything, or 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, who could spoil this—this euphoria? Perhaps.

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒.

The day Caroline meets her future mother-in-law, Queen Amelie, the appointment becomes overthrown with tension. Almost immediately, Caroline can sense hostility, although the older Queen—a woman fond of birds—does take the time to commend the younger woman on her beauty. Amelie, a woman accustomed to power and possessing it over others, feigns annoyance with Caroline, and Caroline is careful to mind her manners. It's all about power, and this is a power play. Of course, Amelie—𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, lest one should forget her honorific—speaks to Caroline as though the young woman were beneath her as a human being. The Queen queries Caroline in an interrogating tone, lacking empathy for Caroline's misfortunes in life and exhibiting a cruel disinterest. However, Queen Amelie is interested in Caroline's ability to bear children as the commoner must be able to birth heirs to the throne. And Amelie, a woman surrounded by a sanctuary of birds, including a small neon-green one that appears to be the Queen's favorite, will not give her blessing unless.

Caroline knows Amelie is not fond of her, but that's just as well, so long as Finn is. Caroline loves Finn, he loves her, and they will marry, have many children, and live happily ever after. So there.

𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃-𝐖𝐎𝐍.

Little Princess Jane made it. Four miscarriages predated her, but she made it to term. By the time of Jane's birth, her mother, Caroline, is a bundle of nerves—as carrying Jane to her full term was a hard-won battle. But the baby is alive and healthy. And she's named Jane in honor of Caroline's darling mother. 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 is a pretty enough name for some, but as far as Queen Amelie is concerned, the name Jane is boring, a simple namesake lacking royal flair; therefore, Amelie insists that the newborn receive a new name at baptism: Jeanne Marianne Ferdinand Amelie Arturo. Of course, it's alright for little Jane—of whom Amelie is quite adoring, although she detests the child's mother, Caroline—to have Amelie's name and not that of her maternal grandmother. Amelie's will is the law. And Caroline had better remember that.

The human spirit. With time and consistent, oppressive force, it's not difficult to break. From here on out, Old Scratch goes to work on young Princess Caroline through several human hosts, including her new m̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ monster-in-law. Amelie is quickly becoming an evil trial to Caroline; Finn has seemingly abandoned her, and Caroline is slow to recover from her postpartum depression. The situation with the princess only worsens after the birth of her second child, the colicky Henry. By then, Caroline had already begun pulling out her hair. The technicians weave it in, and she yanks it out—strand for strand—from the roots. New growth be damned. Caroline uses the tips of her acrylic nails to tweeze the virgin hairs no sooner than her follicles sprout them.

Here, the embellished woman in a gilded cage, oohed-and-awed over, envied even, brims with confusion, anxiety, depression, self-hatred, and simmering rage. And no one seems to notice, nor do they care: no one is paying attention to her deteriorating mental health. Princess Caroline of Lucomo is a woman hanging by a string.

• ꧁༺ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓐𝓬𝓽 ༻꧂

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑.

The best place to observe the world system is not from on high but from the ground up because one can stand back from it and witness its workings in full, see it for what it is. The former is folly, while the latter is wisdom. And unfortunately for Caroline Muller, she allowed the spirit of folly to misguide her—through lust, loss, and poor judgment.

While there is nothing wrong with having an abundance of wealth—in Caroline's case, expensive gowns, jewels, yachts, elaborate homes—if one's spiritual house is in shambles, there will be no peace or peace of mind. For only so long can material wealth, monetary riches, and even fame bring happiness to a human being if the same is empty in spirit and devoid of faith: for the physical does not supersede the spiritual, the spiritual supersedes the physical. One is temporary, the other eternal. And the most important of these is the last-mentioned.
Again, there is nothing negative about receiving the desires of one's heart; a person is supposed to be joyful. But when one's mind is carnal, one can be defenseless against spiritual forces that attack the mind; ergo, frustration, anxiety, low self-esteem, hatred, self-hatred, fear, worry, paranoia, doubt, confusion, enemy-mindedness, lying and denying, lust, murderous spirit—and adultery.

Here, the surface is deceptive, but the internal reveals the truth: when one is drunk, the same cannot see the error of their ways; only when sober can they see clearly.

Not until her spiritual inebriation begins to subside does the fog dissipate, allowing Caroline to perceive distinctly. The prince she thought she loved, His Highness Ferdinand the Second, looks like a chlamydial frog; the Talon, named for the claw of a bird of prey, a vulture, for instance, is nothing but a palatial prison; and she, Caroline, and her two spoiled children, merely its glorified captives.

On the pages of this false fairytale of turmoil, we follow our leading lady as she enters an elaborate, dark, deceptive, and complex labyrinth of a seven-year-long nightmare — draped in Mulberry silk and dripping in round brilliant cut diamonds. On these pages, there is nothing purposeful or meandering about Caroline Muller's journey to the seat of monarchical power within a seven-hundred-year-old dynasty. Her descent into the abyss of mental deterioration is as genuine as the blatant lie she has learned to live. And from her spiritual and physical captivities, Caroline Muller, Princess of Lucomo, will either escape—with her children—alive or die—a miserable death—trying.

Like heat attributed to fire, the proverb of Fieschi will be with Caroline forever: the folk tale yielding to a revolting nightmare: money laundering, human trafficking, extramarital affairs, and the illegitimate children—waiting, desperately, for their chance to bite into the rotten, worm-filled apple.

• ꧁༺ 𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽 ༻꧂

Noting the characters of this literary play, some wish Caroline well, while others would like nothing more than to see her complete and utter destruction. The remaining men and women who co-star here play their parts to the hilt! Meet them as follows:

• Harriet Jane Swan Muller is Caroline's treasured and selfless mother and a woman of priceless integrity who will command the reader to tears.

• Zola Mbatha is a fellow South African and former runner turned accomplished attorney. Once a true friend to Caroline, Zola has become a practical stranger.

• Roger Brevard stars as Finn's obnoxious and whorish cousin and a man with a hideous facial mole. For wherever there is an opening, it is there that the promiscuous Roger Brevard will insert his insatiable pecker.

• Alexei Coursalis is a super-rich shipping magnate with an ulterior motive. Another man dominated by pride, arrogance, and machismo, Alexei, hated by Caroline at first sight, is eluded by a good night's rest unless he can either turn one person's joy into sorrow—or hand-wash another's dirty money.

• Dasha Coursalis, cast to play the wife of Alexei, is a nasty, bigoted, cocky, and surgically-enhanced drunkard. Thumbing her nose at humility and looking down to spit upon the head of the less fortunate is the (wicked) way of Dasha Coursalis.

• Sonia Coursalis is the phony daughter of Alexei and Dasha, a limp, fruitless branch on a dead tree.

• Schätze—a native of Scandinavia and the "Evelyn Harper '' of this narrative—is a tall, mannish, curt, and submissive assistant to Her Supreme Highness, Queen Amelie. When the Queen commands Schätze to fetch, she does; when Queen Amelie commands Schätze to roll over, the assistant does so; and when Her Supreme Highness commands Schätze to bite and not bark, the towering Scandinavian bares her fangs and goes for the throat.

• Roland is Finn's Chief of Staff and henchman. A diehard loyalist, Roland is always ready, willing, and able to do the bidding of His (royal) Highness. Luckily for Roland, Otto and Dix are there to assist his nefariousness.

• Dr. Finney is the crooked, the bitch, the ruthless browbeater.

• Dr. Sun is the straight, caring, nurturing comforter.

• Nanny Marie and Chef Lola co-star as the caretakers for Princess Jane and Prince Henry. And the two women serve their purposes in more ways than one.

Rounding out the top-billed cast of players is Atena Ricci, the diplomat's wife who, along with Chiara, Benedetta, Aurora, Marcella, and Vida, serve as Caroline's Ladies in Waiting. The seven privileged women, dubbed the "Ammaliatrici" by the Talon, sail their fancy boats, drive their luxury cars, and ride their thoroughbreds without care. Life is good—until the ground caves in beneath their well-heeled feet.

• ꧁༺ 𝓜𝔂 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 ༻꧂

Historical fiction novels cover years of activity, entwining from past to present. Such works of fiction are very detailed and comprehensive, reading like diaries. And for this reason, my analyses of historical fiction novels are structured to reflect that singular trait.

With Barbara Bourland's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺, it was no different. On the pages of her well-woven tale, Bourland transports the reader through seven years in the life of her starring lead, Caroline Muller, a once-extraordinary sportswoman who kissed a prince and got a frog full of toadstool in return. Here, Bourland masters the art of pushing the sensitive buttons of every emotion ranging from anger to frustration, hatred to impatience, and despair to exhilaration. With that skill, she nearly charmed a five-star rating out of me. I said 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺.

Whereas 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 is rife with pros, it, too, has its fair share of cons. The storyline is entertaining enough and beautifully written—like poetry—but some of its blemishes, though covered with concealer, were still too noticeable to ignore. Nevertheless, Bourland, obviously well-versed and well-traveled, produced a work worthy of my recommendation, especially for readers who will enjoy not only its subject matter but also its international setting; for the creative vision of Barbara Bourland is— a force of such beauty.

Happy reading, all.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲:

Dear female reader? Have you ever fantasized about being a princess? Oh sure, many women in the world have. Not me, personally, because that's not my interest, but many other women have; they occasionally slip into the realm of such fantasies. But after viewing this thorny narrative of abuse and inhumanity, those women who daydream will, perhaps, make haste to pull down the shutters of their imaginations; for the pages of this tale depict reality, not fantasy.

The fictional Prince Charming is perfect in the fairytale world, but real-life human beings are as flawed as the word itself. Although presented here in a fictional setting, "Prince Ferdinand Fieschi II" represents the real world. People are people, and they are susceptible to wickedness.

Since I was a child, I have loved the story of 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 because I can appreciate—and even relate to—a portion of its symbolism: Cinderella, an orphaned only child, is maltreated (and ostracized) by others only to have life do a one-eighty in her favor. Any woman who has endured her fair share of isolation and mistreatment will empathize with the Cinderella of this story, Caroline Muller, just as I did. And the same will love her, just as I do.

Again, dear reader, I wish you a happy reading experience.


𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: It is a pleasure to thank Penguin Group Dutton / Dutton—in association with NetGalley—for the complimentary copy of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 for my reading pleasure.

Analysis of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 by Barbara Bourland is courtesy of Literary Criticism by Cat Ellington for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴©.

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄: The reference to the fictional character “Evelyn Harper,” portrayed by American actress Hope Emerson, is from the 1950 film noir “Caged,” directed by John Cromwell.

©𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐤 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

This memoir-style novel pulls you in with a vivid description of luxury, confinement, and rebellion, and follows it up with an introspective story of seduction. Equal parts escapist fantasy and horror story, but the narrative is grounded in the realities of class, power, and the ways trauma and mental health struggles compound each other and make people that much more vulnerable.

What a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous, and the story felt so timely to read right now considering how much the British Royal Family has been in the media. It was a raw and harrowing portrait of a reluctant and trapped commoner-turned-royal, a woman whose athletic career has ended abruptly and is thrust into a life of absolutely no independence. It's heartbreaking yet fierce, and I really enjoyed it. It felt a little long and dragged a bit in the middle, but overall, I thought it was beautiful. It would make for a great book club discussion book.

I must admit I dragged my feet reading The Force of Such Beauty because I didn't care for the cover. But I'm glad I did read it. I always have looked at princesses as having a wonderful life but what happens when someone from outside the country becomes princess and life isn't as great as it seems. Being told what to wear, how to take care of your body, that you are only there to produce and heir and a spare. Your every move is watched, who you talk to. It's more of a prison for some. Barbara Bourland did a good job of pulling me into the lives of Caroline and Finn.

The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland is a haunting book. This book surprised me in the author's ability to pull me into a different world and make me feel claustrophobic. Something about it reminded me of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." I think Ms Bourland did a remarkable job bringing this story to life. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

First off, the cover of this one is swoon worthy. The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland wrestles with themes of power, beauty, and the force of the patriarchy.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

how not to want to be a royal. Just a beautiful mix of royal historical fiction, lit fiction, and a coming of age story. Thank you to Dutton for the gifted ARC my honest review.

You might think it would be every woman's dream to marry a handsome prince and become a princess, but for marathon champion Caroline, it becomes a nightmare of fulfilling her duty as showpiece and providing the royal family with heirs. Interesting premise, but I just could not connect to the main character and her whole poor-me thing, and felt the characters were all pretty one-dimensional.

After struggling for some time with my rating, I've landed on a weak four. I read this in a relatively short period of time, so it was compelling enough, but it's a difficult book to rate.

Like most fairy tales, it starts with a dynamic if troubled young woman, who takes on a role as princess to increase her sense of self, and to live with the man she loves (or has been groomed to love). Love turns to duty, duty turns sour, powers behind the throne exert their influence. It's not pretty.

One can't help but think of modern day princesses, as did the author. I found it interesting and unsettling.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC.

I read this book DAYS after Queen Elizabeth II died (not even on purpose) and WHOA. I seriously hope it goes viral or something because it totally changed the way I think about royalty. It reads a bit like Princess Diana fanfiction, but it goes deeper and adds more twists and creates a perfect storm of controversy and tension. The characters felt evil and real and thorough. The first 10% is wildly readable. The rest gets harder and harder — maybe others would disagree! — but it's worth it. Dang. I won't forget this one.

THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY by Barbara Bourland was not what I expected but ended up being so much more. Well-written, sad, and surprisingly twisty, Bourland wrote a story that shows that things aren’t what they seem, and you should really be careful what you wish for. The ending surprised me, and I read with shocked tears in my eyes. Reading this novel was an experience that will sit in my mind for quite some time to come.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheForceofSuchBeauty #BarbaraBourland #Dutton