I could not put this story down. Iris Blakely loves fashion and desires to help the people of Oloro iLe by providing a business that employs the citizens of the country she is coming to love. Ekon is being punished by his country for his deception and must help her launch her company. Iris and Ekon are attracted from the beginning but both had personal issues that they had to work through. I loved how Toni allowed the characters to struggle with real life issues that didn't immediately go away. Each character had to turn to the Lord in their own time and deal with the issues they struggled with. Highly recommend and I love this series.

To Win a Prince is a stand-alone novel by Toni Shiloh, but it is also a followup to In Search of a Prince. I would recommend reading In Search of a Prince first. The council of the fictional African country of Ọlọrọ Ilé forced Iris Blakely to employ Ekon Diallo, the disgraced prince who tried to overthrow the crown, in her fashion business. Their pasts and different beliefs prevent them from pursuing their mutual action toward each other. Shiloh has created a delightful story filled with love and forgiveness.

To Win a Prince is a contemporary novel written by Toni Shiloh. It is book two in the African American Royalty Romance series, and while you could read this book on its own, I wouldn’t recommend it as there is quite a bit of backstory in the first one.

Summary: Iris Blakely is finally settling in on the African island country of Ọlọrọ Ilé. Her best friend may now be the queen, but she’s determined to make it on her own with her new fashion company dedicated to benefitting the less fortunate people of Ọlọrọ Ilé.

When she discovers that Ekon Diallo has been sentenced in his role to sabotage the queen, and his sentence is to help her start up the company, she doesn’t know if she should be delighted or upset.

She didn’t approve of Ekon’s tactics, or how they hurt her friend, but she has always had a secret crush on him.

Could there be a way to forget the past, and maybe have a future-together?

My Thoughts: I really like this series. The writing is good, and it’s very different than any romance/royalty books I have previously read, which is refreshing. I like the setting, the characters, and the overall theme.

There is a good story arc, a nice romance that isn’t too cheesy, and I enjoyed watching the characters develop as the story unfolded.

I definitely recommend this book (and the series as a whole.) It’s worth the read, and one I would read again, which I don’t often say.

I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

To Win a Prince is my first Toni Shiloh novel and this one was adorable and charming! I love stories set abroad that open the door of my mind to imaginative locations (based on real geographical locations, of course) and transport me to a new places. That’s exactly what Shiloh did with this story. Not only was this novel fun to read, but she brought her story-world of Ọlọrọ Ilé to life with vivid descriptions and a beautiful story of losing it all only to discover the riches that a personal faith in Christ can hold!

HIGHLIGHTS:
African Prince Falls for African American · Clean, Faith-Filled Content · Forced Proximity · Fashion Industry Setting · African Island Location · Royals · Cute, Independent Heroine Who Loves to Dream · Rock Bottom + A Prodigal Son Moment

WHAT I LIKED:
This contemporary romance is set in the fictional African country of Ọlọrọ Ilé, an island location that Shiloh has masterfully created. I really enjoyed the setting and the fact that this novel transported me there in my mind’s eye. I also found Shiloh’s faith-based story line refreshing as so many of today’s Christian fiction releases merely offer a watered-down version of the Gospel and what repentance and saving faith in Jesus can do. I also enjoyed that this novel was written from both main characters’ POV, allowing me a heart-level insight.

Main character, Iris Blakely, is launching her dream company, Aso, built to empower the women and people of the country with colorful, beautiful clothing that she hopes will become a coveted part of the global fashion industry. She’s talented and independent, but has a tender heart that allows her to daydream, jumping headfirst into giving her heart away easily. She wrestles through this in the story and her personal faith grows because of it.

Ekon Diallo loses everything he’s ever known as the result of a misguided mistake and his way of living, thinking and existing are challenged as a result. His character growth was deeply rewarding and I loved seeing him find both faith and love in the midst.

SUMMARY:
Though at times, I found this story to lull and had to push myself to finish, my patience paid and I found the second half of the story to be rewarding. I had trouble relating with Iris’ character but enjoyed Ekon well enough. The setting was very fun and unique. While somewhat simple and predictable without much of the angst-y, flirty tension I enjoy, I found this novel to be clean, charming and cute, plus filled with a wonderful faith-based message that I believe many Christian readers will enjoy! Readers who love novels by Tari Faris, Lindsay Harrell and Tammy L. Gray might also enjoy this novel.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

5 well deserved stars
One prominent thing from this story is that you can find love in the most unlikely places. There's redemption in waiting for God's perfect timing.
Iris was an absolute delight. I loved her spirit, her fierce determination to succeed and help the women of Oloro Ile. Finding love in the midst of this was definitely not part of the plan and something Iris definitely tried hard to fight.
Ekon on the other hand right off the bat came on as a spoilt prince with nothing to his name trying his best to get back to where he was in terms of wealth. He was lost.
They butt heads and struggle to work together but learn grace and forgiveness as the story progresses and Ekon's redemption story is one that'd stay with you for a while.
I loved every minute of this story and definitely not one I'd forget in a while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

To Win A Prince is Toni Shiloh's newest book. It is the sequel to The fabulous In Search Of A Prince. This is the story of Queen Brielle's best friend Iris who moved to Ọlọrọ Ilé, a small Island nation off the coast of Africa. Iris started up a fashion company to help the impoverished women of Ọlọrọ Ilé support themselves. I loved learning about African customs and the setting was great. The plot was fast-moving and very engaging. Iris and Ekon were enemies to friends and I loved how Ms. Shilo wove their stories together. My favorite part was how the characters grew into their faith. I also enjoyed the banter between Iris and Ekon. It was a bonus to visit with Queen Bri and her husband, to catch up with their lives.

So make a pitcher of iced tea to drink while you read To Win A Prince!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Get ready for another delightful royal story by Toni Shiloh! To Win a Prince picks up where In Search of a Prince left off - I was so glad that Iris got her own book! Ekon is also familiar to anyone who read the previous book, but he was not a likable character, so I was interested to learn more about him in this one. Ms. Shiloh did a fantastic job of showing the transformation he went through, along with his backstory and the motives behind his actions in the first book. His journey to faith felt natural and authentic, which can be hard to pull off in Christian fiction. Iris was the perfect upbeat, truth-telling, faithful friend he needed, and their friendship brought a lot of growth in both of their lives. Fans of inspirational contemporary romance with heart will fall for Iris and Ekon in To Win a Prince!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another romance in the African Island Country
Toni Shiloh presents "To Win a Prince", published by Bethany House Publishers. Readers who have read "In Search of a Prince", the first book that takes place in the African island country Oloro Ilé have already met Iris, American transplant and best friend of Queen Bri, as well as Prince Ekron. Ekron had been involved in the plans to overthrow Queen Bri and she needed to sentence him. She decided that the right punishment would neither be the death sentence nor prison but community service providing aid to the various tribes of the island. This brings him closely together with Iris Blakely whose desire it is to hep the impoverished people and to promote the textile industry of the Oloro Ilé. Being striped of his title as prince radically changes Ekron's life. It does no go down well with him and he does not react pleasantly to those who are around him. He approaches the work relationship with Iris also in a negative way. And the question arises if he will be a help or a hindrance to her plans. Will there relationship be a challenge or will it improve?
This is the 2nd book by Shiloh which I read. It is an easy read for those who like Christian romance with adorable realistic characters and some humor. I enjoyed the story and recommend it as an clean and inspirational read.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ToWinAPrince #Netgalley

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh was a wonderful story about finding worth in God alone, and learning to trust Him in all things, even when the waiting is hard. I adored Iris and her exuberant and emotional personality. I found many similarities with myself! And Ekon was brilliantly fleshed out as a character. Their journey to happiness brought many smiles and laughs and even a few tears! I highly recommend! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review. All opinions are my own.

A prince, a fashion designer, and a beautiful island setting. Aren't these what fairy tales are made of? But wait, there's so much more in this wonderful contemporary romance from author Toni Shiloh! There's also an inspiring and thought-provoking message in To Win a Prince, but it never feels 'preachy' or overbearing. I loved that Shiloh pays homage to the Prodigal Son parable, and reminds us of the power of faith, redemption, and forgiveness. Former Prince Ekon learns that there's so much more than living a life of privilege and he's also given a glimpse of the true meaning of sacrifice and devotion. Iris is a compassionate young woman who sees beyond Ekon's 'royal snobbery' and offers him a chance to prove himself! It certainly helps that there's a special chemistry between them, but can this override all of their differences?

This is the second royal romance that Shiloh has set on the fictional African island, Oloro Ilé, and I loved catching up with Queen Brielle and others from In Search of a Prince. To Win a Prince is a delightful book that you don't want to miss!

I received a copy of this book from the author and Bethany House. There was absolutely no obligation for a positive review.

Toni Shiloh is the queen of Christian royalty romance. In her follow up to In Search of A Prince, she once again delivers an enjoyable storyline filled with relatable characters and deep spiritual lessons. Revisit the fictional island nation of Oloro Ile and learn more about Iris and Ekon in To Win A Prince.

This was a beautiful redemption story of second chances, forgiveness, and dreams come true. Even if it looks like all is lost. This was Iris's story who is the best friend of the new queen, who left her American home, and decided to make a go at a clothing business in the country of Oloro Ile.

This is also Ekon's story. He was the one-time suitor of the queen who got caught up in some political turmoil which stripped him of his title of prince. To add insult to injury, his father stripped him of everything else. I was appalled along with Iris at how far Ekon's father went in his punishment. Ekon's story touched me as he fell from a high place. He was a prince and acted so, so when he lost everything, he did not know how to even make a basic meal. Beyond the physical and monetary consequences, there were spiritual ones as well. Ekon felt worthless. What a terrible feeling to be had. He was deserted by all his friends. All he had was Iris, his boss for a time.

Iris was such an empathetic character. She tried hard to have a tough shell around Ekon. But as they got to know one another while working together, she could not keep up her guard. They became friends while both fighting the chemistry between them. There was certainly some swooning going on.

This was a beautiful love story between Ekon and Iris and Ekon's spiritual journey that led to his awareness of how much God loves him made for a satisfying read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

"Ah, a weary mind," he stated. "Have you come to seek rest from our Father?"
"I have."
I find that being still is a skill we must train for. It is not one we are born with."
"Really?" I thought of women like Bri, who seemed to have it all together. Who had a peace, a stillness about them that steadied me. "Are you sure?"
He threw his head back. "I am. For some it may be easy to learn. For others it is much, more, more difficult."
"I belong in the latter camp."
"Ah, Ms. Blakely. You are a mover and a shaker."

This is one of the many, many quotes that I highlighted from Toni Shiloh's latest book. I really, really enjoyed it. This book is connected to her book, "In Search of a Prince." There are overlapping characters. But I also think one could follow along without having read book one.

When her friend, Bri, is found to be the next ruler of the (fictional) African country, Ọlọrọ Ilé, Iris relocates with her. She is given a grant to establish a company that will create sustainable clothing and utilize the skills of women in the community. But learning all of the rules and standards of her new country proves to be challenging.

Getting the assistance of Ekon Diallo seems more like a punishment to her than to him. His assigned community service hours are supposed to help reform him. He needs a makeover as much as the current African clothing lines. Will he recognize his need to change his ways?

This book is not just about fashion. Instead, it covers topics like race, heritage and social classes. As always with Toni Shiloh's books, faith is an important element that is seamless throughout the story line. This was such a wonderful duology - I really enjoyed getting to meet a new culture and traditions.

I did read this book on NetGalley. But I also bought the paperback as I wanted to add it to my collection. All opinions are my own in this review that I wanted to write.

Before I read this book, I realized that it was the companion to another book but I was able to follow along with this story just fine and there were very brief recaps from the first book so there was no feeling lost. This was a very well written and captivating story but I kept getting thrown out of the story with how much religion was spoken about. I understood quickly how important the author's faith is to them and thus to their characters but I felt it got long winded when the discourse or thoughts could've been more concise. I also felt a way about how judgmental the heroine was towards who was supposed to be her love interest over his beliefs or lack there of. It made me question if the care she claimed to have for him was really true if she couldn't see past his feelings on God. I felt she lost sight of what I had always been taught about God which is that God is a being of Love. I felt her pushing her beliefs on him made his approach less organic and more forced so it didn't feel authentic to me...but to each their own. I did finish this book quickly because the story mostly flowed and there was some really great banter but I learned that Christian/clean & wholesome romances just aren't for me.

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh is a very Christian royal romance. I enjoyed its themes of forgiveness and second chances. I also loved reading a royal romance set in Africa and how it highlighted different cultures from the European royal romances I’m more familiar with. This book was a bit in the wordy and repetitive side, but overall it was a cute story.

*Thank you to Toni Shiloh, Bethany House, and Netgalley for an e-arc. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book by Toni Shiloh. I liked getting to know more of the characters from her first book in this series. I also loved getting to know more about this beautiful location. I loved Iris and how positive and outgoing she is. I loved how she wanted to make the world a better place for those around her. I liked see Ekon change through out the story especially as he came to know God more. I thought the romance was good and I liked seeing them grow through out the book. I would highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Blurb:
As punishment for his crimes against the Queen, Ekon Diallo has been stripped of his title and cut off from his trust fund. No longer having maids and chefs to perform his domestic duties, Ekon must now learn life skills such as cooking and budgeting from scratch. In addition to these drastic life changes, Ekon must also serve community service hours under fashion aficionado, Iris Blakely. Iris is unlike any woman Ekon has met. Although the two have an instant attraction to one another, Iris is reserved in her feelings since Ekon is not a man of Faith. With prayer and petition, Iris seeks the Lord’s plans in regard to her relationship with Ekon. Will the two get their happily-ever-after?

Review:
This book was truly a delight! Seeing Ekon adjust to life as a “commoner” was SO fascinating and quite funny to witness! And Iris!! What an amazing example she is to us all💜 Her firm trust in the Lord along with her consistent prayer life was deeply inspiring and reminded me of the Godly woman I want to be❤️🙏🏻 The faith elements were expertly interwoven throughout, and the prayers Iris continually sent up to the Lord were a perfect example of what it means to lead a “with-God” life.

Additionally, the fashion-world in which this book was set was SO COOL to read about! I’ve always loved fashion and design so this book was right up my alley! And Ekon’s role as a jewelry designer was a nice change of pace from typical male careers in fiction.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book! Although there was only 1 kiss in the story, the romantic tension was perfectly balanced throughout the book which made for a perfectly delightful read. I’m so thankful for authors like Toni Shiloh who whole-heartedly include faith elements in their stories! Books like these remind me why I love the genre of Christian Fiction so very much❤️

Toni Shiloh's sequel to In Search of A Prince is absolutely captiving! I read this in one long lazy afternoon and it was time well spent!

Iris who is best friends with Queen Brielle has settled into Oloro Ile with her own clothing business and ends up having handsome Ekon work for her as business consultant. He has fallen out of favor with his father and is forced to stand on his own two feet. They both must overcome obstacles and learn to lean on God in the process. This is a beautiful story of coming to salvation and relying on God even during the hard times. I loved both In Search of a Prince and To Win a Prince so much and can't wait to read more by Toni!

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

Published 13 Septmber 2022.

Another beautiful love story filled with faith by Toni Shiloh. I can't get enough of her writing!

This is the continuing story of In Search of a Prince, in this story we follow Brielle's friend Iris and Ekon. Ekon's crimes against the crown land him in the position of being a consultant for Iris's fashion company.

Iris has had a crush on Ekon since she saw his picture. But because of his crimes and because he doesn't believe in God, she is unsure if she can pursuit her feelings towards him. And Ekon doesn't think he is good enough for Iris after losing everything he had.

This book is such a beautiful redemption story filled with faith, finding God's love and finding our worth in the Lord's eyes. I really wish there was another book in this series as I would love to continue seeing these characters more.

*thank you to #bakerpublishing and #netgalley for a copy of #towinaprince to read and review.

I loved this book so much! After thoroughly enjoying the first book, I was so excited for Iris to have her own book, but I must admit I was shocked to see who the love interest was! Kudos to Toni Shiloh for tackling the redemption of this unlikeable bad boy and doing it so well. It didn't take all that long for me to be rooting for him, and I loved reading how he finally came to faith in Jesus as well. This author does such a good job showing how conversion changes the way people live and think, and I think she is one of the best at showing growth in those who already believe!

I received a complimentary early electronic copy of this book from NetGalley, but I also pre-ordered the paperback directly from Bethany House because this is one I'll be reading again and loaning out to others!