A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

Carlson's Christmas stories are a tradition for many readers, and I think A Royal Christmas is a delightful addition to her repertoire. A classic tale of an everyday young woman discovering she has a royal lineage, told in Carlson's gentle and talented voice. This story is sure to delight fans of Hallmark Christmas movies, and Meldoy Carlson's long-time readers, as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Melody Carlson writes a wonderful easy read family book, A Royal Christmas feels like a holiday season movie.
The main character Adelaide starts pulling the heartstrings from the beginning, the loss of her mother and the opportunity to meet her father, who happens to be a King!
The storyline flows giving insight into the relationship between Adelaide’s parents, helping Adelaide to grow as a person. A heartwarming story about finding family and yourself!

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I look forward to Melody Carlson's Christmas novella each year and she never disappoints! Seriously her novella is always the first Christmas story I read each year. The holiday season comes alive on the pages and the magic and romance shine through.

A Royal Christmas is a modern-day novella written by Melody Carlson.

Summary: Adelaide Smith’s isn’t exactly living the life of her dreams. 

She is single. She lives in a house that smells like cats. Her job at the coffee shop barely pays the bills. 

She can only hope that when she finally graduates law school, things will begin to look up.

Then she receives a surprising letter from the father she never knew. He wants to meet her, and she decides to make the best of the opportunity. 

As Alelaide learns more about her family and the secrets in her past, she begins to understand that someone will do just about anything to ensure that she is out of the way-for good.

My Thoughts: This book definitely has a Cinderella-type vibe to it, which is an overdone theme if you ask me. If you can ignore that fact however, it is actually quite a delightful read.

This book is well-written, there are some really beautiful relationships between the characters, and the setting is quite charming as well.

And, even though the premise is a cliche, who doesn’t enjoy a good rags-to-riches romance every once in a while? I guess I don’t mind it SO much. :)

This is a quick, light, romantic read, and I definitely recommend it!

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

MELODY CARLSON IS THE QUEEN OF CHRISTMAS BOOKS!!!!!!!! I loved this book so much and I think everyone needs to read it because it was so heart warming in all the best ways possible.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND REVELL FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

I really enjoy Melody Carlson's Christmas novellas. They're always such fabulous stories and they're typically set in some real fun destinations. This year's novella was an easy choice for me to read. I was hooked from the title. I love any story that features a royal family. I found the plot of this to be familiar, yet it had it's own spin on things. A lot of stories in this genre will feature someone who inherits a house by the beach or a similar storyline. In this story, Adelaide Smith inherited a royal family! Never knowing who her father was, she learns that he is none other than King of a small principality. The only issue is that he is now sick and she has been reached in an effort to meet her father. This is a story that you'll love, especially around the holidays. It's heartwarming, and heartbreaking, all at the same time!

I enjoyed this story! It was a sweet, quick read. It absolutely gave me Hallmark vibes, but I enjoyed it more than a Hallmark movie.

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

A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson is a delightful festive offering.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a charming new novella from Melody Carlson. A Royal Christmas is a fairytale for adults. It has all the elements of a traditional fairytale – a king, a wicked queen, a lost princess – and so much more, as we see God take centre stage.
We see that when all seems uncertain, we need to trust God. We can trust His plans and His timing as He knows just what is needed and when.
Prayer is important. If in doubt – pray. If in celebration – pray. Pray at all times. God longs to hear from us. He will always answer. “You prayed about it?... It looks like God has flung the door wide open.”
All the characters were wonderfully drawn. As in a traditional pantomime, there were times when I wanted to boo the villain and cheer the hero!
A Royal Christmas is the perfect way to start the festive period. Grab your copy and snuggle down for a right royal read that will warm your heart.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

If you're in the mood for a charming Hallmark-style story, A Royal Christmas fits the bill perfectly. Adelaide is working her way through law school as a barista when she receives a letter informing her that DNA results have identified her as an heir of King Maximillian Konig V of Montovia. Adelaide suspects a scam but is shocked to find she will finally get to meet the father her mother never revealed, and perhaps find her own fairy-tale.

I've had the pleasure of visiting Bavaria a handful of times for the Christmas season, and the author really got the setting of this book so right! The village was lovely and it had a wonderful seasonal feeling to it.

Beyond that, this one was a major miss for me. The writing was sloppy and just too casual. It felt like I was reading something a young person had written, I am sorry to say. I also just found the MC very unlikable, and her character sort of irritating. It was odd to me how she clearly broke social boundaries initially with the queen to the point of absolute rudeness, and then tells Anton, oh sigh the queen just doesn't like me! Now the queen ended up being the villain of course, but this doesn't change the manipulative behavior of the MC. In the end, the resolution was lacking for me as well.

Unfortunately, I just cannot recommend.

"A Royal Christmas" is a quick, easy read. This novella, by Melody Carlson, has a somewhat common storyline: American Adelaide Smith is just plodding along through her busy, everyday life when she gets a letter that she is actually in the royal lineage of a small European country called Montovia. Adelaide never did know who her father was, but could this really be true? Is she truly royalty? She jets off to Montovia to discover her family roots. While there, she meets her long-lost father who is in poor health, as well as a young man named Anton who quickly becomes her friend and advisor. As time passes, could he become more than just a friend?

This was a cute little Christmas read. The storyline wasn't incredibly fleshed out, but that's to be expected with a short novella. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is certainly a Cinderella story of sorts.. Adelaide is a law student who finds out she has a father that is the king of a very small country. She goes to visit him right before Christmas and learns of how she came to be. Her mother raised her without saying a word about her father. She goes to see him and loves him right away. But things get very complicated and she has to make some hard choices. The characters are believable and likable. The story moves along smoothly. You know Adelaide is smart enough to rule a small country, but will she get the chance? Who wants to stop her from inheriting the throne? The story has a sweet ending that Melody Carlson is known for.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Adelaide is living her life trying to make it to the end of law school when she receives a letter telling her she is the daugher of a king in a tiny country. She's understandably skepticle, but decides she doesn't have much to lose by going to see what's possible -- especially since she's always wanted to know who her father was. What started as a far-fetched idea slowly begins to feel possible. Soon she's on a journey that has her interacting with her father and learning more about this country and how she might be part of its future. Throw in a handsome tour guide and a quest for the truth and you hve the ingredients for a sweet story that will put you in the mood for Christmas. It reminded me of Princess Diaries in some ways. A sweet, light read.

I enjoy binging on Christmas novels and novellas throughout November and December, and Melody Carlson can always be counted on for a heartwarming Christmas story every year. A Royal Christmas is no exception, but it is also refreshingly different from much of the Christmas fiction available. Instead of a main character returning to her small hometown, A Royal Christmas centers on a main character finding herself leaving not only her hometown, but her entire country in search of the truth about her origins. I enjoyed the cast of characters, was quickly invested in the story, and would love to read a follow-up novel to continue the story and fully flesh out the relationships that have been forged in A Royal Christmas.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a delightful novella but I felt like it was too rushed. This is my problem with novellas since I do not think that they have the means to produce a fully developed story. That being said, I felt like this book was good but if it had had the word count to make it a novel, it could have been great. I felt confused and felt like all these tropes were being thrown at me with a rushed mystery middle. I do commend the writer for a unique twist on the normal romance romance books.

Melody Carlson writes beautiful Christmas stories, and this one makes you want to snuggle up by a fire. A Royal Christmas is no different. So get yourself this book, a fuzzy blanket and warm drink, and you'll be set.

Melody Carlson's A Royal Christmas is a delightful tale, perfect for curling up with on a cold, dreary day. The story is fresh and I loved the characters. The country of Montovia is charming and full of delightful characters...and some not so nice ones. This book is filled with romance and a hint of suspense. I highly recommend A Royal Christmas to anyone who love royal stories.

So brew up a pot of tea, curl up in your favorite chair and settle in for a fun read.

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

I’ve read a number of books by Melody Carson and generally classify them as a short and light Sunday afternoon read. This one fits the category, but it wasn’t one of my favorites by Carson. I would actually have enjoyed it more as a Hallmark movie than a book.

I think the general reason it fell a bit flat for me was that the author did a whole lot of telling you about things rather that writing in such a way that they unfolded in front of you. Part of that is likely due to the brevity of the book, but I just think it wasn’t the author’s best writing. That said, it was a sweet story of family and hope and finding your place in the world. There was a nice emphasis on stepping into something for the greater good and being able to lay it down and walk away for the sake of another.

All in all it was a feel good style Christmas story that just wasn’t quite as well written as it was well imagined. Still, if you are looking for a book to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate on a winter’s afternoon, a book that doesn’t require too much engagement from you, then it might be just the thing.

I received a free digital copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

Another great Christmas novella by Melody Carlson. This time we are back in Europe for the Christmas season. Firstly I love this setting for Christmas stories as I learn more about the customs. This time Adelaide has learnt her father is the King of Montovia. She goes to Montovia to meet her father for the first time having never known who he was. She has a lot of apprehension and at the same time questions. Once in Montovia we meet other members of the royal household who are not as happy to see her. We see her navigate what it's like to become a royal while still being very much an American.

I really enjoyed this story seeing some of the twists and turns as the story progresses. There were parts I didn't expect. Reading Melody's Christmas Novella has become a tradition and this year's didn't disappoint except I wish it had gone one longer. As with many I would love to read more of what happens next in this story. A great start to my Christmas reading.