A Royal Christmas is a delightful tale reminiscent of The Princess Diaries, with a twist. Adelaide is a law student who finds out she is royalty in the small principality of Montovia. Reading about this lovely place in a Christmas setting is so much fun. I could picture the fairy tale village decked out in celebration. In the story we meet some lovely people and a few who are less than savory. Anton is indeed a handsome member of Parliament. I loved the ending and the way Carlson executed this holiday story. This book is a sweet respite. I received a copy for free with no expectations. Opinions are my own.

If you liked The Princess Diaries, then you will probably enjoy A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson.

The author has taken the basic storyline from The Princess Diaries, where an American girl finds out the father she has never met is royalty, to create a delightful Christmas novella that will keep you glued to the page.

In A Royal Christmas, Adelaide gets to meet her father, who is the King of Montovia. While the Princess Diaries had the parents divorcing, in this story, the parents of Adelaide were engaged to be married, but the king forbade the marriage. Clearly, the woman went home pregnant and kept her secret from her daughter. But that is where the similarities end.

The book plays out like a Hallmark movie made for Christmas and will keep you glued to the pages. I read it in one day. I loved the "wicked" queen, her clueless son, and the handsome politician. Adelaide's determination to become a lawyer was admirable, and her reliance on God for direction was too. I was disappointed the story ended so abruptly, but such is the case with most novellas. I would like to see the story continue further.

If you love Christmas, this is the perfect book to read ahead of the season! I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Delightful escape, charming characters, sweet romance--this has it all. The trope of a "commoner" realizing they are royal and must rise to their new responsibilities and life never gets old. Melody Carlson does a great job of painting the picture of a powerful woman not looking for a change in life, and then turns her life upside down. I appreciate that it's written acknowledging the unlikely trope and yet playing on that and teasing it out into a great story.

I enjoyed reading Melody Carlson's novella, A Royal Christmas. I thought it would be a great addition for anyone's Holiday reading. I am giving it four and a half stars.

It wouldn't feel like the Christmas season without a new holiday book release from bestselling author Melody Carlson, and this year's story is truly unlike anything she has ever written before.

Adelaide Smith is a hard working law student from the USA whose life is about to change in ways she never could have seen coming. The father she went her whole life basically knowing nothing about? Well he just happens to be the ruling monarch of a small European country, and he's only recently learned of her existence. In a plot move that's reminiscent of both Hallmark and The Princess Diaries, Adelaide is whisked away for a winter holiday to Montovia, to meet the father she never knew she had, and the country she is now in line to rule. Fairy tales have never been something that she's found herself believing in, but how else could she possibly explain her current situation? Of course, fairytales aren't always all sunshine and rainbows, and she will soon find herself on a journey she never could have expected.

For anyone who is a fan of royal romances, A Royal Christmas is definitely the book you've been waiting for. The romance is clean and swoon worthy, the characters are likeable and easy to root for, and the plot twists and turns in many ways I never could have expected. Perhaps best of all though, is just like every other Melody Carlson Christmas title, emphasis is placed on the true reason for the season, and how God always has the perfect plan if we can only trust Him long enough to reveal it.

A wonderful Christmas read, and a lovely addition to Melody Carlson's holiday stories, A Royal Christmas is everything I was hoping for, and was the perfect book to kick off the Christmas 2023 season for me.

Final Rating: 4/5.

I'd definitely recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of heartwarming Christmas stories and/or clean royal romances.

Thanks so much to Revell Publishing for allowing me to read and review this title.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Just as you'd expect with a storyline like this one, it was a cute read but not very realistic. Adelaide finds out she's daughter to a king in a tiny country she's never heard of so she leaves her life behind to find out more. If you're looking for something deep and meaningful, this book is not it. But if you want a light, fun read this will do the trick.

This is a book that I wouldn't be surprised ended up as a Hallmark Christmas movie. Adelaide receives a letter stating that she is the daughter of a king to a small country. The king is gravely ill and wishes to see her before he dies. Adelaide thinks it's all a joke until her friend convinces her to make contact with the person who wrote the letter. She makes a visit to see her father and learns that she is next in line to become the ruler. Her stepmother will do anything to stop that from happening.

This is a nice cozy read with a little bit of mystery and romance.

I was given this book by Revell Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Though I've enjoyed all this author's books that I have read, I always look forward to her Christmas novella's. This one features Adelaide. She a law student, working her way through school, when she's summoned to meet family she never knew she had. Her best friend, Maya, encourages her to go meet them, in this fairytale like story. We meet a few other people as well as someone who isn't so well intentioned toward her. Well paced story, with a strong female lead in Adelaide. Easy to get into, and hard to put down.
A complimentary copy was provided by Revell via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I often avoid novellas, but I’m glad I took the time to read this one. The premise and plot are nothing new or unique, but it was a sweet, clean story that was a pleasant escape from reality.

I look forward to a Melody Carlson Christmas themed book every year. Her 2023 offering feels like a holiday movie but with deeper content and suspense filling the plot. This story is different than her other books. It d0es have a bit of a familiar theme with a commoner becoming entangled with royalty.
I received an advanced reader's copy of the novella from the publisher and NetGalley. This is my unsolicited opinion about the story. I really liked it. The suspense makes it more intense than the feel-good movies many of us are familiar with.
Adelaide Smith, a law student, is sure she is being pranked when a letter arrives. She has been informed that through DNA testing she is the daughter of the king of a small country. The powers that be are offering her a visit to Montovia to meet her father, who sadly, is dying of cancer. There's a deeply emotional touch to the story as the two meet and deal with neither one knowing about the other, so much time lost. There's the glamour of royal life, suspense with a missing heir to the throne, an evil enemy or two and a sweet touch of romance, all at Christmas time.



This is a different kind of novella for Melody Carlson. It's worth the read for the holiday season.
Potential trigger: cancer and loss during the holiday season.
My only serious negative is that I felt there was a point that I questioned that the king's health was being further tampered with, but the hint was dropped by the wayside. Maybe that was an assumption on my part. ARC's are not the final edit of a publication.

The holiday novellas by Melody Carlson are enjoyable to read and naturally emphasize the true meaning of Christmas. While reading this story I was brought back to the Princess Diary movies. It starts out like the movie as Adelaids Smith receives an invitation to meet King V of Montovia. She is taken aback to learn that this King is part of her family tree. Adeaide is surprised because her mother was so tight lipped about the identity of her father. Adeaide was nervous about this meeting because she had no idea what she would encounter when she met the King in his magnificent kingdom. I liked all the detours readers went on as Adelaide attempts to unravel the puzzling situation she found herself in. This is a fun, heartwarming Christmas tale that is full of tender family moments and intrigue as Adelaide tries to resolve the mystery.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

This was a quick and easy read. It was a quintessential Hallmark story plot and a cute story. Because it was a quick read there wasn’t too much as far as depth of character or plot details, but if you’ve read any of her other books you’ll be sure to enjoy this one as well.

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

2 1/2 elevated to 3.

It's a cute story set in a fictional European country with a light Cinderela trope. Unfortunately, the writing isn't as deep as I like and there wasn't chemistry between Adelaide and Anton.

I liked the worldbuilding, the customs, and the secondary characters. The ending was abrupt and an epilogue would have helped.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A Royal Christmas is a lovely Christmas novella with all the hallmarks of a good Christmas story, plus a a few little extra suspenseful moments. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who love stories set at Christmas, princess stories, or just a sweet plot. It is not just all fluff, as the characters are well developed and the leading lady, Adelaide, grows as she has tough decisions and life events coming at her during the story. The story will leave readers with a smile in their hearts.

I requested and received a copy of this book for review. All of the opinions expressed here are wholly my own.

"A Royal Christmas" is a Christian romance novella set at Christmas time. I kept getting lost in the story even though it's a fairly predictable, light read. Adelaide knew nothing about her father only to learn he's a king, dying, and wants to meet her. In Montovia, she's attended by a handsome, kind man who helps her and shows her around. They quickly form a friendship as they spend time together. But the heir has gone missing, and the queen expects her son by another marriage to inherit, so she's not very welcoming.

The main characters acted realistically and were likable. There was some mild relational and physical danger suspense, but mostly it was Adelaide enjoying Christmas and her father while deciding what to do with her future. Adelaide's father tells her to trust God's timing. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novella to princess fiction fans.

Adelaide Smith is ready for a change in her life, but her plans didn't include being found by the father she never knew, learning that he is the king of a tiny country in Europe, or being asked to travel there to meet him. Simply stepping foot into the country puts her in the crosshairs of someone who doesn't want her there.

This was a short read, but I really liked it. Adelaide's lawyer mind and down-to-earth qualities give her a level head (though to be honest, I have a hard time believing she isn't goading the queen when she asks her father about the nativity scene, when she knows it was the queen who didn't want it out). There is a bit of romance, but it doesn't take over the story at all. The story doesn't go the predictable route that it easily could, and I liked the common theme of "God's plan in God's time." I appreciated Adelaide struggling with the darker traditions this small country has related to Christmas (though I really wish more people could at least see the possible problems with Santa Claus/St. Nicholas traditions, too). In fact, I think my favorite aspect of the story was the way Adelaide was sort of trying to put to rights the changes the queen had made away from Christian values more toward paganism. I may be exaggerating it a little, but I think that could have been expanded on into a larger story, and I would have been all for it.

Small things that bothered me were several repetitive spots that I noted and my utter bewilderment over the way the rulership turned out. It would probably be a spoiler to explain, so I won't, but I think that either the author didn't explain the way it all went down very well or this kingdom has some peculiar laws of succession. Overall, though, I was quite happy with this novella. It contains a lot of Christmas charm, and I think that anyone looking for a feel-good faith-based read this Christmas that isn't too over-the-top sappy should pick up this book.

Every year I look forward to Melody Carlson’s Christmas books. I normally wait until about November to start reading them, but I just couldn’t resist this gorgeous cover! Not to mention, the book synopsis. A fairy-tale rags to riches story? I’m all in for that!

The story was just as engaging as the cover. Adelaide Smith learns she’s actually the long-lost daughter of King Maximillian V and rightful princess of Montovia. I was hooked from the very beginning and loved watching Adelaide grow into her character. Getting to know the father she never knew she had was heartwarming & bitter sweet at the same time. All the magic surrounding a royal Christmas made this story come to life for me. I read this in one sitting and came away with a happy smile on my face. Oh did I mention there’s a hint of romance? Wait until you meet Anton! I felt the sparks fly from the get-go between these two.

This is a satisfying quick-read story for fans of Melody Carlson and heartwarming family Christmas tales with an underlying romance brewing!

*I received a copy courtesy of Revell through Netgalley and was not obligated to leave a favorable review. *

This was a quick, Hallmark-y Christmas read that is pretty much a get what you expect type of story. I really enjoyed seeing Christmas traditions from Europe (Germany) on the page. Like Klampus! It’s interesting to see other traditions other than just American. That was probably my favorite part.

If you love all things royal then you will love this book. Love the way Melody Carlson set the seen in a small country but also used some of the language of " the people" to make it more authentic . Love the characters and the role they play especially Anton and Adelaide . A must read !!!

I feel like I just read The Princess Diaries, only set at Christmastime.

Struggling American college student Adelaide receives a letter from the palace in Montovia, a small European country, stating that she is the direct descendant of the king. Her mother had been engaged to him decades ago, but the engagement was called off.

This was a quick, lightweight read, easily finished in under an hour.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review. This review will also be posted to my Instagram account (@kathleenryderauthor), as well as to my blog (daydreamsinthedesert.com) closer to the release date.