He's a French prince, now horse whisperer, who lives in a cave in the forest to stay safe. She's seeking him out because his successor is a terrible abusive man who plans to enforce the arranged marriage the prince and she agreed to as children.

The first half of this book was a delight. It's all within 24 hours. There's action, palpable sexual tension, a cottage cave in the woods, and just all manner of good historical romance shenanigans. The next 30% of the book has the couple staying with his sister and takes place over the span of weeks. I nearly DNF'd during this. The last 20% picked up again, but that slow down that fore-fronted the Prince's internal conflicts (which are boring and dumb), sort of poisoned the well for me.

It's such a shame that that inconsistent pacing made this a miss, but because that first half was such a fun ride!

Two and a half stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charming...

Sometimes you just need...charming. That's what The Prince's Bride is. Its light, fun and charming. Lady Marianne "Ryan" is no damsel in distress. She is being threatened with an unwanted marriage. As she is clever, she seeks out the proper prince on her betrothal contact. Ryan is fearless and fun.

Prince Gabriel d'Orleans, or rather Gabriel Reign. Much like Snow White, he's hiding out in the deep woods, far from any thing royal. Nope. Its him and his horses and the forest.

Gabriel is the grumpiest Prince Charming you never knew you needed until you read The Prince's Bride.
Highly recommend.
Purchased.

I think I've come to the realization that Charis Michaels and I don't really mesh together which is SUCH a shame because she has the prettiest covers. I like how her books are super easy to read and are nothing but a good time, but I have difficulty connecting with her characters. When our characters are intimate together during their first day of being acquainted, I lose interest quickly. This is exactly what happened in The Prince's Bride. For me to enjoy a book, I think I need more angst and a little more push and pull between the characters.

I loved the setting of this story. The bravery of our heroine going out into an unknown city to find a man she'd only met once when she was a young girl was commendable. The setting was great and I feel like I could have liked the characters more if I had had more time getting to know them before they got to know each other.

Oh nothing makes me giddier than having a new to me author to rave about and I am in my Charis Michaels era. After listening to the audio of Say Yes to the Princess (excellently narrated by Morag Sims), I knew I wanted to find out what happened to Elise’s missing brother Gabriel. So I was ecstatic to receive a complementary copy from the publisher and author. This book has it all. It opens with a scream (literally), a rescue from highwaymen in a forest, a cave dwelling former prince, an earl’s daughter with the most calming presence, horse training, an evil cousin, hilarious children, slow burn tension building need, set against a marriage of convenience and there’s “only one cave”. I laughed so much while reading and yet by the end my eyes were brimming with tears. And how difficult is it for an author to do that—to make you feel it all?

The premise is that Lady Ryan must seek out her childhood betrothal to French prince, Gabriel d‘Orleans so that she may not lose her estate to his awful cousin Maurice who claims to be the real prince. But fleeing his home in France as a young boy, Gabriel wants nothing more than to remain hidden in Savernake Forrest, away from royal life and his former identity. The differences between Ryan and Gabriel could not be more stark and yet because of their youthful history they feel drawn towards one another. Michaels builds the most delicious tension between a “woman starved” man and a lady that has always felt overlooked and undesired by men. They are primed to fall for one another and the journey from forest to Mayapple, to Guernsey lets their love story slowly unfurl all while ramping up the sexual urgency.

I loved visiting the Crewes in their home at Mayapple, their bold and hilarious daughters and Nanny whom is unfortunately afflicted by nearly everything and is never seen on page. It is not a requirement to read Say Yes to the Princess first, and yet the reader’s experience will be so much better for it. Spending time with familiar characters is always a pleasure. I also adored the time Gabriel and Ryan had alone to themselves in the forest. Michaels has a way of writing importance into the most minuscule things and having her characters go mad with want from it. Gabriel was much like an onion being slowly peeled back to reveal layer upon layer of his isolation and Ryan was the perfect female suited to unravel him.

This series historically is so interesting; I know minimal French history and I love the liberties taken to bring French royalty and English together. I can only imagine baby Danielle’s book will be the third in this series and am excited for the direction it will take because we know so little about her. If you love the humor of Tessa Dare and the steamy tension of Lorraine Heath, I know you will adore Charis Michaels. I cannot wait to read more. Thank you to the author for my print copy and Avon for my ebook. All opinions are my own.

Gabriel is a French prince who’s been hiding away in a cave in the forest for the past fifteen years and basically a hermit. He very much does not want to rescue a lady who he thinks might be a victim of highwaymen, but the screaming finally get to him and he does. Ryan is the daughter of an earl traipsing through the forest to find her long-lost betrothed (Prince Gabriel) because the prince’s horrible cousin has claimed the title and the betrothal for himself and she does not want to marry him. Lucky for her, she’s stumbled right into the man she’s looking for. Except Gabriel is not interested at all in reclaiming his identity or leaving the forest, which leaves Ryan right where she started. The plus side here is that they’re clearly very attracted to each other and Gabriel can’t seem to stay away from Ryan, even as he’s sending her away. This was a lot of fun to read, especially as we slowly see Gabriel leave his comfort zone.

This is the kind of book where I’m not sure my review is all that helpful. All I can say is that I loved it. Lady Ryan shows female characters can be brave, bold, and clever without being loud and brash. She controls her own destiny, and you can’t help rooting for her at every turn.

The premise of her trying to find the lost prince she was betrothed to in childhood was so different than the usual regency romance, and I appreciated the change of pace. And I loved the side characters who appeared in the previous novel in the series - Bart in particular has grown into an utterly hilarious young man.

And Gabe. Peak histrom book boyfriend material right here. He’s the right amount of protective, but also drawn to what makes Ryan independent. He knows what he wants but worries he doesn’t deserve it. And you’ll want to visit his odd little half cottage, half cave home in the woods. It’s as charming as he is, and the scene of the swooniest moment in the book. No spoilers, but it’s perfection.

The Prince’s Bride is absolutely fantastic. Lady Ryan cannot be more adorable; she just wants to live her life without being treated horribly. Her courage in searching for Gabriel lets you know that she is strong as well as smart and not to be discounted. Gabriel, too, just wants to live his life without anyone being hurt because of him. How do these two go about solving their problem and not falling in love? Yeah, they were betrothed as children and meant to be together.

Even when Gabriel tries to keep his handsome, self-protective self away from lovely Ryan, he just cannot do it. He is there when she needs him every time and is just plain swoon-worthy! The final book in the Hidden Royals trilogy is the search for Danielle; and, it will be awesome! Charis Michaels' books just keep getting better!

A swoony romance novel with all the pining, a catnip plot, and characters to root for! A French prince lives in seclusion out in the English woods ever since his harrowing escape from the guillotine as a boy. But when his childhood betrothed, all grown up and with the loveliest, calmest eyes he's ever seen, finds him and asks for help to repute the claim to her hand and land of his imposter cousin, he must say no. Despite his wish to oust his wretched cousin and pursue his growing feelings for his forgotten fiancée, how can he leave the woods that serve as his only protection against the French Revolution mob who destroyed his family? Tender, earnest, and sexy as hell.

Years ago, when they were just infants, Lady Marianne “Ryan” Daventry & Prince Gabriel d’Orleans were betrothed by their parents and they grew up understanding their obligation. But then the revolution swept through France and Gabriel and his sisters were smuggled out of France, hidden away and the betrothal forgotten. Ryan never really thought of her betrothed and while she had fond memories of Gabriel, she has been much too busy taking care of Winscombe, her family’s estate on the Channel Island of Guernsey to wonder about him. But that was before his cousin Maurice shows up claiming Gabriel is dead and that he is the new Prince and demands that Ryan honor the betrothal by marrying him and turning over control of the estate to him. The only way to thwart him is to find her true betrothed and bring him back to confront Maurice. But she has not seen or heard from Gabriel in 9 years and her only clue to his location is a letter he sent her before he disappeared for good. That is how Ryan ended up being held up by a highwayman in the Savernake Forest and saved by a strange man, who may or may not be her long-lost fiancé and who flat out refuses to help her.

Prince Gabriel d’Orleans has been living in seclusion as Gabriel Rien in the Savernake Forest for the last 9 years and has gained a reputation as an exceptional horse trainer. He avoids contact with others, including his sister Elise, who has tried without success to reunite with him, so when he hears a woman screaming, his first instinct is to ignore her, but he can’t and to his complete shock the woman he rescues is his betrothed. He refuses to help her, but he can’t seem to let her go and slowly he ventures out of his sanctuary. Going as far as to reunite with his sister and her family and asking them to help Ryan. And even as he falls in love with her, he is still adamant that he cannot be the man she needs him to be. So why is it so hard to let her walk away?

I loved this story, Ryan and Gabriel are such wonderful characters and truly have a beautiful connection. I loved watching them battle their demons and heal as they began to fall in love. The story is filled with emotion, personal doubts, a greedy relative, warm love scenes, adorable nieces, a hypochondriacal nanny, a match-making former rake, an almost grown-up Bartholomew, a stunning confrontation and a very sweet ending. This was such a great story, and I would happily recommend this story to my fellow HR readers. This is the second book in the series and while it could be standalone, I would highly recommend reading the books in order.

4.5 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

I loved this book. It was just the thing to read while sitting outdoors in the warm Spring sunshine, sipping on lemonade.

Taking historical fact, the French Revolution, with anyone remotely connected to the French King and Queen becoming targets of the people, families sending their children and others out of France for their safety, and pairing it with historical fiction, specific children being sent to England to wait out the revolution, Ms. Michaels weaves a tale that's worthy of a few hours of your time.

This book is about Prince Gabriel d’Orleans and Lady Marianne Daventry, aka Ryan. Their fathers were lifelong friends who betrothed their children when they were not even teens. Now Gabriel is presumed dead and his cousin is sniffing around Ryan, saying he now will inherit the betrothal since his cousin isn't around. Since the property will go to Ryan's husband once they're wed, Ryan sets out to find Gabriel.

Reclusive Gabriel, wants nothing to do with Ryan, but their shared past and the affection that he felt long years before, overrules his need to stay solitary. Ryan has just about given up getting Gabriel to show himself and prove he still lives. Many swoon worthy pages later, with Ryan understanding the need Gabriel has to stay hidden, and Gabriel realizing he must be the man Ryan thinks he is, they work together to reclaim each others hearts and prove Gabriel is alive.

This is book two of the Hidden royals trilogy, but I had no issue reading out of order. Having said that, I have since purchased, read, and loved book one! I can't wait for book three.

I really enjoyed this book- it's a great standalone, and also a fun continuation of this series. Gabriel is a protagonist you can root for, and even though he and Ryan are initially at odds, they become allies very quickly. I liked that rather than keeping them at cross-purposes, they try to find ways to help each other almost right away. Their connection feels very concrete from the beginning, and I like that it begins from Gabriel's perspective so we get a sense of where they are both starting from.

I love Ryan as a heroine, she's empathetic and highly sensitive, while having a strong backbone. She isn't a fearful person, but a realist, and highly competent. I love that she doesn't have standard damsel quirks, she's not just plucky and beautiful. She does cry a lot, but who could be blamed for that in her situation? Gabriel well too, I thought he came across as someone who is operating under the assumption that his experiences in the past will guide his whole life. When he is presented with an alternative, he changes his views and goes after what he wants.

I enjoyed the plot, which I thought moved very smoothly. I like that we started at a gallop and then didn't stagnate- even when the characters were not in motion, plot was still happening. I think lust driving Gabriel and Ryan initially makes sense, as well as their emotional connection from childhood, but I like that Gabriel is a lot more attached to her right away. I loved the ending, I'm a fan of compromise and Gabriel coming to terms with his past and trying to move forward at last felt right.

The only reason that this isn't five stars is that Gabriel's last fifteen years in exile felt very glossed over to me- Ryan's family and backround are a lot less present in the book, but they feel very real and concrete. Gabriel's past just didn't totally pass muster for me, I wanted it to feel less vague. His home felt very real, but I didn't totally buy the way he got from point A to point B. I do love his development though, and how he takes ownership of his life and would do anything for Ryan, so it's a small quibble.

The Prince's Bride by Charis Michaels is a captivating romantic tale of a rugged prince living in exile and his long-lost bride-to-be who seeks him out. This slow-burn historical novel is filled with enough adventure and intrigue to keep readers eagerly turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.

I normally enjoy Charis Michaels’ books, but this one was not for me. The pace in the first 25% of the book was slow, with more attention paid to exposition and sensuality than to the action of the story. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Lady Marianne “Ryan” Daventry was betrothed to Prince Gabriel d’Orleans as a child. With Gabriel missing and presumed dead, his wretched cousin has claimed the title and proclaims that the old betrothal still stands. Ryan sets out to reveal the man as an imposter but, to do so, she needs to locate the lost prince and prove he’s still alive.

This is the second book in the Hidden Royals Series, centering around three French noble siblings who were separated and smuggled out of France during the Revolution. This story can mostly stand alone, but the first couple does play a significant role.

I absolutely adored this book! It felt really fresh and special. Rather than submit to a cruel man, Lady Ryan takes matters into her own hands and sets out on an unlikely quest to find the missing prince. While Gabriel is still living, he’s purposefully difficult to find. He lives under a different name in near-seclusion, deep in a forest, working as a highly coveted horse trainer for wealthy clients. Gabriel never planned to be discovered - hiding even from his own sister - and really struggles with his desire to help Ryan and his need to protect himself. The storyline was great, the chemistry was wonderful, and I can't wait to see what happens in book three!

Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Royalty, Presumed Dead, Forced Proximity

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Genre: historical romance
England, 1811

Lady Marianne “Ryan” Daventry was betrothed to minor French royalty, cousin to the king, Prince Gabriel d’Orleans, as a child. During the French revolution, Gabriel and his family fled France, and while his oldest sister resided in the English Court for years, Gabriel hasn’t been seen and is presumed dead. Ryan finds him almost accidentally while searching for him: Gabriel’s cousin has come to claim the title, and Ryan as his bride, so Ryan wants to locate her betrothed to try to get the situation resolved. She finds him living in a camp, in a cottage hewn into a cave, with a reputation under another name as a horsebreaker. Hardly prince material, especially because he doesn’t even want to socialize with others or live indoors, much less claim a title he no longer has use for. But for Ryan, Gabriel may be willing to step out of the relative comfort of the forest to help her rescue the life she loves on Guernsey.

A new Charis Michaels book is always a joyous occasion - her books are brimming with sweetness and, in this series, a little bit of extra heat compared with her Awakened by a Kiss series. The second book in a trilogy, The Prince’s Bride uses historical elements based on real people with some changes for clarity. (If you read her authors’ note, you’ll learn that there were five siblings instead of three, and 4/5 were named Louis or Louise, because of their relationship to the king. Charis felt some changes were needed for storytelling purposes.) The realistic elements tie to the overall tone of the story, making it more serious than her previous books.

The pacing was a little awkward for me overall, but I appreciated that the way both Ryan and Gabriel navigate feelings for one another feels realistic for someone who has been sheltered and someone who has lived their life nearly alone for many years. Gabriel went into hiding as a child, and is understandably not willing to drop everything immediately when Ryan walks back into his life. While there is some misunderstanding between characters, it’s not miscommunication. Neither Ryan nor Gabriel is being honest with themselves, so they struggle with being honest with one another. This may have contributed to some of my pacing issues, but I ultimately appreciated the choice that Charis Michaels makes with her narrative.

We get a lot of on page time for the characters of the previous book, too, but in a way that boosts rather than intrudes on the developing romance. It’s always fun to see previous characters reappearing for actual plot roles. That said, I do recommend reading this series in order.

Charis Michaels is a master of the "fun" romance. She has chosen to write historical romance deliberately and knows how to lean in on the bonkers side. In The Prince's Bride, she continues her series on French royalty in hiding... but she also goes all-in on the "what would happen IF..." side of things. So yeah, we have a French prince in hiding, but also a vignette of that part in The Lion King when Nala arrives to convince Simba to come home and claim the throne, a smidgeon of "raised by wolves" (he lives in a CAVE), plus a ton of dry humping. (You know we love a good dry hump, and apparently so does French royalty. Who knew?) The pacing feels a bit odd, but honestly? If you like a feral MMC who doesn't want to admit he's feral (see: "raised by wolves") then you probably want to check this out.

Also, this book has a really great use of previous characters from the first entry in the series. Look, when your BIL is a royal fixer and you have a royal problem, it just makes sense to ask for help.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and given that literally every person I talk to loves her writing style, I'm chalking this up to a mismatch of reader and author. I just could not find this story believable at all. While there is usually some level of belief suspension when reading romance, this went beyond my abilities.

The heroine manages to find a recluse that no one else, including his own sister, has been able to locate for over a decade. He is extremely isolated with very little social graces and lives in a home built into a cave. They get frisky very fast, and it was...weird. I was not comfortable reading it, just came off very odd to me. He just seemed awkwardly horny, and she was very naive. At the same time, she had been apparently physically abused by a man who wanted to marry her, but it's brushed off a bit in the telling of it. What should have been quite dark felt a bit too light for the situation. And then the "hero" basically is mad about what she endured, partially due to his being in hiding, but also...is like...not my problem, my privacy is more important than your safety? In a nutshell? And the heroine is just like...cool beans, I'm going to go off and figure something else out with the help of your sister, whom you have little contact with. It's just bonkers.

I ended up DNF'ing around 60%. I didn't believe this couple, their chemistry was not good, the story just felt silly to me. Not my cup of tea.

I was saving this book until I needed it and I'm so glad I did. I've been in a little bit of a historical romance reading slump, mainly gravitating towards paranormal and fantasy reads; however, I knew that I wanted something light and fun that didn't necessarily remind me of a typical historical romance. Chris Michaels is an amazing writer. I just always enjoy anything I pick up by her, and this book was no exception. This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my historical romance reading slump and I knew it would. I loved these two characters. I loved that we got to see a lot of the characters from the first book in this series, and I am excited to see where the next book in the series goes. Ryan and Gabriel's romance was just so fun to read. I loved that they had a betrothal/arranged marriage from when they were kids that was set up by their families. Gabriel was a price who was in exile and living as a recluse. I loved how strong of a character Ryan was and she went after and stood up for what she believed in. These two not only had chemistry, but they had these deep conversations that I needed to read for this insta-love, forced proximity romance. My only real complaint about this book is that it didn't have an epilogue; however, all will be forgiven if the next book shows these two happy. Overall, I defiantly recommend this one! Even if you don't typically read historical romances and want to read a royal romance, you might enjoy this one because, as I mentioned above, it doesn't really read like a typical historical romance because Chris Michaels just has this magical way of writing that transports you to a different world.

Charmed! This story was a can’t put down kind of read. Gabriel was so yummy in every way. Ryan was everything you want your heroine to be and together perfection. Lady Ryan was not afraid to do difficult things and Gabriel did not want to be a hero, savior or involved in any way but just couldn’t help himself. And the story unfolds with such depth of character you can feel Ryan’s heartbreak and Gabriel’s confusion. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between the characters almost from the very beginning. This is book two in a series but you won’t notice if you didn’t read the first book. This was my first book by Charis Michaels but I’ll be reading book one of this trilogy soon.

This book hit a lot of my key needs from a regency romance, specifically the fun hidden romance. I loved the male lead and his character development across the board. The female lead I found a little too understanding and rational given the situation, but I love that she got her happy ending. All in all the book was a fast, cute read, but some of the wording got a little wonky/weird for me.