Captain Luke Bannock, former smuggler turned privateer, never intended to become a war-hero. He simply wants to rescue his surrogate father and avenge his dead crew mates. As his reward of valor, Luke requests a marriage with the French princess living in exile. He plans on using her to confront his nemesis; however, the princess is not what Luke expected. He soon finds himself loath to include her in his revenge plot. Can Luke find another way to rescue his surrogate father without using Danielle?

Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans never knew her royal French heritage. Her simple village life gets disrupted by the sudden news of her arranged marriage to a war hero. Danielle knows nothing about the handsome sea captain, but she senses there is more to Bannock than what he has told her. And he offers Dani a way to save her beloved Kent village. However, she soon learns Luke’s true reasons for marrying her. Can Danielle forgive Luke for all his lies? Will she help him rescue his surrogate father?

I have always been a sucker for the wounded / tortured hero types. So, it was inevitable that I would love Luke! He is haunted by the gruesome deaths of his crew and the kidnapping of his surrogate father. I like how Luke felt uncomfortable being labeled a “hero”. He believed he did not deserve that title. What I love the most about Luke is that he often wrestled with his guilty conscience. He hated lying or misleading the truth to Dani, but he felt that he had no other choice. Desperate men do desperate and risky things.

Danielle is a good fit for Luke. Both were raised by surrogates from a young age. This allows the two to easily identify with the other. I admire Danielle’s dedication to her hometown. She hates how it is becoming a ghost town due to a businessman’s greed. Dani knows, for it to thrive once again, she needs to find a way to bring back jobs for the townspeople. What I love the most about Danielle is how the news of her royal blood did not diminish her love for her adoptive family. She refused to push them out of her life but to share them with her missing sister and brother.

CLAIMING THE PRINCESS is the third and final book in Charis Michaels’ historical romance series, HIDDEN ROYALS. I started this series in the middle with THE PRINCE’S BRIDE. It made me want to read the next installment because I became invested in the d’Orlean siblings. I seriously need to read SAY YES TO THE PRINCESS, book one. Elise, Killian, and Gabriel - characters from the prior books – play important roles later in the story. I practically devoured this book in two days, even forgoing precious sleep.

There are only two things that kept me from giving this delightful book five stars. Bannock and his mother. Danielle alleged there was a valid reason his mother never was a part of his childhood. I sensed a story there. I even expected it to be touched on, but it never happened. If it was not going to be explored, then why bring it up? Heck, I would have been happy with it being covered in the epilogue.

My other small nitpick – I wish we knew what became of Amelia and Fernsby courtship. Did they wed? Did he get praised for his part at the end? Their courtship was a very minor detail in the story.

Charis Michaels has delivered an absolute gem with Claiming the Princess—a book that reminds us why we fell in love with romance in the first place. In a time of chaos and uncertainty, this novel is exactly what we need: a breathtaking escape into passion, longing, and the undeniable power of love.

Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans—Dani—grew up believing she was just a simple village girl, living a quiet life in Kent. But when the truth of her royal blood shatters her world, she’s thrust into an arranged marriage with a man she’s never met. Enter Captain Luke Bannock—a hardened war hero who never sought a wife but chooses Dani’s hand as his reward, not out of love, but for revenge. Yet from the moment they meet, their marriage of duty transforms into something neither of them expected—an undeniable, burning connection that neither battle nor betrayal can break.

Dani’s journey of self-discovery and Luke’s slow unraveling from vengeance into love make this novel utterly divine. The chemistry between them is intoxicating, a slow burn that ignites into an all-consuming passion. Michaels doesn’t just write romance—she crafts an experience, one that sweeps you off your feet and reminds you why love stories matter.

This isn’t just a book; it’s a gift to the heart. It revives everything we adore about historical romance—the yearning, the tension, the exquisite surrender to love. Claiming the Princess is the kind of story that stays with you, leaving you breathless and believing in the power of love. An absolute must-read!