This is a story that has been told a million times before. The main character falls in love with someone who isn’t approved by family, court, or whoever. They try to fight all odds to be together. I wish I could like this more. But the main character was so annoying. I was never rooting for him to get what he wanted. I also hate how forced the romance was. There was no real build up to why they fell for each other other than they saw each other and fell in love at first sight. So it was hard to root for them to make it. The plot didn’t grip me and calling it like Red White and Royal Blue is a huge stretch. Other than there is a prince and he is gay in there nothing else like it. Would recommend skipping this one

From the moment I pressed play, I knew I was in for something special. Michael Crouch was the perfect choice for narrating Darien’s story. His voice matched exactly how I had imagined Darien—soft yet full of emotion, capturing his vulnerability and quiet strength. A great narrator can make or break an audiobook, and in this case, Crouch brought the character to life, making me love my boy even more.

The book follows Prince Darien, the shy and loyal second son, as he navigates court life and struggles to find genuine love among those who only want him for his title. While there is romance, it occasionally takes a backseat to the court intrigue and political machinations. The story feels like a condensed YA version of romance and politics—even though all the characters are adults, it still carries a strong YA tone.

The angst in this book packs a punch. At one point, it even made me cry because tragedy hits Darien hard, and he just didn’t deserve all that heartbreak. He never got a break. The love story, though, was sweet. It had a strong insta-love going on, but I didn't mind. Given Darien’s personality, I believed that he could fall in love within a week.

The villain, unfortunately, was predictable. With so many characters displaying traits of betrayal and vengeance, the story could have offered a more complex intrigue game. The pacing was also a bit choppy in places— like after the tragedy, the plot focused solely on intrigue, leaving everything else behind until it was resolved.

Overall, this was a strong debut novel. It set out to accomplish in one book what other stories take three to achieve. While there were some predictable elements and pacing issues, the emotional depth, court politics, and Darien’s journey made for an engaging read.

*Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is a historical fiction LGBTQ+ romance. It's described as a "romantasy", but there was no world building that would make it a fantasy. It just had made up names for the locations, so this book needs to be recategorized.

All the spice is closed door and it has a HEA. I liked the characters and the storyline up until about 70% of the way in when it kind of stopped making sense.

Great audio narration.

2.75/5 ⭐

Okay, so this book had potential, but it kinda fumbled the bag. We’ve got a fantasy setting, but it’s giving ✨vibes only✨—no real world-building, no deep lore, just aesthetics. The romance? Total insta-love. They lock eyes and—boom—they’re soulmates, no buildup, no tension, no slow burn (tragic, really).
The LGBTQIA+ rep is there, but the execution is pretty surface-level—again more vibes than actual depth.
And the plot? The twist was so predictable I saw it coming chapters ahead, and the ending? Lowkey underwhelming.

That said, if you’re here for soft, easy reads with royalty, emotions, and just vibes, it might work. But if you need something with depth, this won’t be your next hyperfixation.

I thought this book was fine. Even though it is an adult novel, it read more YA to me. The main character was 25, but he felt much younger. I kept having to remind myself that Darien wasn't a teenager. Also, this book almost felt like 2 stories in one. The first half was just romance while the second half was all plot. I think the plot could have been paced better so it wouldn't have felt like it came out of nowhere. The plot itself also wasn't great. Darien just wasn't a very intelligent character which made the mystery portions very frustrating. He is also really bad at politics, which made all the political portions embarrassing. The romance itself was fine, but it was not a slow burn. Darien falls in love with Tag the moment they meet. I didn't love this book, but it was a cute quick listen.

Prince Darien is of the age that he's expected to marry, however he wants to be wanted for more than his title and there seem to be few suitable matches who fit that desire. Until he meets Tag.

Then everything is sunshine and roses, until his father, the king, informs him that he's going to be married off for political advantage.

Then ish hits the fan and people die, and there's a plot, and things work out.

This isn't unreadable, but the pacing is not great. It ends up being really rushed with a lot crammed in without actually exploring points of the story.

The Darien/Tag romance is sweet, if not a little bland due to limited personalities.

Overall I hoped for more character development, but it remains fluff and stuff.

I went into The Prince’s Heart expecting an epic fantasy romance, but I got a politically driven plot with a lackluster love story. The marketing made it seem like this would be a thrilling, high-stakes romance, but in reality, it was an insta-love story wrapped in a political drama.

The love interest? Boring AF. He was not compelling, and I couldn't understand why the protagonist was so deeply in love. The only character that kept my attention was the villain—at least he had some personality. The main character was enjoyable, although I couldn't quite like him all that much. I wasn't bored by him the way I was by the love interest.

On the bright side, the narrator did a great job, and the book was easy to get through (especially at 3x speed). If you're looking for a light romance, it might be enjoyable, but don't go into this expecting something like Throne of Glass. This book is much more in line with Bridgerton in terms of romance and court intrigue.

I received this audiobook as an ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Let’s start with the good: I have not listened to anything narrated by Michael Crouch before but I did enjoy his narration of The Prince’s Heart. This story was lighthearted and an easy read.

Where this story misses the mark:
First, its marketing. The comparison between the Red Queen and Throne of Glass could not be less accurate. There is nothing high adventure, high stakes in this book. Sure, there is plot and while we have themes like arranged marriages, countries on the proverbial brink, etc…there is nothing really overly dramatic or action packed.

Secondly, the love interest between our two main characters is more of a love at first sight with zero substance arrangement. There is barely any development in the characters or their relationship. For those of you wondering… the relationship from the start of the book through the epilogue is about as spicy as mayo. While I do appreciate the queer representation, the “I love you” “I love you too” “we can’t be together” “Ok” “I love you” feels like it could have been much more well thought out.

Third, the romance is not the only slow burn for this book. The plot development and story line are difficult to stick with and while you can pick up on what’s happening, it takes way too long to get there. If had read this book vs listened to it, I would have absolutely DNF’d. The three stars is absolutely for the audio narration because it improved the overall experience of this story.

This book was was set up for failure by an extremely misleading description. Comparing it to Throne of Glass? Absolutely not. Stop using popular series to get attention for a book that is completely different. There was no fantasy element other than being a made up kingdom. Additionally, this was pitched as a slow burn when it was instalove with a series of obstacles that should have been compelling but fell oddly flat. You can’t call something slow burn when they’re together in the first 25% of the book???

The novel read very young, which isn’t a problem except for how it is advertised.

The narrator did a fine job with the material given. It’s a simple and cute enough read. I’m all for more queer fantasy series, but this one didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This story started off as a seemingly simple romance, but became much more complex than that. There is political turmoil, an arranged marriage to a prince, multiple assassinations, and an ascension to the throne. The story was gripping and beautifully written. The plot seemed to resolve a little too easily, but it was satisfying nonetheless. I loved the characters.

This was a DNF at 20% for me unfortunately. I had a hard time getting into the story - there is a lot of politics right in the beginning around warring factions within the book without world building to help guide the reader. I struggled with the voice of the MMC and just had trouble connecting with him. I appreciate the opportunity for the book review and hope that this reaches readers who would enjoy a love story following a prince. Thanks so much to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy.

I was looking forward to this based on descriptions of this as Red White and Royal with fantasy and political intrigue. While it fell a bit short for me, it was a light, warm and quick read.

Whilst an insta love romance, there wasn’t enough relationship building for Darien and Tag’s love to feel authentic. The political intrigue felt quite formulaic and predictable, and Darien’s passive attitude to most things was frustrating at times. I would have loved this as a series, with more time for world and relationship building.

On the whole though, I did enjoy this as a light and easy read. The audio production was great, and added emotional depth. I can see this being a great read for someone looking for an engaging romantasy without wanting to delve into a series.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

A simple and heartwarming story about a young prince wishing to follow his heart to be with the man he loves, while his duties to the throne have taken an unexpected turn.

It was refreshing to read a story set in a world grounded in complete acceptance of their gay prince. And while the writing wasn’t especially deep, the characters were likable and plot easy to follow. Not sure I’d call this a romantasy, as there were no magical or mythical elements, but it was still enjoyable.

My thanks to the publishing team and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a quick romance - I ended up not finishing it, at about 60% I was no longer interested in the story.

This book has insta-love between the two main characters, which was bit disappointing since it is described as slow burn. There is definitely no slow burn. While the story ended up being cute I think there could have been something magical if there was the expected tension and yearning between the main couple that typically comes with slow burn romance.

I found myself unable to become emotionally attached to any of these characters which ultimately made the story somewhat forgettable.

As far as the audiobook version goes, I think the narrator did a great job, the audio was easy to follow and the narrators voice was pleasant to listen to.

The description compares this to Throne of Glass, but to me that is not accurate. I would say this is closer to a bridgerton-esque book. There is not really a “fantasy” aspect aside from it being in a kingdom that is not real.

While this wasn’t necessarily for me, it is definitely not a “bad” read - I just think the target audience is more YA and less romantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the ARC.

"The Prince's Heart" by Ben Chalfin offers an interesting dive into a world where royal expectations meet personal desires. The premise caught my attention with Prince Darien grappling with his duty versus his own yearnings for genuine connection, especially as he encounters Tag Leara. However, the story unfolded with less complexity than I'd hoped. The relationship between Darien and Tag springs up a bit too quickly for my taste, leaning heavily into the 'insta-love' trope that doesn't leave much room for believable development.

The novel does well to establish a Queernorm setting, which I appreciated for its progressive stance, but the plot struggles with depth, particularly with the antagonist who comes off as one-dimensional and overly eager to reveal his schemes. The ease with which Darien overcomes challenges made the storyline somewhat predictable and less engaging.

Not the heart-stopping romance or the tightly spun tale of political intrigue I might have wished for. I hope the author keeps writing and tries for more complex storylines in the future.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.