I've been waiting for this book for what seems like a long time! I read the first book in the series, A Stolen Kiss, early last year and fell in love with the world and characters. It was a perfect easy, breezy kind of love story that had me giggling and smiling along as I read. I was hoping for the same kind of feeling with this book and while it tried, it never did capture the same magic as its predecessor.

So, before I go on, while A Stolen Crown is the second book in a series, don't worry. You don't actually have to read A Stolen Kiss to understand what is happening. It focuses on different characters but is set in the same magical world. Some characters from the first book do make small appearances but you won't be left scratching your head. Everything is explained so you are never lost.

The story starts when Princess Cecily leaves her kingdom to marry a prince that she has never met. However, things don't go as planned and Cecily find herself in the middle of a forest fighting for her life. While the plot was a lot of fun, with tons of adorable moments, I didn't immediately connect with the story or its characters. It's really hard to top A Stolen Crown and I found myself comparing the two books a lot. The beginning was a bit slow for my liking, just riding around in a carriage and Cecily's lady maids arguing. The story really picked up about a quarter of the way in when Cecily is kidnapped. That's when I started to enjoy it a lot more. There were fight scenes, magical creatures, spells and a whole lot of kissing! Eeeeeee!
I think part of the reason the book didn't jump out at my were the characters. I didn't really love any of them. Cecily was a spoiled brat and Rory was too hot headed. But I did appreciate their friendship. They were loyal and would do anything to help each other through some of the toughest obstacles. If anything, this was a story not about romance but true lifelong friendship. I really enjoyed it when past characters made special appearances. I squealed when Ellis, a mysterious shapeshifter from the first book, showed up! I want a book with just him in it. He's so devious and sarcastic.

While I loved the first book a lot more, A Stolen Crown was still a lot of fun. It has a bit of something for fans of fantasy and romance. There were heart quickening kisses, laugh out loud moments and heartbreaking scenes that will keep you entertained until the end. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Never read the first book, but I loved book. Unconventional heroes. Unexpected romance. Enduring friendship. & the plot twit OMG!! didn't not see any of those coming!