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When Colin finds himself at the center of a centuries-old Brighton tradition, he must decide whether to follow the path laid out before him or follow his heart to the only woman for whom he would ring the Pembroke Chapel Bell. Can Colin convince Avery to meet him at the chapel on Christmas morning—as tradition dictates—or will Avery run back to her St. Simons home and pursue a coaching career as planned? In the fourth installment of the Royal Wedding Series, New York Times bestselling novelist, Rachel Hauck, weaves a charming story of holiday romance as two broken hearts seek the love they once knew. My ReviewI have several books on my bookshelf by Rachel Hauck, including Princess Ever After, one of the books in the Royal Wedding series. After reading A Royal Christmas Wedding, they have been moved to the top of my TBR pile. A Royal Christmas Wedding is a wonderful book. In fact, it’s one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. The characters, setting, story, and the Christmas magic mixes together to form a practically perfect book that is heartwarming and romantic. Avery Truitt and Prince Colin were in a secret relationship four years ago, which ended poorly. In the present, both Avery and Colin admit to themselves the feelings are still there, though they deny it to practically everyone else—including each other. We find out over the course of the book that their family members were not as ignorant of the relationship and their feelings, which brings both Avery and Colin into important realizations about their current relationship. Avery is a great heroine and is probably one of my favorite heroines from books I’ve read this year. I appreciate heroines with their lives in flux because for a long time I felt the same way, and so it makes it easier for me to relate to them and what the heroines are going through. She is struggling with choices and doesn’t know how to reconcile her feelings for Colin with her ambition to coach a college volleyball team. Her love for her family is evident throughout the entire story and the interactions between Avery and her sister Susanna (Queen of Brighton Kingdom and heroine of a previous book) feel very similar to how I interact with my own siblings. Colin is a great hero as well. He is very upfront with himself about his feelings, and the struggles he has with his father add depth and outer conflict to the romance between Colin and Avery. Colin is self-aware and sure of his feelings for Avery but when it comes to taking action is torn between duty and love. The scenes in which he finally decides which is more important are some of my favorite in the book. The setting of Brighton Kingdom is truly wonderful. The descriptions of the Christmas festivities and the city and country are so vivid I can easily picture it. And I want to live there! The two hosts of the TV show very entertaining and provide some fun commentary as they count down toward Christmas. The secondary characters, especially Avery’s mother and Colin’s father, are also well crafted and have their own motivations and personalities. A Royal Christmas Wedding is the fourth book in a series, yet in my opinion stands alone perfectly fine. If you have read the previous books in the series, you will definitely find much enjoyment in seeing the characters from those stories in this one. If you have never read any of the other books in the series, I don’t believe this will impede your enjoyment of this book. I give this book 5/5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary romance with great characters, a gorgeous and clearly rendered setting, and the magic of Christmas filling every page. I cannot wait to read the other books by Ms. Hauck! **I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.** About the Author
Guest Post from Rachel HauckI don’t think we can ever get enough of royals or Christmas, do you? The two just seem to go together. The Bible tells us eternity is written on our hearts. (Ecc. 3:11) I wonder if it’s also written on our hearts to be princesses in a grand, beautiful, perfect kingdom. That being said, welcome to The Royal Christmas Wedding blog tour. My deepest thanks to all the bloggers, reviewers, and readers for hosting and visiting this tour. I’m excited to share this story with you all. The hero and heroine, Prince Colin and Avery Truitt, first met in Once Upon A Prince at King Nathaniel’s coronation. I hadn’t planned to write a spinoff story with the two of them. In fact, I didn’t even know Prince Colin existed until Avery walked into the abbey for the coronation and glanced across the sanctuary into his eyes. Here’s his introduction: Lean, aristocratic with an outdoorsman ruddiness, he nearly made Susanna swoon when he winked at Avery. I liked Colin immediately. So did Avery. As well as a lot of you. When my publisher asked me to write their story, it would be two years before the book would release. Plenty of time, right? But “time crunch” is the name of the game with most writers. Between life, rewrites, edits, and promotional activity, we often find ourselves hurrying toward a deadline. Well, at least I do. In the fall of 2015 I was writing The Wedding Shop and A Royal Christmas Wedding at the same time. I’d also dealt with a physical issue that left me shaky. Could I write two books in five months? Did I want to even make the attempt? If I said no, publication dates would be pushed out, causing a year delay on A Royal Christmas Wedding. And I knew that was something I did not want to do. Publishing is a long game. Books are contracted and due 12 to 18, even 24 months, before release dates. Time must be carved out for rewrites and editing, marketing and promotion. Review copies go out at least five months in advance. So I agreed to write both books. I told my editor, “Diamonds come from pressure.” Coming up with Avery and Prince Colin’s story wasn’t as easy as I’d planned. Since they met in Once Upon A Prince as teenagers, I struggled with how to advance their age and relationship, and how to present them as the book opened. Where had their relationship gone “between the books?” When I came up with the idea of the Pembroke Chapel bell, the story magic began to happen. One of the things I love in the royal wedding books is the fairytale aspect. Looking for something out of the ordinary. Even though my writing time was tight, writing Avery and Colin’s story was a joy. Once again I wish I could visit Brighton, eat a puff, and royal watch for the Strattons! I hope you found a few sweet spots in the story, all wrapped in Christmas holiday cheer, and enjoyed your time with me in Brighton Kingdom. Merry Christmas! Blog StopsDecember 8: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader December 8: New Horizon Reviews December 8: inklings and notions December 9: Reading Is My SuperPower December 9: Redeemed Hope Dweller December 9: Book by Book December 10: His Grace is Sufficient December 10: Blossoms and Blessings December 10: Pause for Tales December 11: Quiet Quilter December 11: Ashley’s Bookshelf December 11: Reviewing Novels Online December 12: Bibliophile Reviews December 12: Lights in a Dark World December 12: Splashes of Joy December 13: Moments Dipped in Ink December 13: Neverending Stories December 13: Through the Open Window December 14: The Power of Words December 14: Counting Pinecones December 14: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS December 15: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses December 15: Genesis 5020 December 15: CTF Devourer December 16: Lighthouse Academy December 16: God’s Little Bookworm December 16: Christian Bookaholic December 17: Smiling Book Reviews December 17: God is Love December 17: A Simple Life, really?! December 18: A Holland Reads December 18: The Scribbler December 18: Faith * Love * Books December 19: By The Book December 19: Karen Sue Hadley December 19: Southern Chelle December 20: Faithfully Bookish December 20: Books. Books. And More Books December 20: A Baker’s Perspective December 21: ASC Book Reviews December 21: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations Giveaway To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card plus a copy of A Royal Christmas Wedding and a copy of The Wedding Shop. Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway! https://promosimple.com/ps/aaeb
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