A modern day fairytale that transports readers to a tropical African island kingdom, Toni Shiloh's In Search of a Prince features a refreshing, contemporary heroine along with immersive worldbuilding and a strong spiritual thread.
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| © 2022 Bethany House Publishers |
Author: Toni Shiloh
Published: 2022 by Bethany House Publishers
About the Book:
"It seems like a dream come true . . . until it forces her to question everything.Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops a bombshell--Brielle is really a princess in the island kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, off the coast of Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, the king, is failing.Distraught by all the secrets her mother kept, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before her coronation, or the crown will pass to another. Brielle is uncertain if she even wants the throne, and with her world totally shaken, where will she find the courage to take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring?"
The Artist Librarian Review:
After The Princess Diaries series in the early 2000's, I think it's safe to say that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's engagement in 2010 and marriage the following year helped inspired authors everywhere with royalty themed stories, especially where either the protagonist discovers they are long lost royalty or their love interest is heir to the throne of some fictional country. TV Tropes calls this the "Really Royalty Reveal" when a seemingly ordinary character is revealed to actually be an heir of importance, be it future ruler or what have you. In Christian fiction, I first remember noticing this royalty trend with Rachelle McCalla's Love Inspired Suspense series Reclaiming the Crown in 2011-2012, followed by Rachel Hauck's Royal Wedding Series in 2013. Nearly a decade later, Toni Shiloh's In Search of a Prince proudly sets itself apart from these contemporary royal romances by featuring a fictional African island kingdom instead of one of European origin.
Brielle Adebayo is a wonderful protagonist. Her emotions and struggles are authentic and believable for someone who receives such shocking news. Brielle's hurt at her mother's hidden secret is understandable and I liked that it took her time to come to terms with how her mother's decision affected her ability to get to know her father's family and results in Brielle having to essentially receive a crash course in everything about Ọlọrọ Ilé: language, culture, customs and more in a single summer as she tries to decide if she wants to take on the responsibilities of her heritage.
Shiloh's rich worldbuilding gives you enough information to make Ọlọrọ Ilé seem like a viable African country without distracting from the story, readers are swept along in Brielle's adventure as she explores her father's homeland and learns more about the country. I also enjoyed the strong spiritual thread in this novel. In my opinion, seeing Brielle and other main characters pray aloud or even in their thoughts doesn't seem forced or too preachy like in some early Christian fiction titles, but flows organically. The romance also compliments the main story of Brielle coming into her own as a princess and leader and while it's easy to see which of her suitors she should choose, I adored her main love interest and seeing their relationship grow throughout the story.
I'm really hoping Shiloh has a sequel in the future (featuring Brielle's best friend Iris?), though I'm pretty sure this is a standalone ... Regardless, this won't be my last Toni Shiloh novel and I hope we continue to see more richly diverse characters in mainstream Christian fiction. Contemporary royal romance fans will definitely want to check out In Search of a Prince!
Are you a fan of the "Really Royalty Reveal" trope in fiction? What are some of your favorites or who are your favorite fictional royals?
About the Author:
"Toni Shiloh (www.tonishiloh.com) is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. Her novel Grace Restored was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, and Risking Love was a 2020 Selah Award finalist. As a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Toni loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media."
[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Just Read Tours for review purposes.]
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