#BookReview – “The Prince Kidnaps a Bride” by Christina Dodd

Blurb

Betrothed in the cradle, Princess Sorcha and Prince Rainger were destined to rule their countries together. Then revolution sent Sorcha to a remote Scottish convent—and Rainger into a dungeon so deep rumor claimed he was dead.

Now danger threatens, and Sorcha must travel home with a simple fisherman as her companion—Prince Rainger in disguise. Changed by his imprisonment from a careless lad to a dangerous man, he's determined to win back his kingdom—and the woman he wants more than life itself. But can he protect a woman who believes every person she meets is her friend, every tavern is an opportunity to sing bawdy songs, and each turn in the road hides new adventure? To keep his princess safe, he must resort to his most treacherous weapon: seduction.

Review

In the third and last book in the Lost Princesses trilogy, Crown Princess Sorcha lives in a secluded island convent in northern craggily Scotland. She enjoys her simple, uncomplicated life but knows she’s meant for something greater. After she meets a strange poor fisherman stranded on the beach, she takes him to the convent for shelter and her life changes forever.

Arnou is a kind, simple-minded, and very foolish fisherman, but he has a secret. He’s the hardened Prince Rainger in disguise, and he’s determined to do anything to marry Sorcha and take her home to Beaumontagne, the country she’s destined to rule. A terrible tyrant has seized Rainger’s country of Richarte and held him prisoner for eight brutal long years. He managed to escape and needs the Beaumontagnan army to secure his crown and rescue his people. If he can’t convince his childhood betrothed Sorcha to marry him and provide him with an heir, his plans of revenge are for naught.

Sorcha is a wonderful and vibrant character, but she’s very naïve to the ways of the world. Her self-discovery takes her on the journey of a lifetime. Best of all, she falls madly in love with a lowly fisherman. When she finds out his identity, she’s heartbroken, humiliated, and betrayed.

Worst of all, Rainger believes he’s done nothing wrong. After years of mental, emotional, and physical trauma, he only cares about his goals and doesn’t realize he’s hurting the woman he’s supposed to protect.

I loved their romance and this story until she finds out the truth. I expected tears and shouts, but Rainger’s sudden heartlessness and Sorcha’s pathetic surrender to his seduction schemes didn’t make sense. I understand why he was so callous and why she accepted it, but these problems continued throughout much of the book. Once they finally realized their mistakes, I started to like the characters and the book again.

There were a few typos, inconsistencies with the other books, and loose ends not tied up, but nothing affected the overall plot. Though the H/h frustrated me at times, Sorcha and Rainger are my favorite couple and I enjoyed this book the most from the trilogy.

5 Stars