The Prince She Never Knew by Kate Hewitt

Reviewed by Desere 

We have all at some stage read a book about marriage arranged to ensure some or another something or someone goes the way it is meant to be and in the end it always comes together by the couple truly falling for each other.

In my lifetime I have read over a dozen of them and I have found that if the story behind the arrangement is not cleverly crafted, the read falls flat, no matter how hot the passion is or how nice the ending happens to be, if the reasoning is no good, the book is a no go.

In the new read from author Kate Hewitt I was slightly concerned after reading the blurb that I might end up walking away with the feeling of being let down as it sounded very familiar, but what I found was a simply magical, skillfully crafted world of passion, romance, stunning brilliance and one amazing cracker of a plot!

The read is about Prince Leo and Alyse, their romance to the outside world seems perfect, a royal couple to be proud of, but behind all the happy smiles, waves of excitement and pretend happiness there lies a much deeper connection between Prince and woman, the problem for this couple is that even though love is blossoming on the surface, there are headlines that can rip them apart and none of the damage will ever be repaired.

The character of Leo was awesome, I loved that the author showed him as being able to hide behind a different world, but losing a little bit of himself each time he is with Alyse. I think a lot of us today have a tenancy to use which ever 'world' we have around us to hide what truly is going on in our lives, this connection to reality made me love the character of Leo even more!

The character of Alyse was well written and I found her to be very interesting with the link between her and the past and the life of Leo, it made her one of those characters that you know is going to pop out from a concealed little bubble and burst onto the pages when the perfect moment hits, and it did hit believe me.This woman truly dug to get to know the real Leo, that she could only see the glimpses of, and I loved every minute of it.

The backdrop settings were exquisite, enchanting and simply magical! It felt as if I was truly surrounded by the glamour of royalty. The dialogue was Kate Hewitt at her best, emotional punch packing, romantic, heart wrenching and so good it left me reading the words out loud, which I can tell you only happens when I get so entranced by a book I forget that not everyone around me wants to hear what I am reading!

I am taking away a message of when you love someone you need to speak up and tell them, the worse that can happen is them rejecting you, and even that as hard as it seems, can be overcome, but more importantly when the chance for love comes around again, suck it up and don't let the fear from the past hold you back from saying the three words that might change your life forever.

I highly recommend this book for all fans of Kate Hewitt books, as always the author does not disappoint, and leaves you with that perfect feeling of romance is the breath of life !

5/5 star review
" To truly know the person you love, you need to break down the barriers" 

** This read also contains another brilliant read from Kate Hewitt titled Kholodv's Last Mistress 
ARC received from the author in exchange for a honest review


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Review by TashNz

Fantastic read during a
sunny Auckland afternoon

The Prince She Never Knew is the wonderfully encapturing and engaging story of Alyse and Prince Leo growing together, learning about each other together and slowly falling in love while pretending to the world they already are madly in love.

I love stories that get straight into it! We meet Alyse while she’s nervously waiting for the call to walk down the aisle to marry Prince Leo. An arranged marriage for the good of the nation. Although they’ve been engaged for six years they’re essentially strangers. Alyse is used to being unimportant to Leo but realises to keep the charade alive they need to establish some sort of relationship with her husband. During their honeymoon Alyse slowly chips away at a distant Leo which really isn’t such a hardship when she realises just how easy on the eye he is.  Try as she might it's always one step forward, two steps back. 

One drama after another, ranging from an awful mother in law, the Queen, to Alyse's history coming back to haunt her to Prince Leo's long lost brother coming home to claim his righful place in the palace all make for a wonderful and thrilling read, all the while in the background Leo and Alyse battle on... can they become a team, can they love each other, will Leo honour his marriage when his brother comes back into the picture or will Alyse even want to stay married to him?

Alyse is the day and Leo is the night, they're both super likable and one of the best things about this story is they're mutual acquaintances and there's no dramas, no game playing, it's all new and exciting for Alyse and duty for Leo but once he too takes a second look there's no going back. 

The Prince She Never Knew was another fantastic read from Kate Hewitt, I love the far away places she takes me and the rollercoaster rides I go on.  A December release which I'd highly recommend to anyone who loves a change from the usual angst and just want to read a jolly good love story!

Stay tuned for a review of Kholodov's Last Mistress, the second original novel by Kate Hewitt which is accompanied with The Prince She Never Knew.

4 Stars

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Reviewed By Nas

THE PRINCE SHE NEVER KNEW by USA Today Bestselling author Kate Hewitt is a December 2013 release by Harlequin Presents.

Scandal behind the royal wedding? Alyse agreed to a business arrangement type of wedding to Prince Leo to save their monarchy from scandal. Yet, her own past came back to haunt her!

Would Prince Leo now end their fairytale romance because of her past? Would her Cinderella type existence end?

THE PRINCE SHE NEVER KNEW is a fast paced, fun story. Get it, you will not regret it for the entertainment value alone! Packed with witty dialogue, emotion and sizzling love scenes. 

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Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan

An innocent photograph. A runaway media story. A real life Cinderella. A handsome, available Prince Charming. These were all the things that had started a long six year engagement. Finally today is their wedding day. But did they really know each other? Were her dreams for the future a castle in the sky? Did he consider this a dream match or another duty quietly performed? Or was this just a situation that got out of hand? They will have a lifetime to find out.

Believing in love at first sight, Alyse Barras took one look at Prince Leo and fell in love. An innocent photograph taken at her birthday showed the world how she felt and the paparazzi went into a frenzy. When the royal family approached her with their proposal for their marriage, she was overjoyed. She would get her prince and live happily ever after. But the revelations on her wedding night she learned from her new husband crushed her hopes and dreams. She loved him, but he didn't love her. How can she salvage this dreadful mistake? Could she pick up the picks of her broken dreams and build a new life? Or would she have a long loveless marriage with no hope of reprieve?

Spending his life in the spotlight, Prince Leo Diomedi of Maldinia had always known how to fake his reactions and play a part on the world stage. He knew he had a duty to perform to repair the monarchy badly damaged by the antics of his parents and increase tourist revenue to his small country. Duty...duty...duty. Those were the things he knew and there was no room for emotions. He didn't tolerate them, do relationships, or have intimacies. After all, he had never had any shown to him and the only time he had tried, he was betrayed. Now he was married and his new wife wanted to change the rules. She wanted a loving marriage with closeness and intimacy. Didn't she know love was a sham, a lie, a mist in someone's mind? How could she change the rules now? On their wedding day??? Couldn't she see they could have a sensible, emotionless, and loveless marriage and still accomplish everything they had planned ?

The emotional roller coaster that these characters travel to find their happily ever after is an intense, wild ride from the beginning to the end of the book. Well written characters were interwoven with a well thought out plot to produce an enjoyable read. I enjoyed this book very much. Watching these people come from a long engagement without any knowledge of the person's dreams and expectations makes you realize that conversation about the things that you want in life are necessary for a fruitful and happy union.

I would recommend this book to all romance readers.

I received a signed copy from the author for an honest review.

5/5 stars Was their marriage doomed from the start?

Reviewed by Maria

Kate Hewitt’s women’s fiction is a real treat, whether it’s a racy romance with a playboy prince or a family saga historical of heartache and emigration.  Certain things are guaranteed with Kate Hewitt’s stories.  A well written story, engaging dialogue and an intriguing storyline.  Always.  And most important of all?  A smart, sassy heroine.

This royal romance is a modern fairy tale.  Well, Princess Alyse is more poised than sassy, but she’s substantial.  She dares to break the ‘princess’ rules and gets away with it too, more strength to her.  Alyse is all about love and romance while her prince is all about cold, convenient arrangements.  She wants the fairy tale, the love of her prince and Prince Leo wants the worldly arrangement?  Which one will get their wish?  And will they live happily ever after?

You won’t want to stop reading this until you find out.  Even if the book’s out of print, the ebook is available so go grab it.  You won’t be sorry.