This book was adorable. If you’re looking for a fairy tale retelling and a princess fantasy come true—this is your book wrapped up in sweet cotton candy with a real life prince. Lacey works at a theme park as Princess Sweet Pea. She loves her job and has always wanted to be a theme park princess ever since her mother was in the hospital and princesses from the local theme park came to visit her as a child. When she meets the lovely 6-year-old Rose and her brooding father Henry at a tea party at the theme park, they make an immediate impression. Later she finds out they are real royalty and she’s been asked to be their tour guide for their time in the park.

This story was simply lovely. I loved Henry and Rose—a prince and his young daughter with their own sad backstory. Lacey was a delightful heroine. This was such a sweet love story. The one thing that detracted from the reading experience was the editing. This book needs another editing pass as there were numerous errors/typos throughout. ( )

Hallmark is known for its holiday movies, and now they have books to match. Lacey is a face character at a major Florida theme park. She is a princess. She has always wanted to be a theme park princess and her reasoning is sound. At one princess tea party in the park she meets Grumpy Baseball Hat dad. Turns out this grump is a prince of a small country on the French Riviera. He is making his little girls dream of being a normal child come true for her 7th birthday, which includes a trip to the land of fairytales and fake princesses. This book is everything you expect a book from Hallmark to be. Its troupes include instalove, prince/commoner, and widowed father. And while the reader knows what is going to happen in this book, after all it’s exactly what the reader wants to happen, it’s the fun of getting there. It’s the story that makes the reader smile and their heart happy. My main complaints are it’s only 8-12 days, and the books specifically mentions a PINK princess dress and they used a yellow dress on the cover. Other than that, this book was everything I wanted when I started it. ( )

A lighthearted & charming story. ( )

What I think you should know:
Once Upon A Royal Summer is a clean contemporary romance by Teri Wilson.

What you might need to know:
Henry lost his wife, Rose’s Mother.
Lacey lost her mother when she was a child.

What I think about this book:
This is such a super cute book, perfect for a light hearted Summer read. Lacey is a theme park princess, but to her it is much more than a job, it is a way to bring brightness into the lives of others. I adored her, she showed that who you are and how you treat others is so much more important than what others think of you. Her Princess Rules were perfect. Henry was so much fun to watch him grow closer to his spunky, but vulnerable Princess Rose and you have a wonderful dynamic. If you are looking for a feel good read, look no farther!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Author Teri Wilson is a magical storyteller. Her contemporary romance tales have a special sparkle all their own. "Once Upon a Royal Summer" is a charming love story with a thoughtful royal single dad and a sincere pretend princess--and the irresistible little real-life princess who brings them together. Lacey Pope is a professional fairy tale star, and she takes her role as "Princess Sweet Pea" very seriously. Each performance she gives at the Once Upon A Time amusement park in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is filled with her heart and her dedication to the happiness of the children in attendance. As a young girl, Lacey had spent lonely hours in the hospital where her terminally-ill mother was a patient. Those dark days had been brightened by visits from in-character theme-park princesses who brought a bit of sunshine to the oncology ward. Grown-up Lacey's realization that her boyfriend Mark just doesn't get--and just doesn't approve--of her devotion to her job brings their relationship to an end. At one of her shows, she notices a dad and his adorable daughter sitting alone at a table meant for a group of ten--meaning they had reserved the whole table for just the two of them. While the little girl is a cutie-pie and completely into the performance, her dad is rather skeptical--but he does have amazing blue eyes and he can waltz like a fairy tale hero. Prince Henry of the kingdom of Bella-Moritz is trying to remain incognito while giving his daughter Rose a dream vacation. Being a widowed prince with a young child, Henry feels the pressures of his royal legacy and the sharp-eyed scrutiny of his mother, the Queen. Lacey becomes the theme-park guide for Henry and Rose during their visit, and they are both quite enchanted by "Princess Sweet Pea". Henry invites Lacey to visit his country and be his guest at the royal palace. Feeling an empathetic bond with Rose and an attraction to Henry, Lacey accepts, and her stay in Bella-Moritz is more compelling than she expected, and far more heart-tugging than she could have imagined. It's hard for her to resist Henry's "soulful blue eyes", but can he convince her to take a leap of faith and reach for a real-life fairy tale happily-ever-after? Author Teri Wilson writes wonderful characters and amazingly-detailed story lines that are filed with heart and hope--just perfect for romance lovers like me.

Book Copy Gratis Hallmark Publishing ( )