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I never believed in fairy-tales.
Never held out for Prince Charming.
Growing up poor in small-town California as the oldest of six siblings, I knew I would never ride off into the sunset with anyone. That was even more apparent when a senseless tragedy took the lives of my parents, forcing me to become the sole guardian of our dysfunctional household at the mere age of twenty-three.
Then a fateful encounter literally brought Prince Charming to my doorstep.
At first I thought Viktor was just your average businessman passing through, albeit obscenely handsome, six-foot-five, blue-eyed, and mysteriously rich.
But soon I discovered the truth behind Viktor’s façade.
Beneath his quiet, enigmatic gaze and cocky charm, is a man who is running away from who he really is. A role he’d rather not fulfill.
He is Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden.
Yet uncovering Viktor’s secret was only the first step.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with him.
I didn’t expect to have my whole life turned upside down.
When you’re from two different worlds, can your hearts meet somewhere in the middle?
Or do happily-ever-afters only exist in fairy-tales?
Never held out for Prince Charming.
Growing up poor in small-town California as the oldest of six siblings, I knew I would never ride off into the sunset with anyone. That was even more apparent when a senseless tragedy took the lives of my parents, forcing me to become the sole guardian of our dysfunctional household at the mere age of twenty-three.
Then a fateful encounter literally brought Prince Charming to my doorstep.
At first I thought Viktor was just your average businessman passing through, albeit obscenely handsome, six-foot-five, blue-eyed, and mysteriously rich.
But soon I discovered the truth behind Viktor’s façade.
Beneath his quiet, enigmatic gaze and cocky charm, is a man who is running away from who he really is. A role he’d rather not fulfill.
He is Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden.
Yet uncovering Viktor’s secret was only the first step.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with him.
I didn’t expect to have my whole life turned upside down.
When you’re from two different worlds, can your hearts meet somewhere in the middle?
Or do happily-ever-afters only exist in fairy-tales?
WARNING:
The Swedish Prince is oh-so sweet, enchanting and funny, but it does
contain foul language (lots of the F word) and graphic sexual scenes
(lots of dirty talk). Reader discretion is advised for those who are
sensitive.
Genre: contemporary romance
Publication date: March 2018
Mature content: yes
Review: Can you love and hate a book at the same time? I didn't think it was possible either, but The Swedish Prince fell into those categories at the same time.
What I liked:
The whole concept of the story, the modern fairly tale vibe.
The plot in itself and most of the characters
The fact that in a lot of places this book actually made me smile
What I didn't like so much:
The sex scenes. Not so much the fact that they are there, but the way they are written. In places they sounded just like cheap erotica. I know readers are warned about this from the start, so my problem wasn't really the scenes by themselves and more the fact that they didn't match the rest of the story, that sometimes they seem to be forced, like there's some list to tick off of different places, settings and ways the characters need to engage in sexual activity.
The language. Again, I was warned beforehand, but I never expected it to be so bad. My mistake. Honestly, I don't think any of the characters managed to say one phrase without the f-word. Even the prince talking to his father the king does not refrain from using it. It's not the word itself, but all the wrong places where it shows up. Frankly, it shocked me bit, and I'm not easily shocked.
The fact that Viktor is not a consistent character and seems to make a lot of bad choices, choices that do not fit well with his role or with the image of him we are first presented with, and that pass on the wrong message altogether.
So, all in all, I'm rating it with three stars because of the great plot idea and the potential of the story, and also because part of what I didn't like had to do with me not reading the disclaimer in full - or, rather, reading it and not believing those issues could actually be a problem. In any case, this is not a book I would actively recommend.
Happy readings,
What I liked:
The whole concept of the story, the modern fairly tale vibe.
The plot in itself and most of the characters
The fact that in a lot of places this book actually made me smile
What I didn't like so much:
The sex scenes. Not so much the fact that they are there, but the way they are written. In places they sounded just like cheap erotica. I know readers are warned about this from the start, so my problem wasn't really the scenes by themselves and more the fact that they didn't match the rest of the story, that sometimes they seem to be forced, like there's some list to tick off of different places, settings and ways the characters need to engage in sexual activity.
The language. Again, I was warned beforehand, but I never expected it to be so bad. My mistake. Honestly, I don't think any of the characters managed to say one phrase without the f-word. Even the prince talking to his father the king does not refrain from using it. It's not the word itself, but all the wrong places where it shows up. Frankly, it shocked me bit, and I'm not easily shocked.
The fact that Viktor is not a consistent character and seems to make a lot of bad choices, choices that do not fit well with his role or with the image of him we are first presented with, and that pass on the wrong message altogether.
So, all in all, I'm rating it with three stars because of the great plot idea and the potential of the story, and also because part of what I didn't like had to do with me not reading the disclaimer in full - or, rather, reading it and not believing those issues could actually be a problem. In any case, this is not a book I would actively recommend.
Happy readings,
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