Royal Date by Sariah Wilson-Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Dec 212015
 
 Royal-Date51B5uYHUaaL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Product Details

  • Title: Royal Date
  • Author: Sariah Wilson
  • Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
  • File Size: 1776 KB
  • Print Length: 254 pages
  • Publisher: Kindle Press (March 3, 2015)
  • Publication Date: March 3, 2015
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00QXUN5Y4
  • FTC,FYI: I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:

This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince . . .

Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.

HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.

Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?

Excerpt

          What was he doing with his fingers? Everywhere he touched me he left little pools of flame behind.
            He was unfairly using his masculine wiles against me, and I was stupidly giving in. I opened my eyes to see him studying me as he slowly ran his knuckles against my cheek. “So is that a yes?”
            “It will be a yes. I will pretend to date you, go where you want me to, write what you want me to write. On one condition.”
            He waited for me to continue.
            “No more kissing.”
           His hands stilled. “Ma che?” I guessed that was Italian for “What the frak did you just say?”
            “If you think about it, you want me to stay objective when I write the story, don’t you? So we should take kissing off the table, right?” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince him or me.
            “So you’re worried that my kisses will sway you and harm your objectivity?” He paused, as if considering. “That’s probably true.” He went back to lightly caressing me, and I worried that I might have to start planning my own funeral because I was dying.
            But I couldn’t let on just how much he affected me. “Full of yourself much?”
            He had his face close to mine, and I could feel his smile, hear it in his voice. He moved to put his lips right above mine. “You and I both know that I could prove as much right now.”
            Of all the things I expected him to do and say, the next thing to come out of his mouth was not one of them. “I can do that. If you don’t want me to kiss you, I won’t. I will wait until you ask me to.”
            Usually I would have been like, so not going to happen, but in this case . . . well, I hoped I was strong enough to stick to my guns.
            Nico ran his fingers through my hair, and I unconsciously tilted my head to lean into his open hand. “Am I allowed to still touch you? I’m not sure I can promise not to touch you.”
            “Uh . . .” I meant to say something. I did. He completely disrupted all of my brain waves.
            “Because it would seem you like touching me as well.” I opened my eyes and looked down. I had both of my hands on his bare chest. When had that happened? I didn’t even remember doing it. My hands obviously had minds of their own. I clenched them shut and put them back in my lap.
            “Touching is okay, I guess,” I said in that same breathy voice that I only had around him, and now felt like my new permanent one. To be fair, and putting aside the fact that I enjoyed it, Monterrans had repeatedly proven themselves to be an affectionate and kind of handsy people. I couldn’t exactly say no to him for something that was cultural, could I?
            Yes, even in my foggy haze I was aware of my pathetic attempts to justify and rationalize.
            “Good. Although I don’t know if it’s very fair to give a man a taste of heaven and tell him he can’t have it again.”
            My heart barreled against my chest as he did that thing where he ran his thumb gently over my lips, across my jawline, back to my lips. I sort of loved that. I would probably give up my firstborn child if we could just stay in this spot all night doing that.
            I was going to lose every last bit of resolve I had.
My Review:

Royal Date by Sariah Wilson has turned out to be one of my favorite reads of 2015. I started reading this New Adult, Contemporary Clean Romance and I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want to put it down. The story is just that engaging and clever that you just want to keep reading until the very end. 

 Main character Kat MacTaggart is smart, beautiful, and has a mind of her own, even despite her hard background growing up. She has decided that she is done with men, even if they are good looking and rich. Her first meeting with the handsome Nico is full of witty dialogue that makes you smile. You also can’t help but fall for Prince Nico right along with Kat. 

Kat,along with her sassy, southern best friend Lemon end up staying with Nico’s family after Kat’s skiing accident. I loved how the author portrayed the royal family from the fictional European country of Monterra. They were not overly stuffy, but very accepting of the woman who had stolen their elder son’s heart. I especially loved the relationship formed between Kat and Nico’s youngest sister.

 This romance has no sex, but it does have some heavy sexual tension between Kat and Nico and some drool worthy kissing scenes. This is a modern fairy tale that makes you want to believe in romance and happy endings, but it still takes the whole book for this to happen. It’s not all happiness and roses as there is another story line with Nico’s younger sister and a drug problem. It is all handled very well though.

 This Cinderella-style Romance is fluffy, has a very hot Prince, and is such a fun, easy read. If you like a good fairy tale that will sweep you off of your feet, this is the book for you.

Royal Date was selected for publication on Kindle Press  this past March 3, 2015, through Amazon’s Kindle Scout program and is currently available as an e-book. Wilson also now has a book deal with Amazon’s Montlake Romance imprint for two more books, one of which is a sequel to “A Royal Date”  called Royal Chase.

Booking her client, Prince Dante of Monterra, on reality show Marry Me is a royal coup for PR agent Lemon Beauchamp. But thanks to a last-minute glitch, Lemon must pretend to be one of the contestants vying to win the playboy prince’s love and then live happily ever after—at least until the publicity tour ends.

Prince Dante agreed to go on the show to find a wife, even though he already has the perfect candidate in mind. She’s smart, funny, sexy, and completely uninterested in wealth and fame. She’s also absolutely determined to keep him at arm’s length.

Even if Lemon weren’t already engaged, she can’t trust a notorious flirt like Dante. So she ignores the lingering looks. Those subtle, thrilling touches. That pulse-quickening kiss. Until suddenly, Lemon isn’t playing for the cameras. She’s lovestruck for real, and just maybe, the man behind the title is the one who’s always been in her heart.

Meet Author: Sariah Wilson 

Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters–which is why she writes romance. She has published five happily ever after stories. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster that is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers).

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 152012
 

  10 days until Christmas

 

Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back is her fourth happily ever after novel. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster that is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers).

Visit Sariah:  WEBSITE |TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

* * * * *

LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?

SARIAH: I top my Christmas tree with a star. It’s one of the old blinky kinds made of gold and fringe. It reminded me of my childhood, and I bought one for my first Christmas with my husband. We still put it up every year, and it still works!

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

SARIAH: This is hard. I love “A Christmas Story” and watch it every Christmas Eve while I’m wrapping presents. But I also adore “White Christmas.” I grew up watching it, and every single time the general walks into his surprise party, I still get choked up. I also feel very bummed out every year that it doesn’t snow on Christmas, thanks in part to the final scene.

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

SARIAH: My mother was very poor growing up. She remembers times when there was literally only ketchup and bread in the house. They never had much of anything. But one year, when she was a little girl, more than anything in the whole world she wanted a doll called Chatty Cathy. She knew she could never have it, that her parents couldn’t afford it, but that didn’t stop her from wishing. Her father came home one evening carrying bags, and inside one she glimpsed her precious Chatty Cathy. She couldn’t stay quiet and hold her excitement – but her father gruffly informed her that these were presents for her cousins that their parents had asked them to hide at her house. She went upstairs and cried for hours. Christmas morning came, and there were few presents under the tree. But one of them had her name on it. She opened it up, and it was her Chatty Cathy. She, obviously, was beyond thrilled. She loved that doll until it fell apart. It is her favorite Christmas memory. So a few years ago as I flipped through a random Christmas catalog, there they had a reproduction of the Chatty Cathy doll. I knew it wouldn’t be the same as an original, but more than anything, I wanted to give my mother another one of those dolls. I was so excited to give her that present! And for the rest of my life, I will never forget her tears, or the look on her face, when she opened it.

LDSWBR: What a sweet Christmas memory. Thank you, Sariah!

* * * * *

Purchase The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back: 

KINDLE

Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.

But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?

Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.

Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.

Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.

And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.

What favorite toy from your childhood would you love to have again?

* * * * *

To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.

If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. :)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each posts required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Book Prizes (as of December 15, 2012)(more to be added- 21 books have been donated!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Sep 262012
 

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

Author: Sariah Wilson

Publisher: Fire & Ice Books

Published: August 15, 2012

ebook: 194 pages

Genre: YA General

ASIN: B008YIE740

FTC FYI: Review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary:  Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.

But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?

Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.

Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.

Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.

And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.

My Review

I was asked to read The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah before it came out in July.  Even just reading the first page, I knew I would enjoy it immensely!  The characters were so well written and very fun.  Mattie was so funny, oh, the things that went through her head sometimes.  Jake and Mattie end up in detention together, and he thinks he can use his charms to get Mattie to do something for him.  Boy, was he wrong.  I liked Mattie because she was strong, and she doesn’t let herself be taken for granted.  Even by the guy who she has liked for years.  As much as I liked Mattie though, Ella stole the show for me.  She is genuinely a great person, and such a sweetheart.  I laughed out loud many times, and smiled throughout.  I also asked Sariah if my teenage daughter could read it too, and she loved it just as much as I did.  Here is what Michalla had to say.

The characters were fun to get to know.  I laughed a ton.  It was so fun to read, and I loved every minute of it.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.  Everything about this book is fun and anything that makes you smile this much is worth it.  What I liked most were the strong female characters.  Sariah has written several books.  Find out more about her on Goodreads and her Blog.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / IBOOKS / SMASHWORDS / KOBO