Reviews

Once Upon a Princess by Harper Bliss, Clare Lydon

readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition

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2.0

TWs: Homophobia, emotional manipulation, death of parents (not on page).

2.5 stars

This was my final read for F/F February and although fun, it was a little predictable, and the plot wasn't very original. Unfortunately it was a bit of a 'painting by numbers' affair, with all the tropes and twists happening exactly as I expected them to.

A princess goes for countryside break to get away from her family and impending engagement. She meets a stranger and starts to fall for her. The stranger doesn't know who she is but starts to fall for her too. There's a big reveal and all hell breaks loose. It's exactly what you'd expect from a secret-royal-identity type novel, so in one sense readers are getting what they came for. But there was nothing innovative or different to what I've read before so I didn't find it very exciting or engaging.

I did enjoy the queer romance but I found the characters a little tame and lacking in personality. They felt a bit one-dimensional and this seems to be a recurring theme in the adult romance books I've read this year. I feel like sometimes, romance authors go light on personality and heavy on romantic scenes, and I'd like a bit more of a balance between both (that's just me though, maybe I'm being fussy).

Despite this, it was an easy book to read and I flew through it on audio. It was fun and I enjoyed the happy ending, but ultimately I don't think it'll have a lasting impact, sadly.

elatedbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5/4 ish stars

absdoesmusic's review against another edition

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5.0

A fluffy, gay read, perfect for an afternoon with a tea and a blanket.

adrianabaltar's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

auroratr's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

lostinbooks2001's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I took me a little while to get into it in the beginning, but in the end i truly enjoyed the story and had fun reading it.

janastange's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

mirielen_arantes's review against another edition

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4.0

Pouco provável eu dar menos de quatro estrelas para um livro da Clare Lydon. Junta com a Harper Bliss então... com certeza é ótima combinação.
Olívia é tão amor de vida. Ela é forte e decidida, mas não à ponto de ir contra sua mãe (não dá para julgar, já que a mãe dela é a Rainha da Inglaterra).
E a Rosie é tão fo*a! Após a morte dos pais em um acidente de avião, a mulher largou a faculdade, criou a irmã mais nova e tomou conta do restaurante da família. E mesmo quando ela está destruída, ela ainda segue em frente de cabeça erguida.
E a Rainha é muito fdp, obrigando as próprias filhas a casar sem amor - "porque amor não é importante em um casamento, o dever é". Não estamos em 1930, minha senhora!
Esse livro é simplesmente adorável, um verdadeiro conto de fadas

julie_tibbs's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sophroniable's review against another edition

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2.0

I have to admit I wasn't expecting very much from this book since the beginning, but I hoped it would get better.
The plot was extremely predictable
and the marriage proposal after knowing one another just for three months was a little bit much for me
. I also didn't find any connections at all with the characters, they weren't bad but I didn't like any of them in particular. Sometimes I didn't even see the differences between Olivia and Rosie: their chapters felt the same for me, there wasn't that big of a difference between the personalities of the two of them.