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kaitlynbro's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
onebookmore's review against another edition
4.0
I was so excited to learn that Kerrelyn Sparks was adding to the world of the Embraced and jumped at the chance to read an advanced copy of the newest book When a Princess Proposes. The series continues with the children of the Embraced fighting against new enemies and old grudges. Twenty years have passed since the conclusion of the last book, and the leaders have ruled a peaceful land. However, a new threat is exposed when the Embraced begin to die under unusual circumstances.
Princess Eviana has been sheltered and overprotected since she gained her powers, which are kept hidden. Isolated and raised to fear her power, Eviana longs for freedom. Quentin is an Embraced spy who has the ability to shift into an eagle. He has loved Princess Eviana for years but is not of noble birth and feels unworthy. Can he keep his feelings in check when he and Eviana, along with two others, travel and work together to find out who is targeting their kind?
I loved Eviana and Quentin. They are such layered and interesting characters, and I found both of their stories compelling. Though their lives were very different, they share many of the same feelings about their circumstances. However, their personalities are very different, and there are definite grumpy/sunshine vibes between the two. Eviana is so optimistic, extroverted, and expressive. Quentin is quiet, brooding, and solitary. They seem like opposites, but for some reason, they work.
The romance between Aviana and Quentin is slow-building, high angst, and filled with chemistry. The banter between this pair is fabulous. They have so many great conversations, some funny and teasing, and others serious, intimate, and vulnerable, and their love story is fantastic. Of course, their budding relationship is not without its obstacles, both internal and external, especially when it comes to Quentin’s doubt and feelings of unworthiness. I like that Aviana takes charge and fights for what she wants and shows Quentin just how worthy he is. There is another romance in the story that is equally lovely, though it is more of a friends-to-lovers story. The way one finds out about the other’s feelings is super swoon-worthy, and the professions of his feelings throughout the story are fantastic.
I also really liked the secondary characters, especially Lady Olana. She has an amazing gift and is feared by many. Like the protagonists, Olana lives a solitary and lonely life, and I so wanted her to find happiness. The story also includes many of the primary characters from other Embraced books, and I really enjoyed learning what happened to these couples. Since twenty years passed between the last book and this one, you really get to see how their relationships have grown and changed, and they are all wonderful additions to this story.
There’s another fascinating character, and I don’t want to go into too much detail and spoil anything, but the moral greyness of this person is perfection. I love characters with redemption arcs, and his road to redemption is brave and honorable. I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more of this Enchanted as the series continues. The character goes through so much in the story, and his realizations and lessons learned are very powerful. I think this character and his arc highlights the nefarious manipulations and abuse of the villains. His story also shows how effective some are at brainwashing and using propaganda for their own personal gain and desire for power.
The majority of the story finds Eviana, Quentin, Olana, and one other on an amazing journey where they learn more about themselves, each other, their world, and their enemies. They uncover treacherous plots and are thrust into increasingly dangerous and deadly situations. The suspense and intrigue slowly build to a nail-biting climax, and no one is safe. It’s an exciting romance with magic, action, intrigue, dragons, shifter, unique powers, and an epic romance, and it entertained me from beginning to end. I loved the characters and the romances and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Thanks so much to Kensington Books, NetGalley, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Princess Eviana has been sheltered and overprotected since she gained her powers, which are kept hidden. Isolated and raised to fear her power, Eviana longs for freedom. Quentin is an Embraced spy who has the ability to shift into an eagle. He has loved Princess Eviana for years but is not of noble birth and feels unworthy. Can he keep his feelings in check when he and Eviana, along with two others, travel and work together to find out who is targeting their kind?
I loved Eviana and Quentin. They are such layered and interesting characters, and I found both of their stories compelling. Though their lives were very different, they share many of the same feelings about their circumstances. However, their personalities are very different, and there are definite grumpy/sunshine vibes between the two. Eviana is so optimistic, extroverted, and expressive. Quentin is quiet, brooding, and solitary. They seem like opposites, but for some reason, they work.
The romance between Aviana and Quentin is slow-building, high angst, and filled with chemistry. The banter between this pair is fabulous. They have so many great conversations, some funny and teasing, and others serious, intimate, and vulnerable, and their love story is fantastic. Of course, their budding relationship is not without its obstacles, both internal and external, especially when it comes to Quentin’s doubt and feelings of unworthiness. I like that Aviana takes charge and fights for what she wants and shows Quentin just how worthy he is. There is another romance in the story that is equally lovely, though it is more of a friends-to-lovers story. The way one finds out about the other’s feelings is super swoon-worthy, and the professions of his feelings throughout the story are fantastic.
I also really liked the secondary characters, especially Lady Olana. She has an amazing gift and is feared by many. Like the protagonists, Olana lives a solitary and lonely life, and I so wanted her to find happiness. The story also includes many of the primary characters from other Embraced books, and I really enjoyed learning what happened to these couples. Since twenty years passed between the last book and this one, you really get to see how their relationships have grown and changed, and they are all wonderful additions to this story.
There’s another fascinating character, and I don’t want to go into too much detail and spoil anything, but the moral greyness of this person is perfection. I love characters with redemption arcs, and his road to redemption is brave and honorable. I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more of this Enchanted as the series continues. The character goes through so much in the story, and his realizations and lessons learned are very powerful. I think this character and his arc highlights the nefarious manipulations and abuse of the villains. His story also shows how effective some are at brainwashing and using propaganda for their own personal gain and desire for power.
The majority of the story finds Eviana, Quentin, Olana, and one other on an amazing journey where they learn more about themselves, each other, their world, and their enemies. They uncover treacherous plots and are thrust into increasingly dangerous and deadly situations. The suspense and intrigue slowly build to a nail-biting climax, and no one is safe. It’s an exciting romance with magic, action, intrigue, dragons, shifter, unique powers, and an epic romance, and it entertained me from beginning to end. I loved the characters and the romances and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Thanks so much to Kensington Books, NetGalley, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
lauren_reading's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
If you love a mix of fantasy and historical romance then this is the series for you! This is book 6 and it’s just as fun and full of action as the previous books. Princess Eviana and Quentin, a shapeshifter are both wonderful characters and the romance was a slow build into some great steamy moments. And Olana’s truth gift had me cracking up randomly throughout the book! Seriously funny!
Quentin is a royal courier and has loved Eviana for years, but feels that his “station” makes him unworthy of her. Eviana feels trapped in her own life and wants to have the freedom to make choices and be happy. The warning of trouble comes out of nowhere, but after twenty years danger is coming back to their world. And Eviana and Quentin, along with a group of others must stop this evil from gaining a foothold.
It was such a good book and I’m excited about the possibilities for where this series will continue to go!
cakt1991's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
After the previous book in the Embraced (by Magic) series, I was content with how things were left for the major characters. However, that made When a Princess Proposes an unexpected, yet pleasant, surprise. I loved the premise immediately of seeing the previous couples as rulers secure in their new positions and as parents to a new generation of gifted heroes and heroines. And while there’s always the chance it will get old at some point, for now, I quite like the direction the series is going.
Eviana is exactly who I thought Luciana and Leo’s daughter would turn out to be like. Given her father’s fearsome reputation and her mother’s own complicated history with her powers, it’s not shocking that Eviana is in the position she is, even if her “gift” does happen to be a particularly intense one. I love that she’s a bit of a rebel who isn’t content with their attempts to manage her life…especially in terms of who she marries.
Quentin is lovely, and while he did sometimes frustrate me in his complete nobility in personality tempered with a hefty dose of self-loathing about his inferior status to Eviana, I also understand where he’s coming from in wanting to be able prove his worth.
As for the plot, there’s once again a threat to the safety of the Embraced of Aerrhlan, and I’ll be interested to see how that develops going forward. The developing politics of Aerthlan has always been one of my favorite parts, and I’m intrigued as to how things will shake out.
I’m very excited for this new “chapter” in the Embraced world, and would recommend it to other fans of the series thus far, and anyone looking for an engaging fantasy romance.
After the previous book in the Embraced (by Magic) series, I was content with how things were left for the major characters. However, that made When a Princess Proposes an unexpected, yet pleasant, surprise. I loved the premise immediately of seeing the previous couples as rulers secure in their new positions and as parents to a new generation of gifted heroes and heroines. And while there’s always the chance it will get old at some point, for now, I quite like the direction the series is going.
Eviana is exactly who I thought Luciana and Leo’s daughter would turn out to be like. Given her father’s fearsome reputation and her mother’s own complicated history with her powers, it’s not shocking that Eviana is in the position she is, even if her “gift” does happen to be a particularly intense one. I love that she’s a bit of a rebel who isn’t content with their attempts to manage her life…especially in terms of who she marries.
Quentin is lovely, and while he did sometimes frustrate me in his complete nobility in personality tempered with a hefty dose of self-loathing about his inferior status to Eviana, I also understand where he’s coming from in wanting to be able prove his worth.
As for the plot, there’s once again a threat to the safety of the Embraced of Aerrhlan, and I’ll be interested to see how that develops going forward. The developing politics of Aerthlan has always been one of my favorite parts, and I’m intrigued as to how things will shake out.
I’m very excited for this new “chapter” in the Embraced world, and would recommend it to other fans of the series thus far, and anyone looking for an engaging fantasy romance.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Loved being in this world again, and with Leo and Luciana's daughter! And I'm excited for the series to continue!
rk_reads's review
4.0
From the very first book in the Embraced series, I have been a die-hard fan of the Aerthlan world and the magically gifted rulers of its five kingdoms. So imagine my elation when I came upon book no.6 of the series - a second generation story.
Ever since her powers manifested on her thirteenth birthday, Princess Eviana has been forced to live a sheltered life, and her magical gift kept a closely guarded secret by her parents, the King and Queen of Eberon. As an eagle shifter, Quentin's gift makes him invaluable as a royal spy and an official messenger for the five kingdoms. Despite being desperately in love with Evie, Quentin considers his lowly status makes him ineligible for a princess and so stays on the sidelines, watching her from afar. But when danger strikes, throwing them together in an adventure, the mismatched pair realize that they have more in common with each other than they thought.
The story picks up twenty years after the last book and has all the elements that made the Embraced series a big hit among fantasy lovers - a brooding hero and a feisty heroine with unique magical powers, and mystery, angst and romance galore. The plot follows the same formula as the previous books wherein the protagonists join hands to fight a common enemy and save their kingdom, falling in love in the process. It was a tad disappointing though that Lady Olana who, I had hoped, owing to her powers, would be more prominent in the book was only given a supporting role. Moreover, her romance with Elam was also depicted in broadstrokes and was fairly rushed. The Raven, a conflicted character was the most interesting one in the plot and I look forward to seeing more of him in the coming books.
Though the book can be read as a standalone, considering the multiple references to characters and events from the previous books, IMO, it would make better sense to read those first for a better appreciation of the story, characters and the Aerthlan world. And with more second generation characters introduced in this plot, I am hoping for more books to follow.
Overall, a fab addition to an already wonderful series. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Ever since her powers manifested on her thirteenth birthday, Princess Eviana has been forced to live a sheltered life, and her magical gift kept a closely guarded secret by her parents, the King and Queen of Eberon. As an eagle shifter, Quentin's gift makes him invaluable as a royal spy and an official messenger for the five kingdoms. Despite being desperately in love with Evie, Quentin considers his lowly status makes him ineligible for a princess and so stays on the sidelines, watching her from afar. But when danger strikes, throwing them together in an adventure, the mismatched pair realize that they have more in common with each other than they thought.
The story picks up twenty years after the last book and has all the elements that made the Embraced series a big hit among fantasy lovers - a brooding hero and a feisty heroine with unique magical powers, and mystery, angst and romance galore. The plot follows the same formula as the previous books wherein the protagonists join hands to fight a common enemy and save their kingdom, falling in love in the process. It was a tad disappointing though that Lady Olana who, I had hoped, owing to her powers, would be more prominent in the book was only given a supporting role. Moreover, her romance with Elam was also depicted in broadstrokes and was fairly rushed. The Raven, a conflicted character was the most interesting one in the plot and I look forward to seeing more of him in the coming books.
Though the book can be read as a standalone, considering the multiple references to characters and events from the previous books, IMO, it would make better sense to read those first for a better appreciation of the story, characters and the Aerthlan world. And with more second generation characters introduced in this plot, I am hoping for more books to follow.
Overall, a fab addition to an already wonderful series. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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