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samanthajayne_x's review
1.0
Okay so I'm not going to actually say much about this book, I really didn't like it but don't let my dislike effect what you think because I still 100% think you should give this book a shot. I just couldn't get on with the characters or the plot I j just I really struggled.
lauriereadsrom1's review
3.0
I had mixed feelings about Abigail Sharpe's "The Prince Who Loved Me." On the one hand, the main characters, Brandi and Prince Sebastien, were both relatively likeable, and they made a cute couple. However, it frustrated me that Sebastien waited so long to tell Brandi about his feelings for her. He dropped so many hints that seemed transparently obvious to me, but Brandi was either completely oblivious or, more likely, willfully ignored them because she didn't think she was good enough for a prince.
My frustration continued even after Sebastien confessed because Brandi denied her own feelings and insisted on remaining friends, mainly because of her completely unfounded belief that Sebastien didn't support her dream of running her family's whiskey distillery as a separate business from the family inn. Her behavior towards Sebastien only seemed to get worse as the story progressed. For example, she would get angry and accuse him of not liking one of her ideas because of a single offhand comment, and then expected him to apologize to her even though he did nothing wrong. Honestly, I think Brandi needed a counselor more than she needed a boyfriend. She obviously had a lot of baggage to work through before she knew how to be in a healthy relationship.
In addition to the above issues, the end of the book felt very rushed to me. It was almost as if there was a chapter missing; the story jumped directly from Brandi playing softball with her friends and telling them that she had decided to rejoin a few dating apps to her flying to Sebastien's country to tell him that she loved him. What happened in between to change her mind about their relationship? In addition, she and Sebastien never actually seemed to work out their issues because they were so focused on standing up to his family and defending their relationship to them.
Overall, while this was not a completely terrible book, I had a tough time getting past Brandi's frustrating behavior and the oddly rushed ending that didn't give her and Sebastien enough of a chance to work out their issues. I'd recommend this book mainly for existing fans of the series who want to see how it all ends; otherwise, it's safe to give this one a pass.
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
My frustration continued even after Sebastien confessed because Brandi denied her own feelings and insisted on remaining friends, mainly because of her completely unfounded belief that Sebastien didn't support her dream of running her family's whiskey distillery as a separate business from the family inn. Her behavior towards Sebastien only seemed to get worse as the story progressed. For example, she would get angry and accuse him of not liking one of her ideas because of a single offhand comment, and then expected him to apologize to her even though he did nothing wrong. Honestly, I think Brandi needed a counselor more than she needed a boyfriend. She obviously had a lot of baggage to work through before she knew how to be in a healthy relationship.
In addition to the above issues, the end of the book felt very rushed to me. It was almost as if there was a chapter missing; the story jumped directly from Brandi playing softball with her friends and telling them that she had decided to rejoin a few dating apps to her flying to Sebastien's country to tell him that she loved him. What happened in between to change her mind about their relationship? In addition, she and Sebastien never actually seemed to work out their issues because they were so focused on standing up to his family and defending their relationship to them.
Overall, while this was not a completely terrible book, I had a tough time getting past Brandi's frustrating behavior and the oddly rushed ending that didn't give her and Sebastien enough of a chance to work out their issues. I'd recommend this book mainly for existing fans of the series who want to see how it all ends; otherwise, it's safe to give this one a pass.
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
joreadsromance's review
3.0
Pleasantly gentle
3 stars
This is my first [a:Abigail Sharpe|6457442|Abigail Sharpe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427237667p2/6457442.jpg] novel and as such, I’ve not read the first two books in the Just Add Peaches series, [b:Moonshine and Magnolias|44098296|Moonshine and Magnolias (Just Add Peaches, #1)|Abigail Sharpe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553375285l/44098296._SX50_.jpg|68582151] and [b:Cupcake of the Month|46194197|Cupcake of the Month (Just Add Peaches, #2)|Abigail Sharpe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559865588l/46194197._SX50_.jpg|71157948]. I did feel a wee bit confused by the setting of the story (a brewery and an Inn) and the relationships between some of the characters as I hadn’t read the first two books. Sometimes, authors rehash story lines of their previous novels to get readers up to speed. It often annoys me if I have already read the novels they’re rehashing - but in this case, I really could have done with the catch-up.
On that same note, our heroine, Brandi obviously appeared in the first two novels - seemingly in a less than favourable light. As such, I felt much of the first third of the novel was the author apologising for Brandi’s prior behaviour and proving to readers that she has changed. Apparently she was a self-centered little madam on a man-frenzy with not a responsible bone in her body. The present-day Brandi is trying hard to be a responsible adult and overcome her surprising lack of self-worth. Surprising because she is well aware of her physical attributes, but obviously less so of her other charms. Yet she’s still a serial dater, going through a number of men before Sebastian catches her eye.
Sebastian is a nice enough hero - and not as wet as you might assume what with his having been in love with Brandi for years and having done little to nothing to make his move. Even when he does make his move it still quite gently done. In fact, gentle is a good word for this book all round.
There’s some declarations, some mama drama, some personal dilemmas… yet none of it ever makes more than a ripple in our characters’ lives. I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I do prefer a little more feistiness or excitement in my stories. And while ‘sweet’ might be another word to describe this story, there is a wee bit more spiciness than you might expect from such a descriptor.
I don’t think I can write a review without mentioning this book’s cover. Or more accurately, the attempt to ‘ginge-up’ the model portraying red-headed Sebastian. Seriously, are there no stock images with ginger male models? I definitely know there are trained graphic designers/artists who could help. I spent much of the book with Sebastian walking round my head with comedically painted on hair and beard. It’s not affecting my rating of the book but I’m definitely grumpy about it.
Anyway, this was a pleasant book with likeable characters and sweet love story. It didn’t set my world on fire but the writing was good and made the read an enjoyable one for me. A solid 3-star read.
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