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danireadsbooks1's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 Cause it’s entertaining as hell
The conclusion to a novel I in no way expected to be so entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion and the message it sends: choose the path in life that’s right for you.
Trigger warnings: Familial neglect; familial betrayal; harassment; assault;
Quick Synopsis: The conclusion to the first part of this duet -- The Controversial Princess -- this second novel follows Adelaide’s journey navigating being queen, dealing with her father and brother’s death, maintaining a relationship with a man she can’t technically be with, and trying to figure out what she wants out of life.
What I liked:
-I really liked the message that the ending sends: choose your own destiny and don’t let others set it for you.
-The spice is spicy and I think even better than the first novel.
-I really enjoyed the dynamic Josh and Adelaide have. He is supportive but also pushes back enough to challenge her to do what is best for her, despite the challenges and hurdles they’ll have to overcome.
-The ending (I mean the epilogue) was fantastic and I loved how dramatic it was which fit with Josh’s acting career. Highly entertaining.
-Some of the scenes, while extremely unrealistic and idealistic, were entertaining as hell i.e. the Whitehouse dancing scene, when she smuggles Josh into the palace, etc.
-I liked the internal struggle we see Adelaide go through as she figures out how her new role is going to hinder her relationship with Josh and also how much she would have to deal with as Queen and how much Josh would have to give up.
What I struggled with:
-At the end, there is a twist with a lot of explanations involving various characters that I just could not keep straight no matter how hard I tried. I could go back and try to understand but I probably won’t. I’d need a diagram.
-Some of the dialogue was incredibly cheesy. I loved Josh’s snark but Adelide lost her snark throughout the novel and I missed it.
-Some of the scenes I was just puzzled and some of the things that happened I just question why. Like the bar scene? Why there and not in a private room? Why did she loose her tiara what was the purpose of that?
-It could’ve been cut by at least 100 pages. This a long book (450 pages) which I expect for maybe a fantasy for for a contemporary romance where I have already put in 300 pages for the first book, this was a lot and not all of it was necessary.
-I’ll be honest: half of the conversations these two have are redundant. They have the same conversation at least 4 times throughout the novel.
-If you’re going with a story about the Princess of England, just go for it. Use Buckingham Palace, use Kensington Palace, use Windsor Castle, don’t change the names. It made it gimmicky.
-This is minor but Ronald Reagan Airport in Virginia is a National Airport, not an International Airport so Adeline would've had to fly into Dulles airport which is like 12 miles outside of Washington, D.C. and is the nearest International Airport. Also I HIGHLY doubt the Queen of freaking England would've flown British Airways.
It was entertaining and I’ll give it that. I enjoyed the read, especially after the first 150 pages or so.
The conclusion to a novel I in no way expected to be so entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion and the message it sends: choose the path in life that’s right for you.
Trigger warnings: Familial neglect; familial betrayal; harassment; assault;
Quick Synopsis: The conclusion to the first part of this duet -- The Controversial Princess -- this second novel follows Adelaide’s journey navigating being queen, dealing with her father and brother’s death, maintaining a relationship with a man she can’t technically be with, and trying to figure out what she wants out of life.
What I liked:
-I really liked the message that the ending sends: choose your own destiny and don’t let others set it for you.
-The spice is spicy and I think even better than the first novel.
-I really enjoyed the dynamic Josh and Adelaide have. He is supportive but also pushes back enough to challenge her to do what is best for her, despite the challenges and hurdles they’ll have to overcome.
-The ending (I mean the epilogue) was fantastic and I loved how dramatic it was which fit with Josh’s acting career. Highly entertaining.
-Some of the scenes, while extremely unrealistic and idealistic, were entertaining as hell i.e. the Whitehouse dancing scene, when she smuggles Josh into the palace, etc.
-I liked the internal struggle we see Adelaide go through as she figures out how her new role is going to hinder her relationship with Josh and also how much she would have to deal with as Queen and how much Josh would have to give up.
What I struggled with:
-At the end, there is a twist with a lot of explanations involving various characters that I just could not keep straight no matter how hard I tried. I could go back and try to understand but I probably won’t. I’d need a diagram.
-Some of the dialogue was incredibly cheesy. I loved Josh’s snark but Adelide lost her snark throughout the novel and I missed it.
-Some of the scenes I was just puzzled and some of the things that happened I just question why. Like the bar scene? Why there and not in a private room? Why did she loose her tiara what was the purpose of that?
-It could’ve been cut by at least 100 pages. This a long book (450 pages) which I expect for maybe a fantasy for for a contemporary romance where I have already put in 300 pages for the first book, this was a lot and not all of it was necessary.
-I’ll be honest: half of the conversations these two have are redundant. They have the same conversation at least 4 times throughout the novel.
-If you’re going with a story about the Princess of England, just go for it. Use Buckingham Palace, use Kensington Palace, use Windsor Castle, don’t change the names. It made it gimmicky.
-This is minor but Ronald Reagan Airport in Virginia is a National Airport, not an International Airport so Adeline would've had to fly into Dulles airport which is like 12 miles outside of Washington, D.C. and is the nearest International Airport. Also I HIGHLY doubt the Queen of freaking England would've flown British Airways.
It was entertaining and I’ll give it that. I enjoyed the read, especially after the first 150 pages or so.
karen720's review against another edition
4.0
*advanced copy provided by Social Butterfly in exchange for an honest review*
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 3/5 | Secondary Characters 5/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 3/5
The first part of the Smoke and Mirrors duology, The Controversial Princess was phenomenal, so I was excited to see where His True Queen would take us..
His True Queen picks up where The Controversial Princess left off.
This is a sweet duet. It has hardships but it is full of love and passion between the American Boy and His True Queen.
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 3/5 | Secondary Characters 5/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 3/5
The first part of the Smoke and Mirrors duology, The Controversial Princess was phenomenal, so I was excited to see where His True Queen would take us..
His True Queen picks up where The Controversial Princess left off.
This is a sweet duet. It has hardships but it is full of love and passion between the American Boy and His True Queen.
kiahmarieee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kazza248's review
5.0
When you think you can't get better than book 1 you start reading book 2 and believe me its a true emotional rollercoaster. Book 2 sees things hotting up between Adeline and Josh, and the problem due to things beyond her control she is now the Queen, and their relationship is doomed.....or is it
lots of twists and turns in this book that you just didn't see coming, the smoke and mirrors unravel and you keep turning pages to find out what happens next.
I adored this series, well done JEM on another epic book!
lots of twists and turns in this book that you just didn't see coming, the smoke and mirrors unravel and you keep turning pages to find out what happens next.
I adored this series, well done JEM on another epic book!
jesshemsath's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Just a little long but loved how everything wrapped up and concluded
bookaddictreviews's review
5.0
If you haven't read book 1: The Controversial Princess just stop here and go read that first.
His True Queen picks up right where we left off and Adeline is dealing with the loss of her father, her brother, the secrets that have come out, becoming Queen and most of all her relationship with her American boy, Josh.
Wear the crown. Be a queen. That is all you have to do.
Adeline has a lot on her plate as the new Queen of England and the new responsibilities that come with it, however, the one thing she wants is her relationship with Josh. That comes at a price. These two took me on an emotional roller coaster throughout this book and I LOVED every single minute of it.
Josh Jameson is still strong alpha male we have all come to love and he was killing me with how much love he has for his queen, Adeline.
To the world you are the Queen of England. Bu to me, you are everything.
Queen Adeline is a total badass. I wish I could say more about that but one you read the last 30% of the book you will completely understand.
One doesn't clear smoke and mirrors, darling. One preserves them.
There is so much angst, drama and passion which is everything you want in a book. The British Monarchy is completely hidden behind all those smoke and mirrors and when they all come to light, it was like a bomb went off.
I have so much love for this story, the was a beautifully written, roller coaster ride of emotions, but so fitting for the American boy and his Queen.
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
His True Queen picks up right where we left off and Adeline is dealing with the loss of her father, her brother, the secrets that have come out, becoming Queen and most of all her relationship with her American boy, Josh.
Wear the crown. Be a queen. That is all you have to do.
Adeline has a lot on her plate as the new Queen of England and the new responsibilities that come with it, however, the one thing she wants is her relationship with Josh. That comes at a price. These two took me on an emotional roller coaster throughout this book and I LOVED every single minute of it.
Josh Jameson is still strong alpha male we have all come to love and he was killing me with how much love he has for his queen, Adeline.
To the world you are the Queen of England. Bu to me, you are everything.
Queen Adeline is a total badass. I wish I could say more about that but one you read the last 30% of the book you will completely understand.
One doesn't clear smoke and mirrors, darling. One preserves them.
There is so much angst, drama and passion which is everything you want in a book. The British Monarchy is completely hidden behind all those smoke and mirrors and when they all come to light, it was like a bomb went off.
I have so much love for this story, the was a beautifully written, roller coaster ride of emotions, but so fitting for the American boy and his Queen.
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
stephsromancebooktalk's review
5.0
OMG, this conclusion was AMAZING!!! To avoid spoilers let’s just say that this picks up where The Controversial Princess ends with the aftermath of secrets. Princess Adelaide is still that ever strong independent, sassy, rebellious personality that her country loves that I ended up loving. Josh is all alpha male all the time which I LOVED!!! So many more twists and turns, some that I could see coming but others that had my jaw hitting the floor as well. I really, really, LOVED this duology and I LOVED the audiobook narrator.
This specific video review will be included in the September 2018 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Rom Book Talk.
This specific video review will be included in the September 2018 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Rom Book Talk.
thisgingerlovesbooks's review
5.0
Breathtaking doesn't even begin to cover this book!
Holy hell! I'm a huge JEM fan and have loved every single one of her books, but His True Queen was a whole new level of incredible! There were so many twists, turns and almighty curveballs that I genuinely did not see coming in this book. I laughed, cried, raged, swooned... What an emotional rollercoaster ride this book was! I've only just finished it, and I'm tempted to read it again, I'm just not ready to leave Josh and Adeline. My emotions were and still are all over the place. Congratulations Jodi on yet another masterpiece!
Holy hell! I'm a huge JEM fan and have loved every single one of her books, but His True Queen was a whole new level of incredible! There were so many twists, turns and almighty curveballs that I genuinely did not see coming in this book. I laughed, cried, raged, swooned... What an emotional rollercoaster ride this book was! I've only just finished it, and I'm tempted to read it again, I'm just not ready to leave Josh and Adeline. My emotions were and still are all over the place. Congratulations Jodi on yet another masterpiece!