A review by shelvedthoughts
The Unlucky Prince: A Frog Prince Retelling by Deborah Grace White

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

 Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Ari & Violet’s points of view

– this is connected to Deborah’s The Kingdom Tales series, but you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this one – I haven’t gotten to these yet myself! (Ari was in Kingdom of Feathers & Violet was in Kingdom of Dance)

Review:

I’ve been meaning to read one of Deborah Grace White’s forever and I finally did by picking up this Frog Prince retelling! (I am so excited to read more from her after this!) I loved that Deborah told us a little bit about what both of our main characters went through in her Kingdom Chronicles series and how it translated to their current situations. I honestly hadn’t really thought about how the cursed characters in fairy tale retellings coped post curse-breaking and if they had any lingering effects from having been under their curses until I read this and found out what Ari & Violet were dealing with. I really enjoyed Violet’s family’s dynamic with all the siblings and their kids at the same table. I loved how much they all clearly loved each other, even though they also got on each other’s nerves about various things. And not only that, but it felt like a realistic big family dynamic which is awesome (I would know having 12 other siblings myself XD)! I also really loved the twist on a pivotal moment that Deborah put on this tale that’s a little different than I’ve typically seen!

Summary:

Prince Ari feels adrift and has a desire to find a new path for himself, so he makes plans to join a group planning on going around the desert. But before he embarks on this journey, Ari makes time to visit the neighboring kingdom where his sister now resides. He expected to spend most of his time with Wren and his niece and nephew more than anyone, but instead finds himself intrigued by one of the many princesses, Violet. Just when Ari thinks that maybe the new path he desired isn’t what he originally thought, an unfortunate mistake lands him under a curse. A curse that transforms him into a frog…

Violet wants to help take some of the burden off of her brother by helping him with just one of his many tasks that he’s in charge of as king. She knows though that this particular task is a thorn in his side that needs a more permanent fix. One that Violet might be able to provide if her brother and sisters don’t catch wind of it. With her plan in place in her mind, Violet knows that her time of freedom is coming to an end and wants to make the most of the time she has left. With Prince Ari visiting, Violet finds herself flirting with something that she never thought she’d have for herself due to her position. And with that, Violet is beginning to wonder if she should continue with the plan she’s hiding from her family or pursue a love much truer…