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A review by max_the_lesbrarian
Nobody's Princess by Erica Ridley
4.0
After reading Ridley's previous two books in the series about the Wynchester siblings, I was so excited to read about Graham - information gathering and acrobatics extraordinaire. This book follows him and Kuni - an aspiring Balcovian Royal Guard visiting England on an intelligence gathering mission with the hopes of impressing the king enough to let her become the first Balcovian woman to be in the Royal Guard.
Overall, the book was an absolute blast. Ridley's books are always of a mix of over-the-top antics and adventure, mixed with a tenderness between the love interests and the Wynchester family - and this book exemplifies it. Graham's background as a circus performer very much so into play (I don't want to spoil anything too much but let's just say there's a quite hilarious scene involving a robbery and two trick horses), and it was fantastic to see his character and back story expanded on, and Kuni was such an interesting character to bring into the fold as someone completely outside both the story, and the country it takes place in.
This book didn't totally click for me in every aspect though, and I think the core of my struggle with it is that the conflict over why Kuni couldn't stay - she wanted to become a Balcovian guard - got a bit tedious after a while. I get it, obviously, life's passion and all that, but between that and royals-worship on behalf of Graham was just not something I could buy into - full disclosure, I say this as someone who is decidedly anti-monarchist and not exactly pro-military (do I love regency romance? Yes, but I prefer mine where I can kind of imagine the aristocracy as some sort of fantasy world, not real life). Like, I understood where Kuni was coming from, but the more she kept talking about her brothers and her what her job as a guard would entail, I just wasn't buying it, so it kind of made that aspect a drag.
Despite this, I still really loved reading their story and spending more time with the Wynchester siblings. I'm fairly certain I've said this before, but this is one fictional family I wish I could step into.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, the book was an absolute blast. Ridley's books are always of a mix of over-the-top antics and adventure, mixed with a tenderness between the love interests and the Wynchester family - and this book exemplifies it. Graham's background as a circus performer very much so into play (I don't want to spoil anything too much but let's just say there's a quite hilarious scene involving a robbery and two trick horses), and it was fantastic to see his character and back story expanded on, and Kuni was such an interesting character to bring into the fold as someone completely outside both the story, and the country it takes place in.
This book didn't totally click for me in every aspect though, and I think the core of my struggle with it is that the conflict over why Kuni couldn't stay - she wanted to become a Balcovian guard - got a bit tedious after a while. I get it, obviously, life's passion and all that, but between that and royals-worship on behalf of Graham was just not something I could buy into - full disclosure, I say this as someone who is decidedly anti-monarchist and not exactly pro-military (do I love regency romance? Yes, but I prefer mine where I can kind of imagine the aristocracy as some sort of fantasy world, not real life). Like, I understood where Kuni was coming from, but the more she kept talking about her brothers and her what her job as a guard would entail, I just wasn't buying it, so it kind of made that aspect a drag.
Despite this, I still really loved reading their story and spending more time with the Wynchester siblings. I'm fairly certain I've said this before, but this is one fictional family I wish I could step into.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.