Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Christmas at the Castle by Melissa McClone

Posted December 10, 2016 by meezcarrie in Christmas, contemporary, giveaway, Melissa McClone, romance / 5 Comments

A royal wedding. A meddlesome mother. An unexpected union.

A European getaway during the Christmas holiday is exactly what veterinarian Katrina “Kat” Parsons needs. She can’t wait to be a bridesmaid in her childhood friend’s royal wedding, but she hopes to steer clear of the bride’s arrogant older brother.

Crown Prince Guillaume wants his younger sister’s wedding day to be perfect, but he’s suspicious of Kat. He and his mother on are on high alert, afraid Kat is not just there for the wedding, but also to find a prince of her own.

But when Kat’s kindness and generosity prove them wrong, the prince realizes there’s more to her than he ever imagined. Can he trust his heart or will he lose the one woman he can’t live without?

SERIES: Ever After #3
GENRE: Clean Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Tule Publishing Group
RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2016
PAGES: 326

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“Perhaps her once upon a time wasn’t as far away as she thought.”

Continuing with the royal Christmas wedding theme that began yesterday with the aptly named A Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck, today I’m reviewing Christmas at the Castle by Melissa McClone. This is a sweet (and clean!) romance with a fairy-tale castle, a handsome prince, an evil queen (ok… not evil…just annoying), some mistletoe, and characters you’ll embrace as friends.

Kat is delightful and relatable; her loyalty as a friend combined with the “realness” of her goals and dreams and her love for animals make her a great main character. And Gill … *blissful sigh*. While he is Prince Annoying early on, his Prince Charming alter ego more than makes up for it later on. Gill with his dog Max? I melt. Gill making use of the mistletoe? <thud>

I love Sophie’s and Kat’s friendship. Its longevity (they met at summer camp as tweens), the way it’s survived distance and culture and status (Sophie is the princess of Alistonia, Kat is an American veterinarian), and the way they watch out for each other.

Gill’s mom though. Good grief, that woman needed a purse whomping. I mean, I get that she’s queen but I think she’s been wearing her crown a bit too tight. Her suffocating impositions on Sophie’s life (Kat’s best friend, Gill’s sister) and on Gill’s – and her machinations to impose those impositions – bring to mind Cinderella’s stepmother. Only with ruling power. And then there’s Rowena who perhaps needed a purse whomping more than the Queen. At least the Queen’s intentions were (mostly) good. Rowena’s intentions were all focused on one thing – herself.

Bottom Line: Christmas at the Castle by Melissa McClone has it all – a charming holiday setting, delightful characters, toe-curling kisses, and of course its very own Prince Charming. A sweet story that entertains and uplifts, it’s the perfect choice for a cozy evening in with a fire and a cup of hot chocolate.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Love it!

KissingBook Level: 3+ / You will forget to breathe & you may to keep a fan close by

Melissa McClone’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University led her to a job with a major airline where she travelled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! Since then, she has published over twenty-five romance novels with Harlequin and been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim and soccer practices, 4-H meetings and dog shows. She also supports deployed service members through Soldiers’ Angels and fosters cats through a local non-kill rescue shelter. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house.

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