REVIEW: A Royal Vow of Convenience by Sharon Kendrick (HQN)

In A Royal Vow of Convenience by Sharon Kendrick, running away from home, because of the scandal of her fiancée finding love with someone else, Princess Sophie of Isolaverde has come to Australia to lick her wounds. Working as a cook at Poonbarra, an outback cattle station seems like the perfect place for staying out of the royal limelight. Until she meets the billionaire owner, Rafe Carter. Can they find a compromise when the press learns the truth of who she is?

”Just how long did you and Andy spend discussing me?”
“Long enough.”
“And did you come to any conclusions?”
“I did.”
“Which were?”
He stretched out his legs. ”I came to the conclusion that you’re somebody who’s never had to get her hands dirty before,” he observed softly. “And that maybe you’ve led a very privileged life up until now.”

Ms. Kendrick is a new author for me, and after finishing this story, I’m so glad I was given the chance to read it. Right from the beginning, this book was entertaining, fast-paced and extremely hard to put down. The way this story opened with Sophie doing her best to hide her identity from Rafe made this book a real page turner. Would she be able to hide who she was? The answer to this question could have gone either way, as Rafe is quite perceptive and quite easily able to read her like an open book.

As for the dialogue, I loved every moment of it. The characters back stories, the way I was pulled in by the emotions and reactions of Rafe as well as Sophie and the decisions the heroine has to make had me enjoying this story from start to finish. But what I liked most was the way Sophie challenges Rafe and takes him way out of his comfort zone when it comes to relationships and love. It was the best, considering the hero was adamant that no woman would ever own his heart after the disaster of his last relationship and what his ex did.

”You sound disappointed, Rafe. Do you have a problem with the fact that I was a virgin?”
“Only the same kind of problem I might have if I took a ride in a car with somebody who hadn’t bothered to tell me they were a learner driver.”

Both the main characters were fantastic. Sophie was strong, brave and I liked how determined she was to regroup after what happened between her and her ex. Being under royal scrutiny isn’t easy, and I could understand why she did what she did to escape, since the king wouldn’t likely have let her leave otherwise and she needed the time away. While Rafe, his family is very dysfunctional with his father incapable of having a long-term relationship and its palpable that’s another reason why he doesn’t do relationships. How would he possibly know if he could commit to someone when he hasn’t seen what a healthy relationship looks like? However, the thing I liked best about the hero was his hard-working attitude and how well he’s done for himself, despite all he’s gone through in his past. It’s clear he enjoys what he does, and that dedication definitely extends over into his desire for Sophie by the offer he proposes to her towards the end of this story. Will she be able to convince him that their relationship can be more than what he’s asking of her? That there can be emotions involved, if he allows himself the chance.

Overall, this was a really good book with a strong romance that made me eager to get to the end of this story to read how things would turn out between Rafe and Sophie. The fact that Sophie is so inexperienced when it comes to men and sex is unsettling for the hero and made for interesting reading. Because I wasn’t certain whether he could get over the truth when he learns how inexperienced she is and why. The way this story ended had me cheering for this couple, because Sophie did the impossible. She opened up Rafe’s eyes to the possibility of love and that when you find the right person, you don’t let them go. No matter how scared you are.

Moreover, the epilogue wrapped this story up nicely in terms of what Sophie ended up doing with her life. Did she choose royal life or follow through on the dream she’d decided on? The answer didn’t surprise me, because she’s ambitious. I would recommend A Royal Vow of Convenience, if you enjoy the mysterious strangers trope or a story of a couple contemplating a marriage of convenience.

Book Info:

Publication: November 22nd, 2016 | Harlequin Presents |

His princess under the covers…

The whirr of helicopter blades announcing the return of her new boss sends Sophie scurrying back to the kitchen. Little does she know that fleeing from royal scrutiny will place her under the devastatingly searing gaze of notorious billionaire Rafe Carter.

Having resisted his cook for days, a secret midnight swim sends Rafe’s senses into overdrive and he can’t resist a taste of the forbidden. But the press descend when Sophie’s identity is shockingly revealed, and Rafe is duty-bound to rescue the beautiful princess…with a convenient vow.