REVIEW: The Head that Wears the Crown by Mariah Stewart

The Head that Wears the Crown by Mariah Stewart When 40 something mother of two Annaleise thinks she is being stalked, she is overwhelmed to discovers that the stalking was with good reason; that she is in fact the heir to a royal fortunate.

From ordinary to riches over-night, Annaleise travels to her new kingdom (somehow both Eastern and Western European) to discover she kind of needs to save the day and her ‘people’ by engaging in her creative modern entrepreneurial skills. Meanwhile the head of her new royal guard catches her eye and a cute fantastical romance ensues.

Whilst there was quite a lot that didn’t contextually make sense in terms of the location, language and dire straits economy her kingdom was suffering from, there was a whole bunch to love in terms of themes of love, agility, creativity and freedom.

From the get go Anna was incredibly likeable and had that perfect blend of nativity with middle aged wisdom wherein throughout, she truly finds her feet as an adult, mother, friend and princess. From this perspective, so much of the narrative was on Anna believing in herself and having the tenacity to see things through from beginning to end.

As a result, it was the perfect combo of fantasy princess world, meets serious thematic intention and whilst there were some bits that were absurd, there was a whole lot to love in the blend, namely fun and pure escapism. Moreover, the tension between the male and female characters was perfectly drawn with respect to fairytale HEAs, and in this vain, this was faced-paced dreamy weave that will entertain lovers of romance and fairytales alike. The Head that Wears the Crown is definitely worth a look if you like exploring genre mash ups or if you just love a juicy fairytale that has some believability within.

Book Info:

Publication: 10th October 2023 | Montlake |

Annaliese—Annie—Gilberti is a divorced South Philadelphia mother of two with a nine-to-five job when a shocking discovery turns another average day upside down: her late grandmother was the exiled ruler of a small European country, and Annie is next in line to wear the crown and restore the monarchy. The would-be grand duchess of the Grand Duchy of Saint Gilbert has vacation time coming, enough to take a quick trip to check it out.

It’s easy to fall in love with Saint Gilbert’s villagers; its mysteries (why does everyone look decades younger than they claim to be?); her family’s ancestral home, Castle Blanc (so many hidden rooms and passages!); and maybe—just a little—with the dashing Maximilien Belleme, the captain of the castle guard. Never one to walk away from a challenge, Annie steps up, determined to be worthy of the crown that’s been offered. As she, her sisters, and her children work to bring Saint Gilbert into the modern age, Annie discovers a legacy of courageous women and that no threat is too great to deny the grand duchess’s right to the throne.