This RITA® Reader Challenge 2016 review was written by Mandi. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Short Contemporary Romance category.
The summary:
A kiss at midnight…
Ten years ago Ruby Wetherspoon shared a stolen New Year’s kiss with enigmatic stranger Alex. A kiss she has never forgotten…
Now a renowned language therapist, Ruby is stunned when her Alex—Crown Prince Alexander of Euronia to the rest of the world!—shows up to ask for her help.
Ruby has never been far from Alex’s thoughts, but duty to his country has kept him away. Now he has a chance to make both their dreams come true…
Here is Mandi's review:
I admit it. I’m one of those people who likes to watch cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. They are often both ridiculous and ridiculously fun, a perfect hour and a half feel-good break from my crazy life. I often feel the same way about series romance. Completely unrealistic and over-the-top, but thoroughly entertaining despite (or because of) that. So when I read the description for Scarlet Wilson’s The Prince She Never Forgot, I jumped at the chance to review it. A New Year’s kiss with an anonymous Prince, who wouldn’t love that ridiculously wonderful set-up? Unfortunately, the book wasn’t nearly as good as the setup.
The prologue is set in New Year’s in Paris and our heroine, Ruby, gets uncomfortable in the throng of people waiting for the fireworks to begin at the Eiffel Tower. Fortunately for her, there is an anonymous Prince to pluck her from the crowd–literally. He is on a wall, reaches down, picks her up, and places her on the wall with him (readers with a scientific or literal bent might not want to spend too much time on this or several other bits of the story). Over the next hour, they kiss, talk, eat cake, and fall so much in love with each other that no one else can compare during the next ten years. Obviously, the Prince is suddenly called away due to an emergency (in this case a sick father). And, obviously, the message he sends to the heroine the next day goes somewhat astray.
That is the prologue of the book. And the best part of the book. Well, no, that isn’t true. The best part of the book is that the Prince lives in an honest-to-gosh pink castle. PINK! How perfectly ridiculous is that? Unfortunately, the rest of the book falls flat. After ten years the prince asks the heroine, a celebrated speech therapist, to come stay in his country of Euronia (worst country name ever; every time I read it I simultaneously thought of the words uranium and urine), to help his three year old daughter as she is not speaking.
I felt like the daughter was no more than a prop, and a poorly used one at that. The conflict(s) in the plot seemed contrived and forced. I felt like the character Ruby was inconsistent. What I did not feel was any connection to her or the Prince. By the way, I’m not trying to be cute–I just can’t remember the Prince’s name and am still annoyed that I had to look up Ruby’s (despite finishing this book yesterday).
And all those cheesy elements I was wanting? Honestly, they felt more insulting than ridiculously fun. For example…
“Her profession might not compare with Vivian’s, but the thought of Alex purchasing a whole wardrobe for her was both mildly disturbing and somehow exciting. She didn’t know whether to be insulted or overjoyed.
‘I don’t think I like this, Alex. You can’t buy me. You can’t dress me up as if I’m your little doll.’ She could feel her stomach tighten.”
[The next few lines were removed because they are just a teensy bit spoilery, but mostly because they are unnecessary to this example.]
“He waved his hands again. ‘This is how I say sorry. Doesn’t every woman like clothes?’
The tightness in her chest dissipated. It was clear he meant every word.”
I often complain about novellas because I feel like the author is trying to stuff too much into too few words. This is the opposite scenario and one of the few books I wish could have been written as a novella (or possibly even a short story). The premise wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t translate into a full book. Or at least not this book. I just wasn’t invested in any of the (seemingly forced) conflicts. Or characters. Or any of it really. But for twenty seconds I thoroughly enjoyed a pink castle.
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Uh, judges’ ruling on this, please: A celebrated speech therapist? How does that even happen? SOmeone wins a grammy and dedicates it to his old speech teacher? No. Clue.
As a non celebrated speech language pathologist I can say that it’s very unlikely that we would be well known outside of our own professional realm. I read this book too and I think the prince conveniently kept tabs on Ruby and her professional achievements partly because she was so passionate about getting her dream job when they first met. Otherwise he’d have no clue. Ironically, May is Better Speech, Language & Hearing Month to raise awareness of communication disorders, so if you know one hug a Speech Therapist . The pink castle cracked me up too. I would agree with the C grade, I wasn’t wowed, but I didn’t hate it either.
Yay fellow Hallmark movie enthusiast!
This nearly made me spit out my coffee:
“After ten years the prince asks the heroine, a celebrated speech therapist, to come stay in his country of Euronia (worst country name ever; every time I read it I simultaneously thought of the words uranium and urine).”
Great Review! Too bad the book wasn’t more satisfying.
Thanks for this review, Mandi. This is just the kind of plot I’m a sucker for, but I will avoid this one.
It’s already been said, but this line is hilarious!
“… Euronia (worst country name ever; every time I read it I simultaneously thought of the words uranium and urine)… ”
As much as I love the royalty plots, sometimes the country names make my eyes twitch.
PS- I love Hallmark movies too.