How to Find a Princess

 After taking two weeks to read my first book of 2022, I needed something quick. Romance novels always do a great job of filling that urge. They're easy to read, happy, and usually a perfect little palate cleanser. And this one definitely lived up to all those expectations.

But as a romance novel it was sort of middle of the road. I liked Makeda a whole lot more than Beznaria, which probably comes down to Makeda getting the lion's share of the chapters. Her journey was more compelling and satisfying, and I was really rooting for her. Beznaria felt a bit more sketched in to me, and she went through a bit less growth. Not that she didn't change, but I have no real confidence that those changes were permanent. Which is a weird place to be with a romance novel.

I also felt like the ending was a bit too abrupt. I could have used another few chapters to tie up some loose ends or an epilogue to assuage my fears that this relationship would never last in the real world. They had a wonderful time on the boat together, but I needed a little bit more after they got off the boat to really seal the deal for me.

It's funny, thinking back to the first romance novel I ever read - Sarah MacLean's The Rogue Not Taken. At the time I thought the ending was too convoluted and wanted them to just get together and be happy already. But I think I prefer that, because it gave the characters a chance to work through every last issue and really make sure they were sure about each other. 

This novel felt more like a vacation fling. There's nothing wrong with that; it's just not really what I was expecting. So it left me feeling a bit letdown.

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