Litfuse Publicity blog tour stop for Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck (with bonus review!)

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun "Royal Wedding" Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

One "royal" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the "Once Upon a Prince" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Once Upon a Prince and join Rachel on the evening of May 28th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

My review:

There were a few things I enjoyed about this story, but much of the plot seemed to drone on and on about a kingdom that is fictitious and not very exciting. For me, it felt like a different author wrote this book than the author who wrote other stories I've really enjoyed. The cover is beautiful, but it gives the reader an impression that isn't what the story is actually about. I don't want to post a spoiler, so I'll be vague, but it did create some disappointment in me as a reader. I hate to even say this, but in the end, I wasn't satisfied with the story. I found myself skimming the pages. The tension between them just didn't feel real to me. I saw what the author was trying to do and there were a few sweet moments between them, but for the most part it fell flat. Maybe it was edited to death and the heart was taken out of the story? I dunno.

I think what bugged me most was the story simply felt like a knockoff mixture of "The Prince and Me" and "The Princess Diaries." In fact, much of the plot even felt the same including his janitorial job at the restaurant and his body guards that he tried to leave behind so he could enjoy some "normal" activities. I kept picturing Julia Stiles while I read this book. Then when similar events took place like the paparazzi finding them after spending the night alone, it confirmed things for me. Only the difference in this book was the couple prayed and worshiped God all night long. So it was a Christian knockoff, but still a knockoff. The author is a good writer and I've enjoyed other stories she has written. This one just didn't do it for me.

I suspect the publisher and marketing department had some influence in the way the book was presented, so I won't fault the author for that. The author is a sweet person and I like her a lot, so I feel bad even saying anything at all. It's just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth... which isn't much.