Recent Reads

 A Queen's Game by Katharine McGee (2024)

Katharine McGee has fictionalized the lives of three real princesses - Alix of Hesse, Helene d'Orleans, and May of Teck - as they navigate the world of royal romances.  I love historical fiction, especially one that involves royalty, and it's really interesting how intertwined the lives of these three young women were.  As two of them are related to Queen Victoria (who makes some very fun appearances), they know that marriage is their end goal, though it seems like strategy is more important than romance, much to their dismay.  I appreciated that McGee tried to stick to the facts when she could, but there is an entirely invented character that does play a big role in this book.  I felt very invested in the ladies' stories, even going so far as to look them up online to learn more about them - and now I'm even more excited for the second book.  4 stars

The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis (2023)

Han Solo and Princess Leia get married and embark on a honeymoon aboard the Halcyon, a luxury space vessel.  But for Leia, work is never done, and she and Han become embroiled in a dangerous situation with Imperial forces.  Admittedly, I am not a big Star Wars fan.  I have a basic understanding of some of the stories, but this book came so highly recommended that I wanted to give it a chance.  I definitely felt a little lost when it came to some of the characters, but I was able to follow the story well enough.  I thought Revis did a great job depicting Leia as someone who has to constantly juggle public and private roles, and the relationship between Han and Leia was so romantic, the way they were so tuned into each other.  4 stars

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