It's not.
I'm not going to post a pic of the portrait in question because the author of the study has mentioned not having permissions to post the whole image himself.
Instead, I'll post the image it's a copy of.
It's not.
I'm not going to post a pic of the portrait in question because the author of the study has mentioned not having permissions to post the whole image himself.
Instead, I'll post the image it's a copy of.
This is a hard review to write because I don't want to give anything away! First things first -- I loved the story and was enthralled all the way to the end where I was hoping to get some answers. Who can Penny trust?
In the first book, Penny created an android replica of her fiancé, who was critically injured in an accident and still remains in a coma. She even devised a way to feed his memories into Ian to make him a more perfect copy of the man she lost.
In this book, she discovers that perhaps she didn't have the perfect romance she thought she did. She also starts to wonder if giving Ian sentience and autonomy were the right decisions. In the first book, she was amazed as he began to create art and make his own choices; in this book, she finds he's also hiding secrets.
Everyone is. Penny starts feeling like she's losing her mind as she discovers more and more treachery around her. Friends turn out to have betrayed her. People have hidden motives and obsessions of their own. Penny isn't even sure she can trust her own perceptions of reality.
The whole book was a rollercoaster from start to finish and there were points where I found myself reading more quickly, hoping it would turn out to be a dream sequence or something, and then gasping and going back to read more carefully in case I'd missed something. Because I have a feeling these tiny details are going to turn out to be the key to the whole story.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Let's get the important part out of the way first: I LOVED THIS BOOK. It had everything I love about royalty -- palace intrigue, the crushing burdens of etiquette and tradition, the jewels and splendor, and the weight of history's eyes upon each action.
Odette was chosen by her prince for a very traditional reason: her money. But as a Black American woman she's not the traditional princess that Ersovia expected.
When the book opens, Odette hasn't heard from the man she married on impulse for six months. He's been thrust into the role of heir to the kingdom and the king is incapacitated. It's an enormous burden, but I admit, I was like, "Come on, Gale, not even a text?"
Odette travels to Ersovia to get him to sign divorce papers and discovers why he hasn't contacted her. The situation is a mess and he's miserable, but it's instantly obvious these two were meant for one another. It's not easy for Odette to decide to stay, especially as it becomes obvious that she's going to have to fight an uphill battle to be accepted by her new country, and her widowed sister-in-law hates her simply for existing, for exemplifying the happiness she once had as the wife of the heir.I couldn't help think of another princess as I was reading this, a woman of color who married into the English royal family. Like Odette, every single breath she takes is criticized and every action is taken out of context in the press and twisted in nefarious ways.
Odette spends her days learning the language, learning etiquette, studying history, and learning the names and ranks of the important Ersovian officials. At this point in the book, I forgave Gale for not calling because Odette herself is unable to steal a moment to even call her mom and let her know she's getting publicly married in the winter.
But Odette's family isn't all on her side.
Small spoiler (highlight to read) Her half -sister betrays her cruelly. I was hoping by the end of the book that the sister would come to a place of repentance. Not that Odette had to forgive her, of course, but that her sister would come to realize what she had done and the loving relationship she had thrown away out of spite and jealousy.The queen was a delight. She, too, is a loving and fierce mother. She not only has her only remaining son to protect, but she feels a duty to the monarchy itself, to protect its traditions and dignity. She's strict with Odette and insistent that she do things correctly, but she's also supportive when Odette tosses aside the script for a moment to show her real self to the people and earn their affections.
But there's someone who doesn't want to see Odette succeed. Someone who's willing to stop at nothing to make sure she doesn't become the next queen of Ersovia.
Did I mention I loved this book? I'm only sad we didn't get to see Odette rule as queen, but maybe if we ask JJ very nicely and practice our best curtseys, she'll give us another sequel one day!
The Prince's Bride part 2 is available on Kindle here.