What Once Was Mine
BY LIZ BRASWELL
The 12th installment in the NYT best-selling series asks: What if Rapunzel's mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?
Desperate to save the queen and her unborn child, the Corona guards seek the all-healing sundrop flower, but mistakenly acquire the glowing moondrop flower instead. It does cure the queen, and she delivers a healthy baby girl with hair as silver and gray as the moon. But soon it becomes clear that the princess's hair is dangerous. And for her safety, and the safety of the kingdom, Rapunzel is locked in a tower and put under the care of powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel.
For eighteen years, Rapunzel stays locked away, knowing she must protect others from her intense power. But when she is drawn out of the only home she's ever known, she gets caught up in a quest across the kingdom with two thieves-a young woman named Gina who also happened to be raised by a goodwife, and Flynn, a rogue on the run. And Rapunzel learns that there may be more to her story, and her magical tresses, than she ever knew.
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Praise for Duke, Actually:
“This smashing sequel is packed with delightful characters, snappy dialogue, and a fairy-tale European setting. A top pick for every holiday romance reading list. –Library Journal (starred review)
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“…another confection of a novel…” -Entertainment Weekly
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“…there’s no denying the sparks that fly between these two lonely hearts” –POPSUGAR
My Review:
5 Stars. Sugar, Spice, and everything Christmas. Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday i is the after-dark Hallmark Christmas story you didn't know you needed. A messy divorce, infamous royal, friends to lover, dual POV, snarky, with the best slow burn. It's the second book in the series but could be read as a standalone novel; feel free to check out A Princess for Christmas to be more invested in the characters. All around, a charming, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud Holiday story that I am pleased to recommend.
Dani has just finalized her divorce from her cheating husband and Max has been dumped by a princess and sent to find a match for himself. Will the wedding of Princess Eldovia will bring these together? The slow burn and character build are everything and the spice is decent but could be lackluster for those who love a spiceeyyyyy novel. This was just a cute and fun Christmas story with the flair of Royals. I will be going to watch the Christmas prince on Netflix and pretend I too could find myself a handsome duke someday.. i mean I wish right?
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 - Will be re-reading
🔥 Spice
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the advance reader copy.
Oh my…What a bad luck you’re dealing with: can you imagine sexiest, most charming, most charismatic baron knocks your door when you took an oath to get way from any kind of female species? Good luck dear Dani, you’re so doomed to fail and resist the irresistible charm of this walking talking addiction notice!
Newly single, New Yorker, a brilliant professor, smart, sarcastic Dani already lost her bestie Leo who is the main subject of the marriage of the year. Yes, he became part of Eldovian royals by finding his love of life. She is gonna be the best man at the wedding.
But when the with sexiest man alive- tabloids’ popular subject: Maximilian von Habsburg : Baron of Laudon: Duke of Aquila who has been dumbed by the very same princess she’s marrying now insists to befriend Dani by visiting New York before wedding to spend more time with her, his friendly intentions are rejected because after her worst marriage experience Dani’s off limits and she cannot tolerate to be best of any man.
But luckily extra charming, magical Max is not any man. He’s every man you want to breathe and he’s the man you want to stalk every move he makes and you want to keep watching him( okay this become a quite mix with Joe Goldberg stalking tendencies meets Police’s favorite song but hottest baron of Laudon truly gives you those inspirations)
Well, Dani obviously cannot resist to his charms and she adroitly restrain her desires to let him get into her pants but their chemistry is too hot to resist. Their friendship blossoms alongside with their intimate feelings they bottled up.
They wanted only friendship as a distract of their messy life. As Dani is getting through from messy divorce, Max deals with his scandalous life. But when they want more than friendship, real problems start to occur: because Max’s family doesn’t approve their relationship even though Max is ready to fight against them because he knows he already found the one he wants.
But Dani has also hesitations about adapting into Max’s pretentious lifestyle.
Could they risk everything to be together and confront with the obstacles together for pursuing their HEA?
So hot, so sexy, so genuine, so captivating! Yes, I truly devoured this book and I had amazing time! I loved both MCs, their love story, chemistry, everything about them!
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JENNY HOLIDAY
AUTHOR
Jenny Holiday is a USA Today-bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose books have been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio. She grew up in Minnesota and started writing at age nine when her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she’s not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. A member of the House of Slytherin, Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.
AVONBOOKS + HARPER VOYAGER
PUBLISHER
Avon is one of America's most acclaimed romance imprints. Known for having pioneered the historical romance category, Avon continues to publish a wide variety of genres, including contemporary, rom-com, paranormal, and regency romance.
Harper Voyager is a thriving global imprint dedicated to science fiction and fantasy.
WHAT OTHERS SAY?
KIND WORDS FROM OTHERS
"Holiday’s follow-up to A Princess for Christmas hits all the right notes as the heir to a dukedom discovers love during the holidays...Holiday cleverly draws parallels to Love, Actually throughout this witty, emotionally charged holiday tale. Readers will delight in the strong heroine seeking love on her own terms." -Publishers Weekly
"RITA-nominated Holiday follows A Princess for Christmas with another splendidly entertaining romance that offers just the right dash of holiday cheer and delectably droll wit." -Booklist
"Holiday’s knack for writing witty banter is on full display here, with Dani and Max's escalating text messages and phone conversations showing a deepening friendship between them... This slow-burn romance will appeal to readers who enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. The novel carefully builds trust and a deepening emotional attachment between Dani and Max..." -Kirkus Reviews
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