The Prince's Wedding (Romancing the Crown)

Rating:
Summary: not very romantic...
Review: The Highly anticipated end to the romancing the crown series, Lucas Sebastiani's story. The idea of the dashing prince (Lucas) falling in love with a commoner (Jessica Chambers) should have been much more romantic than what i read. Don't get me wrong, Jessie is an admirable character and has reason to act the way she does towards Lucas about her son. However, she comes off as controlling and selfish wanting HER way on how HER son should be raised, uncaring about Lucas' feelings and family tradition. According to the Sebastiani's, every first born son must inherit the thrown of Montebello, how else will the kingdom continue without a king. If Jessie really loved Lucas, she would have respected this tradition. Instead she continuously fought Lucus ultimately achieving her goal of her first born son being exempt from the thrown.

In addition, what i don't understand is what differnce it would make if one the other offsprings she decides to have with Lucas inherits the thrown. Why not the first born? Will she not love the 2nd or 3rd born as equally as first? Either way one of her children must inherit the thrown.

3 stars for an overall good story. Nevertheless, I expected a better ending to the Romancing the crown series.

Rating:
Summary: Romantic Times Review
Review: The Prince's Wedding (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 1190) Romancing the Crown

by Justine Davis

He'd left Jessie Chambers, the woman he fell in love with, and before he could return to find her, Prince Lucas Sebastiani was led to believe that she had died after giving birth to his son. Now he discovers that Jessie and his son are alive, and he sees the chance to reunite as a family and bring his country a new heir and queen. The fly in the ointment is that Jessie doesn't seem too interested in bringing her son up in a life that gives him no options for his future. Justine Davis nicely rounds out this series with THE PRINCE'S WEDDING (4), an enticing romance that closes out with style the stories of the royals of Montebello.

Rating:
Summary: A sweet romance
Review: This is a nice finish to the "Romancing the Crown" series. If you have followed the series the book is great. If not, it's still pretty good, but, you may feel like you're missing a little history. The series follows the Royal Family of Montebello as it searches for and finally finds the missing heir, Prince Lucas. Lucas wrecked his plane and lost his memory (overused, but, works here). He got a job on a small Colorado ranch owned by Jessica Chambers and they fell in love. When his memory returns he leaves thinking to allow her to keep her life private, unlike his which is always fodder for the tabloids. He did not know she was pregnant(this is all in the previuos books along with a devious plot by Jessie's sister to kill her, take the baby & sell it to the Royal Family). It's not as cheesy as it sounds. As the book opens Lucas is going to the hospital after learning that Jessie was not murdered after all. He's bringing her the baby and plans to propose, but, he knows she won't want to give up her quiet life. Nor does she want to leave her country and the life on the ranch she planned for her and her son(this is chapter one, so, I'm not spoiling anything here).
How Lucas attempts to win her hand and how Jessie feels about his life of Royalty (as an independant American, how would you feel ?) is what the book is all about. Very good ending by a favorite author. Note: all the books are by different authors.

Rating:
Summary: less than JD's usual sparkle
Review: Whatever the name, Justine Dare, Justine Davis, Dara Joy, always gives a fresh, sparkling story. Why this one is sort of a let down. The romance is flat, the story so-so. It's a decent read, but just far below JD's usual razzle-dazzle. A lot of fans will be grumpy, those having never read her, might giving up halfway through the book, not really caring to finish.

BEFORE THE BOOK TAKES UP, Jessica Chambers has taken in a "drifter" with no memory. She called him Joe, let him work on her ranch in Colorado, they fell in love and conceived a baby, though Joe does not know this. He discovers whom he really he is by seeing his picture on television. It is a Prince of a small country. No longer Joe, he is Prince Lucas Sebastani. And the Prince is no prince. He just walks off leaving Jessica without a farewell or a "see you later, Alligator". Since he walks off without a care to Jessica, he has no idea she is carrying his child. Sorry, this sets the reader sour on this character. This "love them and leave them" does not win points or hearts. Lucas justifies this in his mind that he left her to keep the press from descending upon her. Sorry, he cannot call later?

Had he bothered to call, he might have save Jessica from a terrible ordeal (AGAIN THIS HAPPENS BEFORE THE BOOK TAKES UP) Jessica's "evil" (that is how JD describes her more than once) sister planned to let Jessica have the baby, kill Jessica and kidnap the baby, either to blackmail the royal family or sell the baby to them. Jessica is held in a basement for months by a nut named Gerald. She has the baby and then is told it died.

Late Lucas is told Jessica is dead and the baby died. He is very sad about this - gee, what happens when you turn your back on your responsibilities! Then the baby is found and proven to be his.

As the book takes up, now three months later, Jessica is found alive, worse for the wear, and Lucas is flying in to bring her the baby she has never seen. He must convince her to come and be his princess. Jessica must put aside the mythical love of Joe and work to face this man who is the father of her son, and all the repercussions of loving a man who puts his country first.

Justine's writing is technically skilled as ever, just the premise does not work, neither does the character Lucas. I am a very big fan of all her works, just is the single book that just does not grab the readers and really keeps them spellbound.
So chalk this one up as the exception to the JD rule of high quality and interesting, believable characters.

Rating:
Summary: less than JD's usual sparkle
Review: Whatever the name, Justine Dare, Justine Davis, Dara Joy, always gives a fresh, sparkling story. Why this one is strange sort of a let down. The romance is flat, the story so-so, often too complicated to be "real". It's a decent read, but just far below JD's usual razzle-dazzle.

BEFORE THE BOOK TAKES UP, Jessica Chambers has taken in a "drifter" with no memory. She called him Joe, let him work on her ranch in Colorado, they fell in love and conceived a baby - though Joe does not know this. He discovers he his identity by seeing his picture on television. It is a Prince of a small country. No longer Joe, he is Prince Lucas Sebastani. And the Prince is no prince. He just walks off leaving Jessica without a farewell or a "see you later, Alligator".

Since he walked off without a care about Jessica, he has no idea she is carrying his child. Sorry, this sets the reader against him with this sour note to this character. This "love them and leave them" does not win points or hearts. Lucas justifies this in his mind, that he left her to keep the press from descending upon her. Sorry, he cannot call later? Write her a letter?

Had he bothered to call, he might have saved Jessica from a terrible ordeal (AGAIN THIS HAPPENS BEFORE THE BOOK TAKES UP) - Jessica's "evil" (that is how JD describes her more than once) sister planned to let Jessica have the baby, kill Jessica and kidnap the baby, either to blackmail the royal family or sell the baby to them. Jessica is held in a basement for months by a nut named Gerald. She has the baby and then is told it died.

Later Lucas is told Jessica is dead and the baby died. He is very sad about this - gee, what happens when you turn your back on your responsibilities! Months later the baby is found and proven to be his.

As the book takes up, now three months later, Jessica is found alive, worse for the wear, and Lucas is flying in to bring her the baby she has never seen and believed dead. He must convince her to come and be his princess. Jessica must put aside the mythical love of Joe and work to face this man who is the father of her son, and all the repercussions of loving a man who puts his country first.

Justine's writing is technically skilled as ever. You cannot fault her prose. Just the premise does not work, neither does the character Lucas. I am a very big fan of all her works, it's just this book that just does not grab the readers and really keeps them spellbound, with convoluted premise and gaps in logic.

So chalk this one up as the exception to the JD rule of high quality writing and interesting, believable characters.