Heart Of A Royal by Hannah Currie

I didn’t know quite what I was getting into when I picked up Heart of a Royal (book 1 in the Daughters of Peverell Series) by Hannah Currie. She was a new to me author, but wow did she rock it out of the park in this sweet ya royal romance in a big way.

About Heart of a Royal

Book: Heart Of A Royal

Author: Hannah Currie

Genre: Young Adult, Christian Fiction

Brought to the palace as a newborn, the royal life bestowed upon Mackenna Sparrow was never meant to last forever. With Princess Alina engaged to be married, Mackenna’s presence as companion is no longer required and, like it or not, she must return to the birthright which should have been hers – that of a commoner. But not everyone at the palace wants her gone. When the truths she’s based her life on start crumbling as fast as her future, will she find the courage to trust, both herself and the prince she’s fallen in love with?

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My Review

WOW! This book. Was kinda an eye-opener for me. I honestly did not know what to expect when I picked up this book to read. Growing up I was kind of a late bloomer regarding reading. Therefore, I never (and I mean never) read any YA fiction. I would only read what was required of me for school assignments. So, I took a chance to read this book because I thought the description sounded good (I have been trying to pick books solely based on descriptions) and it did not disappoint me. This book though makes me want to go back and see if there are any other good YA books out there (does anyone have some good recommendations?). Seriously, I mean this wonderfully worded prose was within the first chapter:

“But then, there You were

Still and steady, sure and good

Holding out Your hand for me to take

Asking me to trust You

Telling me I could

Showing me the way

That I might know

Your strength and light and hope

Your care and love and peace

You’re the reason I can breathe 

In the middle of this whirlwind” -pg.5

This quote sets the tone for the entire book. You can see those words reflected throughout the whole book. Hannah Currie did a marvelously good job conveying many different characteristics of who we are as Sons and Daughters of the King. Princess (Lady) Mackenna is a very well-developed character, who displays strength when things don’t go as expected. All the while she is still silently searching for the answers her heart seeks. She does end up finding hope when she least expects it. Personally, I can relate to this story very easily (not that I am royalty) but, I have always struggled with finding my place in this world and how God can use me. I think Hannah Currie did a great job covering this aspect in the story. Prince Thoraben (Ben) was also a great character. Though he was not the main character of the story, we do get lots of insight into his character, which I liked.

With some very interesting twists in this book that I wasn’t expecting, a dash of a very sweet romance (I absolutely loved that part), great characters, and plot development I give this book a 5 out of 5-star rating. It was so good I literally could not put it down, and I can’t wait to read more books by Hannah Currie and I highly suggest picking this book up to read.

*I received this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

About the Author

Aussie author, Hannah Currie, loves God, family, people (in small numbers, let’s not go crazy here!) and writing. She and her husband live with their three adorable kids in sunny Queensland, where it really is beautiful one day and perfect the next. Except, maybe, during heatwaves. They’re not so fun. She loves to connect with readers at www.hannahcurrie.com.

More from Hannah

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by royalty. Real ones like Queen Elizabeth II, who is such an incredible woman and a total hero of mine (not to mention, as a proud Australian and member of the Commonwealth, my monarch) but also the not-so-real ones. Those found in fairytales. Romances. Narnia.

I’m one of those people who blocks out an entire day to watch a royal wedding, sighs like a hopeless romantic through cheesy princess movies, reads just about any novel I find with a crown on the front and loves a full-spread photo souvenir magazine. I may have even written a short story starring a princess for an English assignment at school. More than once. [Side note, if you’re going to write a story about a princess who is totally adorable but can’t spell, don’t use a misspelled word as the title. It takes a lot of explaining to make sure the teacher knows you did it on purpose and doesn’t mark you down for it… sorry Ninth Grade English teacher!].

The glamor draws me in, the beautiful clothes, the history and romance of it all, but it’s the expectations they have on them which hold me there. Every title comes with a million expectations, whether or not they’re realistic. We expect royals, both real and fictional, to behave in a certain way. To be honourable (assuming they’re the good guys). To care for their people and put them first. To always be there. Yes, even to be beautiful.

But what happens when they’re not? When they’re shy? Fight anxiety? Hate the spotlight? Are blemished in some way? What happens when what’s best for the people isn’t what’s best for them? Or when they make a mistake? Something which, for anyone else, would be easily fixed or glossed over but for a royal, gets written into the history books forever. Purely because of their title.

Kenna, the main character in Heart of a Royal, never meant to be a princess. She wasn’t born into royalty, neither did she choose it. And yet, due to circumstances far beyond her control, there she is. Living in a palace. Part of that life.

Very few of us are royalty but I think we all know how heavy expectations can be and the pain of being thrust into situations beyond our control. And yet, even in those moments and seasons, just like Kenna, we have choices. They might seem small, maybe even insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they’re there. Who we put our trust in. What we do with the circumstances we’ve been given. Where we go from there.

Heart of a Royal is as much my story as it is Kenna’s. No, I’m not a princess (thankfully!) but I have struggled through finding hope and purpose when life flies out of control and the expectations prove too much. And here’s what I’ve found – God is good. There is hope and God is good. I hope, through Kenna’s story, you are reminded of that too.