Don’t Miss This Delightful Pauper to Princess Story!

Love pauper to princess stories? You’ll love this own voices story of a young woman who didn’t know she was heir to a kingdom.

I receive free electronic advanced reader copies of these books through an arrangement between the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion on NetGalley’s website. I only review books on my blog that I really love.

Pauper to Princess, Anyone?

Ok, I know we all love a good pauper to princess (or queen) story. Even if we groan when the Hallmark channel creates another (sort of) cheesy movie involving obscure kingdoms that don’t really exist. We still buy in to the concept because pauper to princess tropes fulfill a desire we have for significance and importance.

Today’s Book Talk Tuesday selection has a twist. Instead of the middle-class white pauper to princess theme, the protagonist is an educated Black professional. And instead of an obscure European kingdom, the heroine’s heritage lies off the coast of Africa.

In Search of a Prince

By Toni Shilo, Bethany House, February 2020, 384 pages.

Brielle Bayo loves her job teaching civics to 8^th graders in New York City. While she’s always yearned to know her father, who died before she was born, she has a wonderful relationship with her mother. But everything changes when her mother reveals a life-changing secret to Bri.

Her father was a prince and heir to a kingdom off the coast of Africa. The grandfather she never knew she had is now dying, and he wants to meet her. Regular, schoolteacher Bri Bayo is really Brielle Adebayo, heir to a throne and kingdom. The king also wants to know if Bri has what it takes to rule a country.

Once Bri arrives in Ọlọrọ Ilé, she finds her grandfather sicker than she expected. She’ll have less time to make her decision. When the Royal Council informs her she must be married before her grandfather passes away, Brielle struggles with her decision to ascend to the throne. How will she know God’s will? And how can she make a life-long commitment to someone on such short notice?

Why I Loved this Book

What gal doesn’t love a princess story? Especially one for grown-ups. And one involving a princess who doesn’t know her true identity. Throw in some palace intrigue, a reverse Cinderella (or maybe an Ugly Duckling) trope, and readers have the perfect recipe for an entertaining, soul-filling read.

Shilo seamlessly integrates faith with fiction as the protagonists seek God’s guidance in all areas of their lives. The protagonists live out their faith in real and relatable ways, making this a book I’d feel comfortable sharing with my non-Christian friends.