Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat

4 ½ Stars

He's No Prince Charming is the first book in the Ever After series by Elle Daniels.

I love takes on fairy tales and He's No Prince Charming is one of the best takes I have read on The Beauty and The Beast. On one side, we have Marcus Bradley, the scarred man known by the Ton as “The Beast” and the epitome of a tortured hero. On the other side, we have Danielle Strafford, an heiress with a secret identity who helps people be with their true love.

Marcus is one of those characters you need to know to understand and after seeing him for what he truly is, you can help but fall in love with him. Saying he had a trouble past is an understatement. For years he was brutally abused by his father, abuse that left him scarred inside and out. As a result he suffers from a serious case of PTSD, a condition that keeps him away from people and finding solace in alcohol. Despite his limitations he does whatever needed to protect his those he loves, especially his sister.

Danielle grew up surrounded by love. Her parents loved her and loved each other deeply; but after the death of her mother her father got lost in bereavement and kind of forgot about her. Instead of wallowing in despair, Danielle decided to dedicate her life to help Ladies of the ton to elope with their forbidden lovers. This led her to meet Marcus, an encounter followed by unfortunate situations that brought them together.

Danielle and Marcus romance is the kind of romance I love to read about. Even though on the beginning there is a small dose of attraction, there is not insta-love. They need to spend time together to know each other to then fall in love. The road they follow to get there is packed with adventures, misfortunes and many laugh out loud moments. Seeing them come to the realization that they have fallen in love was a delicious and an emotional treat, especially in regards to Marcus, a man who doesn’t believe is worthy of love. Luckily for him he found the perfect woman for him, Danielle. *swoon*

He's No Prince Charming is a romantic, cute, fun emotional and all around an amazing debut novel. Elle Daniels’ writing is fluid and engaging. The characters are likeable and well developed and the story has enough drama, action, and funny moments to make of He's No Prince Charming an impossible to put down book. Be ready to have a smile on your face while reading it.

The end is more like a little tasting of what we can expect in next book, Once Upon a Duke. There is no release date yet, but I’m sure will be stalking following Elle Daniels for updates.

I recommend He's No Prince Charming to historical romance fans and to those who like takes on fairy tales.
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