Susanna Truitt (Once Upon A Prince) is three weeks from royalty. She’ll soon marry King Nathaniel II of Brighton Kingdom. But when the government insists she renounce her American citizenship before the wedding, coupled with the lack of involvement by family and friends, her heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God’s plan for her.
Nathaniel would do anything for his bride-to-be. But he knows his position requires that she give up a lot to be with him. Her life will never be her own — right down to her very identity. When she travels home to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, right before the wedding, Nathaniel fears she won’t return. Gathering his courage, he devises a plan to win his bride all over again, and together they seek out a kingdom to treasure above all.
My source for book: Review Copy
My Thoughts:Though this novella is fourth in the "Year of Weddings" novella collection, it's actually a continuation of Susanna and Nathaniel's story, from Once Upon a Prince. While you probably could read the novella as a stand-alone, it will certainly have more meaning if you know the full history of the characters beforehand.
Upon starting the novella, I was immediately saddened to see Susanna and Nathaniel at odds with one another, struggling to join their separate lives together and both wondering if the other had changed their mind about marriage. Susanna's behavior in particular felt a bit childish and over-the-top to me...while I can understand her reluctance to give up her American citizenship--I think I might find it hard, as well--I felt it was most certainly the appropriate thing for her to do considering that she was engaged to the king of a foreign nation.
Something that I did like was how the story brought back a few supporting characters that I had previously enjoyed in Once Upon A Prince. Avery (Susanna's sister) and her possible relationship with Prince Colin is very intriguing to me, especially considering Avery's young age. And then there's Jonathan (Nathaniel's aide)... I don't know why, but I've always been curious to know more about him. I hope as Hauck's "Royal Weddings" series continues that the stories of these characters will be fleshed out a bit more.
The storyline for A March Bride does allow the author to paint a lovely image of where our true citizenship is...in heaven, not anywhere on earth. That's ultimately what I'm taking away from the story, and I am thankful for the reminder. But overall, I felt the novella was just "okay". Susanna's behavior did not endear her to me, and the story ending was just a bit too saccharine for my taste. I honestly liked the way Susanna and Nathaniel's story originally ended in Once Upon A Prince quite a bit better, which resulted in this novella feeling like a somewhat unnecessary addition to their story.
My Rating: 3 stars
Thanks to the publisher (Zondervan) for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.
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