Courted by Jennifer Chance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Courted is a great story about Emmaline, an American visiting a small monarchy in the Mediterranean for a much needed break. I received an early release copy through NetGalley. Emmaline’s parents were in a horrific accident while she was away working on her graduate degree in music. The accident resulted in both her mother and father requiring round-the-clock care. Emmaline put her degree on hold to come home to Missouri to care for her parents. It has been over a year and she has not had a break. Her former college roommates take her to Garronia as part of their European vacation. Early in their trip Emmaline is saved by Prince Kristos while swimming in treacherous waters. Prince Kristos was out on military maneuvers on the beach when he pretty much literally runs into Em. They have a connection that is witnessed by many, including the paparazzi. Kristos is called back to the castle to prepare for taking the throne when his father relinquishes it. One of his duties to begin choosing a wife when all he wants to do is to be left alone to serve his country in the military which unfortunately is not an option.

I am by no means a royal watcher but, I have found a love for these royal stories. They are a welcome break from some of the darker books I read. I enjoyed the adventure of Kristos and Em as they try to stay one step ahead of the paparazzi and Kristos parents and guards. The chase scenes, though quite dangerous, were exciting. The romance between Kristos and Em was well developed and keeps the reader’s attention. Jennifer Chance also has a way of writing the sex scenes so that they are hot but not dirty. Another good aspect of Courted was watching both Emmaline and Kristos grow. Emmaline always understood her duties to family but she managed to lose herself while caring for her parents. It takes Kristos a bit more to come to terms with family duty, though both of them appear to be grieving without realizing it. It is great to watch them come together and support each other’s choices and learn from each other despite the short amount of time they have known each other. One of the best lines in the book is when each of them describes when they realized they loved the other person. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.