Anna Dynowski

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The first thing I have to say is that I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning. I was pulled in emotionally right from the start. A book that can grab me emotionally and hold me all the way through is a winner in my book. Krysia Barciniak is hurting. At the age of sixteen she has a child that she gives up for adoption. There isn’t a day that she doesn’t feel that empty hole in her heart. It is one thing to know that God forgives you for something and another to forgive yourself. As a romance writer she has decided to leave the romance to her books. She was betrayed once and wants no part of love.

Connor Tierney had the best of life. He had a loving wife, a beautiful daughter until he lost his wife in an accident. A year has gone by since his wife’s death. He feel’s his daughter’s pain of loss. He knows that his daughter needs a mother, but he doesn’t want a wife. He decides to compromise. He takes a job in Harmony Village. This is where his daughter Brenna’s biological mother lives. He can’t give Brenna her mother back so maybe he can let her biological mother into her life as a sort of substitute. However, the townspeople and a certain cat named “Cupid Cat” have other ideas.
I loved this. You rode the emotional rollercoaster with the characters, yet felt the strength in their faith that whatever happened in their lives was because God wanted it. I have to be honest and say I don’t usually read romance. However, there are a few authors who write romance in a manner I love to read. This author is one of them.… (plus d'informations)

Prince Maximillian is known as the playboy prince and has been perfecting that image since he was 16 years old. Always the charming, smooth talking prince with the playful personality, makes him popular with the ladies. The Graziano family feels it’s time for him to settle down but Max refuses to give up his single status, that is until Adrianna Danek enters his life. Adrianna works for the Christian Youth Network and loves her work of training youth leaders. She’s asked by the royal family to come to Mondoverde to help set up a CYN group there. She accepts the assignment, knowing she’ll be working closely with Max. She’s familiar with his reputation and refuses to succumb to his charming ways. But both are surprised by the strong attraction they feel. Max is puzzled by the fact that Adrianna is not easily charmed by him and Adrianna is stunned to find there is more to Max than meets the eye. Can a royal prince and an ordinary girl ever find common ground?

I loved this story! It whisks you away once again to the land of Mondoverde where you visit a royal family who loves the Lord and wants to rule with integrity. Who wouldn’t want to go there? It was so nice to get to know Max on a deeper level. He’s so much more than his reputation implies. I loved the dynamics of the Graziano family. They all help each other and are playful with each other but they also are very protective of each other too. I loved the romantic tension between Max and Adrianna; Ooh-la-la, lots of spark and sizzle. I love the way Max defended Adrianna to Aaron (a friend of Adrianna’s). Very gallant but also humorous. (you’ll have to read the story to see what I mean and you will love it!!!). I also appreciated the way the author painted a picture, throughout the story, of what love is and what a marriage should look like if you do it God’s way. This is the last book in the Royal Hearts of Mondoverde series and it was a great ending but I am so sad to see it end. I will certainly miss this royal family. You could read this as a stand alone and be fine but you would be missing out of some really great stories if you didn’t read the whole series. The Graziano family has definitely found a place in my heart and also on my bookshelf!

*This complementary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Some favorite quotes/moments:

“God is never late and never early. He’s always exactly right on time - His time.”

“You have your father’s eyes.” “And my mother’s nose,” Prince Maximillian said, grinning. “You, cara, have the rest of me.” Adrianna realized, in that moment, the only way to safeguard herself from caving to his charm, was to treat the prince like the boy child he portrayed himself to be. “A pity all the good parts have already been claimed,” she told him, her voice dry.

“Adrianna, he murmured, “the Lord has been guiding every incident in our lives past and present, to stitch together the apparent dissimilar threads of our lives and create a complementary harmonizing tapestry of love.”

For more information about this book or other books by this author, I recommend you visit her website at http://www.annadynowski.com.… (plus d'informations)

Jana Landowski is a freelance photojournalist and single mom. She’s been hired by a magazine to travel to Mondoverde and do a story on Prince Lorenzo, also known as the brooding prince. She’s supposed to show the world, through pictures, who the Prince really is. Prince Lorenzo pours himself into his prize horses and avoids anything ‘royal’ and hates being in the limelight. He has a lot of female admirers but Prince Lorenzo isn’t interested in his royal responsibility to marry. When Jana shows up at Mondoverde both Lorenzo and Jana are surprised to see each other. They have a bit of a history together but it’s that history that causes sparks to fly between them. Lorenzo vows this woman, though he’s very attracted to her, will not get under his skin, again. Jana can’t believe how handsome Lorenzo is and is drawn to him but he knows all about her one big mistake and can’t forget it. Being with him would definitely be a fairytale come true but he isn’t looking for marriage and she isn’t princess material.

I have fallen in love with Mondoverde and it’s royal family. Each book has been a royal treasure to read and that includes this latest installment. I love the family and most especially the the parents, so wise yet down-to-earth. It was fun getting to know Prince Lorenzo better. He’s really a great guy who was dealing with hurt he had been harboring. Jana experienced some big hurts growing up that caused her to make bad choices that changed her life forever. Watching these two deal with all their feelings and emotions was encouraging. I appreciated that although they had faith, they still questioned what the Lord might be doing. Don’t we do that too? To me, that made these characters very realistic. Also the fact that just because you’re royal and have everything you want, doesn’t mean you’re happy. This is a fun story but it also dealt with some very serious and relatable subjects like self-doubt, drinking, forgiveness and trusting the Lord, just to name a few. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good adult fairytale with a few life lessons thrown in. Each of the stories in this series can be read as a stand alone but I think it’s best enjoyed if you read them in the order they were written. So…are you looking for a summer get-away? Why not visit Mondoverde and check out what the royal family is up to?

*This complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Some favorite quotes:

She genuinely didn’t think she had it in her to love anyone. Just look at her parents. What a fiasco their marriage turned out to be. Just look at her own past. One mistake carry long-term consequences. Some things, like, maybe, screwing up one’s life, though completely forgiven by God, would not be so easily overlooked by…others.

He [Lorenzo] made a commitment, there and then, to pray for God to raise His right hand of healing toward her [Jana] and pour down upon her pain His healing and restoring balm. And heal her memories. All of the ugly, hateful memories. God did not design their physical bodies to live with anger or bitterness or resentment.

“We sizzle when we are together. We always have.” “Sizzle.” Jana snorted the word. “Sizzle means nothing.” “Tell that to God.” Incredulity crossed her countenance. “Excuse me?” “Cara mia,” Lorenzo began, trying to tamp down his growing alarm. Would she be snatched from him again? Never! “Allow me to explain.” “Please do,” Jana invited him, a dry note to her tone. “The Almighty, He created sizzle.”

For information on this book or other book by Anna Dynowski please visit her website at http://www.annadynowski.com..… (plus d'informations)

Prince Cristiano is second in line for the throne so he doesn’t carry the pressure his older brother Stefano does, however he works very hard as the Minister of Finance, Tourism and Sports. He is tall, dark and handsome and considered by women to be a great catch. Too bad those women only see him for his princely status and the fan-fare that goes along with being royalty. He longs to find a woman who sees him for the man he really is. Ciara Janicki is a public relations consultant hired by the royal family to work alongside Prince Cristiano to promote tourism to Mondoverde. Ciara’s not worried about succumbing to any royal charm. She’s not interested in men, period! But the more time she spends with him the more she realizes he’s not at all as she expected. His kindness, charm and his wonderful family cause her to yearn for things she can only dream of. Cristiano is drawn to Ciara because she is not impressed with his title or position. Knowing Ciara is the answer to his prayers, he proposes a marriage of convenience that would benefit both of them. But how can Ciara marry a prince when she knows very well she is not princess material.

I thoroughly enjoyed this royal treat! It was so much fun to return to Mondoverde. I enjoyed getting to know Cristiano in the first book and was excited to hear his story. Prince Cristiano will make your toes curl with his romantic ways and quiet strength. He’s the kind of man every little girl dreams of growing up and marrying. I must say that I really didn’t care for Ciara much in the beginning but as you get to know her, you understand why she is the way she is. You also see how the faith of Cristiano and his family made a difference. It was so much fun catching up with Stefano and Sofia. I really like Sofia and I like how she treated Ciara. I appreciated the whole family dynamic and the way their love for each other is shown in tangible ways. Their playful banter is a lot of fun too. The author did a wonderful job weaving Biblical truths naturally throughout the story. I have been thoroughly enjoying this series and am looking forward to seeing what happens with the next Mondoverde prince. If you want to get away from it all for just a little while, then I highly recommend a trip to Mondoverde. I know you will fall in love with the Graziani family, just as I did!

*This complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

A couple favorite quotes:

Prince Cristiano to Ciara
“Listen to me. Your parents do not define who you are. Their genes and blood in you do not define your character. Their mistakes do not define you…”

Princess Cristina to Ciara:
“Imagine Ciara, my husband, the ruler of our country, maintains meticulous control at all times, but stuck in the birthing room and he falls apart.”

For more information on this book or other books by Anna Dynowski, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.annadynowski.com/.… (plus d'informations)