I loved this book. Shoshauna has been ruled by royal convention all her life. She has had every material things she could wish for, but she has also been incredibly lonely. She is all set to marry a man she doesn't love when gunfire erupts at her wedding. Jake, there as part of the security team, takes her away to keep her safe. He fights hard to keep things professional and she fights just as hard to experience the things she never has.

I loved Shoshauna. She had been a good little princess all her life but she's also been aware that something is missing. She had hoped getting married would fill that void but the closer the wedding came the more she was sure she was making a mistake. When her wedding was stopped and she was taken away she was excited to finally have a chance to be ordinary. I really enjoyed the way she so quickly figured out how to get Jake to help her. I loved how she got so much enjoyment out of doing simple things like trying to cook and make beds. I felt so bad for her when she was telling Jake about why she ended up engaged. It was great to see how being around Jake gave her the chance to see what she was capable of and that she had the strength to go after what she really wanted.

Jake was a soldier first and foremost. As a special operations soldier he knew that being in any kind of relationship was not fair to the one left behind. He also didn't really believe in love after watching his mother chase it for years after his father's death. He was captivated by Shoshauna the first time he saw her, but his duty was always at the front of his mind. As they escape he is surprised by the fact that she seems happy about all of it. As the days go on he finds that the lines between duty and desire are blurring. He wants to give her the experiences she desires but keeping his emotions out of it is getting harder each day. I really loved seeing him help her spread her wings and loved his quiet happiness that she was gaining the confidence to stand up for herself. When they had to part he realized that she had broken through the walls around his heart and that his life was forever changed. I also liked the way that something Shoshauna said helped him patch things up with his mother.

I absolutely loved seeing what happened to them six months after their adventure. Shoshauna had finally become the person she wanted to be and Jake had accepted his own changes. I loved his whole persona and how it really made his part in the story so special. ( )