Book Review: ‘To Save A King’ (True Blue Royal #2) by Rachel Hauck

A modern-day fairy tale of hope and rescue from NYT bestselling author Rachel Hauck

After growing up in small-town Hearts Bend, Tennessee, Gemma Stone set off to Hollywood to make her mark in the world.

But her ambition turned into a journey of a “thousand” bad decisions and after twelve years of seeking fame and fortune, Gemma returns home with a limp and a dark secret.

Now she runs a rescue ranch and is raising her friends’ orphaned daughter. She’s keenly aware these defenseless ones are also rescuing her. She just wants to stay hidden in the safe world she’s created.

HRH Crown Prince John has learned a royal title cannot shield him from heartbreak. As heir to the revered House of Blue and married to the love of his life, he believed his future reign would strengthen the royal dynasty of Lauchtenland. Then tragedy changed everything. Can anything save him from his grief?

When he travels to Hearts Bend on a mission for his mother, Queen Catherine, he’s drawn into the local life and cajoled into a three-legged race with the beautiful Gemma Stone during the 4th of July festivities.

While the event has a disastrous result, Prince John and Gemma form a quick friendship—one of two wounded souls finding comfort in one other. However, love is absolutely not an option. John desperately wants to hold onto the memories of his wife, and Gemma refuses to trust her heart to any man. Even a prince.

Then Prince John is called home for an emergency. How can he leave the woman who lifted him from his sorrows? But can Gemma join him on a royal stage and risk her secret coming to light?

With a touch of divine help, Prince John and Gemma just might find the kind of love that saves and ultimately write their very own fairy tale.

To Save a King is book two in the True Blue Royal series.

‘Despite all the internal pep talks about how her past didn’t define her, her shame still owned her.’

Rachel Hauck takes us back to Hearts Bend, Tennessee and to the kingdom Lauchtenland in the North Sea in her second offering of her True Blue Royal series. And what a wonderful trip it is! I was enchanted. (pun intended)

This is Crown Prince John’s story and Gemma Stone’s story. Gemma, who carries her past like a giant pack on her back. Gemma runs a rescue ranch and is raising a foster teenager daughter. The world she has made for herself is safe. Until one day and she is paired in a three legged race with Prince John. Prince John knows heartbreak and cannot let go of grief, finds that Gemma Stone is a breath of air in his life. But is he just dreaming because of his pain?

‘No use denying it. God was up to something.’

There are many obstacles to these two having a happily ever after, but if anyone can give them that, it’s Rachel Hauck, who has long been a favorite of mine. Her books take up some serious real estate on my shelves. She always delves deep into the hearts of her characters and manages to transfer them to her readers’ hearts. That is a gift. And one thing I absolutely love about Hauck’s writing is this: she always manages to include a touch of the Divine in her books, something I look forward to and look for, then smile knowingly when it appears.

This story shows us that long held opinions of ourselves don’t have to be permanent. What we should be concerned with is God’s opinion of ourselves. This book ministered to a situation in my own life and I thank God so much for that. I am a princess to God! I loved every single minute. This book is a keeper shelf treasure and one that begs to be read again and again. Well done! I can highly recommend this one.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was not expected to leave a positive review, and the opinion here is expressly my own.