Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

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Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

Being stuck in the Midwest, epicenter of the craziest winter weather in a long time, has me longing for summer like you wouldn’t believe. Of course, if I’m going to mentally escape, I’m going to choose a spectacular destination to distract me from reality. Royally Lost fits that bill easily.

It’s very straightforward – Becca wants to be anywhere but with her parents on vacation in fabulous Europe while her brother manages to find ways to disappear and do his own thing. Becca, who is very unimpressed with Europe, (seriously what is up with that?) would rather hunt down the nearest McDonald's than have to suffer through another historical tour. Nikolai has run off in search of anonymity for as long as he can have it. It's refreshing for him to be the master of his own schedule for a change. When Becca and Nikolai meet, they take an instant liking to each other and it’s good times from there. Nikolai knows his temporary emancipation from his royal duties is short-lived especially with his disappearance and face plastered all over the headlines making his time with Becca urgent and bittersweet.

While the events that transpire are predictable and Becca and Nikolai are cute together, the real star of this book is the breathtaking Danube River and the various stops they make on the river cruise. I enjoyed looking up pictures of the many locales and dreaming that I was there as well, though unlike Becca, I would have happily soaked up all the historical information I encountered. See what I mean?

Picture courtesy of welldesignedjourneys.com

Picture courtesy of cruiseshipholidays.blogspot.com

Royally Lost belongs in the “happy” section on your bookshelf. If you’re looking for an escape, a cute romance or something that’s not overtly melodramatic, this one will suit you well!

~ Bel