BOOK REVIEW- The Head That Wears the Crown A Novel by Mariah Stewart

   

General Fiction (Adult) | Romance

Description

A fortysomething woman’s ordinary life takes a royal detour in an engaging novel about embracing a family legacy and stepping up when it matters most by New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart.

Annaliese—Annie—Gilberti is a divorced South Philadelphia mother of two with a nine-to-five job when a shocking discovery turns another average day upside down: her late grandmother was the exiled ruler of a small European country, and Annie is next in line to wear the crown and restore the monarchy. The would-be grand duchess of the Grand Duchy of Saint Gilbert has vacation time coming, enough to take a quick trip to check it out.

It’s easy to fall in love with Saint Gilbert’s villagers; its mysteries (why does everyone look decades younger than they claim to be?); her family’s ancestral home, Castle Blanc (so many hidden rooms and passages!); and maybe—just a little—with the dashing Maximilien Belleme, the captain of the castle guard. Never one to walk away from a challenge, Annie steps up, determined to be worthy of the crown that’s been offered. As she, her sisters, and her children work to bring Saint Gilbert into the modern age, Annie discovers a legacy of courageous women and that no threat is too great to deny the grand duchess’s right to the throne.

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4 STARS

Its like a fairy tale with some real life tossed in.  I'd call it a Modern Americanized  Fairy Tale. I liked that it was different, when it came to Annie not being the dewy eyed, innocent of the world that we often see. This lady has lived and survived some tough stuff and was raising teenagers.  She was also incredibly smart when it came to problem solving. She was also funny at times, especially in the way she thought about some things.

It has an exquisite detailed world building. Felt like a sweet travel log at times plus some really good main characters were in it too.  Not only Annie but also her children, Ralphie and Jules add their own color to the story. So do Annie's skilled, independent sisters, Ceil and Roe. Both were born to rule in their own way, in their areas of expertise. 

Once in her homeland, Annie finds a lot of great support and help from so many people.  Max was one of the men who was captain of the guard and helped so much both in Philadelphia and in Saint Gilbert. Turns out he is in charge of her protection and an important member of the Duke's Council.  Max's mother, Claudette also proved to be quite the good ally.  The Duke's Counsel proved to be an unusual mix of people with some having unknown motives.  Annie will have to wade her way through that.  
While the story is sweet, it is also emotional and has plenty of challenges for Annie, her brilliant solutions to keeping her country alive and solutions for her family and some friends.  Out of the blue, a dangerous threat must be exposed and taken care of.   Oh, in case you are wondering there is also a low key romance included too.
 Because of the fairy tale element to this story, you expect a fairy tale ending and you get it.

 

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”