Scandal with a Prince

By: Nicole Burnham

Narrated by: Hollis McCarthy

One magical summer, Megan Hallberg met - and loved - Prince Stefano Barrali. But his royal duties took him home, and when she discovered she carried his child, she also discovered he was engaged...to a beautiful, worldly aristocrat.

Ten years later, Stefano runs into Megan at the grand opening of a Barcelona hotel, and it's his every sensual fantasy come to life. His memory of the stunning blonde and their passionate summer has haunted his dreams, and a night under the stars gives him the perfect opportunity to reclaim the woman he thought lost to him.

Megan finds herself torn between passion with a prince and a fierce need to protect her daughter. Can the man who captured her heart so many years ago be her destiny...or her downfall?

©2013 Nicole Burnham (P)2015 Nicole Burnham

Warm and predictable

Historical romance is my favorite audiobook genre. This book caught my eye because the synopsis hinted at it having all of the elements I love in historical romance but taking place within a present day setting.

Megan and Prince Stefano Barrali met ten years previous to the start of the story while doing humanitarian work in Brazil when they were both just twenty-two years old. Their short whirlwind love affair ended when their project did and Stefano went home to take care of family obligations while Megan continued on with college. Soon after they resumed their normal lives, Megan found out she was pregnant at the same time Stefano publically announced his engagement to a beautiful social-lite.

Now, ten years later Megan is a single mother to Anna and a successful manager of a renowned hotel in Barcelona. It's here that she is met face to face again with Stefano. There is still a strong connection between the two despite the decade that that has gone by. Megan does not wait to tell Stefano that he has a daughter; the bulk of the book is him developing a relationship with Anna as well as reconnecting and forming a new one with Megan.

The main obstacles to Megan and Stefano's relationship are the media and how his family will react once they learn about Megan and Anna. Then there is Megan's professional career and the life she would have to give up if she were to be with a prince. Somehow, these never felt like true threats and should not have deterred them from each other or publically becoming a family. In fact, the media and Stefano's family are basically left in the dark about his relationship with them.

The formula of this book- a present day prince falling in love with a "commoner" is no different than any other contemporary book where a main character (usually a male) is some kind of celebrity and falls in love with a non celebrity or someone of different background or social class. All in all this is a rather unoriginal love story that will give its audience something warm and predictable. I prefer more tension, angst and wit- not sweet and mundane.

What I did like about it was the fact the Megan never took advantage of Stefano's status; she built a successful life for her and her daughter (however I do feel that she gave up to easily on reaching out to Stefano). I also found a few quotes to be particularly simple yet effective and memorable: "Love the child; the rest will fall into place" and "embracing life as it is."

I thought the narrator, Hollis McCarthy, read fluidly and had a pleasing voice. This is the first book that I have listened to where there was an Italian-like accent and (especially in the beginning), I could not help likening it to the standard vampire drawl of " I vant to suck your blood!" I am no judge of a good Italian accent but there were times that I questioned its authenticity. Overall, she was a very neutral narrator-one that simply let you listen without distraction.

***A copy of this audiobook was given to me in exchange for an honest review***

Great Start to a Series

What did you love best about Scandal With a Prince?
It was good to meet the first members of the Royal Family from Sarcacia. The story revolves around controlling parents learning how to give up some of that to their royal children and learning about the consequences of their actions

What did you like best about this story?
I liked getting to know the main characters

What about Hollis McCarthy’s performance did you like?
I liked that she had great voices for all ages and sexes showing up in the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Anna ended up in the hospital

Any additional comments?
The story was a great way to learn about the chances of a second chance at love, especially when one of the couple lives in the spotlight.

#GlobeTrotting #HappyEnding #Celebrity #FemaleProtagonist #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

It's OK

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was OK. I listened to it while I was doing other things, so I didn't really waste my time.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator seemed pretentious and self-aware. It bothered me that she added chuckles and breaths for emphasis that just seemed annoying. I've had a lot of experience working with voice talent and audio editing, so I am probably way more critical than the usual listener, but she really rubbed me the wrong way. I also wished she had picked a pronunciation for Stefano's name and stuck with it. She constantly wavered between STEFano and SteFAno. I will probably avoid her books in the future. Her little girl voice is grating, and her foreign accents are over the top. All in all, not my favorite.

Was Scandal With a Prince worth the listening time?

It was just so-so. I couldn't find anything better to listen to at the time, so I stuck with it, but the story got pretty annoying in the middle, and I about gave up.

A beautifully written and performed story.

What made the experience of listening to Scandal With a Prince the most enjoyable?

I love the soothing voice of Hollis McCarthy. But if a book is not well written with a great storyline, a voice won't be able to make it better. These two together have produced an unforgettable book.

What did you like best about this story?

Nicole Burnham has written a beautiful storyline of second chances. I was drawn in and emotionally invested in the characters lives. I really hope there will be more about them in the sequels of this series!

What about Hollis McCarthy’s performance did you like?

I had read this book previously. So many times the "voice" doesn't line up with how I had it in my head while reading myself. Hollis McCarthy did not disappoint! She "felt" the words as I had, the emotion spilling through as she read aloud. I enjoyed listening to the book as much as reading it myself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely, but I wasn't able to do so. What I love about listening through Audible's app is that I was able to rewind a minute or two...just to get back to where I was in the story...then enjoy the rest. Easy to continue when not on a long distance trip where I can listen in one sitting.

Excellent Storyline

Nicole Burnham writes in such a way that her characters come to life. Stefano, Megan, and Anna are real people to me. I hope they become real to you,

Beautiful modern day fairytale. A must read

The title leads you to believe it may be a modern day fairy tale. There are many twist and turns along the way. I hated to finish the book. I was so caught up in the story I had to stop reading for fear of what would happen next. You will want to read for yourself, to see where it leads. Throughly enjoyed the Audio version with the various accents. Great performance as I'm sure the book is an enjoyable read as well.

I loved the characters .

I loved the characters in this story their honesty, concern for Anna and their relationships with each other as well as other characters. i thought the misunderstandings drug out a bit longer than necessary, but liked the resolution very much.
I had difficulty with the narration. For me the narrator was so dramatic it was hard to listen to. I eventually got used to her dramatic style, but never enjoyed the book as much as I felt I would have without the drama. I did like the narrator's voice, and she pronounced the foreign names places and words very well. She also laughed and chuckled very realistically, but the pace and inflections were hard to listen to.

Fun Romance

Would you consider the audio edition of Scandal With a Prince to be better than the print version?

This is a fun romance! The story line is of course unrealistic, and yet somehow believable.....The narration is excellent and I hope they keep the same narrator for the entire series.

Really good book!

I really liked this book. Seeing the title made me wonder how "scandalous" the book was, but I was pleasantly surprised. Scandal With a Prince was a sweet story about 2 people who fall in love and lose touch with one another. Ten years later, they meet again....

worth it!

I enjoyed this book so much! It was Romantic and beautiful . I was enraptured from stsrt yo finish.