The Accidental Princess by Michelle Willingham

A good, Victorian romance

4 stars

All her life Lady Hannah Chesterfield has followed the rules and knows that she must marry a man of good breeding and social standing. But that doesn’t stop her from being intrigued by the wicked, dashing Lieutenant Michael Thorpe and the delicious feelings he provokes in her.

Michael knows that he can never have Lady Hannah for his own, but it doesn’t stop him from desiring her. But when scandal breaks, the pair find themselves thrown together on a journey to find the secret of Michael’s birth. If this ordinary man is really now a prince – can he convince Hannah to be his royal bride?

I have read a couple of Michelle Willingham’s Viking novels but never any of her Victorian ones so I didn’t know what to expect when I started this, especially since I’ve been a bit hit or miss with M&B Historicals in the past.

This seems to be the second book in a series that started with The Accidental Countess and An Accidental Seduction. The characters from those books only made an appearance so the book stands nicely alone.

This book started a little slow but after a couple of chapters it really got going. Hannah seemed to epitomise the true Victorian girl with her morals and innocence and I loved the way she evolved throughout the book. Michael was also a good character – I love a brooding man! Together they had good, if not explosive chemistry, and interesting interactions.

The plot really kept my attention and was far-fetched but not so ridiculous that you couldn’t get behind it. I felt it really flowed and once I got into the book I really enjoyed it.

If you’re looking for a page-turning historical romance with interesting characters then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this book. 4 stars.