cover image A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale

A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale

Karen Schaler. HawkTale, $15.99 trade paper (356p) ISBN 978-1-73476-614-1

Schaler (Christmas Ever After) pairs a prince and a recently laid-off journalist in this sweet Christmas charmer. Kaylie Karlyle is crushed to lose her job immediately before Christmas. Her apologetic former boss helps Kaylie land a mysterious assignment to tide her through, and she heads to the tiny Eastern European sovereign state of Tolvania to write what she believes will be a feature about a prominent family’s Christmas traditions. She’s shocked to find that it’s the Tolvanian royal family with whom she’ll be spending Christmas: Queen Isabella, her widowed son, Prince Alexander, and his daughter, Princess Anna. It’s been three years since Alexander’s wife’s death, and Isabella decides it’s time to begin observing Christmas traditions again, for the sake of 10-year-old Anna. She charges Kaylie with penning a personalized Christmas fairy tale for Anna, replete with Tolvania’s quirky traditions. Alexander is skeptical of the project: he despises journalists and believes Kaylie must be out for a juicy story. In working to prove that isn’t the case, Kaylie may just win his heart. Anna and her devoted dog, Blixen, steal many scenes, and outgoing Kaylie makes a perfect match for serious Alexander. Royal family enthusiasts and fans of wholesome romance will embrace this enjoyable love story. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)