Forget Prince Charming

BUY IT!

FORGET PRINCE CHARMING
Natalie Stenzel
ISBN: 0-373-44178-9
November 2003
Harlequin Flipside #4
Paperback
Category Romance/Romantic Comedy

Rating:

If one is looking for a quick, easy, fun read then Natalie Stenzel’s Forget Prince Charming is one to try.

Haley Watson has kissed her last prince. She’s always had a habit of falling for the good looking, sexy, larger then life kind of men. When she goes to his office to pay him a surprise visit, she gets a surprise of her own, finding him in a very compromising position with his secretary. Now she’s swearing of these kinds of men. She’s decided the only way to find a good man is to try the “frogs,” the nerdy quiet types. Where does she go to find them? Well she starts canvassing what would be their natural environments – computer stores, libraries, hobby shops, etc.

However, someone has other plans for Haley - her new neighbor Rick Samuels. He is the antithesis of what she is looking for - sexy as anything, sweet, charming, and a regular prince. He is just what she is not looking for… or is he? Rick has a few secrets he’s keeping from her in light of her current quest. He’s offended by the fact she stereotypes all men into one of two categories and sets out to prove that not everyone can be categorized. What neither of them expected was that they would be perfect for each other.

This was a delightfully funny story. Having only discovered Natalie Stenzel’s works in the past year, this reviewer became a fan immediately. The author has a refreshing voice in the romantic comedy genre. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, some of which are very slapstick.

Haley is a sweet perky young woman who has been disappointed too many times in her choice of men. She’s very ordinary in many ways, just like most people. She has a bright outlook on life, always giving of herself to others and hoping for the same in return. She always tries to see the good in people, until getting heart broken one too many times. Though this reviewer would probably never follow the same path as Haley did to try and find herself a new man, she can relate completely to Haley’s feelings.

Rick is a complete contradiction to Haley’s views on men. He’s a frog in disguise, if one buys in to Haley’s categorizing. He was always the awkward one growing up but has overcome his insecurities to become the man he is today. He’s proud of what he’s made of himself and doesn’t like Haley classifying him like she has. When these two got together, sparks started flying immediately, in spite of her denial of it all. Rick made it his mission to bring her around, knowing there was no one else for him. Watching these two do their own dance of courtship provides many humorous moments for readers.

Reviewed by Kelley
August 2005