The Golden Prince: A Rapunzel Retelling by Alice Ivinya (Once Upon a Prince book 3)

Prince Thomas is the golden prince, determined to live up to the expectations of the kingdom. His father, after all, was the first in a new line of kings. Being perfect is the only want to show everyone he deserves to be king. But with the famine threatening to destroy the kingdom, he must find a way to save them all. Even if it means tracking down a woman and convincing her to marry him. So much for true love.

Maisie is a thief, and a good one, thank you very much. Orphaned, raised by a less-than-noble woman, and possessing magical hair, Maisie trusts no one. Certainly not the prince from the neighboring kingdom with his tales of goodness and hope.

The kingdom of Harelin needs the Blessing of Spring returned in order to stop the famine. But Winter has other ideas and sends its forces to halt the progress of Spring. Will Thomas and Maisie be able to set aside their differences to save the land? Or will the cold truth of Winter freeze them all?

“You’re light that can never be extinguished despite everything the world hurls at you.”

Thomas might be a little naive, but his hope doesn’t blind him from seeing Maisie and the strength she tries to hide. Maisie has been pretending to be someone else so long, she’s forgotten who she truly is. I loved how these two learned from each other and grew.

I loved the magical elements and the story world. All the characters were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the friendship between Thomas and Greggory.

5 Roses
A few sweet kisses. No swearing. Sword fights and related injuries.

(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.)