Review: Hush by Stacey R. Campbell

Monday 23 November 2015

Title: Hush
Author: Stacey R. Campbell
Publication Date: January, 2013
Rating:
Goodreads | Book Depository
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.

Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.

Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?

When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.

From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?

It's no secret that I love a book with royalty and if you throw in a girl who is a princess but doesn't know it then there's a good chance it's going to suck me right in. Hush definitely pulled me in with its concept and the fact it's quite easy-going and a fast-paced read but it's not perfect.

Blakely is a regular teenager who has been brought up by her adoptive parents and attends boarding school in Canada. What she doesn't know is that she was born to a foreign princess who had an affair with the chauffeur and was forced to give up her baby to protect the royal family's reputation.

Max is studying at St. Andrews University and discovers that his aunt looked after the foreign princess. He finds evidence to suggest that Blakely could be a lost princess and goes undercover to discover the truth of who she is.

The plot reminded me of The Princess Diaries in a very general way but I loved that. The only issue with the plot is that things happen very quickly without going into too much detail. The action and villains were almost comical at times and hard to take seriously but the general concept of the plot was enjoyable. The characters (with the exception of Max) are likable if not overly developed and I really liked the setting.

The biggest let down is Max. The plot is almost like a modern day fairy tale and so I would expect the love interest to be Prince Charming but Max is pretty much the opposite. He's incredibly arrogant which makes him extremely unlikable at times. I wasn't really rooting for their relationship because he couldn't get over the fact that he's never had a problem attracting a girl before. I mean, really. Arrogance isn't attractive. I wasn't impressed with him at all.

I would have liked more of the royal setting to find out more about her new life as a princess but I can appreciate that there are further books in the series for that. Overall this was a quick, light and fun read with a few issues but I did find myself enjoying it.

6 comments:

  1. When I started reading your review, I was like AHHH, this is going to be JUST like The Princess Diaries, I bet! And I had a feeling that it would be kinda hard to write a book like this without there being some type of similarities. This had to be a little tricky to write because the plots are so similar, but overall I'm glad you liked it so much! I wish this could be a series because I might have thought about picking it up.

    Great review, lovely! xoxo

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    1. Ahhh I know! I LOVE The Princess Diaries so when I read the blurb for this I knew I had to give it a go. There are definitely some similarities but overall the The Princess Diaries is still better. I believe this is a series! I think a couple more are already out so you might wanna give it a go! :)

      Thank you! x

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  2. I usually love romantic stories about royalty, but this one appears to have fallen flat. I feel like they shouldn't rush through the plot so much, and it probably shouldn't all be comical when it's supposedly a serious time. Oh gosh, a love interest that's horrid? Bleh! Great review :)

    Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books

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    1. I really do love a royal setting too especially when there's a romance but sadly this one did fall flat in places. A rushed plot is always a bit annoying and it's so hard to get on board with the romance when the guy is so arrogant! Hopefully my next royal read will be a lot better. Thanks! :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! This sounds like a fun book. I hadn't heard of it before. Sorry some aspects of the book and certain characters weren't all that great - but it's always a plus if you can read a book quick. :)

    -Lauren
    www.letsgetbeyondtolerance.blogspot.com

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    1. It's definitely a quick and fun book but has a few issues which let it down in places. I agree though, quick reads are great to find! :)

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