Olivia Charlton is an out lesbian and the fourth in the line for the British throne. After a long period of service in the army, her mother, the Queen, asks her to settle down and get married. Her parents find a suitable candidate in Jemima Bradbury and all is arranged for an imminent royal (and lesbian) wedding. Olivia decides to take a break under a false name in Cornwall to relax from the commitment stress. In the small town of Otter Bay, she meets coffee shop owner Rosie Perkins. Rosie is beautiful, hardworking and straightforward. Will Olivia deny her attraction to a commoner and follow the call of duty to marry Jemima?

In my opinion, this book should be read like a fairy tale, maybe not in the strict sense (after all, there are no enchantments or magical creatures) but because some events are a bit far fetched. However, after a moderate suspension of disbelief, ‘Once upon a princess’ is a very enjoyable read. The slow-burn chemistry between the main characters is spot on and there is a right balance between joy and angst. It has a British feel, not only for the obvious royal theme and English setting but also in the vocabulary, food and pop culture references which is an asset in the story.

Clare Lydon and Harper Bliss are a perfect match in the world of lesfic. They are both accomplished and talented authors with a – more or less – similar writing style. They both excel at writing well-crafted characters, flawless dialogues and hot sex scenes. Hopefully, for lesfic fans, this won’t be their unique collaboration.

Overall, an enjoyable read especially if you are into royalty. 4 stars.

ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.