A Pearl Among Princes - Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Thank you so much to Penguin for generously sending me a copy for review!

*** 1/2 - A Pearl Among Princes is a completely charming fairy tale. I had thought it was a YA novel, but once I adjusted my expectations to a somewhat younger crowd (think the same girls who love Ella Enchanted) I very much enjoyed it.

Gracepearl Coal is cook's daughter on the island of Miramore - where everyone is bound in service to the twelve royal branches. The only way off the island is to capture the heart of a prince. This isn't quite as hard as it may sound - after all, Miramore is home to the charm school all princes in training attend in the summer. Now Gracepearl must choose between the destiny her dreams hint at and her childhood love, the stablehand Mackree.

I devoured A Pearl Among Princes in one sitting. I was so completely charmed by Gracepearl, her friends, and the princes (some of whom are very charming indeed) that I just didn't want to leave their world. I enjoyed the inclusion of nursery rhymes, though I wasn't always sure how they were meant to fit into the plot. But most of all, I liked the way Grace's relationship with Mackree was handled - it was simultaneously simple and complex, and I felt a real connection to their pain and confusion at their difficult circumstances.

I had a lot of fun catching glimpses of the princes' lessons (important dates to remember, amongst other things), and I liked Gracepearl's willingness to put her friends first rather than many stories now that focus on backstabbing. It was lovely to see the three girls care for each other - and even to accept a new friend they had formerly disliked.

I was looking for a fun fairy tale, and I certainly found that, but the story had an unexpectedly deep heart to it that really endeared Gracepearl and her friends to me. I'd definitely pick up a copy for the princess-obsessed girl in my life!

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